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Winemaking History of Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara had the good fortune of being the site of one of the numerous California Missions built by the Franciscan Brothers in the late 18th century. The good brothers needed altar wine and a source of reliable drink. Wells and stored water had a habit of becoming contaminated.



Whether by choice or necessity they used a variety, now known as Mission, a variety of uncertain origin, but hardy and productive. It produced a very rough wine, suitable for the altar, but it must have made the more worldly members of the Order long for the wines of Europe.



In the late 19th century Santa Barbara became an important producer for the San Francisco Market. Santa Cruz Island, 20 miles off the coast at Santa Barbara, was one of the principal suppliers. With large vineyards of Zinfandel they grew, made and shipped their wine by boat to San Francisco. This economic model was probably doomed to fail once other vineyards were established closer to the city and in the early 20th century production declined and was finally killed off by prohibition.



There were other wineries, smaller wineries that satisfied the local market. Of these, the Packard winery, although abandoned, the building existed until the late 1950s when it was replaced by a gas station. The gas station has suffered a similar fate but has not engendered the same nostalgia.



The modern era began in 1962 with the establishment of Santa Barbara Winery. At that time there were no vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Grapes needed to be shipped from a county to the north, over 100 miles away. Two Bakersfield expatriates planted the first new vineyard in the county in 1965. Experienced growers, they benefited handsomely from the wine boom of the late 60s, and the rest is history. There are now over 100 wineries and 20,000 acres of grapes in the county.



Santa Barbara with its three appellations, or districts, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria is now a very big player. The climate ranges from the very cool to the very warm, allowing for a wide selection of grapes. One of these, Pinot Noir, a cool climate variety, was the principal beneficiary of the movie Sideways, a movie that put Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara on the map.

About the Author

In 1962 Pierre Lafond opened the first Santa Barbara winery since Prohibition. In 2001, he opened another California winery
called Lafond Winery. Today, his two vineyards and winemaking operations are some of Santa Barbara's finest. Tours and tastings daily.

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Winemaking History of Santa Barbara


Santa Barbara had the good fortune of being the site of one of the numerous California Missions built by the Franciscan Brothers in the late 18th cent...


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Another Great Vintage Wine Article

6 Secret Health Benefits of Drinking Red Wine - Secrets Revealed

In this article, I have taken the time to compile the top 6 health benefits of drinking Red Wine. There are more, but these are the top 6 health benefits I will write about in this article, the rest is on my website.

Let's face it, most of us drink occasionally. I for one, I love red wine, and I drink socially when I am hanging with friends. However, I never stopped to think about the health benefits of Red Wine until I saw recent news clipping on the subject.

Well, here is what I have found to be the top 6 health benefits of Red Wine.

Benefit 1: Red Wine is Hearty,

It's good for the heart. The content of wine is a very significant protector of the heart. Substances in the grape skin leaks into the wine during wine making. These substances are called flavanoids. Flavanoids protects us from bad cholesterol and helps prevent blood clots. This alone makes red wine and excellent drink and a reason to drink up.

Benefit 2: Red Wine has Vitamins, Minerals and Natural Sugar

As we know, these are beneficial in maintaining optimum health. Red Wine contains large amount of these. Vitamin B is a flagship vitamin of Red Wine, also present is potassium and small amounts of sodium. All this is due to the grape skin effects. In fact, do you know that grape skin is an excellent agent and fighter against as cancer?

Benefit 3: Red Wine Extends Life?

A recent study has shown that a compound in Red Wine known as resveratrol has shown signs of extending life. We won't go into details of the study, but just know that it has shown promising results on animal subject. Imagine what this could mean for us humans.

Benefit 4: Our Digestive System

Red wine helps in the break down of the food that we eat. Ever wondered why the French always have a glass wine with their meals? Now you know also have you ever wondered why the French are skinnier people. Maybe their food digest better with wine and this aids in keeping their weight down. Finally, as we grow older, our bodies stop producing the substance it needs to breakdown the food we it quickly, therefore it is often suggested that we consume a glass of red wine with food.

Benefit 5: Weight loss,

Although wine is high in calories, it can actually make you lose weight. How? Well- remember it helps in food digestion, maybe that is how. On a recent TV show, many French woman were explaining how they lost weight and keep it of, by having a glass of Red Wine with their meals, hmmm, did we miss something in America?

Benefit 6: Sleep.

Red Wine helps relax you and make you sleep better. It has a tranquil effect on the body and also it will aid in reducing the risk of long term insomnia.

There you have it, the top 6 most significant health benefits of drinking Red wine. It is suggested that we drink moderately all the time. It's no fun getting drunk, hey moderation in everything is always good, no complaints right?

Red Wine Definitely has its health benefits, Drink up to a healthier lifestyle, moderately of course and that's my final answer.

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