Wine Pairings, Recipes, News, & Blogs

Carr Winery has been tucked away in what looks to be just another steel Quonset hut on the outskirts of downtown Santa Barbara for just under ten years. However, once inside, it’s a completely different story. The walls of the structure curve up into forty foot ceilings and wrap around a sea of stacked wine barrels, oddly resembling the interior of a barrel itself. The wood paneled bar and large stainless steel equipment in the room emit an unforgettable ambiance that leads you into completely forgetting what the exterior of the building even looks like. Who would have ever thought that this all stemmed from 10 cases of wine made in a trash can?

If you have been to our Santa Barbara location recently, you may have noticed there are some exciting changes going on in the tasting room. Your eyes have not deceived you – we are expanding! The winery is getting a makeover, and the list of all the things you love about Carr is about to get a little longer.

“You can now catch live music every Friday evening at Carr Winery’s Warehouse tasting room in Santa Ynez. With a large lineup of both local and traveling musicians, winemaker Ryan Carr and his wife Jessica hope to draw members of the community in for some fun.”

“This Saturday, Carr Winery will come alive with the sizzling sight of wine bottles bent into entirely new and beautiful shapes when Santa Barbara glass artist Seth Brayer debutsPyroCycled, an exhibit of elegantly and intricately designed pieces and light fixtures …

You’ve done Napa, Sonoma and Monterey, and visited their most important wineries. But there’s so much more to California wine, which you’ll explore on the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail. There are almost 30 wineries downtown, so you’ll want to do your homework before you set out. Most venues feature tasting rooms, but call first because some require appointments. Fees range from $5 to $15 per winery and include samples of five to eight wines. Most do not sell food, but weekends feature a number of food trucks along the route.

“Located in downtown Santa Barbara, Carr Vineyards is a quaint winery that produces its wine from locally sourced grapes from Santa Barbara County.”

As in May, when I focused an entire column on merlot, I’d like to spotlight another single grape varietal: Today, cabernet franc.

Cab franc is similar to merlot in that it’s also a Bordeaux varietal, and is not extensively planted in Santa Barbara County since it thrives with heat, and our region isn’t big on heat.

As a bonus, cab franc offers its fans a catchy moniker: “Franc-o-philes.” How can you go wrong?

Rundown of Recent Santa Barbara County Bottlings of the Bordeaux Grape and Loire Star

If you have yet to reach for cabernet franc, now’s the time to try the lighter, crisper, and more aromatic cousin to cabernet sauvignon.

125-number of days in the average grape growing season

1-number of days it takes to screw it all up

VINTAGE 2014 is a multimedia documentary project, that Carr Winery had the privilege of being part of, that lets wine lovers experience the journey of a vintage in real time, from bud break to barreling. 

“This year’s gift bag is said to be worth over $24,000 of gifts that range from trips to fine jewelry. Quoting Lash Fary, “‘It’s all about that swag,’ It is a true honor to be even a very small part of Music’s Biggest Night. The Grammy Gift Lounge is always the highlight of my year.”

CARR WINERY -$50.00