Page 12 - NBY News - May 2019

On the Go...... BEAUTIFUL BUELLTON, CALIFORNIA
On the Go...
On the Go......
On the Go
On the Go

BY JILL WEINLEIN After the equivalent of one glass of
wine, we thought lunch was in our best
Planning a weekend getaway, we interest and chose the iconic restaurant
wanted to go somewhere within two The Hitching Post II. It gained popularity
hours from Los Angeles offering beauty, after the hit movie Sideways premiered in
wine and culinary delights. After the 2004 and is famous for its traditional Santa
recent March and April showers, we Maria barbecue. Pulling into the parking
learned a Super Bloom of Spring lot, we noticed the owner, chef and
wildflowers were blanketing the hills winemaker Frank Ostini opened a tasting
along the drive to the charming town of room and dining annex across from
Buellton in Santa Barbara County. Hitching Post II. It’s an ideal spot to sit
Buellton in Central California is an outside under ancient oak trees for Tri-tip
idyllic getaway for tasting some of the sandwiches, burgers and the famously
state’s best wines and culinary fare. It grilled artichokes before, during, or after
also offers some unique experiences that tasting their wines. The menu items are
you won’t find anywhere else. prepared in the main restaurant and
Our first stop was at the Flying Flags delivered by a three-wheel bicycle to
RV Ranch. Even though we had outdoor tables underneath ancient oak
reservations to stay at the Santa Ynez trees.
Valley Marriott across the highway, this Winemaker Gray Hartley came out to
sprawling RV resort was hosting our table with bottles of three of their
Buellton’s Wine & Chili Festival. famous Hitching Post Pinot Noirs -
Among vintage trailer and airstream Fiddlestix, Perfect Set and Hartley-Ostini
rentals, charming cottages, luxury tents hearty breakfast of omelets, French toast Hitching Post Highliner. Hartley was an
and rows of impressive land yachts, and eggs Benedict at the Santa Ynez Alaskan fisherman for 28 years, before
local hotels and restaurants were ladling Valley Marriott’s Gate restaurant. meeting Ostini and helping him make
up mild to spicy chili for guests to Starting at LaFond Winery located in world renown wines. “Highliner is one of
sample. Central California breweries the picturesque Sta. Rita Hills, we passed the best fishermen in the fleet, and this
and wineries were pouring some of corrals of miniature goats, donkeys, name honors the great men of the Alaskan
their most popular beers and wines. sheep and turkeys to the one-story Salmon Fishery,” said Hartley. It was also
Reserving one night at the Santa Ynez tasting room. Picnic tables were scattered one of the featured wines in the film
Valley Marriott, we learned what makes on grassy bluffs overlooking 150 acres of Sideways.
this a modern, unique and popular vineyards. This winery offers a charging While sipping wine, Hartley pointed
destination ~ if offers 9 complimentary station for electric cars too. out a flock of ostrich roaming in a pasture
Tesla Supercharger stations in the below the property. For $6.00, guests can
parking lot. It was one of the first enter OstrichLand U.S.A., to stand close
locations that Tesla put their and feed some of the tallest and largest
Supercharger machines, and has become birds in the world. Besides herds of
one of the most popular charging spots ostrich, there are flocks of emus to admire.
for road travelers driving from
Southern to Northern California.

LaFond staff member Diane greeted
and presented us with five different
The comfortable 167 guest rooms are tastings and a 16-ounce souvenir glass
decorated in wine country chic, and the for a $15 tasting fee. Diane has been
hotel offers the largest swimming pool pouring,award winning Chardonnay,
in the region. After a swim, we drove Pinot Noir and Syrah wines at LaFond,
over to Industrial Way to enjoy a craft for 12 years. She informed us “It takes
beer dinner and brewery tour in The three sips of wine to know if you like it Our last stop was at Margerum Wine
Kitchen at Figueroa Mountain Brewing or not.” The 2016 Sta. Rita Hills Company along Industrial Way to taste
Company. Chardonnay was a crowd pleaser with a one of the former First Lady Michelle
With over 80 wineries and tasting nose of lemon, hazelnut and Obama’s favorite California wines,
rooms in the area, we decided to map honeysuckle aromas. Margerum Wine Sybarite Sauvignon
out our next day by starting with a Blanc. It was served at a White House State

12 May 2019