santa barbara

I have been dating for a year now! Will took me to Santa Barbara for a day to celebrate 365 days of goodness together. On the drive up we found ourselves unwinding as we inched further away from L.A. and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the coast. Lunch was at Ca 'Dario, an Italian restaurant that is known for its ravioli. It was spectacular. Then we headed to Santa Ynez for wine tasting at Sunstone, Gainey and Beckmen. Sunstone was the favorite. They don't use pesticides and their chardonnay was yum. We stopped by the farmer's market in Solvang before going back.

This was the perfect idea for a day trip. It's close to LA and we kept saying how much we liked it and that we should go more regularly. It was quieter, cozier and less commercialized than Napa.

I found the cutest book at Beckmen: Wine Dogs: USA Edition. The book documents dogs that belong to different winemakers. I was ecstatic when I saw that Gus (dog at Beckmen) and Shelby (Sunstone), dogs we met, are both featured in the book. I wish I had a dog. Sigh. {Photo from winedogs}