Staff Report

Viniferous trailblazers were few in the new wine region of Santa Barbara County just 40 years ago. Only a handful of these “heritage wines” that were produced then survive today, all of them forged by the hands and palates of these premier players.

Nov. 17 will be the second annual Pioneers of Santa Barbara County wine tasting event, featuring many “heritage wines” of the 20 wineries pouring in an intimate setting and spotlighting wines that many in this rarefied club have made for decades.

This special celebration, an ode to the fine art of wine-making with Santa Barbara’s masters, has been dubbed the “Greatest Little Wine Tasting on Earth” by some of last year’s attendees.

The Station, a renovated gas station from 1926 nestled next to the historic Union Hotel on Bell Street in Los Alamos, provides a historic venue honoring the true pioneering spirit of the region. Key attendees at the event include Qupé, Foxen, Alma Rosa and Sanford wineries.

The tasting will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. with a VIP champagne after party and mingling with winery titans. Tickets are $100 in advance and $125 at the door. The first 50 tickets sold will be VIP.

Tickets are available now at www.pioneersofsantabarbaracounty.com.