Santa Ynez Valley, June 2023

Monday

• Picked up both Woodstock's and Firestone, brought it j&c's. Freya took awhile to warm up but was a hoot once she did. Mom and dad arrived about an hour after. Christy made carnitas tacos for dinner.
• Spring Hill suites for bedtime. No Ryan teeth grinding but Ada was up at 5:15.

Tuesday

• Breakfast at hotel. The kids looove this breakfast cuz of all the options.
• Hung out with Freya and the rest (Justin at work) till we left around 1030/11. Mom and dad headed with the kids to the Monterey zoo.
• Plenty on Bell. Basically everything except this was closed. Would love to come back for antiques and Bell's. It was pretty good but wouldn't rush back.
• Zaca Mesa winery. Beautiful grounds but disappointing wine.
• Checked in to Hotel Ynez. Hung out by pool. Supposedly heated but it felt cold so didn't go in.
• SY Kitchen for dinner. Really good and want to go back. Pricey!

Wednesday

• Amazing breakfast at hotel (quiche and pastries from local bakery!
• Cliff golf River Course at Alisal while I rode along in cart. Lots of good birding
• Peasant's Feast. Soo good farm to table, local wines
• Lovers loop hike. Very difficult since I'm out of (cardio) shape; lots of hill. Pretty views but wouldn't rush to do this particular one again.
• On way to Los Olivos--Stopped to see if mini horses were still there at Quicksilver Ranch. They were!
• Parted ways--Cliff to Figueroa Mtn brewing, me to Dragonette. The somm was so nice and spent time explaining every wine, vineyard etc. David.
• Tried to taste at Story of Soil, but they were closing so just got a glass of syrah. Didn't realize they specialize in light, low abv wines.
• Dinner at Los Olivos Wine Merchant. Delicious. And bought some wine from the shop. This place was in Sideways!
• Back to hotel for fire pit time. Video chatted with the kids. Tv in bed

Thursday

• Breakfast, fire pit, bocce ball, hammock
• Left for Santa Barbara after grabbing coffee at Pony Espresso. Need to try again cuz they misheard us and put canned whipped cream on our iced coffees. It sounds amazing but it wasn't.
• Road work and accident stopped us foreverrr on 154.
• Secret Bao. Soooo good. Chicken bulgogi rice bowl.
• Walked to Frequency wine for a tasting; I ended up getting two bottles. The gal was very friendly.
• Drove to Ojai. It was cloudy this day and the sun never came out. Checked in to our tiny home! Cute grounds; airstreams are close together with the tiny home in a private corner. It didn't feel as tiny as I expected!
• The tiny home was fun and I loved playing the records they had with the mini Victrola. But they need to include some cookware and paper plates or SOMETHING if they're gonna charge that much and call it a 'home'! The toilet kept running. The bed downstairs was dumb because it had a huge wide lip around it, taking up valuable space and making it hard to potty in the night. Didn't sleep in the upstairs (steeep little staircase!) but the kids would love it if they didn't need to go potty in the night. I would be terrified of them falling.
• Walked to downtown; got beer at Topa Topa. There are sooo many little cute places I wish we'd had time to try.
• Headed toward Bart's Books but stopped in to an antiques store where I found an old/cute copy of Robinson Crusoe. Bart's Books.... So magical! and there was a cat. I guess this place alone would make me come back to Ojai. We spent a good hour there. Mostly used books but some new. We got some books for the kids. I got a signed copy of Caitlin Doughty's 'Will my Cat...' and her other two books.
• Dinner at Ojai Beverage Company. I was hopeful about this place due to having both beer and wine, making us both happy. They have a good beer and wine selection in the front! The food/restaurant part though... Service was kinda slow. The food was just alright. Everything sticky/dirty. It was like a lesser Churchill's. Was excited about the wine flight of local wines but suspiciously those wines weren't on the regular wine list; the ones that were were cheap and not local. So I don't actually know what I got.
• Started walking back and happened upon the Ojai Valley Brewery & Winery. Wish we'd ordered food and just chilled here! The beer was really good. Next time I'll try the wine. No food there. This would be perfect to come back to with the kids; lots of space, games. Pool table! Wish the employees weren't using it...
• Played records back 'home'.

Friday

• Breakfast from The Dutchess. Yummy croque madame and morning bun.
• Left for home around. Interesting driving highways we'd never driven before on the way back (google had us go inland and through Santa Paula). Lots of ag, fruit.
• Stopped for lunch at Din Tai Fung in Glendale. Def good but kinda hype-y. I think you can find close to that level of yum for less hassle (I got a last-min reservation on the way).
• Next we went the The Bruery. I really like their beers. Soo much traffic along Pendleton.

Next time in Ojai:

• Wish we could see it with the sun out! 
• Pinyon. Legit neopolitan pizza. Tons of natural wines.
• Ojai Rotie. Lebanese French pond
• Meditation Mount
• Tipple (suggested by somm lady in Santa Barbara)
• With kids: Thursday farmers market
• The Dutchess. Upscale restaurant.
• Ojai pub (near Caravan Outpost). Opening?

I had such a delicious Pet Nat from Disko. I don't think they have a tasting room :/ but maybe they will next time.

Next time in Santa Ynez Valley:

• Would love to stay at Skyview and do Los Alamos for a day or two. But no kids allowed at the pool there :/
• Waterfall and caves hike?

Other recos from Wine for Normal People Podcast:

• Love storm Dragonette
• Hyanna
• Liquid farm

From Christy: Kinsey in Edna Valley. Bien Nacido in Los Olivos or Santa Maria

Tasting Notes from our trip:

Zaca Mesa Tread SBC Pinot noir 2020. Not bad 2019 grenache. "Cherry Coke and twizzlers" lady's mom said. 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. Very aromatic blackberry raspberry. Potpourri taste. Not bad but no finish. 2018 chapel g syrah. Potpourri taste. 2017 Mesa reserve syrah. 2020 seven syrah. Just great, balanced. Smooth.

Dragonette. David 2022 syv Rose. Delicious. Sauv Blanc 2021 Grimms. Amazing. Pineapple. More chardonnay-like. Weed? They have this on oak as opposed to nz style. Pinot noir sta rita hills. Good. Still Pinoty. Reminds me of the pismo house! Weed again. Pinot noir radian single vineyard. Herbs. Savory. Oak. Diatomaceous earth rock he brought me. Helps root structure. Cotton candy. Syrah. Very nice. Easy to drink.

Story of Soil. Closing too soon☹️ got a glass of syrah. Wish the lady had been more friendly, willing to talk about their wines. They specialize in light, low abv. Hmmm. Syrah. Nose is amazing, complex. Pepper taste.

Frequency Blanc 2022. Clean crisp. Good Los Alamos graciano 2021. Better with each sip. Boysenberry, mineral, tannin dry. John Sebastiano vineyard syrah. 2021. It was rainy right before harvest. Hence milder syrah. Blueberry blackberry, spicy nose. Touch of leather finish. Watch Hill syrah 2021. Elegant violet smooth