Uncork your New Year with bubbly advice in the Funk Zone

You might find just the right bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine that fits your budget this year with all the selections on the market.

The shelves are full of world wide choices at LaPlace, a new wine tasting bar and shop in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone.

Owner Betty Dunbar says when customers come in she has done “the homework for them” by making sure everything hits the mark. She has over 35 years experience.

“If they are looking for a crowd-pleaser that is pretty easy for us,” she said. “If they want to know what grape it is, whether it is Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meuneier we are happy to give them all the information they want,” said Dunbar.

It’s likely going to be helpful to those who are not as familiar with the Champagne and wine options.

She also says there are choices depending on whether you are making a Mimosa drink, pouring for a dinner party or having a midnight toast.

“Sparkling and wine both are constant surprises. I am always being presented with new grape varietals.” Dunbar reached for a recently stocked bottle and said, “Like this one, made from Ugni Blanc. It is a surprise for me and to think I can sell it for $9.99 – wow!,” she said.

LaPlace also offers international and domestic wines Dunbar has researched in her sales and travel experiences in California, Oregon, Washington, and many parts of Europe.

The wine shop has been named after the French scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace. It has inside casual seating and a heated outside patio, along with a wine and beer bar, and light food items.

Special events are being scheduled throughout 2018 to help wine lovers have a gathering place, and a location for celebrations, but also learn about wines they may not be familiar with. “We try to represent both internationally produced and domestic wines,” said Dunbar.

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