Winemakers set to pour out their creations for the 40th annual Vintners Festival

BUELLTON, Calif. - Coming in from their vineyards to welcome wine lovers who are anxiously awaiting tastings from throughout Santa Barbara County, winemakers are set for the annual Vintners Festival.

"It's harvest, it's the most magical time of the year," said Sunny Doench Stricker from Future Perfect Wine.

It's the 40th year. More than 50 vineyards will be represented along with restaurants from throughout the region. In addition to the festival there will be many events at wineries all weekend long.

Santa Barbara Vintners CEO Alison Laslett said, "because of our geography we make almost 70 types of wine. That's a lot of wine. It is difficult for people to make their way through that much. What the festival does, you can go and meet the winemaker and talk to them how they made their wine."

This year the event will be at Vega Vineyard in Buellton. It has grapevines throughout the festival site, along with a small zoo, a working farm that is producing vegetables and fruit for the on site restaurant.

"Many people are coming to celebrate with us and it is a very beloved festival it is the most well known.  This is the one with most wine makers at it," said Laslett.

One of the winemakers set to pour from Future Perfect Wine says it is time for those in the industry to see each other and share their stories with wine lovers.

"This year all of my fruit will just have come into the winery as this festival happens which is kind of a relief,"  said Stricker. In the last month, the industry has been harvesting day and night depending on the temperatures, and the ripening cycle of the grapes. "It's pretty thrilling to  be up in the middle of the night seeing the hillsides all around Santa Barbara county  with the lights and  tractors, it's exciting!"

There will also be special areas for group cabanas and focused pourings.

Stricker says, "the vintners festival always has a bubble lounge. This year it is the Rio Vista Chevrolet Bubble Lounge, so I'm really thrilled that we will have the blanc de blanc and sparkling rose both in the traditional champagne methods there."

This event takes you right into a working vineyard and you can see exactly where they are at in this stage of the harvest season and find out where the just-picked grapes have gone that were harvested a couple of weeks ago.

Laslett says telling the story of the wine season each year, adds to yet another chapter in the regions special history. "Ultimately they made it for you that's what a winemaker does. They want you to taste their wine. They want to share their wines with you."

The wine industry is also a big economic boost for the area through hospitality, agriculture, and employment.

For those attending, it's more than enough to keep them coming back.

Laslett said, "it allows people to return again and again to our region."