Our new partnership with Relevé Unlimited has allowed us to exponentially build on the already steady foundation of the annual Vintners Spring Weekend, and to make strategic changes to the [wine festival] benefitting our winery members and [event] guests.
Buellton, CA (PRWEB) March 10, 2014
The Santa Barbara Vintners (SBV; http://www.sbcountywines.com/; #SBVintnersFest) and Santa Barbara- and Solvang-based event production firm, Relevé Unlimited (http://www.releveunlimited.com/), have officially announced details of the expansion plan for this year’s “Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend” (http://www.sbvintnersweekend.com/) Festival Grand Tasting event, to be held Saturday, April 12, 2014, in addition to a new “Signature” wine festival event the following day, Sunday, April 13, a Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert featuring indie rock / Americana music duo, Jamestown Revival (http://jamestownrevival.com/). Relevé Unlimited and the SBV have also revealed the full weekend event schedule that now spans four days, Thursday, April 10 through Sunday, April 13, and encompasses a total of 12 Signature events and more than 15 SBV winery member ancillary events, all meant to encourage Spring Weekend attendees to explore the many activities and entertainment options that the Santa Barbara wine region boasts.
The 32nd Annual Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend Festival Grand Tasting (http://www.sbvintnersweekend.com/festival.html), to be held April 12 in Buellton’s River View Park, will have an extended hours option affording “Extended Experience” ticketholders an extra hour at the beginning of the event, to more intimately visit with the 100+ participating Santa Barbara Vintners member wineries and restaurants, by limiting the number of attendees in that first hour. This year’s Festival Grand Tasting will also feature an Art Walk, a Farmers Market Pavilion, and a VIP-style “Connoisseurs Club Pavilion”, where guests will be able to relax in a “living room” environment while enjoying exclusive-to-the-Club wines and culinary selections, as well as one-on-one time with winemakers and other added extras.
Also new to the Festival Grand Tasting this year, is the option to buy wine on-site at the event, where Relevé Unlimited wine valets spread throughout the festival grounds, will take orders and accept payments via iPads. Upon exiting the Grand Tasting, guests who have made purchases during the festival will visit the “Wine Warehouse”, where purchases will be packed and ready to go, with assistance provided for loading wine into vehicles.
The Festival Grand Tasting event will, once again, feature a Silent Auction, giving guests a chance to bid on large-format bottles and special wine releases, with auction proceeds benefitting the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation. The Grand Tasting will also offer a “Designated Driver” reduced-price ticketing tier, granting “Drivers” access to food options and bottomless non-alcoholic beverages for just $25.00 per person. Shuttle bus service to the Grand Tasting will also be available, with three bus routes departing from hotels in Santa Barbara, Solvang, and Santa Maria, shuffling guests directly to the Festival Grand Tasting.
The Spring Weekend festivities continue on Sunday, April 13, with a new Signature event added to the mix: The Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert at Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, with headlining band, Jamestown Revival. Jamestown Revival melodiously blends Americana/Folk, Texas twang, back porch indie rock with Lauren Canyon harmonies, and has recently appeared on TV shows “Conan O’Brien” and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly”, as well as on the “Morning Becomes Eclectic” radio show broadcast on award-winning NPR-affiliate, KCRW. The April 13 exclusive live performance, falls in the midst of a lengthy tour schedule that has Jamestown Revival crossing the country in support of the band's debut album, “UTAH”.
The April 13 Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert runs 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and includes a farm-to-table, communal style picnic and the live musical entertainment line-up, with additional performers to be announced.
“Our new partnership with Relevé Unlimited has allowed us to exponentially build on the already steady foundation of the annual Vintners Spring Weekend, and to make strategic changes to the Weekend benefitting both our winery members, and Spring Weekend guests,” said Morgen McLaughlin, executive director of the Santa Barbara Vintners.
The SBV’s new partnership with Relevé Unlimited, announced in December 2013, is intended to expand upon the scheduling and exposure of previous years’ Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend and Santa Barbara Vintners Celebration of Harvest Weekend, via the addition of regional, ongoing, year-round wine industry events surrounding the SBV’s overall mission, as well as the two seasonal festivals. The 2014 Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend is expected to draw upwards of 5,000 attendees, and will take place at venues spread throughout the Santa Barbara County wine region.
In addition to the Saturday Festival Grand Tasting at Buellton’s River View Park, and the Sunday Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert at Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, the Spring Weekend will feature a Celebrity Golf Tournament with “Sideways” author, Rex Pickett; a Festival Opening celebration consisting of a Sta. Rita Hills AVA pairing dinner at Buellton’s new foodie haven, Industrial Eats; a Wine Education Seminar Series at Hotel Corque, moderated by Clos Pepe Vineyards’ Wes Hagen; multiple guided vineyard hikes; a 90+ Points Wine & Dine Event in Santa Barbara; a Barrel Toasting Seminar and Tasting, with dinner, at Michael Larner’s new wine co-op, Buellton Bodegas; and an ultra-exclusive Grassini Family Vineyards Dinner Event featuring their own wines, plus Dierberg Estate Vineyard, Margerum Wine Company, Kaena Wine, Andrew Murray Vineyards, Fiddlehead Cellars and in a rare appearance, Sea Smoke Estate Vineyard.
“The vastly augmented Spring Weekend event line-up provides a multitude of new opportunities for enhanced exposure for the SBV members, and the festivals’ sponsors and vendors. And Spring Weekend is just the start...we’re also bolstering the Santa Barbara wine region’s presence via a magnified Celebration of Harvest Weekend, as well as other, individual SBV wine events throughout the year,” added Diane Hamilton, president of Relevé Unlimited.
For additional details surrounding the Festival Grand Tasting or the Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert, and to purchase tickets at any level, please visit: http://www.sbvintnersweekend.com. Group ticket discounts are available for both the Saturday Festival Grand Tasting and the Sunday Farm-to-Table Picnic and Concert, for confirmed groups of 35 people or more.
Details about the additional Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend Signature events will be announced over the coming weeks; updates will continue to be published at http://www.sbvintnersweekend.com, and announced via posts with the hashtag #SBVintnersFest.
About Santa Barbara Vintners
Santa Barbara Vintners is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1983 to support and promote Santa Barbara County as a world-class, authentic wine producing and wine grape growing region. The Santa Barbara Vintners includes winery members whose annual production is at least 75% Santa Barbara County labeled, grower/vineyard members, and business associates and associations. The Santa Barbara Vintners produces festivals and provides information to consumers, trade, and media. For more information, and to purchase tickets for the Santa Barbara Vintners Spring Weekend, please visit http://www.sbvintnersweekend.com, http://www.facebook.com/SantaBarbaraCountyWine or http://www.twitter.com/sbcwines.
About Relevé Unlimited
Headquartered in Solvang, California, Relevé Unlimited is a one-stop-shop meeting, festival, exhibition and special event production company specializing in destination management, conferences, incentives, and social gatherings for both private and corporate clients, on local, national and international levels – from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, Orange County to San Diego, and beyond. For more information about Relevé’s suite of services, or to inquire about a specific event, please call 805.688.1434 or email info [at] releveunlimited [dot] com. More information is available on Facebook and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/ReleveUnlimited and http://www.twitter.com/ReleveUnlimited.
For further information about this announcement, please contact Anna Ferguson-Sparks, Stiletto Marketing, at 1.877.327.2656 or info [at] stilettomarketing [dot] com.
