The wineries in California’s Santa Maria Valley, north of Santa Barbara, know how to “do” holidays.
On Saturday, for instance, Cambria Estate provided guests with the opportunity to dance to live Irish music. Between jigs, they could nosh on Irish stew, soda bread and bread pudding.
Then on Sunday, nearby Riverbench Vineyard and Winery used its wood fire oven to bake pizzas topped with corned beef and cabbage, and served slices with green-colored Chardonnay.
If you missed those St. Patrick’s Day special events, do not fear. Come Easter weekend, Riverbench will be hosting a pair of family-friendly Easter egg hunts. They’ll take place that Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and the kids will be rewarded with candies, including those ever-popular chocolate bunnies.
The historic Santa Maria Inn would be a good place to set up camp for the weekend because, on Easter Sunday, it will host a Champagne Brunch from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Yes, there will be carving stations. Yes, there will be plenty of fresh seafood. Yes, there will be a waffle station. Yes, you can create your own omelets. Yes, there will be decadent desserts. And, yes, there will plenty of bubbly.
If you let St. Patrick’s Day pass without getting away to California’s Central Coast wine country, don’t commit the same oversight come Easter. You can access a comprehensive calendar of Santa Maria Valley wine events here.
