Santa Barbara, Calif. (Thurs., Jan. 7, 2016) — Visit Santa Barbara announces the release of a limited-edition “Red Carpet Red” pinot noir to commemorate the 2016 awards season. The wine will make its debut as an exclusive gift offered during Secret Room Events’ Golden Globes Awards Style Lounge event Fri., Jan. 8, in Beverly Hills at the SLS Hotel. The invite-only event draws Golden Globes nominees and talent, with past attendees including celebs such as Christopher McDonald (“Happy Gilmore”), Kevin Dillon (“Entourage”) and Carolyn Hennesy (“True Blood”).
Red Carpet Red will also be available to the public during the star-studded Santa Barbara International Film Festival Feb. 3 through 13 at select Santa Barbara restaurants and hotels participating in the companion Film Feast dining and lodging promotion.
“Red Carpet Red pays tribute to Santa Barbara’s longstanding relationship with the film industry and the destination’s popularity as a Hollywood escape,” said Kathy Janega-Dykes, president/CEO of Visit Santa Barbara. “The wine embodies the spirit and character of Santa Barbara and is the perfect pairing to awards season celebrations, from the Golden Globes and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to the Academy Awards.”
Red Carpet Red is an organic 2013 pinot noir produced in collaboration with Ampelos Cellars, an award-winning, family-run, biodynamic winery based in northern Santa Barbara County. With bold notes of cherry cola, wood fire, spice, subtle whispers of berry and a creamy, elegant finish, the inviting wine is like Santa Barbara — as down-to-earth as it is luxurious. Two barrels were designated for the bottling using estate fruit from the winery’s organically farmed Sta. Rita Hills vineyard, yielding 570 bottles. The wine pairs well with salmon, barbecued vegetables, chanterelles and tri-tip.
“I love to help support anything about Santa Barbara. It’s unique. It’s the most beautiful region in the world because of the surroundings, the weather, the beautiful architecture,” said Ampelos Cellars winemaker Peter Work of the collaboration.
The wine label was designed by Los Angeles-based artist Eric Junker and evokes the feel of a vintage travel poster. It depicts Santa Barbara’s iconic “American Riviera” cityscape, with signature red-tile roofs nestled between a picturesque mountain range and the Pacific Ocean.
Santa Barbara visitors can get a taste of Red Carpet Red during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Feb. 3 through 13 when Oscar nominees and top Hollywood talent walk the red carpet throughout the 10-day lineup of celebrity tribute events, filmmaking panel discussions and film screenings. SBIFF award recipients for 2016 include Johnny Depp, Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano, Joel Edgerton, Saoirse Ronan and Rooney Mara.
During SBIFF and Film Feast, Red Carpet Red will be available while supplies last at opal restaurant and bar and C’est Cheese, as well as through Film Feast lodging packages offered by Best Western Plus Encina Inn & Suites, Best Western Plus Pepper Tree Inn, Brisas del Mar-Inn at the Beach, Hotel Indigo, Hotel Milo, Inn by the Harbor, Lavender Inn by the Sea and Santa Barbara Ramada.
“The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a highlight of Santa Barbara’s event calendar, and we invite visitors to experience the awards season in relaxed, America Riviera style,” added Janega-Dykes. “It’s a rare opportunity for the general public to have access to such incredible star power.”
This isn’t the first time Santa Barbara’s wine industry has intersected with Hollywood. Wine tourism boomed and pinot noir became the region’s star varietal after the Oscar-winning film Sideways put Santa Barbara wine country on the global map in 2004. Santa Barbara County also boasts a few winemakers with Hollywood credentials. Actors Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson collaborate with the Ampelos Cellars team to produce Russell’s GoGi Wines and Hudson’s Hudson Bellamy Wines. Santa Ynez Valley is home to singer Fergie’s Ferguson Crest winery and late actor Fess Parker’s (“Davy Crockett”) Fess Parker Winery, which his family carries on.
ABOUT SANTA BARBARA
Voted “Best Beach Town” by Sunset magazine in its inaugural travel awards in 2015, Santa Barbara is located just 92 miles north of Los Angeles and 332 miles south of San Francisco, on the Pacific coastline. Visitors can arrive via scenic Highway 101, train, bus or by flying into Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) or Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Visit SantaBarbaraCA.com for information on wine touring and tasting and more Santa Barbara trip ideas. Learn more about Film Feast at SBFilmFeast.com.