This is a guest blog post by Andrew Murray, winemaker and owner of Andrew Murray Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County. I have tasted several of the Andrew Murray wines and have enjoyed them very much over the years. I recently ran into Andrew Murray at a wine tasting in San Francisco. He mentioned that he would love to be a guest blogger and post a description of the wine country where he lives and makes his wines. What a great idea I thought, because it has been a few years since we have been to the Santa Barbara wine country and I need to be reminded of the wonder of this great wine region.
From Andrew: Nestled between the San Rafael and Santa Ynez mountains, the Santa Ynez Valley is just a short 40 minutes above picturesque Santa Barbara, California. Reminiscent of the French Riviera, Santa Barbara has long been famous as a Hollywood retreat and a second home for scions of industry. John F. Kennedy honeymooned with Jackie at the San Ysidro Ranch, and the famous photos of Albert Einstein on a bicycle were taken in sunny Santa Barbara.
Though the quiet Santa Ynez Valley is a bit more modest than its flossy Santa Barbara cousin, it too has seen its share of stardom. Michael Jackson’s infamous ‘Neverland’ Ranch is located out Figueroa Mountain Road, and stars such as Bo Derek, John Corbett, David Crosby, and Cheryl Ladd are frequently seen going about their daily lives at the market or gym.