2025 Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers & Culinarians Celebration Features Four Charitable Food and Wine Events Surrounding March 8th Grand Tasting

New Nonprofit, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation, Announces Two New Beneficiaries of Proceeds from 2025 Lineup of Women-Led Wine and Food Fundraising Events in Honor of International Women’s Day 

January 29, 2025 – Santa Ynez, CA – Spanning four days in March 2025 – March 6-9 – the now-annual Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration (www.SBWomenWinemakers.com) returns with a fundraising event series held in honor of International Women’s Day. The 2025 events will include the now-eighth annual Grand Tasting food and wine showcase, this year on International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 8, where the winemaking talents of more than 30 Santa Barbara County women winemakers will be on display in Santa Ynez, California. The Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration will once again benefit regional nonprofits, this year with event proceeds earmarked for donations to NatureTrack Foundation and Mo’s To-Go, both Santa Barbara County-based initiatives promoting and supporting inclusivity. Tickets to the March 8, 2025, Grand Tasting, as well as ancillary food and wine events running March 6-9, are now available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com.

The March 8 Grand Tasting will again be held at boutique vineyard venue, 27 Vines, on the outskirts of Santa Ynez. The daytime happening (11:00 AM to 2:00 PM), an alfresco wine tasting reception complete with elevated hors d’oeuvres, will feature 35+ woman winemakers, all of which will be on-hand to pour tastes of their wines and talk with event guests. Passed and stationary appetizers will be offered by their female counterparts in the Santa Barbara County food world, nearly two dozen female chefs/culinarians. Live music by Arwen Lewis will add to the event’s convivial ambience, and returning to this year’s event will be the popular “Estrogen Collection” wine bottle opportunity drawing.

New to this year’s Grand Tasting, provided courtesy of beneficiary, NatureTrack Foundation, will be the optional use of  “Freedom Trax,” which convert wheelchairs into all-terrain devices. Guests with mobility challenges are encouraged to contact the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation to make arrangements to experience this year’s outdoor event without limitations. Event co-beneficiary, Mo’s To-Go, will also be onsite with their own culinary station.

“The tangible excitement in the anticipation of sharing the fruits of our wine and food labors with our guests, is compounded by the knowledge that we’re helping our beneficiaries,” said Santa Barbara County woman winemaker Karen Steinwachs, Board President of the newly-formed, all-female Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation and co-founder of the annual celebration. “As our mission states, ‘Recognize, Raise Up, Give Back!’”

Other events in the four-day series include the Thursday, March 6, 2025, Lane Tanner Tribute Dinner (& Stories), to be held in The Buellhouse at legendary wine country hospitality property, Zaca Creek. Tanner, one of the very first women winemakers in Santa Barbara County, is passing the winemaking torch for her current label, Lumen Wines, moving from wine production into consulting roles. The March 6 Tribute Dinner will honor her lengthy and pioneering career in the industry with a mingling hour and sit-down buffet dinner, followed by what are forecasted to be colorful stories about Tanner, one of the most dynamic woman winemaker personalities in the County’s history. Tickets for the Thursday evening event, which starts at 5:30 PM, are available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

Fess Parker Winery will once again host the Friday event, March 7, “Sips and She-Nanigans – a Sassy Soirée.” Fess Parker’s “Fesstivitiy” sparkling wines will start the dressy evening which will also include a red carpet photo opp upon event entry, heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine service hosted by multiple Santa Barbara County wineries, a not-to-be-missed silent auction featuring food, wine, and hospitality experiences, stand-up by several female comics hailing from Los Angeles, and a discussion panel and screening to include behind-the-spotlight lady heroes that make winemakers and chefs look so good.

The Friday evening fundraiser’s panel discussion, hosted by Anna Vocino, a Santa Ynez Valley resident, founder of Eat Happy Kitchen, comedienne, voice-over actor and your typical multi-tasker female, will feature women who are the “wind beneath the wings” for winemakers and culinarians, such as sous chefs, assistant winemakers, viticulturalists, winery and restaurant owners. Vocino (Jimmy Kimmel Live, Snapped: Killer Couples) will be joined by fellow comics in live performances; all further details TBA. Friday evening tickets are also available via www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

Concluding the weekend of vinous celebration, Vega Vineyard & Farm will proudly host the Sunday, March 9, Women Winemakers’ “Bubbly Bash,” with a menu led by Chef Louise Smith and featuring sparklers and “breakfast wines” from participating women winemakers. The festivities kick off with a sparkling wine tasting, where the effervescence of carefully crafted bubbles takes center stage. The morning transitions into a brunch, expertly curated with a selection of wines. Tickets are now available at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com/events.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated worldwide since 1909, with a focus on working women’s achievements and issues. In a working environment which records about 10% of the global wine industry as female lead winemakers, Santa Barbara County continues to see a much higher percentage of women winemakers than most regions in the world – with nearly double the average and growing each year, as is evidenced by this year’s Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration winemaker event roster.

The March events bring together the varied sampling of the County’s female winemakers and culinarians in a show of support for each other and other working women, world-wide; those who toil and labor while honing and elevating their craft in their workplace, while also balancing work-lives with family and community service.

A total of $20,000 in proceeds from the 2024 Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians events was donated to She Raised Her Hand, an initiative that provides opportunities for women veterans to find community, purpose, and strength in their identity as veterans.

Participating 2025 winemakers, wineries, and distillers confirmed to date include:

Karen Steinwachs, Seagrape Wine Company; Sunny Doench Stricker, Future Perfect Wine; Kathy Joseph, Fiddlehead Cellars; Alison Thomson, Lepiane Wines; Helen Falcone, Falcone Family Vineyards; Brooke Carhartt, Carhartt Family Wines; Mireia Taribó and Tara Gomez, Camins 2 Dreams; Brit Zotovich, Dreamcôte Wine Co.; Anna Clifford Lancucki, Final Girl Wines; Gretchen Voelcker, Piazza Family Wines and Luna Hart Wines; Laura Hughes, Loubud Wines; Dana Volk, Dana V. Wines and Happy Mommy Wines; Jessica Gasca, Story of Soil; Wynne Sargeant, Peake Ranch Winery; Alice Anderson, âmevive; Megan McGrath Gates, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards and Toccata; Kristin Bryden, Zaca Mesa Winery; Amy Christine, Holus Bolus and The Joy Fantastic; Claire Bilsky, Provignage and Est Ouest Wine Co.; Allyson Bycraft, Babcock Winery & Vineyards; Anna deLaski, Solminer Wine Co.; Cecy Castillo, Mi Casa Wine Company; Kelsie Norris, Allan Hancock College Winery; Clarissa Nagy, Nagy Wines and Riverbench Vineyard and Winery; Amber Hogan, Amber Rose Wines; Kristin Harris Luis, Cote of Paint Wine; Brittany Rice, Sunstone Winery; Marrissa Schoonover, Jaffurs Wine Cellars; Magan Eng, Kunin Wines; Jill DelaRiva Russell, Cambria Winery; Adrienne Rule, Rideau Vineyard; Kira Malone, Pars Fortuna Wine; Christi Heck, Lavender Oak Vineyard; and, Sarah Suput, Rock 12 Distillery (all additional participating winemakers/wineries, TBA).

The women winemakers will be side by side at the March 8 Grand Tasting event with some of Santa Barbara County’s leading culinary ladies, the latter of which will also be present to chat with guests and showcase their edible contributions to complement their colleagues’ wines.

Culinary talent for this year’s event will be organized by Brooke Stockwell, Executive Chef, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café, and will include Mo’s To-Go chef Emily Edah; Taylor Tate, executive pastry chef, peasants FEAST; Joy Reinhardt, chef/owner, Ellie’s Tap & Vine; Sarah Price, owner/operator of Lompoc-based Sassafras Mobile Food Truck and Restaurant; Melissa Scrymgeour, chef/co-owner, Clean Slate Wine Bar in Solvang; Terri Buzzard, executive chef, Gleason Family Vineyards; Lisa Thompson, chef at Global Gardens; Louise Smith, chef/owner, Louise’s Kitchen Table; Amy Dixon, owner/baker, The Baker’s Table; Anna Vocino, entrepreneur/founder, Eat Happy Kitchen; Shannon Casey, owner of Rancho Olivos; Golzar Meamar, chef/owner, All Purpose Flower; private chef Casandra Farris, Sass Catering; Kimberly Zimmerman, owner, The Juicy Life; Shanté Norwood, owner/baker at Té’Stees Cupcakes; and treats- and truffle-maker Jessica Foster of Jessica Foster Confections. Foodie donations will be made by Shawnda Marmorstein, owner, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café and Café Farm. Additional event chefs and participating food businesses will be announced over the next few weeks.

The March 6-9 events are sponsored in part by Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, 27 Vines, Jump On The School Bus, and Allan Hancock College’s Viticulture and Enology programs. Tickets for the March 8 Grand Tasting are priced at $149.00++ per person and include plentiful appetizers, sweets, and wine tastings. The March 8 event venue, 27 Vines, is conveniently located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Santa Ynez area event parking information will be distributed to all ticketed guests prior to the event date, and hotel reservations may be made in advance by visiting www.visitsyv.com/where-to-stay-in-santa-ynez-valley/hotels-bed-breakfast.

For more information about the March 6-9, 2025, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration please contact Anna Ferguson-Sparks, Stiletto Marketing, at 1.877.327.2656 or restaurants@stilettomarketing.com.

About Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation:

The mission of the Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation is to empower and support female winemakers and culinarians by fostering a community that champions their craft, creativity, and leadership. We are dedicated to advancing their voices in the culinary and wine industries, while actively promoting education, mentorship, and collaboration. Additionally, we commit to benevolent giving, partnering with charitable organizations that enhance the quality of life in the California Central Coast through programs focused on sustainability, empowerment, and community development. Together, we strive to cultivate a thriving ecosystem that celebrates diversity, nurtures talent, and uplifts those in need. Recognize, Raise Up, Give Back. Additional information about our efforts and events may be found at www.SBWomenWinemakers.com.

About NatureTrack Foundation:

NatureTrack Foundation’s mission is to provide opportunities to embrace the natural world with respect and wonder, offering free, docent-led K–12 field trips, and monthly beach and trail events for wheelchair users using motorized Freedom Trax units which we also lend out. Further information is available at www.NatureTrack.org.

About Mo’s To-Go:

Mo’s To-Go is a fully inclusive scratch kitchen where 100% of your deli and catering order supports people with disabilities. We employ a team of dedicated and diverse team members that look forward to making and serving you with quality food platters, perfect for any event. Mo’s To-Go is under the family of services of non-profit organization, Momentum WORK, Inc. More information about Mo’s To-Go may be found at www.MosToGo.org.

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Santa Barbara County Women Winemakers and Culinarians Celebration, Women Winemakers and Culinarians Foundation