In 1984, Au Bon Climat winemaker Jim Clendenen came to Doug Margerum, who then owned the Wine Cask bottle shop/restaurant, with a quandary: As a young vintner, he was having trouble paying for his grape contracts in advance because wines weren’t ready to sell yet. Margerum proposed an annual “futures” tasting, in which people could taste wines from barrel, buy pre-release wines at a discounted rate, and keep winemakers in good graces with their vineyard sources.
The tasting was a hit, and over the next 20 years, the Wine Cask event served as a launchpad for now famous Santa Barbara brands such as Sea Smoke, Brewer-Clifton, Paul Lato, Tensley, and many more. “The futures really put Santa Barbara on the map,” said Margerum, who also published an extensive catalog that became the “bible of what’s hot” in Santa Barbara wine country. “It really helped people understand the wines and the regions and all the things they needed to know. We explained it all in great detail.”
After more than a decade of hiatus, this landmark tasting is returning, as Margerum explained, “to promote the area and get the mojo back.” This time, the Santa Barbara County Vintners Futures Tasting goes down over a full weekend of food, fun, and education from March 29-31 at the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort in the Santa Ynez Valley. The experience can be booked as an all-inclusive weekend package or enjoyed à la carte for single events like Saturday’s grand tasting. Proceeds will fund the Santa Barbara Vintners’ marketing efforts and also go to Vino de Sueños, the People Helping People program that assists vineyard workers and their families when in need.