Sustainable Vineyards And Wine Tours in Santa Barbara County

Anyone traveling to, or living near Santa Barbara should definitely put Sustainable Vine Tours on their "to do" list.  This tour highlights the region's rich history and covers  farming the grapes, walking through the vineyards and, of course, wine tasting. Door to door service from Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez, tours of 3 vineyards and a gourmet organic picnic lunch are included.  You're in the capable hands of  a guide who knows the winemakers personally and has a deep knowledge not only of  the area but also the wine making and farming processes.  

More and more wineries are using organic and bio dynamic farming methods.  This makes for a healthier wine and  ultimately a healthier planet because grapes are among the most pesticide- laden produce.

Organic wines range from being 70% to 100% "organic."  100% organic wines contain only naturally- occurring sulfites whereas wines labelled "Made with Organic Grapes" may have artificial sulfites and cannot qualify for the organic USDA seal. In bio dynamic practices, the wine is not only 100% organic but the farmer goes above and beyond-- making their own compost, using knowledge of the stars and planets to time what they do, and bringing the farming process more closely in tune with nature.

The Santa Ynez wineries featured in the tour all produce remarkable wines, maintain a high level of personal service and practice sustainable agriculture.  If you can't take the tour, visit the wineries directly or at least treat yourself to some organic bio dynamic wine delivered to your door.  

Ampelos Cellars ( Certified Sustainable, Organic and Bio Dynamic Vineyard)

Coquelicot Winery (Organic Vineyard)

 

Coquelicot has some beautiful pictures on their website of their vineyard, tasting room and the grape harvest.

Wine Ratings

Alma Rosa – Robert Parker 90 points 2005 Chardonnay, El Jabali Vineyard

Ampelos – Wine Spectator 91 points 2005 Pinot Noir "Rho" 

Beckmen – Wine Spectator 91 points 2007 Purisima Mtn. Vineyard Block 6 Syrah

Demetria – Wine Enthusiast 94 points 2005 Pinot Blanc

Presidio – LA Times #1 Cool Climate Syrah 2004 Artistic License

Sunstone – Wine Enthusiast 90 points 2003 EROS

Alma Rosa (Certified Organic Vineyard)

Demetria Estate (Bio Dynamic Vineyard)

Sunstone Winery (Certified Organic Winery)

Presidio Winery (Certified Organic and Biodynamic Vineyard)



To book a tour check out the Sustainable Vine Tours site here.

Eco Luxury Tourism: The Altiplano in Chile

Talking about Chile is like talking about
California in one way:  they’re
both long coastal places with a huge diversity of terrain and character.  There’s a desert, the Pacific ocean,  forests  of enormous endangered trees, and a renown wine country.   But there the similarities end.  Chile is California on steroids--more
extreme in its contrasts of desert and mountains.  Only 265 miles wide, its fashion-skinny length takes in some startling scenery.

Only  in the past
few years has there been much luxury travel available but now it’s becoming difficult
to choose exactly where to spend time. 
Most people think of touring Patagonia, but the Atacama desert is a place we recommend.  The  Alto Atacama Desert Lodge & Spa is a wonderful choice along the San Pedro River.

This desert is amazing.  With a huge aqua sky 
and the changing colors of the hills, the scenery is nothing short of
sensational.

We like to travel in the winter ( June –
August) when the days average in the 70s and the nights are refreshingly
cold.   

Each guest suite offers desert views.

Dining is an experience.

Local indigenous materials were used in the architecture and interiors as well as local artisan's  crafts.

Design is a balance of nature and simplicity at Atacama.

Guest Rooms have all the essential luxuries.

We prefer to  keep our focus on the stunning landscapes and its inhabitants
--like llamas, vicuna, and the unique 
birds of the Altiplano. 
There’s truly nothing like the quiet serenity of this arid place to
restore a person’s psyche.

By the way, we also like the glorious  Awasi  boutique hotel on the San Pedro River. The first Chilean hotel to volunteer carbon offsets through the British company, EcoSecurities, the owners have always been committed to non-invasive tourism. 

Green Globetrotting on the Rise

Globetrotters are paying more attention to where they spend tourism funds these days. People are choosing sustainable hotels, restaurants and transportation. According to Sustainable Travel International, 58.5 million Americans say they will pay more to use a travel company that strives to preserve and protect the environment.  LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainabilty) estimates that ecotourism, inluding eco travel networks and green tourism are estimated to be a $77 billion market.  

Photo:IMOCOM via Perifil

IMOCOM presented its latest project in
Argentina, a Hilton branded hotel in Bariloche (Patagonia) that was
introduced as "eco friendly". According to the company's CEO, Hugo
Canessa, the broad term refers to the hotel layout, which will blend
with the mountain it's located in to reduce visual impact, and the fact
that during the building process and later in its operational phase,
the hotel will have efficient use of energy and water and "proper
management of soil and drainage" and feature a green roof that will integrate with the mountains colors throught he seasons.

According to the Observer, architects in London are developing the worlds first "zero-carbon" five star resort.  Each of it's 35 villas will be totally self sufficient and use only the energy from sun and wind, producing little waste for carbon emmissions.  Its location, however, will be thousands of fuel- guzzeling miles away in Nungwi, Zanzibar.

So.. how green are the airlines?  According to Seat Guru, Virgin atlantic, Southwest, Jet Blue and Continental are amoung the most committed.  The most fuel efficient planes include the Airbus A319, Boeing 787 Dreamliner or the Bombarder CSeries.  The MD-80's and MD-82's last a very long time thus lending to less landfill but still lacking in efficiency.  Bio fuels have been tested but look to be a decade away from being a widely used alternative.

Meanwhile travelers are encouraged to take steps such like flying direct whenever possible, buying carbon credits when you fly, and doing research to pick the greenest airline you can find.  Flying still has the most impact on your carbon footprint so choosing wisely can make great impact. One should be skeptic when making ecological travel choices and find out if "green" is truely "green" and being "green" doesn't just mean resorts only wash towels and sheets every other day.

Post Author for Globally Gorgeous:

Tamara Wallop

Miho Museum by I.M. Pei Harmonic with Nature in Japan

A few years back Gregg and I went to Kyoto Japan to buy Ikebana Baskets for a show we were curating at our Gallery in Santa Barbara. While there, even though we didn't have much time we made time to visit the Miho Museum. Off the beaten track, for sure, but so well worth the effort. The Museum is Southeast of Kyoto near the town of Shigaraki, in Shiga Prefecture. The Museum house the private collection of Mihoko Koyama the heiress to the Toyobo Textile business. The museum is named for her.

I.M. Pei the Architect that Mihoko Koyama commissioned to design the museum referred to it as "Shangri-La" Evidently because hi design for the approach to the museum involves a long walkway on a bridge across a gorge and then through a tunnel through the hilly landscape. When one emerges out of the tunnel "you have arrived in "Shangri-La".  

Pei used the same French Limestone he used at his Louvre Pyramid in Paris. The structural engineers were LERA. Leslie E. Robertson Assoc. 75% of the museum's structure was built into the excavated mountain top. The earth was re filled over the structure essentially making most of the museum underground. The effect is that the forested hills are embracing the museum and that the whole environment is harmonious with nature.

Eco Luxury, Eco Friendly Cars

The Leases are coming up on our vehicles so we are checking into whats the newest in eco friendly, eco luxury cars. Ranging in price from $44K - $60K This is what we have been looking at. Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BLUETEC, VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG TDI, BMW XDRIVE35D, and AUDI Q7 TDI.

What’s new in these cars is the use of a urea fluid, or nitrogenous compound, called AdBlue, which is squirted into the engine’s exhaust stream to scrub pollutants away. Hybrid cars, most famously the Toyota Prius (I am currently driving one), are the chief competitors for a green badge, and both diesels and hybrids get the same tax break for alternative fuel vehicles. But critics of hybrids complain about squishy regenerative brakes, transmissions that seem to shift aimlessly, poor acceleration, and reduced cargo space due to the cars’ huge nickel-metal-hydride batteries. And because hybrids are so new, little longevity data is available. 

MERCEDES-BENZ GL 350 BLUETEC

VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREG TDI

BMW X5 XDRIVE35D

AUDI Q7 TDI