Vino Chick: Ojai Wine Fest Offers a Taste for Every Palate

It stands to reason that when you find yourself drinking wine along a beautiful waterway, not much can go wrong.

I discovered this on my first ever visit to the unbearably gorgeous Ojai, California.

The 25th Annual Ojai Wine Festival, held on the serene Lake Casitas, drew thousands of people and more than 60 wineries in celebration of adult grape juice.

The very first sip I took was a jammy and yummy Carignane from Toucan Wines, a family owned micro-winery in the Arroyo Grande Valley...this was a wine with character...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRiFsFYlV3Y

WHAT DO ROSE OF TEMPRANILLO AND A SEXY NURSE HAVE IN COMMON?

One of the more interesting finds was a Rose of Tempranillo from Vines on the Marycrest, a small boutique winery out of Paso Robles. The winemaker's descripton of his creation was intriguing and slightly offbeat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYk2_mAuB2A

BIG LOVE FOR A LITTLE GRAPE

I had the pleasure of tasting some killer reds from Michael David in Lodi. Offerings like Lust, a blueberry-inflected Zin that makes you wanna hurt someone.

My wine loving friends know that I will do just about anything for some of their Petite Petit, a dreamy blend of Petite Syrah and Petit Verdot. I was lucky enough to learn a bit more about these wines from the folks in the trenches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ90S2r1fi4

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

One vintner had a novel approach to marketing his 'not yet ready for prime time' wines, conducting an on site barrel tasting to take the pulse of future customers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTQZAWoxNbQ

ITS EASY BEING GREEN

At least one winemaker offered samples of an earth-friendly grape growing philosophy...the big and bold Petite Sirah from Green Truck (Red Truck is the more familiar label) would be perfect with any mole dish.