Grab It and Growler

It might seem like a new idea—or a steal from their brewery buddies—but it’s actually an old tradition rediscovered and now swathed in eco-friendly sentiment. Several Santa Barbara wineries are now offering patrons the opportunity to buy refillable bottles and come to their tasting rooms to fill up as necessary. Seems this is the way things used to be a long time ago in the old country far, far away, when the nearby winery would let the townsfolk bring in their jugs and fill on up. Palmina Winery (1520 E. Chestnut Ct., Lompoc, 735-2030, palminawines.com) is stressing this connection the most, not only offering a “Wines on Tap” program but also using its tasting room on Thursdays as the pick-up spot for the Santa Rosa Hills CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). On this side of the mountains, Municipal Winemakers (28 Anacapa St., 931-6864, municipalwinemakers.com) lets patrons fill up at the gloriously named Wine Fountain and Carr Winery (414 N. Salsipuedes St., 965-7985, carrwinery.com) promises to go better than box wine with its wine growlers. To top it off (no pun intended), each winery made sure that bottle you keep bringing back is beautiful even empty, so you get some glass art, too.