Sagebrush Annie’s 08 Cabernet Sauvignon wins Double Gold

Located on a dusty stretch of Highway 33 in Ventucopa, Sagebrush Annie's is destination dining at its finest, a place where eating and drinking are just a small part of the fun.

Santa Barbara County’s Sagebrush Annies Winery has won a double gold medal for its 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

The Chronicle competition entertained 5,050 entries in various wine categories from 23 states. For eight consecutive years, the SFCWC is reputed to be the “Largest Wine Competition of American Wines in the World”.

The 2008 Cabernet wine won the double gold medal in the over $60 category.

This is the Santa Barbara County wine maker’s 32nd Gold Medal in what is now the 6th

The award was announced on the website winejudging.com.

Sagebrush Annie’s is located in the southeastern corner of the Cuyama Valley, giving diners beautiful nightly views of the incredible Cuyama sunsets to the west as the sun dips below Sierra Madre mountains.

We are located about 1 hour north of Ojai on Highway 33 and about 1 hour southwest of Bakersfield via 119 (Taft Highway) to 166 in Maricopa and then to 33 south in Cuyama Valley. From the Los Angeles area, we are a 2 hour drive via Interstate 5 north to Frazier Park and then west through the Lockwood Valley. A less traveled scenic route from the LA area is west from Frazier Park through Pine Mountain Club and along the Cerro Noroeste road to highway 166, then southwest to 33 south. This route is highly recommended for a Saturday or Sunday outing.

Larry and Karina Hogan – meeting them for the first time takes you immediately to thoughts of Lonesome Dove. Partners in everything, from tending the grapevines to building the next piece of the puzzle that is Sagebrush. Upon entering the restaurant you feel immediately at home, like you’ve known them forever. Conversations range from world events to classical composers, cycling in France to grafting your own grape vines and producing your own award winning wines. It’s not long before you’re touring the property and listening intently to the 15 years of history that live on through their stories and their work.

The Hogan’s are hands on all the way. Karina is your chef, as good as they come in the kitchen, and Larry mans the BBQ with all the passion and skill of a top Texas pit master. Following the food preparation Larry personally pulls the cork and pours an award winning wine to compliment an exquisite meal.

There isn’t much that Karina and Larry can’t or don’t do themselves. The Hogan’s even built their own facilities which includes a rock walled garden, banquet room, rodeo arena and other facilities. Larry can even tell you the exact number of bricks he laid by hand for the floor of the banquet room. And all those rocks…..the thousands of rocks…..each individually placed by Larry.

You’re missing the experience of a lifetime if you don’t make the trip to Sagebrush to have a meal and enjoy the wines they have available. Most of the wines are produced from grapes grown in the immediate area. With the exception of Stone Pine Estate, a Ventura appellation, the wines are of the Santa Barbara County appellation. The Stone Pine Estate grapes were planted and tended by the Hogan’s, who produce about 700 cases a year under the Stone Pine Estate and Sagebrush Annie labels. Stone Pine Estate is a bonded winery operating under an alternating proprietorship at Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria, California.

Sagebrush Annie’s restaurant is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Bar-b-que steak, chicken and fish are the fare. The wine tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday. A special menu to accompany the wine tasting is available. Tasting by appointment during off hours is also possible with prior arrangements.