Hundreds Gather to Remember Chris Whitcraft
Memorial at Skofield Park Features Icons of California Winemaking
More than 200 people gathered at Skofield Park on Sunday to remember the life and legacy of winemaker Chris Whitcraft, who rose from a retail job selling wine at Mayfare in Montecito to become one of the most celebrated and important vintners in Santa Barbara history. In addition to bottles of wine stretching back to the 1980s, on hand were a who’s who of pioneering California winemakers, including Richard Longoria, Frank Ostini, and Burt Williams of Williams-Selyem. Whitcraft, who died at the end of May at age 64, was one of three well-known Santa Barbara wine country people to pass away within just weeks of each other; Dave Robinson of Vintegrated Solutions and Holly Eve Brooks of Pence Ranch were the two others .
