Santa Barbara Wine Stars at Super Bowl

Santa Barbara County wine will shine on Sunday at the Super Bowl, where 65 percent of the sips on sale at SoFi Stadium hail from the region.  

“Santa Barbara County is a diverse and dynamic wine region that goes head-to-head in quality and artisanal craftsmanship with any wine region in the world,” explained Ryan Tawwater of Legends, the venue’s culinary operator, in a press release. His team put together a menu that features six of Santa Barbara County’s appellations and 21 of its grape varieties. 

The list includes the Santa Barbara brands owned by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke — The Paring, The Hilt, and Jonata — but it also features pioneers such as Sanford and Au Bon Climat, trailblazers like Andrew Murray and Lane Tanner, and next-generation brands such as Holus Bolus, Tyler, Chanin, and Deovlet. 

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SoF’s leadership was equally effusive in their praise of the program, as managing director Jason Gannon said they challenged Legends to build a wine list that was as unique to Southern California as the stadium itself. “The program Legends created will introduce a large audience to groundbreaking wines from just north of us in Santa Barbara County,” said Gannon. “We look forward to our guests sampling the unique flavors local to Southern California.”

Most of the remaining wines are coming from California as well, including names like Kosta Browne, Turley, Kistler, Paul Hobbs, and Screaming Eagle, the latter of which Kroenke also owns. On the global front, those with the budget can also enjoy Gaja, Penfolds Grange, and Dom Pérignon, among other top-shelf brands. 

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