SANTA BARBARA, CA — A new podcast and video series celebrating Santa Barbara County’s unique wines through its winemakers and their lives, “Two Glasses In,” launched Feb. 5 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The nine-episode series was created by longtime area wine professionals Rafael A. Ruiz and Bion Rice and co-produced by Visit Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara South Coast’s destination marketing organization.
In each 45-minute episode, host Bion Rice, a third-generation winegrower (formerly of Sunstone Winery and, currently, Artiste Winery), sits down with a fellow Santa Barbara County winemaker for a candid, in-depth conversation on their wines, the craft and their lives. The twist? Both Rice and his guest chat over two glasses of wine. Listeners can view the show notes to follow along and drink what the podcasters are drinking.
“I’ve lived and breathed the bounty of Santa Barbara wine country for the past two decades, and believe there’s no better place on Earth to grow wine and cultivate this craft,” said Bion Rice. “We have one of the most diverse grape-growing regions in the world, with more than 70 varietals of grapes, so the stories and ways to taste are endless.”
The podcast’s first episode features Frank Ostini, iconic owner of Hitching Post 2 and co-owner and winemaker of Hitching Post Winery. The movie “Sideways,” which featured Hitching Post 2, won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay and put Santa Barbara County wines on the map when it came out in 2004. Ostini discusses the “Sideways Effect” on merlot, what makes the Santa Barbara County wine region special, and the inner workings of his restaurant and winery.
Future episodes will feature winemakers Bryan Babcock of Babcock Winery, Doug Margerum of Margerum Wine Company, and Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars, among others. The series was also co-produced by JessyLynn Perkins of Visit Santa Barbara.
Podcast episodes will be released each Wednesday on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, with a companion webisode released each Friday on Visit Santa Barbara’s website, TwoGlassesIn.com. Each webisode will include footage of the podcast filming, while providing a glimpse into the life of the featured winemaker.
From grape to glass, Santa Barbara County offers travelers a wide range of wine-tasting experiences, from the tasting rooms along the Santa Barbara’s walkable Urban Wine Trail to the scenic vineyards of the valley. Said Kathy Janega-Dykes, Visit Santa Barbara’s president/CEO: “With this series, we’re excited for listeners to learn about renowned wines, discover new favorites and feel inspired to taste it for themselves by visiting Santa Barbara.”