Wine and Beer Tasting Done Right with Cousin Andrew Firestone in the SANTA YNEZ VALLEY

Shameless plug, we know. 

We rounded out our Thanksgiving weekend by gallivanting around the Santa Ynez Valley, just 30 minutes north of Santa Barbara (where "Sideways" was filmed), with Cousin Andrew.  We have never been up so late in the season and it was absolutely gorgeous with leaves changing and cooler temperatures.  It really felt like fall which we were craving after an 80 degree Thanksgiving Day in LA!  We met up with Andrew at Curtis Winery, the family winery named for Andrew's grandmother.  We always appreciate the special attention and wine tasting tutorials ("create a jacuzzi in your mouth," says Andrew), but last weekend, everyone in the tasting room got an impromptu peek behind the scenes with Andrew pouring and discussing the wine making process by dispensing a taste of an almost ready Sauvingnon Blanc, still unfiltered and straight from the barrel.  Out on the tasting room floor, our favorite Curtis wines are the Viognier, Syrah Vogelzang and Heritage Blend.

After wine tasting, we headed to the family brewery, aptly named Firestone Walker Brewery, a few miles away in Buellton.  Even at 3pm the brewery was hopping and clearly serves as the local hot spot for all of the winemakers and their staffs.  At the brewery, Andrew gave us little flights of beer samples served in the cutest tiny pint glasses and arranged on a tray fashioned from an old wood beer tap, from least to most "hoppy."  Post-college we don't drink much beer, but we both loved the Double Barrel Ale.

Needless to say after such a boozy afternoon we stayed in that evening with Andrew, his gorgeous wife Ivana and their absurdly cute baby boy.  These three are quite the modern Norman Rockwell picture! 

Clearly we are biased about our favorite spots in the Santa Ynez Valley and we would love to hear what vineyards and places to stay you all love, so comment away!

Cheers!