A Note from WBC14 Sponsor, Visit Santa Barbara
Ready to experience the American Riviera? Visit Santa Barbara invites Wine Blogging attendees to join in on a Post Conference Funk Zone event in sunny Santa Barbara, home to spectacular views and sprawling sandy beaches. This is the only opportunity for conference goers to wine taste by the sand. No trip to the South Coast is complete without a jaunt to one of California’s ocean front crown jewels.
The city of Santa Barbara is one of the premier beach towns in California and this post conference trip shows off the best of the city from a wine lover’s perspective. Santa Barbara is home to the Funk Zone which offers beach front wine tasting along the Urban Wine Trail. This unique neighborhood showcases an eclectic mix of art, culture, and wine that serves as the perfect backdrop to say cheers to a weekend of productivity and new friends. The Urban Wine Trail offers wine enthusiasts a chance to explore Wine Country, all within blocks of downtown Santa Barbara and the beach.
The excursion includes bus transport from Buellton to Santa Barbara; small-group tours of the popular Funk Zone neighborhood with its tasting rooms and food trucks, led by local winemakers as tour guides; and light eats at the Santa Barbara Winery. If participants decide to stay the night, they can easily fly out from Santa Barbara or arrange transport to LAX the next morning via Uber, Santa Barbara Airbus, Roadrunner Shuttle & Limousine, or a number of taxi services.
The Post Conference Funk Zone event will be a memorable experience and all attendees of the Wine Bloggers are invited to enjoy the crisp ocean and air one last taste of Santa Barbara County.
- 3:45 PM – Bus departs Santa Ynez Valley Marriott (Attendees must bring luggage)
- 4:45 PM – Bus arrives at the Santa Barbara Winery for a warm welcome to Santa Barbara (Attendees will store luggage here)
- 5:30 – 7:15 PM – Explore the Funk Zone tasting rooms by foot in small groups led by a local winemaker and enjoy small bites from a local food truck
- 7:30 PM – Return to the Santa Barbara Winery to enjoy additional wines from wineries with tasting rooms located in downtown Santa Barbara paired with local culinary talents.
- 10:00 PM – Event concludes. Uber cars will be on hand and available to transport attendees to area hotels and/or to final destinations, if needed. Attendees are responsible for this transportation cost.