11/05 Dan Kessler, Santa Rita Hills Winery, Kessler-Haak Vineyard, Alex Guarnaschelli, Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef

Dan Kessler - Santa Rita Hills Winery, Kessler-Haak Vineyard

Santa Rita Hills, or Sta. Rita Hills, is a small appellation in the larger Santa Ynez Valley district of Santa Barbara County. The terrain, soil and climate have earned it an international reputation for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Although it is home to only a handful of wineries its grapes are featured in the production of many others. Located 12 miles from the ocean, the cool Pacific air, funneled by the Santa Rita hills, moderates the warm summer days. The fog rolls in during late afternoon and is burnt off by the morning sun. The cool nights and warm days produce intense and flavorful wines. The Santa Rita Hills Wine Trail passes through some of the most bucolic scenery in Santa Barbara. Side by side with vineyards are orchards and fields of fruit, vegetables and flowers. There are several small wineries in both Lompoc and Buellton, open by appointment only - we have listed only those that are open daily. Also, worth noting, is the La Purisima Mission one of the least spoilt Missions on the historic California Mission Trail. If you are driving from Santa Barbara we recommend using Hway 101. The scenery along the coast is fabulous.

Dan Kessler, an MIT-educated engineer-by-career, and his wife, Ellen Haak Kessler. The two purchased land in 2004 near the corner of Highway 246 and Gypsy Canyon Road just before the neighboring Clos Pepe Vineyards adorned the cover of Wine Spectator magazine and the hit film Sideways turned pinot into a household item.

“Wow, I guess we bought in a good place,” Kessler recalled telling his wife at the time, and by 2005, the Kessler-Haak Vineyard was home to 27 acres of pinot noir and three of chardonnay. Since the first harvest in 2008, the vineyard’s grapes have been used by such superstar producers as Samsara, Evening Land, and Dragonette; Kessler — who is also assistant winemaker at Lafond Winery — is increasingly using the fruit for his own wines under the Kessler-Haak label, which now makes nearly 1,000 cases a year with an eye on growing to about 5,000.

“I like getting my hands dirty,” said Kessler, a Michigan native who rose into the management ranks at various tech companies in Massachusetts, Colorado, and lastly, Camarillo’s Vitesse Semiconductor. “But as I moved up, I got further away from being in the creating part of it.” So he picked up winemaking as a hobby in 1997 and, by 2003, was searching for a vineyard site as an escape from corporate politics. “I wanted to be responsible for my own success or failure,” said Kessler, who upped the ante by challenging himself with finicky pinot noir, which led him to the Sta. Rita Hills.


Alex Guarnaschelli - Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef

With the holiday season comes anticipation of delicious meals while spending time with friends, family and other loved ones.  For those handling the cooking and entertaining, this time of year can also spell the beginning of endless lists, shopping and preparation.

Food Network star, celebrity chef and busy mom Alex Guarnaschelli is all about simplifying the holiday entertaining experience and making it easier without losing any of the taste or WOW factor.  As a familiar face on Food Network shows like “Chopped” and “The Next Iron Chef: Redemption,” Alex knows firsthand how intense it can get in the kitchen.

Alex is available for live interviews to share her favorite recipe, twice baked sweet potatoes with pecans, and help cooks everywhere simplify their holiday menus.  She will also discuss her favorite secret ingredient: nuts, which can be ground, toasted and roasted to give a dish that special touch, while still keeping it deliciously simple.

Guarnaschelli is a regular judge on the primetime shows Chopped and The Next Iron Chef and is a regular contributor to The Best Thing I Ever Made. She also completed 3 seasons of Alex’s Day Off, a show produced by Bobby Flay, airing on Cooking Channel. In 2012, Alex defeated nine rival chefs to win The Next Iron Chef: Redemption and joined the ranks of Kitchen Stadium Iron Chefs.