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Drink Up at These Five Upcoming US Wine Festivals

Summer is the best time to kick back with a glass of wine—heck, even a bottle of wine. There's just something about pairing a great pour with the warm weather. Luckily, there's a slew of wine festivals that will give you the chance to get boozy alfresco with some of the best bottles in the world.

Prepare to get buzzed at these five upcoming wine festivals.

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Five Ways to Get Out on the Water in Santa Barbara

Summer may be out like the New Orleans Saints' Heisman winner Reggie Bush, but in Santa Barbara, the season lasts all year long. That means you still have an excuse to be in the ocean, so pack your swimsuit and head to SB.

Jump in and see our top five picks for Santa Barbara's best water-based activities...

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Beach Travel / California Travel / Festival Travel / Santa Barbara Travel / → All Tags

Throw a Few Coins at the 'Homeless Carnival' of Santa Barbara's Stearns Wharf

When we recently strolled down the boardwalk in Santa Barbara to Stearns Wharf, we saw a crowd gathered off to a side at one point. Being nosy busybodies, we hurried over to see what all the fuss was over, and down on the sand was a homeless carnival of sorts.

Here's what it is: Three people set up game-like stations along the pier, but the only prize you win is the satisfaction of helping out someone in need. The games are midway-style, where you toss coins into cardboard stands with various plastic cups as targets. They also left signs encouraging people to test their prowess and help a homeless person. Oh, and random signs about how BP sucks.

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Food Travel / Celeb Travel / Santa Barbara / Santa Barbara Travel / → All Tags

Cat Cora And Cousteau Dish On Their Favorite Local Restaurants

Chef Cat Cora endorses the barbecue at Cold Spring Tavern.

If you're looking for some restaurant recommendations while in Santa Barbara, get the inside track from locals such as Rob Lowe, former Bachelor manmeat Andrew Firestone and Iron Chef Cat Cora. Find out where Santa Barbara's celebrity residents like to chow down by watching "Sip & Savor," a Web video from the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission.

The stars name-drop their favorite local haunts in the four-minute video so you know where to get some grub and a celeb sighting. They list everything from off-the-beaten-path picks like Plow & Angel to Mexican eateries like La Super Rica Taqueria. Explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the legendary Jacques, names the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company on Stearns Wharf as the place to get super-fresh local catch.

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Wine Tasting / Los Angeles Travel / Santa Barbara Travel / → All Tags

Santa Barbara To Show LA Who's Boss When It Comes To Wines

Thirty of Santa Barbara's most dynamic wineries will be pouring their vintages for Angelenos to sip and swirl Wednesday, Januaury 21st, at the "Stars of Santa Barbara" tasting at the ritzy Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel.

Hosted by Learn About Wine Learn About Wine, wine educator Ian Blackburn’s center for wine classes, trips and events, the evening will feature Santa Barbara vintners like Sea Smoke Cellars, Zaca Mesa Winery, Brewer-Clifton, Ampelos, and rising stars Jonata and La Fenetre. Winemakers will be around to pour tastes and answer questions from 7:00-9:30pm.

Since Santa Barbara is where it’s at these days, especially for devotees of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the tasting is a great way to experience the wines without having to actually go to Santa Barbara for a weekend. It's like a drive-by wine tasting. Now, That's So LA.

Tickets purchased at the door are $99, but if you buy them in advance online from Learn About Wine, you save $20.

Related Stories:
· Wine Travel: New York's Napa [Jaunted]
· Hollywood Roosevelt: Winetasting with Kirsten Dunst [HotelChatter]

[Photo: Chrisamichaels]