Hitching Post Wines

Famed ‘Sideways’ Restaurant Will Open New Wine Tasting Room in Buellton | Eater LA

"Founders Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley are opening a new tasting room next to their iconic restaurant, aiming for a July 2018 opening; because the space was most recently a tasting room called Point Conception Wines, the revamp should be quick. Guests will be able to sample various vintages while enjoying a small menu of wine-friendly lunch bites served on an outdoor patio. Ostini — whose California restaurant and wine career spans decades and who specializes in red oak–fired barbecue and steaks at the restaurant — and Hartley launched their winery in 1979 and now produce about 17,000 cases a year. The restaurant and wines gained international attention after the 2004 film Sideways, and the pair were early advocates of California pinot noirs; they also contend that Sideways unfairly maligned merlot, which they say grows well on the Central Coast and deserves more respect." - Mona Holmes