How was your trip similar to the popular movie “Sideways?” Did you by any chance get punched by Sandra Oh?

I got pretty close to Sandra Oh at the bar of the Hitching Post restaurant, though in truth it was really just her picture on the wall. I hadn’t really planned on visiting the Hitching Post but when I arrived in the area after a three-hour drive from Los Angeles it was late and the restaurant was one of the few still open. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I saw four or five bikers in leather leaving the place, but it’s really a family-style restaurant with very good food and, of course, a good sampling of Santa Barbara wines. There was a local crowd — farmer types who, just about anywhere else, might be drinking bottles of Bud, but here they were tasting from $40 bottles of pinot noir.

To quote Paul Giamatti’s character, Miles, pinot is thin-skinned, temperamental, and needs constant attention to reach its brilliant and subtle character, whereas cabernet is a survivor that can just grow anywhere. Which do you consider yourself?

At times I am all of these things, and I like both pinot noir and cabernet, by the way, depending on the occasion. Does that sound non-committal? Maybe you should ask my wife this question.

Now that you’ve conquered California’s wine country (and subsequently won a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for it), which region would you like to tackle next?

I want to explore more of France and Italy and Spain, which have such great variety and which still offer some of the best wine values in the world.

When not on the road, are you a big wine drinker? What could one expect to find in your cellar?

I never have dinner without wine and on weekends I try to taste at lunch as well, “taste” being the operative word. If I’m not motivated by a wine, which, unfortunately, is the case more often than not, I don’t feel sorry for it. I’ll pour it down the drain or bring unopened bottles as “gifts” to friends, figuring that maybe they’ll see something that I didn’t. My cellar is a hodgepodge from all over the world, with hundreds of bottles waiting for a verdict. Since becoming a wine critic five years ago, I feel I’m always working, even at dinner parties where I sometimes find myself scribbling notes. But I’m not complaining. I can’t think of any job that would be more fun.

Do you have any tips or recommendations for readers planning their own California wine country trip this summer?

Don’t overdo it. Pick a region and then just a few wineries each day. Look for smaller wineries off the beaten path. A rundown barn may actually produce better wine than the glitzy new place with the tour buses parked outside. Find other things to do in wine country or you’ll become exhausted.  Drink lots of water. And if you don’t like a wine don’t hesitate to spit it out. That’s what that bucket’s for.

Edward Deitch's wine column appears Wednesdays. He has been the wine columnist for MSNBC.com since 2002 and is the host of NBC Wine Tasting on NBC Mobile and MSNBC.com. He welcomes comments from readers. Write to him at

MORE FROM VINE VIEWS WITH EDWARD DEITCH

A Thanksgiving bounty in red and white

A Thanksgiving bounty in red and white A budget wine perfect for Thanksgiving Reel it in: A refreshing red for fish Eight wines to rock your October A 'green' white wine that's well worth a sip Liquid assets: 2 wines for tough times Aged wine: The beauty of a mature bottle Pour this pleasing wine for pasta and more 20 great wines I drank this summer In Bordeaux, a white wine road less traveled   Add Vine Views with Edward Deitch headlines to your news reader: