1.   Back in the tasting room they were still hard at it.

2.   As a result, a wine tasting tour can be a relaxed and enjoyable experience generally free of bumper-to-bumper traffic and tasting rooms packed with bus groups.

3.   As always when touring Wine Country, remember that tasting rooms are for tasting, not for drinking.

4.   August Sebastiani was among the first California wine men to see the tasting room as an important marketing tool.

5.   A decade ago, when their wines were still unknown, Long Island vintners sold most of what they made from their tasting rooms.

6.   A free touring map showing area wineries, distributed by the Santa Barbara County Vintners Association, is available at tasting rooms.

7.   A few have remodeled old farm buildings, especially barns, into ultramodern tasting rooms with vineyard vistas.

8.   A gallery adjoining the tasting room has original art used for labels as well as other works.

9.   A large observation deck surrounds the tasting room, offering umbrella-shaded seating for picnickers.

10.   A tasting room is expected to open next spring.