California Dreamin': These are our tips for a trip to California

Truly dreamlike region for connoisseurs

She doesn't really have much to do with horses, reveals Kim Busch as she pours us her sparkling rosé. "But I thought to myself: 'You'll be fine with a horse lover'. At the time, I didn't know that I would have four of them one day!" - Of course, she is also a proud mother, who married the captain of the US national polo team and whose three sons have followed in their father's footsteps. We visit the Busch family at their Folded Hills Ranch, located less than an hour's drive west of Santa Barbara at the foot of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Polo fans will be familiar with the picturesque property, as a tournament is held every year on the meticulously manicured lawn. But you don't have to be a horse lover to forget the cares of the world here. Although the ranch does not run a restaurant, it does have a chef: Mark Gonzales is the name of the good man who wrapped incredibly succulent salmon and chicken fillets in macadamia crusts for our visit. A table has been specially laid for the small group of journalists on the English lawn in front of the family home, whose long veranda is reminiscent of the colonial style of the southern states. Only later will I notice in my travel photos that the sparkling wine and white wines were kept cool in polo trophies.

The fact that the wines from Folded Hills are among the best on this trip may initially come as a surprise, as the Busch family's fortune is based on beer production (Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser). In fact, Kim's husband Andrew admits that he had little interest in wine at first. But the great success of the wineries on the Central Coast, in which the feature film "Sideways" (2004) was not uninvolved, promised an interesting market. "Of course, we could have been told beforehand that you can't make money with wine," Kim jokingly interjects. The comparatively high Californian wine prices are probably one reason why only a few wines make it to Europe. This makes wine tours along the coast all the more exciting, as the variety of wineries, grape varieties, soils and production methods is huge. Californian wines have always been dense and concentrated, but in the past two decades they have generally become more fruity and acidic and now often taste less woody or heavy.

Climatic feature

We experience one of the reasons for this diversity first-hand: because the coastal mountains separate the cold Pacific air from the warm air inland like a wall, temperature differences of up to twenty degrees Celsius within a few kilometers are not uncommon. It is often foggy along the coast, especially in the mornings. The cliffs and the landscape are sometimes reminiscent of Scotland, which has led to sundowners being garnished with bagpipers at the golf courses at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay not far from San Francisco and in Spanish Bay near Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Choosing your outfit according to the onion-skin principle is definitely advisable on this trip. The many microclimates also make the region exciting from a culinary perspective, as neither forest fires nor an increasing drought seem to have had any effect on the variety of food produced here. The vegetables at the popular farmers' markets along the route are juicy and colorful. There is fresh fish, meat, seafood, olive oils, walnuts, pistachios, mushrooms - often varieties imported from all over the world that thrive in California.





This is what makes "California cuisine" so special. But what exactly does this term mean? Jonny Black, who has earned a Michelin star in just one year as chef and owner of the restaurant Chez Noir in the picturesque coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea, explains: "The basis of Californian cuisine is Mediterranean cuisine, with local ingredients always playing a central role". Black is talking about a movement that began in the 1970s in the Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley near San Francisco. Alice Waters was the name of the chef who popularized the so-called "farm-to-table" approach, using only fresh produce from local farmers. At Chez Noir, Jonny Black combines French principles with Californian nonchalance, mixing Pacific Gold oysters from Morro Bay with passion fruit, for example. The menu changes monthly and is based on what is available locally and seasonally.
Of course, Californian cuisine has evolved since its beginnings, and Asian and Mexican influences have long since been integrated. The Lark restaurant in Santa Barbara is unpretentious, where you will find a mild tomatillo salsa on seared tuna fillets, for example.

Santa Barbara in general: the town on the "American Riviera", known for its white houses in Spanish colonial style, is home to several iconic hotels, including El Encanto, a stylish, historic Belmont resort on a hillside above the town, close to the old mission. The sight of hummingbirds and turtles in the gardens immediately creates an atmosphere of relaxation that is appreciated by Hollywood celebrities as well as the visual artists and writers who are occasionally invited by the hotel for master classes or lunch with hotel guests. The guest rooms and suites are spread across small cottages, casitas, built in either Craftsman or Spanish Colonial style. Although historically inspired, the room furnishings are in keeping with the times. From the terrace of my bedroom on the upper floor, I have a view of the "Wishing Well", which is said to be older than the hotel complex and inevitably brings to mind old fairytale films.

Also not yet seen: Under the title "50 Shades of Pinot", the hotel offers painting courses using red wines as paint.

Architectural highlights

Incidentally, Californians are pretty relaxed when it comes to personal service, and you shouldn't expect European or even Asian standards. On the West Coast, luxury is rather defined by the exclusivity of access to certain places. If you can handle that, you can enjoy once-in-your-lifetime spots.

For example in Big Sur, where the famous Highway 1 was moved a few kilometers inland from the coast because of a particularly steep section of the Santa Lucia Mountains that rises high out of the sea. On this ridge, 400 meters above sea level, the guest houses of the Post Ranch Inn have made history. Mickey Muennig was one of the most important representatives of California's "organic architecture", a style that respects nature. "Mickey lived on a lonely cliff nearby, but always slept where construction was going on," says Mike Freed. The current manager of the Post Ranch Inn oversaw the construction process in the early 1990s. "Not a single tree was felled, on the contrary: the trees served as supports for the tree houses in our complex." Naturally, almost exclusively natural materials were used, including recycled sequoia wood from wine barrels. For a view of the Pacific in one of the Cliff Houses or of the Santa Lucia Mountains in a Peak House, you have to dig deep into your pockets - or simply book a table in the first-class Sierra Mar hotel restaurant when you are passing through.





Not an insider tip and yet so unique that you can't see it often enough is the biggest cultural attraction on the central coast: the two white towers of a castle, which looks like a Spanish cathedral, radiate out from a hilltop from afar. In the 1930s, media tycoon William Randolph Hearst had his Hearst Castle built as a second home and exclusive celebrity hotel and filled it with around 20,000 works of art from all eras. Greek antiquity meets the Spanish Middle Ages or English Gothic meets Italian Renaissance in an almost absurd way. Every single work of art, every single piece of furniture is of inestimable value. When Bill Gates was considered the richest man in the world a few years ago, he is said to have remarked during a visit to this crazy building: "Nobody could afford this today." - Undoubtedly a priceless place, but by no means the only one on this trip.

GOOD TO KNOW

Sleep

The Ritz-Carlton Half moon Bay
Beautiful hotel on a cliff near San Francisco, surrounded by a golf course.
www.ritzcarlton.com





L'Auberge Carmel, Relais & Chateaux
Stylish boutique hotel with French flair in the center of the noble artists' town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. The Aubergine restaurant is one of the finest along the coast. www.laubergecarmel.com

Carmel Valley Ranch
Family resort in a valley with gnarled oaks near Carmel-by-the-Sea. Children are allowed to feed goats and llamas, and deer can be seen on an early walk.
www.carmelvalleyranch.com

Post Ranch Inn
Legendary hotel complex along a mountain ridge with views of both the sea and the impressive Santa Lucia Mountains. Tip: the Sierra Mar restaurant!
www.postranchinn.com





Alila Ventana Big Sur Wellness Resort
At the same elevation as the Post Ranch Inn, but inland in the woods,
with private hiking trail between eucalyptus and redwood trees.
www.ventanabigsur.com

Hotel Cerro
Not "luxury", but a pleasant hotel in the pretty center of San Luis Obispo.
www.hotelcerro.com

El Encanto
Exclusive Belmond Group resort above the city. Contemporary rooms in historic Arts and Crafts and Spanish Revival houses. Popular with Los Angeles celebrities. Original: the "50 Shades of Pinot" wine painting course.
www.belmond.com

Food & Drink

Chez Noir
This fine-dining restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea is all about "classic" Californian cuisine.
www.cheznoircarmel.com

Hearst Ranch Winery
Located directly on the coast at the gateway to Hearst Castle, the tasting room and large terrace are also an inviting place to enjoy culinary delights.
www.hearstranchwinery.com

Folded Hills Ranch & Winery
Kim and Andrew Busch's estate is a polo hotspot with first-class wines and its own chef. Particularly exclusive: a table setting or individual events can be booked in front of the family home or on a terrace by a pond.
www.foldedhills.com

Les Petites Canailles
Named after the "little rascals" of French chef Julien Asseo, who trained with Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, among others, and now enjoys the creative freedom granted to him by the experimental gourmets in Paso Robles. www.lpcrestaurant.com

The Lark
Original cuisine in Santa Barbara in an unpretentious, relaxed atmosphere.
www.thelarksb.com

Urban Wine Trail
If you don't want to visit the individual wineries in the Santa Barbara area, there are more than two dozen tasting rooms in the city that offer an exciting alternative.
www.santabarbaraca.com/itinerary/the-urban-wine-trail

View

Monterey Bay Aquarium
One of the world's largest aquariums with sharks, colorful jellyfish and seahorses as highlights. www.montereybayaquarium.org

Elephant seal colony
In San Simeon. From a short distance away, you can watch elephant seals snoozing, playing and cuddling on two sandy beaches.

Hearst Castle
The self-definition "A museum like no other" is no exaggeration.
www.hearstcastle.org

Mission San Antonio de Padua
Of the 21 Spanish missions along the west coast, this one, on the site of a military base, is probably the most remote. In front of the church stands a tall olive tree, which the padres are said to have planted when the mission was founded in 1771 and whose variety is no longer found in Europe.
www.missionsanantonio.net

Sensorio Experience
Fascinating light and sound installation with 100,000 colorful light bulbs at sunset in the hills of
Paso Robles.
www.sensoriopaso.com

Further information
www.visitcalifornia.com