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Forced to lay on his back, Louis Lucas had enough.

For 40 years, the veteran Santa Barbara viticulturist had been the man behind the wines. His extensive knowledge of the area dates back to a time when the area had 60 acres of vineyards. Today there are more than 200 wineries, six AVAs and more than 21,000 acres of vines.

With so many things to do on the Central Coast, the biggest question we often ask ourselves is, “What should we do today?” Solvang is always a good answer.

Solvang, Danish for “sunny field,” is a charming city, full of interesting sights and things to do for all ages and walks of life. With a population of 5,245, it’s the perfect size to explore on foot — especially if you have a furry friend tagging along.

Summer is heating up and nothing quenches the wine thirst like a good rosé.  It's basically a red wine (okay, pink from the limited contact with the grape skins) that acts like a white wine. It can display the flavor character of a red wine while it's chilled down like a white wine. It's versatile at the table as well: there are the lighter, delicate styles to the more muscular versions and terrific bubbly as well. Here are some that came across my desk recently that will be unpretentious and fun to slurp on the Fourth.