Ever since popping the first corks in the back of a tiny hut on lower Anacapa Street more than 15 years ago, Municipal Winemakers embodied the spirit of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone wine scene.
Unpretentiously casual in approach, playfully modern in design, and yet utterly committed to handcrafting boundary-bucking wines, Muni in many ways created the vibe that changed the waterfront neighborhood from an industrial afterthought to the dynamic, tourist-crawling destination it is today.
But that era of Muni — which started in the rear closet of a former military barrack in 2009 before expanding into the current large space next door two years later — is ending. The winery’s founder Dave Potter announced on Monday that he’ll be closing the Funk Zone tasting room at the end of the month.
He’ll be shifting his attention to his other locations: the newish Municipal Winemakers tasting room in Ventura, which opened almost one year ago, and Potek Winery at The Mill on East Haley Street near downtown Santa Barbara, where he’s made both the Muni and more classically styled Potek brands since 2015. Potek will host Muni pop-ups every weekend starting next month…