Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

Lucas and Lewellen Vineyards

corks in a wine glass - Pixabay

The vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen are located in the three principal wine grape growing regions of Santa Barbara County: the Santa Maria Valley, the Los Alamos Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley. These valleys all run west from the coastal mountains to the Pacific Ocean, allowing warm days and cool nights to produce a long, gentle growing season.

Alexander Andrew Murray Vineyards

grape cluster - Pixabay

Andrew Murray fell in love with the emerging Rhône varieties, Syrah and Viognier, in the late 1980’s while traveling through France’s Rhône Valley. Leaving his UC Berkeley paleontology studies behind, he pursued his new mistress, Syrah, with an internship in Australia. As Robert Parker, Jr. put it, “…Andrew Murray’s offerings are a breath of fresh air given their exceptionally high quality and realistic prices – reader take note.

Koehler Winery

Glass of Red Wine Swirling in the glass - Pixabay

When Kory Koehler acquired the property in 1997, all of the estate grapes were being sold to local wineries. Koehler soon recognized that some of the best wines in the valley were being produced with grapes harvested from her own vineyard so she made the resolved to launch her own winery and tasting room. From the start, Kory Koehler's vision was to create a world-class winery committed to making premium wines at affordable prices.

Image: Saman Teher - Pixabay

Tudor Wines

Corks and wine glass - Pixabay

At Tudor Wines the select fruit from their family-owned vineyards and transform it into wine using traditional techniques. These include small fermentations mixed by hand and aging in French barrels. The resulting wine has a purity of expression that cannot be duplicated on a larger scale.

Melville Vineyards and Winery

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Impressed by the well manicured grounds, Ron Melville and of course, the wines were very nice. Their syrah had a nice finish and the two pinot noirs tasted said a lot about their expertise in growing grapes. Very impressed with the attention to detail and their very personable service. Could have sat all day there enjoying a glass of wine with the view of the vineyards.

 

Hitching Post Wines

grape clusters - Randy Caparoso

Their passioned focus has been to work with the California Central Coast's best vineyards produce many Pinot Noirs, a couple Syrahs and a Cabernet Franc blend. With a cool marine-influence climate and unusually long growing season, many of these grapes make wines that drink well when young and had have shown the ability to improve and age gracefully for many years. Frank & Gray work with some of the best growers in Santa Barbara County, from the quality vineyards of Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Los Alamos.

 

Image: courtesty Randy Carparoso

Ken Brown Wines

pouring wine in glass

Ken Brown Wines focus is on very small lots of Pinot Noir from the finest vineyards of Sta. Rita Hills. The wines are produced at the Ken Brown winery in Buellton at the gateway to the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, and most lots consist of 250 cases or less. Total annual production is only about 2,000 cases. Ken work with growers, many of whom he has known for years, to hand select vineyard blocks for our program. Some of the remarkable vineyards we work with include Cargasacchi, Clos Pepe, Rio Vista and Sanford & Benedict. Ken Brown Wines also produce limited bottlings of Chardonnay and Syrah.

Image Credits 

Jaffurs Wine Cellars

grape cluster - Pixabay

Jaffurs Wine Cellars is dedicated to producing great Rhone varietal wines with a new-world independence. Our wines -Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Viognier, and Roussanne - are among the best in the county. Owner/winemaker Craig Jaffurs, produced his first professional wines during the 1994 harvest. All of Jaffurs' wines are carefully made in small lots. Only about 3500 cases are produced each year.

Blackjack Ranch Vineyards & Winery

Wine Swirling in the glass - Pixabay

Recently the World’s most respected wine critic, Robert Parker, Jr. awarded Blackjack Ranch a Five-Star rating for the production of Bordeaux varietals, specifically Billy Goat Hill Merlot and for Harmonie. Blackjack Ranch Vineyards & Winery is one of only two wineries outside Napa/Sonoma to achieve his highest ranking. In issue #148 of The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker included the following pronouncement: “Blackjack Ranch is one of the best-run wineries in Santa Barbara.

Image: Saman Teher - Pixabay

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