Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

Demetria Estates

Corks and Glass - Pixabay

Demetria Estate produces two separate portfolios of wines including, Burgundian varietals and Rhone-style blends that capture the singularity of the vineyards and the region from which they originated. The Burgundian offerings comprise of varietal honest manifestations of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, farmed sustainably in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County. The Rhone blends feature a rich, aromatic array of wines that are well-balanced, and intensely flavorful. The Rhone blends are styled after the famous Chateauneuf du Pape reds and are made from varieties of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache. The white Rhone wines are blends of Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc.

Image: Corks and Glass

Kalyra Winery

corks and a wine glass - Pixabay

Whether your visiting in Santa Ynez Valley wine country or chic Santa Barbara, Kalyra has two tasting room options that are sure to be the most talked about destination of your trip. To make your experience the most pleasant possible, groups of 6 or more require a reservation ahead of time with the tasting room manager.

Lincout Vineyards

wine pouring into wine glass - Pixabay

Founded in 1996 by Bill Foley, Lincourt is a producer of ultra premium wines from the Santa Barbara County. Named in honor of Bill and Carol’s two daughters, Lindsay and Courtney, the Lincourt winery is located in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, on Alamo Pintado Road in the Santa Ynez Valley. Originally a dairy farm, the 30 acre property retains the rural charm and simplicity of an earlier era. The quaint tasting room is located in the former farmhouse.

Star Lane Vineyards

rows of wine barrels - Pixabay

Bankers by profession, Jim and Mary are no newcomers to wine. They've owned one of America's oldest wineries, Hermannhof, since 1974. It's located in their home state of Missouri, where Jim was raised in a farming tradition.The wines at Hermannhof are good, but the Missouri climate is not conducive to growing the European varietals that have made France and California famous. This winemaking couple are constructing their dream winery on the Star Lane property. It's dug into the hillside for efficient use of energy and will host some 26,000 square feet of caves for barrel aging.

Au Bon Climat Winery

Bottle of the winery's Chardonnay

Jim Clendenen graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with High Honors in Pre-Law in 1976. It was during his "junior year abroad" in 1974, while turning 21 in France, that he discovered life beyond tacos.In 1982, Clendenen decided, along with now ex-partner Adam Tolmach, to start his own winery in leased quarters. Au Bon Climat (which means "a well exposed vineyard") has grown over its history to over 30,000 cases through careful re-investment from its own production.

Melville Vineyards and Winery

wine pouring into a wine glass - Pixabay

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.

 

Pali Wine Company

wine corks and wine glass - Pixabay

In 2005, entrepreneurs Tim Perr and Scott Knight pooled their resources and their passions to found a winery dedicated to producing small lots of artisan Pinot Noir that they loved to drink. Tim and Scott established a state-of-the-art winery and tasting room in the town of Lompoc, CA and named the winery “Pali,” after their hometown Pacific Palisades on the coast just west of Los Angeles.

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

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.

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Sea Smoke Cellars

cluster of grapes - Pixabay

When producing world-class Pinot Noir, location is everything. For years, vintners have coveted a stretch of land in the western end of Santa Barbara’s Santa Rita Hills AVA known to have the perfect microclimate, soils, and exposure to grow world-class Pinot Noir. In 1999, fulfilling a long-held dream of owner Bob Davids, this sought-after stretch of land became Sea Smoke Vineyard.Sea Smoke does not feature a tasting room because we have no wine available for sale at the winery. Sea Smoke wines are pre-allocated to our List Members and to our distributor partners before release each year, and are sold out upon release. This leaves no wine to offer for sale to potential visitors.

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