Tag: Santa Barbara

It’s a glorious descent from the Santa Ynez Mountain range into the long, fertile Santa Ynez Valley. For wine tourists coming from the city of Santa Barbara, the first vista view is so stunning, they often pull off the road to take it all in. The Santa Ynez Valley is Santa Barbara County’s largest AVA region covering 76,000 acres with more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms to discover.

It’s about as authentic Wild West as you’ll find these days, with lone cattle grazing on golden hills; silent, narrow country lanes; and farmers wearing cowboy hats in the fields. There’s more elbow room in the Santa Ynez Valley. But don’t let the wide-open spaces fool you. In every direction, there is plenty to see and do.

Tucked away in the hills of Santa Ynez Valley, Pence Ranch is a small artisanal winery dedicated to producing world-class wines that highlight the unique complexity of Santa Barbara terroir.

Proprietor Blair Pence founded the winery out of his longtime passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, particularly those produced in Burgundy, France. He traveled there often to learn how the region’s renowned wines are created, and then began searching for a suitable site to cultivate cool climate grapes of his own. In 2004, he finally found the perfect property: a 200-acre ranch on the western edge of Santa Barbara County.

In Santa Barbara County, the name Riverbench is synonymous with premium quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Riverbench Vineyard was first planted in fertile alluvial Santa Maria Bench soils on the southeastern edge of the Santa Maria Valley in 1973. It has long been a coveted source for some of the region’s finest Burgundian varieties.

Through the years, Riverbench has retained a firm commitment to sustainable winegrowing practices. In 2010, the vineyard earned SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certification, a third-party evaluation program that demonstrates the winery’s dedication through its daily practice of a long list of standards that affect the workers, soil fertility, cover crops, wildlife, native plants, irrigation, and more.

Home to a legendary lifestyle embracing sunshine, beaches, the ocean, mountains, valleys, and vineyards that stretch in every direction. It’s a land of dreams and discovery where people pursue their passions and discover new ones along the way. For wine lovers, there’s a treasure trove of wine countries and wine tasting experiences to explore—reaching from the Napa Valley all the way south to San Diego.

Visitors from around the globe come to California to discover the amazing array of world-class wines and a lifestyle they simply can’t find anywhere else.

When Fess Parker purchased his 714-acre ranch back in 1987, he had a vision for the future of his family and Santa Barbara County wine country as a whole. He pictured multiple generations of the family producing wines that would express the terroir of the land he so fervently loved and believed in. An outgoing and hospitable man, he also dreamed of owning and managing an elegant and yet unpretentious inn where guests could relax and enjoy the best the country life has to offer. Today, Fess’s dreams are realized in the Fess Parker Winery, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year, and the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn located in the heart of nearby Los Olivos, California.

The vineyards of Lucas & Lewellen have fast become legendary for lovers of distinctive premium wines from Santa Barbara County. The wines have their beginning in 400 acres of land planted to 25 unique varieties in the region’s three principal growing regions. These regions feature microclimates ranging from cool Santa Maria Valley, to moderate Los Alamos Valley, to warm Santa Ynez Valley. From these distinctive vineyards come the grapes that create a marvelous portfolio of full-flavored reds including Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Port; and white wines including Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, and Chardonnay. A méthode champenoise Sparkling wine (a rarity in the region), rounds out the Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards portfolio.

Santa Barbara wine country is located just 35 miles north of the beaches of Santa Barbara, California in wild and wonderful Santa Ynez Valley.

It’s a glorious descent from the Santa Ynez Mountain range into the long, fertile Santa Ynez Valley. For wine tourists coming from the city of Santa Barbara, the first vista view is so stunning, they often pull off the road to take it all in. Santa Ynez Valley is Santa Barbara County’s largest AVA region covering 76,000 acres with more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms to discover.