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Take a look at Santa Barbara’s World-Class Wineries

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams - Director, Luxury Homes Division

There are many reasons for the tremendous growth of wineries in Santa Barbara county. Currently there are almost two hundred wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms in the county and the number grows each month.

Riviera Tours

Riviera Tours
Website: www.riviera-tours.com
Email: Info@Riviera-tours.com
(805) 899-2266

We invite you to experience the riches of California’s Gold Coast. We offer a variety of tour packages covering California’s most scenic and romantic region. Visit with us the historic landmarks of old Santa Barbara, experience the Danish charm of Solvang, or stop by some of the region’s finest wineries.

Santa Barbara Winery

202 Anacapa St.
Santa Barbara, CA.
(800) 225-3633
Tasting: 10-5 seven days a week
Fee: $5 includes wineglass
Wine Club available

This winery is located a block off of Cabrillo Blvd. and the beach. If you don’t plan on taking a full wine-tour in the Valley, visiting this winery will at least give you a sense of what wines mean to this area.

Stearns Wharf Vintners

217G Stearns Wharf
Santa Barbara, California 93101
(805) 966-6624
Hours 10-6
Fee: $5 for 6 wines
805-966-6624

This is a tough one to place. They do a broad range of tasting of California wines but they are in the process of reintroducing their own label. For now, however, they are an excellent place to taste local and California wines. The store is located near Moby Dicks, right on the wharf.

Bridlewood Winery

3555 Roblar Ave.
Santa Ynez, CA.
(805) 688 2443
Tasting: 10-5 daily
Fee: $5

Bridlewood is a lovely winery that produces a broad range of award-winning wines including Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Arabesque (a proprietary Rhone-style blend), Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Gainey Vineyard

3950 E. Hwy. 246
Santa Ynez, CA.
(805) 688 0558
Tasting: 10-5 daily
Fee: $5 includes glass

Gainey Vineyard is a wonderful place to visit – not only is it relatively close to Santa Barbara, but the wines are wonderful, the tasting room is well-designed, the picnic area is large and well-groomed and the staff is well-informed.

Sunstone Winery

125 N. Refugio Rd.
Santa Ynez, CA.
800-313 WINE
Tasting: 10-4 daily
Fee: $2.50 to $5 glass included

You must visit this winery, even if you never go to another winery or actually prefer margaritas. Come here at least once. Those are strong words but we really fell in love with this place. It has and does everything a winery should do and it does it very well.

Rideau Vineyard

1562 Alamo Pintado Rd.
Solvang, CA.
(805) 688 0717
Tasting: 11-4:30

This winery has the most unique ambience of any of the wineries we visited. The Victorian style tasting room, which is an historical landmark, probably had something to do with it.

Sanford Winery

7250 Santa Rosa Rd.
Buellton, CA.
(805) 688 3300
Tasting: 11-4 daily
Fee: None

Sanford Winery, established in 1981, produces wine from grapes grown in well-established vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County and a few from Monterrey. They also have beautiful vineyards of their own.

Contact Jon at 805-689-0532 or visit www.JonMahoney.com

Show All Comments Sort:
Sharon Lord
Maracay Homes - Peoria, AZ
New Home Advisor

Jon - we need to get up there and do a vineyard tour!!!  Somehow when we do get vacation time, we end up on a beach somewhere....

Nov 11, 2011 10:33 AM