The Santa Barbara County AVA lies within the Central Coast territory of California. Like much of the state’s wine regions, grape planting began with the Catholic missionaries to make wine for ceremonial mass. Though Santa Barbara can boast some of the earliest plantings, beginning in the 1780s with Father Junipero Serra bringing Mission grape cuttings from Mexico and planting them in what is now the Milpas Creek district. From there, mission vineyards spread to San Jose, Santa Cruz, Carpinteria and Goleta (an adobe winery built there in 1804 has the distinction of being the area’s old landmark).
But also like most of California’s wine regions, production in Santa Barbara was hurt by the late 1800s Phylloxera crisis and further brought down by the Prohibition between 1921 to 1933. It wasn’t until the 1960s that a U.C. Davis study identified Santa Barbara County as a favorable wine-growing region due to its combination of soil types, geology, water and coastal climate conditions Read more »
I’ve already written up the Grenache based wines I tasted during my time in Santa Barbara, so today I am focusing on most of the remaining wines that I tasted while in the region. I’ll save the few Pinots I Tasted for a Pinot round-up, which might surp...
Read more »
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Avg. Price $30.00
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Avg. Price $63.99
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Avg. Price $14.95
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Avg. Price $14.95 
History of the grape: Viognier is thought to be an indigenous grape of Croatia that was brought to the Rhone in Franc...
“King of the Red Wine Grapes.” The colonizer of the vineyards, pushing native wine grapes into its shadows. The Caber...
British wine writer and critic, Jancis Robinson, once noted that throughout the 80’s and 90’s in the United States, C...
The irony here is that Syrah’s origins could give Carmen Sandiego a run for her international wallet. Syrah’s deepest...
Sauvignon Blanc is widely grown in California -- at over 15,000 acres, it’s now the third most planted variety -- and...
“With so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, they make the blood run hot,” Joel Fleischman, wine columnist at Van...
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is located within Santa Barbara County in California’s Central Coast re...
Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery at Rancho Santa Rosa is the realization of vintner Bill Foley's d...
Our vineyards and winery are managed in a very intensive, hands-on way, which we believe is the o...
The roots of our new beginning actually took hold in 1984. I had just accepted a position with Bi...
There’s an atmosphere of casual grace at Lincourt that invites you to kick back and relax. But do...
Summerland Winery is a boutique winery dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central...
Jaffurs Wine Cellars is dedicated to producing great Rhone varietal wines with a new-world indepe...
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Santa Barbara on SnoothMarch 2014
Think I understand where you're coming from on the Copain, Greg. Actually ... you time the traffic right Santa Barbara and Ojai aren't too far off, and the drive can be a most pleasant one once you zip up then get off the freeways. Or better yet start at dawn and suck up all that sea air on the way via PCH with sunroof and windows open if no c... Read More
Forum post in the topic
Is it time for the Tasting of...
by
125836 
March 2014
Besides Greg's names, how about Wind Gap? Copain? Certain Tablas ... ... a La Sangre de Jonata from Santa Barbara were thrown into the mix. Figure it and the Cayuse can be budgeted against the HDH sampler members... ;-(All brownbagged, righ Read More
Forum post in the topic
Is it time for the Tasting of...
by
125836
March 2014
Very attractive clear straw color. Fairly big vanilla/melon bouquet suggests serious oaking. Very interesting on the palate--not as much vanilla as I feared. In fact the initial impression is fairly light, Reasonably good lemony tartness has a refreshing quality. A good wine but for the price there are a couple Napa Valley Chardonnays that ... Read More
March 2014
Consistently magnificent with an exquisite balance. Read More
Wine review
by
453542 
March 2014
Embellished fruit up front. Nicely balanced with a soft finish. Read More
Wine review
by
453542
March 2014
Something of a murky purple in the glass. Very smooth on first taste. Not a fruit bomb--that's a good thing. Some attractive hints of plum and, maybe, cherry. Some woody character. Very easy on the back of the palate where I often get bitterness or alcoholic heat. There is some tannin and some acid, but neither are obtrusive. Very pleasant,... Read More
February 2014
This is a really good grenache from Kaena. Dark berries, a hint of licorice, slightly minty, medium tannins and a real nice finish. This has a medium body that balances out nicely with the medium alcohol, overall extemely enjoyable! Read More
Wine review
by
357808 
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