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...
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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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Santa Barbara on Snooth
February 2014
Something of a geranium floral nose with a lemony hint. Initial mouth sensation is tart, then drying tannin. I think this wine is quite broad shouldered with very little fruity flavor--maybe something like blueberry. This is my kind of wine. US$33.99 at the Wine Club in Santa Ana in 2007. Read More
February 2014
Never really opened up. Some mild raspberry flavor. Very tight. Overplayed at a hotel, probably wouldn't buy again. Read More
January 2014
Epiphany Vineyards, http://www.epiphanycellars.com/ in Los Olivos, its at the end of the street. Amazing stuff for such a small vineyard. Also a huge fan of Dragonnette Cellars, http://dragonettecellars.com/. Most of their stuff needs to be aged but great for tasting and the staff is very knowledgable. If you are in the mood for fun and its ... Read More
January 2014
5 yrs ago, bought an '06 Santa Barbara County Syrah (actually 6 of them) from a winemaker named CLEB wines. It was "Evelyn Noir Syrah" from Black Oak Vineyard. I think I paid $17. After trying 3 of them over the first 3 yrs, I gave up and just figured it to be a bad choice, a mouthfull of tanins shrouded in alcohol. They were moved to the botto... Read More
January 2014
I had a Pinot Noir, last night, that I have to admit was pretty darned good--Ken Brown 2009 Santa Barbara County. Since my PN cred is, pretty much, non-existent, others may or may not agree with me on this one, but I liked it. It had the cherry and slightly woody flavor that I seem to get a lot in Pinot Noir, but it also had substance. It had... Read More
January 2014
No written review
Wine review
by
453542 
January 2014
No written review
Wine review
by
453542
January 2014
I enjoyed visiting Rusack - up a pretty road and not overcrowded. Also, Stolpman is nearby and has a new tasting room at the vineyard. Haven't seen it but looking forward to my next trip out.Both fit the scenic requirement.Have fun,Manny Read More
January 2014
I would start out up in Foxen canyon, and then head to Los Olivos. Los Olivos is comprised of a few blocks of tasting rooms (not full fledged wineries), but is quaint, and you can taste many wines. Then you could head west to Lompoc if you like. Lompoc has some good wines (more pinot here), but it is not picturesque. In fact they call the wa... Read More
January 2014
Well, DJ, I like Ojai Vineyard because I like their wines. Their tasting ... in the town of Ojai south of Santa Barbara. It is pretty plain jane, although, Ojai is a nice little town. If you can procure Ojai Vineyards wherever you live, I don't see any particular reason for you to visit the tasting room. There are no other wineries in the ... Read More
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