Published, October 8, 1998^*

Other pioneering producers have been digging the foundations as well on which our acclaim is so well and justifiably founded. They include Richard Sanford and Bruno D'Alfonso of Sanford Winery, and Brooks Firestone of Firestone Vineyard (and his talented veteran winemaker Alison Green Doran), Byron "Ken" Brown formerly of Zaca Mesa and now, Byron Vineyard & Winery which is owned by Robert Mondavi, Fred Brander, founding winemaker at Santa Ynez Winery (now LinCourt Vineyards) who established The Brander Vineyard in 1975, Rick Longoria, formerly the winemaker at J. Carey Cellars (now Foley Estates) and Gainey who now produces wine under his own name, Bill Mosby of Mosby Winery, and Lane Tanner of Lane Tanner Winery who started producing her own state-of-the-art pinot noir wines in 1984, and made wines in the early days for the Hitching Post label. Her repertoire now includes the Rhone varietal, syrah, and chardonnay she makes for vineyard owner, Joe Kalina, under the JK Vineyard label. And going back to about 1981, Frank Ostini, winemaker-restaurateur and Gray Hartley, who produce the stunning Hitching Post wines.

From the mid to late 80's, joining the ranks of the Premier Cru producers, you'll find Bryan Babcock of Babcock Vineyards, Stephan Bedford  of Bedford Thompson, Aussie Mike Brown of Buttonwood Farm (who also produces wine under his own Kalyra label), Kathy Joseph of Fiddlehead Cellars whose first vintage of pinot noir was selected for The White House wine cellar (Kathy is also the consulting winemaker at Zaca Mesa and owns 100 acres of vineyard land over on Santa Rosa Road), Bill Wathen and Dick Dore of Foxen Vineyard, veteran Napa Valley winemaker Chuck Ortman of Meridian Vineyards, Bruce McGuire of Santa Barbara Winery and Chris Whitcraft of Whitcraft Winery.

Enter the 90s, and there is yet another cast of bright stars--including Andrew Murray of Andrew Murray Vineyards, Steve Beckmen of Beckmen Vineyards, Dave Guffy at Cambria, Gary Mosby of Chimere (who was the original winemaker at the Edna Valley Vineyard),  Craig Jaffurs of Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Eli Parker at Fess Parker Winery, and  winemaker Carol Botwright at Rancho Sisquoc, who was mentored at Gainey by Rick Longoria.

And with big corporate players who have come to our local domain--with the bucks to buy vineyard land, to promote our wines and viticultural area big time--players like Beringer Wine Estates which was the wine property conglomerate once owned by Nestle, Robert Mondavi, and Kendall Jackson, Santa Barbara County is on the map big time!

The Wine Trails

There are two wine trails within Santa Barbara County, each with their own maps, brochures and events--the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail and the Santa Ynez Wine Trail.

With current vineyard and winery development, look for a plethora of new wineries out on Santa Rosa Road between Buellton and Lompoc, as well as in-and-around Los Alamos, and out Highway 135 toward Santa Maria and Guadalupe in the Los Alamos Valley.

The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

One of the most spectacular rides in this part of California is out on Foxen Canyon Road. Whatever the season you take the drive, you will be experiencing quintessential California as I see it--perhaps what California was once upon a time, or perhaps what it should be now.

Early in the 90s, the wineries dotting this spectacular piece of the world formed the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, as their brochure puts it--a perfect one day adventure.

With an occasional spur off the main course, this route takes you from Los Olivos, in the heart of the Santa Barbara County wine country, to Santa Maria, with only one symbol of encroaching urbanism-- a  stop sign where Zaca Station Road merges with Foxen Canyon.

There, at the stop sign, you'll hit Curtis Winery at 5249 Foxen Canyon Road, owned by the Firestone family and named for Polly Curtis Firestone, Brooks Firestone's mother. The Curtis tasting room is open daily 10 to 5. The tasting room and winery are in the old private art gallery which was once owned by the TV producer, Douglas Cramer. Winemaker Chuck Carlson is focussing on premium Rhone varietal wines at Curtis. (805) 686-8999.

At this point on your Foxen Canyon Wine Trail adventure, if you go left on Zaca Station Road, you'll hit Firestone Vineyard which is located  at 5017 Zaca Station Road. The tasting room is open daily from 10 to 5. They give a great tour and have a lovely picnic area. (805) 688-3940.

On up Foxen Canyon Road a bit, at 6200, is Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard. Like Firestone and Curtis, Fess Parker Winery has a lovely setting for a picnic too. Their tasting room is also open from 10 to 5 daily. On most weekends, too, Fess is hanging out autographing bottles. (805) 688-1545.

Further on up on the wine trail, at 6701 Foxen Canyon Road, is Andrew Murray Vineyards, a small estate dedicated to the production of Rhone varietals such as syrah, roussanne and viognier. Tasting at the winery is still by appointment only, but  recently, the winery has established a tasting room in Los Olivos at 2901-A Grand Avenue. To make an appointment to visit the winery call  (805) 686-9604.

To this point, although windy, the road is still somewhat civilized by most standards; it even has a divider strip painted down the middle of the road. But as it winds up to a crest and then drops into Foxen Canyon, the road narrows and the painted stripe disappears. As you drop into the valley, you'll see Zaca Mesa Winery, another top-flight producer of Rhone varietals,  off to the left, at 6905 Foxen Canyon Road. Zaca Mesa's tasting room is open daily from 10 to 4 with tours at 11:30 and 2:30. The winery has a great picnic area too.  (805) 688-9339. e-mail at zacamesawine@utech.net.

About 1.4 miles beyond Zaca Mesa, continuing northwest up Foxen Canyon Road, Alisos Canyon Road tees into Foxen. At this junction you'll see two wonderful old funky '20's-something windmills, I imagine, on the left of the road near the tee.

A left onto Alisos Canyon will take you back to Highway 101 and the town of Los Alamos (about 6.7 miles back to the freeway), at the base of the  Los Alamos Valley (Valley of the Cottonwoods) which may become the future wine-center of Santa Barbara County with all of the amazing, albeit controversial, vineyard development taking place on Cat Canyon Road, Highway 135, and on U.S. Highway 101 north as you journey to Santa Maria and points north.

Along the way toward Los Alamos, 4.9 miles from Foxen Canyon Road,  at 9303 Alisos Canyon, you'll find Bedford Thompson Winery & Vineyard. Bedford Thompson  is housed in a funky old farm house with a lot of charm on the right hand side as you wind down toward Los Alamos. It  has a charming picnic area and the tasting room which is open daily 10 to 5. Forty-two acres are planted on the property.  (805) 344-2107.

Back on Foxen Canyon Road, getting yet closer to Santa Maria, at 7200, is Foxen Vineyard. This old building right along side of the road is to my mind another one of the funkiest, quaintest tasting rooms on the trail. Open Friday thru Sunday noon to 4, usually, and when wines are available (it's always a good idea to call ahead just to be sure), it wouldn't be at all unusual to find one of the owners, one of the "Foxen Boys" as locals call them, Bill Wathen or Dick Dore, to be there pouring away--a bottle of wine in one hand, a cold Pacifico in the other.  (805) 937-4251 (Pacifico, by the way, is an imported beer from Mexico.)

Further up Foxen Canyon Road, at 6600, on the Flood Ranch is Rancho Sisquoc Winery. Signage is good, but you'll know you're near when you see the historic church on the right, the San Ramon Chapel built in 1875. The winery and tasting room are charming and the picnic area is one of my personal favorites. The winery is open daily from 10 to 4.  (805) 934-4332. They're web address is www.wineaccess.com.

Ambling on up Foxen Canyon, when you get to Tepusquet Road, if you turn right, fording the dry Sisquoc River bed, you'll hit Byron Vineyard & Winery. Although owners, Robert, Tim and Michael Mondavi christened the spectacular new winery facility about a two-and-a-half years ago, the Byron tasting room remains in the original facility at 5230 Tepusquet Road. The Byron Estate includes Santa Barbara County's oldest commercial vineyard, planted by Uriel Nielsen in 1964 and one of the largest experimental vineyards planted in California. Tasting daily from 10 to 4 (November to March) and 10 to 5 daily (April to October).  (805) 937-7288

Returning to Foxen Canyon Road, a turn to the right on Santa Maria Mesa Road will take you to Cambria Winery & Vineyard, located at 5475 Chardonnay Lane. The winery, which is part of the Kendall Jackson family,  is open 10-5 on Saturday and Sunday.  The winery owns the old Tepusquet Vineyard which was planted by vineyard pioneers Louis and George Lucas in 1970. 937-8091 or on the web at www.cambriawine.com.

On the outskirts of Santa Maria, spurring off Foxen Canyon on either Orcutt-Garey Road or Dominion Road, will take you to the final outpost on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail--Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard & Winery, located at 3940 Dominion Road. The tasting room is open daily from 10:30 to 5:30.  (805) 937-9063. Their web address is www.cottonwoodcanyon.com/winery.

A Santa Maria side venture: While you are in Santa Maria, you may wish to visit Chimere, located at 217 North Russell. 922-9097. Tasting and winery visits by appointment.

To wrap up the day of winetasting on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, are my favorite places to eat in the Santa Maria area (especially if I plan on staying over for the night). First, Chef Rick's Ultimately Fine Foods, in the Lucky Shopping Center, intersection of Clark and Bradley at 4869 S. Bradley Road (open for lunch and dinner).Call for reservations and information at (805) 937-9512. For lunch, try the chicken fingers. For lunch or dinner, try either Rick's chicken lime tortilla soup or his garlic soup.

My other fave is the Casmalia Hitching Post, at 3325 Point Sal Road in Casmalia. The baby back ribs, fries, and Hitching Post Anniversary Red, a luscious aleatico wine made for the restaurant by Steve Dooley or one of the great Hitching Post pinot noirs made by Frank ostini of the Buellton Hitching Post are all to die for. Reservations are always a must, even on the traditional slow nights. Call  (805) 937-6151 and also check out the menu, history and more on the web at hitchingpost1.com.

The best way to get to either restaurant after a day of tasting on the wine trail is to take Clark Avenue.

For Chef Rick's take Clark past Highway 101 to the Clark and Bradley intersection which is about a mile. Turn right onto Bradley and an immediate left into the shopping center; Chef Rick's is right there. You can't miss it.

For the Casmalia Hitching Post, stay on Clark, go through Old Orcutt, and turn northbound onto Highway 1. When you get to the flashing red light on Highway 1(and there's only one) turn left onto Black Road. The Hitching Post is four miles. You can't miss that either. The Hitching Post is the only business in the town.

One of the best places to stay in the Santa Maria area is the charming Santa Maria Inn. (805) 928-7777.

The Santa Ynez Wine Trail Member wineries along the Santa Ynez Wine Trail stamp a card; every month the group gives out a free case of wine in a drawing.

Coming over Highway 154 from Santa Barbara, turn left on Highway 246, as if you were going to Solvang. A bit down Highway 246, on the left, at 3950, is The Gainey Vineyard, the closest winery to Santa Barbara.

For some years now, the winery has presented great outdoor concerts--a spectacular venue which rivals the beautiful Santa Barbara County Bowl--with artists over the years such as Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Randy Newman, Christoper Cross, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a perennial favorite. The winery has a lovely picnic area and offers tours too. Open daily from 10 to 5.  (805) 688-0558.

Going further west on Highway 246 toward Solvang, if you turn left on Refugio Road, you'll come upon two more wine trail member wineries, LinCourt Vineyards and Sunstone Vineyards & Winery.

LinCourt Vineyards (formerly Santa Ynez Winery), located at 343 North Refugio Road, has a lovely picnic area and a tasting room which is open daily from 10 to 5.  (805) 688-8381. The vineyards surrounding the winery and tasting room were the first vines planted in the Santa Ynez Valley since Prohibition. They were planted in 1969 by Boyd Bettencourt and Giff Davidge.

Sunstone, located further up the road, at 125 North Refugio, is a showplace operation which could easily be quite at home in the Napa Valley--no funk here! The winery has a picnic area, and the tasting room is open daily from 10 to 4.  (805) 688-9463.

Just before entering the Danish community of Solvang, turn right onto Alamo Pintado Road for the next leg of your Santa Ynez wine adventure.

A few miles out of town, on the right at 1500 Alamo Pintado Road, you'll find Buttonwood Farm Winery. The bright and airy tasting room, one of my favorites,  is open from 11 to 5 daily.  (805) 688-3032.

Further down Alamo Pintado Road, at 1562, between Buttonwood Farm and Foley Estates, is another new winery, Rideau Vineyard. The tasting room is located in a completely renovated stunning old adobe, nestled among some ancient oaks. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday 11 to 4:30 and during the week by appointment.  (805) 688-0717.

A bit further down the road, on the left side, at 1711 Alamo Pintado Road on your sojourn to Los Olivos, you'll find Foley Estates, formerly Curtis Winery (which has relocated) and Carey Cellars.

The Foley Estates tasting room hours are 10 to 5 daily. Out front of the tasting room is a great picnic area in this wonderful pastoral setting. The deck was built for the TV show Aaron's Way which was filmed at the winery in the late 80s. (805) 688-8554.

Along the trail, but not listed on the map card, you'll find a sign for Blackjack Ranch Vineyard & Winery, located at 2205 Alamo Pintado Avenue (with a Solvang address, but just a stone's throw from Los Olivos). The winery is owned by Roger Wisted, a dedicated wine lover whose claim to fame is the inventor of California Blackjack, the only legal form of blackjack in California which is played in casinos throughout the state. For information, call (805) 686-9922.

Just beyond Blackjack Ranch with its newly planted vineyard, if you take a right at the stop sign, crossing the bridge, and at the second three-way stop,  make a right turn onto Roblar Avenue  toward Highway 154 you will end up at three more wineries (and soon  four). A left turn onto Grand Avenue, after you cross the bridge, on the other hand, will take you into Los Olivos with three more winery tasting rooms and the two independent tasting rooms.

Going up  Roblar, follow the signs to Beckmen Vineyards (located at 2670 Ontiveros Road) and you'll find a lovely little compact winery with a tasting room which is open daily from 11 to 5 June to September 15 and from 11 to 5 Friday- Sunday, September 16 through May. Call  (805) 688-8664.

On up Roblar a bit, just across Highway 154, make an immediate left, and you'll find The Brander Vineyard. The tasting room is open daily from 10-5. (805) 688-2455. On the web at www.brander.com.

Domaine Santa Barbara, the new "sister winery," to Brander is located in the same facility. The winery was established in 1993 to produce premium Burgundian-style wines. Tasting is daily from 10-5.  (805) 884-1089.

Instead of turning left to go to Brander and Domaine Santa Barbara, if you continue out Roblar Avenue a half mile, you'll come upon the new Bridlewood Winery at the site of the old Mandysland Farm horse ranch at 3555 Roblar Avenue. The winery expects to be open for tasting and sales by December, 1998. (805) 688-9000.

A left turn onto Grand Avenue will take you to the two independent tasting rooms which by-and-large feature the wines from small prominent wineries which do not have tasting rooms open to the public plus  three more winery tasting rooms:

The Andrew Murray Vineyards tasting room at 2901-A Grand Avenue, open daily from 11-6 except Tuesday.  (805) 686-9406.

Los Olivos Vintners (formerly Austin Cellars) at 2923 Grand Avenue, open daily 11-6.  (805) 688-9665.

Richard Longoria Wines, 2935 Grand Avenue, open 11-4:30 Friday through Sunday, noon to 4:30, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and closed Tuesday. (805) 688-0305.

THE INDEPENDENT TASTING ROOMS ON THE SANTA YNEZ WINE TRAIL

One of the independent tasting rooms is located at 2531 Grand Avenue on your way into Los Olivos; the other is located downtown at 2905 Grand Avenue.

Approaching Los Olivos, you'll come to the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium, located in a middle of a field about a half-mile south of town, at 2531 Grand Avenue. The Emporium specializes in prominent local wineries which, by and large, are not open to the public.

Besides the best wines from Santa Barbara County, the Emporium features some of the best wines from this part of the world!Here is a complete listing of the producers featured: Alban Vineyards, located in the Edna Valley and the first American winery and vineyard established exclusively for Rhone varietals; Bonny Doon Vineyard & Ca' del Solo (According to the winery, the Emporium is the largest seller of Bonny Doon wines in California); selected wines from Barnwood and neighbor, Blackjack Ranch, Cold Heaven, Costa de Oro, Fiddlehead Cellars, Germain-Robin, Hitching Post, Il Podere, Jaffurs, JK Vineyard, Kalyra, Lane Tanner, Makor, Mosby spirits, Nichols, Qupe & Chateau Routas, Rosso di Paso, Stephen Ross (Stephen "Ross" Dooley, by the way,  was the winemaker at the Edna Valley Vineyard and has been producing his own wine since the 1994 vintage); selected wines from Santa Barbara Winery, St. George Cellars & St. George Spirits, Tablas Creek, Tablas Hills & Chateau  de Beaucastel, Vandale Vineyards, and Whitcraft Winery.

Special out-of-area wines include selections from Baileyana, Eberle, Joseph Phelps, and Quady.

The Emporium also boasts one of the best inventories of Germain-Robin alambic brandies in the United States-an inventory which includes Perfection and will include the future release Millenium brandy.

The Emporium also features one of the best inventories of fine small batch Bourbons and fine Tequilas from "the other California."

Open daily from 11 to 6, with bistro tables for picnicking on the front porch. (805) 688-4409, and on the web at www.sbwines.com.

A half-mile further down, near the flagpole in Los Olivos  is another tasting room, the Los Olivos Tasting Room,  which Emporium proprietor, Bob Senn, put together as the consultant back in 1988, and worked weekends at until 1992.

The Santa Ynez Wine Trail is now expanded- from Los Olivos to Buellton on Ballard Canyon Road, and from Buellton and west in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley you'll find even more wineries producing, in some cases pretty amazing, and in other cases some world-class wines--and all worth your time and effort.

To get there, I suggest you take another off-the beaten-track drive,one which rivals Foxen Canyon Road--Ballard Canyon Road--from Los Olivos to Buellton.

From the flagpole in Los Olivos, take Alamo Pintado Avenue (often confused with Alamo Pintado Road which would take you back to Solvang). Go west on Alamo Pintado Avenue--stay on it and it will become Ballard Canyon Road. As it zigzags around, you might be tempted to go onto Highway 154. Don't!  Keep winding up and go over the grade, a real workout if you are on a bicycle, and you'll drop down into the pristine and surreal Ballard Canyon.

On your sojourn down Ballard Canyon Road you'll see Rusack Vineyards (the old Ballard Canyon Winery) at 1819 Ballard Canyon Road. The tasting room is open from 11-5 daily in the summer and 11-5 Friday through Sunday in the winter and by appointment.  (805) 688-1278.

On your drive through Ballard Canyon you will pass Stolpman Vineyards and Purisima Mountain, Beckmen's new vineyard which will be dedicated to producing top flight Rhone varietal wines.

Where Ballard Canyon Road ends at Highway 246, a right turn toward Buellton will take you right past one of the newest member wineries in the Santa Barbara County vintners' Association at 406 East Highway 246. Hitching Post Wines at the world famous Buellton Hitching Post restaurant--yes a winery with a tasting room in a restaurant!

Restaurant owner Frank Ostini and his partner Gray Hartley have been producing wines since 1984. They moved to the Qupe/Au Bon Climat Winery in 1991 where they specialize in delicious, balanced, intensely flavored wines, mostly pinot noir and syrah. Their wines will be available for tasting daily from 4 to 9:30 p.m., except holidays.  (805) 688-0676.

Buellton isn't much to look at, as places go, but it has some pretty good eateries besides the Hitching Post II which include Javy's (if you like great Mexican food), and Ellen's Pancakes (if you want a hearty breakfast or lunch as a precursor to a serious day of wine tasting.)

Past the Hitching Post, going westbound on Highway 246, just before you get to Highway 101, turn right on McMurray Road. Go up to Easy Street, and turn right. At 90 Easy Street, is Arthur Earl, the "city" winery with a tasting room in a big industrial building. Tours are offered too. The tasting room is open daily from 11 to 6. Call (805) 693-1771. On your way up McMurray Road, you'll pass the new Firestone Walker Brewery which is under construction.

Beyond the wine trails-a potpourri of yet more gustatory thrills!

If you take Highway 246 west toward Lompoc, nine miles past Buellton on the right at 5175 Highway 246, you'll happen onto Babcock Vineyards. The tasting room is open Friday through Sunday 10:30 to 4 or by appointment. There's a nice picnic area too. Call (805) 736-1455. e-mail them at babcockvineyards@utech.net.

From downtown Buellton, if you travel south from Highway 246 on Avenue of the Flags, you'll find two more wineries of note.

Where Avenue of the Flags curves and becomes Santa Rosa Road-- another exquisite piece of California scenary-- you'll hit Mosby Winery at 9496 Santa Rosa Road, a great  place to visit with winery and tasting room in an historic old red carriage house. Mosby's tasting room is open Monday through Friday from 10 to 4 and on the weekends from 10 to 5. Call  (805) 688-2415.

A few miles beyond Mosby and further west on Santa Rosa Road, at 7250, you'll find Sanford Winery, with it's open air tasting room--one of my personal favorites. With a lovely picnic area in a splendorous setting, the tasting room is open daily from 11 to 4. For information call  (805) 688-3300.

The Winery on the American Riviera

In the city of Santa Barbara there is one winery and two tasting rooms.

The winery with the tasting room is Santa Barbara Winery, the oldest winery in Santa Barbara County, which is located two blocks from the beach at 202 Anacapa Street. The winery's vineyard is out on Santa Rosa Road near the fabled Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. (The winery will eventually build a production facility out near the vineyard west of Buellton on Santa Rosa Road.)

The wines are made at the winery, and Santa Barbara Winery holds the distinction of being the only winery in America just two blocks from the beach and the Pacific where winemaker Bruce McGuire and staff can can take off after a hard day of topping barrels for a little windsurfing on East Beach. The easiest access point is taking the Garden Street exit off of Highway 101 to Yanonoli Street, and turning right. The tasting room, one of my favorites, is open daily from 10 to 5. There's a pleasant picnic area in front of the tasting room. (805) 963-3633. Find them on the web at www.sbwinery.com.

The other tasting room (not to be confused with Santa Barbara Winery) is Stearns Wharf Vintners, out at the end of Stearns Wharf, at 217G, a pleasant place to watch the sail boats and taste wine, Stearns Wharf is open daily from 9 to 9. (805) 966-6624. The wines sold by this bonded winery, owned by Santa Barbara resident Candy Scott, are produced at other wineries for Stearns Wharf.

Yet more!

Forty-five wineries in our fair county are members of the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association. Twelve are not open to the public: Barnwood Vineyards, Brewer-Clifton, Fiddlehead Cellars, Jaffurs Wine Cellars, Lane Tanner, Macmillan Wine Co., McKeon-Phillips Winery, Morovino, Presidio Winery, Qupe & Au Bon Climat, and Whitcraft Winery.

Another winery, Meridian Vineyards, is open to the public. The winery and tasting room, owned by Beringer Estates, is located east of Paso Robles.

Of the twelve, seven are tasted at one or both of the two independent tasting rooms, one in downtown Los Olivos, the other, a half-mile south of town. Two of the wines are tasted in Solvang. One is tasted on State Street in Santa Barbara, and one-Barnwood Vineyards pours its wines at the Laetitia Vineyard & Winery tasting room (formerly Maison Deutz) in Arroyo Grande which it now owns.

Barnwood Vineyards, located in the Cuyama Valley at 4520 Highway 33 in Ventucopa is not open to the public. Barnwood recently purchased Laetitia Vineyard & Winery at 453 Deutz Drive off of U.S. 101 near Arroyo Grande. Barnwood's wines are available for tasting at the Arroyo Grande property. 481-1772.

Brewer-Clifton is based in Santa Barbara and the winery has no listed tasting room. For more information, phone  963-2527. *Fiddlehead Cellars, owned by Kathy Joseph (530) 756-4550 is based in Davis, California, and the wines can be tasted at 2531 Grand Avenue,one of the independent tasting rooms.

Jaffurs Wine Cellars, (805) 962-7003 is based in Santa Barbara. The wines are available for tasting at 2531 Grand Avenue.

Lane Tanner,  (805) 929-1826 produces her wines in Santa Maria. They are available for tasting at 2531 Grand Avenue just south of Los Olivos.

Macmillan Wine Co.,  (805) 686-5977 is based in Santa Maria. Craig's wines are available at the tasting room located at 2905 Grand Avenue in Los Olivos.

McKeon-Phillips Winery wines  (805) 688-6821 are available for tasting in Solvang at 1539 Mission Drive.

Morovino (805) 682-9830 is based in Santa Barbara and the wines are available for tasting at 1227 State Street.

Presidio Winery wines (805) 965-9463 are available for tasting at 1539 Mission Drive in Solvang.

Qupe/Au Bon Climat wines are produced at their winery in the Bien Nacido Vineyard east of Santa Maria. The winery is not open to the public. Qupe wines can be tasted at 2531 Grand Avenue and 2905 Grand Avenue. Au Bon Climat wines can be tasted at 2905 Grand Avenue.

Whitcraft Winery wines, (805) 693-0111, are available at 2531 Grand Avenue near Los Olivos.

Meridian Vineyards, a member of the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association has its beautiful winery facility east of the city of Paso Robles at 7000 Highway 46 East.  (805) 237-6000. Their tasting room is open daily from 10 to 5.

A final footnote to the vintners' map of Santa Barbara County

At the Qupe/Au Bon Climat winemaking facility which is not open to the public, a number of other fine premium labels are produced at "the collective." Local wines produced which are available at selected places including the independent tasting rooms include Vita Nova (a collaboration of the winemaking talents of Jim Clendenen and Bob Lindquist), Hartley Ostini (Hitching Post) wines made by Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley  for the Hitching Post restaurants, Makor (made by Jim Adelman), Costa de Oro (made by Gary Burk), and Cold Heaven (made by Morgan Toral).

Future Files!

Westward expansion in the Santa Ynez Valley with the possibility of an exciting new Santa Rita Hills appellation. And excitement out Highway 135 from the town of Los Alamos in the bucolic Los Alamos Valley.

Vineyard development in Santa Barbara County is running rampant!  Out on Santa Rosa Road you'll see developing  vineyards for a diverse array of players from Fess Parker to Gainey to Foley. Santa Barbara Winery will build a winery out  there. Kathy Joseph, owner-winemaker at Fiddlehead Cellars and consulting winemaker at Zaca mesa owns 100 acres near Sanford & Benedict Vineyard which she is planting into pinot noir with Beringer Wine Estates as a partner in the venture. And two of the main movers-and-shakers for the development of the new Santa Rita Hills appellation are pioneer Richard Sanford and Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe Vineyards.

On Highway 246, very near Babcock and Melville Vineyards, Morovino has recently purchased 70 acres with the intention of of planting 35 to 50 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay.

Joining the ranks of  pioneer grape growers Joe Carrari and Louis Lucas near Los Alamos, north of town on Highway 101, grand-scale vineyard development is under way by the likes of Kendall-Jackson, Beringer Wine Estates and the Premiere Partners, a farm belt-based investment company; out Cat Canyon Road, northeast of Los Alamos, names like Beringer and Sutter Home; and out west of town on Highway 135, again names like Beringer and Kendall-Jackson.

To Dine

To wrap up the day of winetasting down in Los Olivos and the Santa Ynez Valley, some great places to eat come to mind.  Los Olivos--in the heart of the Santa Barbara County wine country--has five terrific places to eat--historic Mattei's Tavern, Sidestreet Cafe, Panino, Los Olivos Cafe, and  the Vintage Room in Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa (formerly the Grand Hotel and Remington's restaurant). Try the chili colorado for lunch at Sidestreet! A total treat. And you know, too, a place like Sidestreet has to be totally cool! Any place is totally cool that has a selection of several rootbeers on their beverage list. A perennial favorite of mine, too, is Cafe Chardonnay in the Ballard Inn, and of course the Buellton Hitching Post (Their barbecued artichokes, fries and smoked duck breast makes my mouth water!)

Two newer restaurants on the wine country scene I like a lot are Grappolo in Santa Ynez and Brothers in Solvang's Storybook Inn. I had my first carpaccio experience at Grappolo and loved it. Carpaccio, I discovered, was the beef lover's answer to sushi. And this was with a white wine no less! One of the many entrees at Brothers that knocks me out is their risotto with seasonal truffles. Absolutely sensational stuff! Both Brothers and Grappolo are must-seek-out restaurants in my mind.

Wine tasting: Do's, Don'ts and good tips

A person who has never gone winetasting might rightfully ask: "How can you spend a day tasting wine and drive a car?"

CHP statistics show that DUI's are no more frequent in wine tasting regions like Napa than anywhere else in the state. But you should note that the legal blood alcohol limit in California is lower than in most other states-0.8. Remember, too, that the arresting officer can haul you in with even lower blood alcohol levels, say 0.6--at his or her discretion.

(And by the way, there are occasional sobriety checkpoints set up on Highway 246, both in the cities of Buellton and Solvang. So be careful.)

Be prudent when driving and wine tasting.

When you go winetasting, start off with a hearty breakfast, or stop for lunch. For a good breakfast try the Longhorn in Santa Ynez, Ellen's and Javy's (on the weekends), both in Buellton, or have Sunday breakfast at the Far Western Tavern in Guadalupe, one of my favorite Sunday morning things to do. In Santa Barbara, two favorite breakfast places are the Paradise Cafe (Sundays only) and the De la Vina Street Cajun Kitchen (which has terrific chili verde, Saturday mornings only).

For lunch, for that consummate 50s-style burger and fries, you've got to try the Longhorn in Santa Ynez. In Buellton, Javy's and Ellen's also serve up tasty lunch fare.

In Los Olivos, there's Panino, Sidestreet Cafe, Los Olivos Cafe, the Vintage Room in Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa, and Mattei's Tavern which serves lunch on weekends during the summer.

In Los Alamos, two favorite lunch spots are Charlie's on the west end of town, Bell and Den Streets, and Ghostriders, a biker tavern like something out of the midwest, I've been told, a very mellow place with darn good, reasonably priced food. Also serving up tasty lunches and dinners Friday through Sunday is the historic landmark, Union Hotel, which was built in 1880.

Many wineries provide picnic facilities too.

Taste early in the day and during the midweek. The best times to taste wine are during the week and early in the day. During the week, you avoid the hoards. Early in the day your palate is freshest , and your sense of taste and smell is less fatigued.

Taste buds and especially your sense of smell can become easily fatigued and overwhelmed. Tasting too many wines can be an overwhelming experience.

Tasting rooms tend to get crazy late in the day. You'll find the tasting experience more pleasant earlier in the day. Late in the afternoon, relax by the pool of your motel or hotel, with a beer and have dinner with some local pinot noir or syrah.

Taste with focus, and don't be embarrassed to spit. That's what dump buckets and spittoons in tasting rooms are for! You might want to ask about spitting because some tasting rooms get uptight with spitters. Recently I encountered tasters who traveled with their own beer stein expressly for that purpose. Another convenient spitting receptacle is a Styrofoam cup. But don't spit into clear glass; with the spent wine, proteins from the mouth and residue from the saliva and bread crumbs, clear vessels show it all, a very unappetizing sight, even when it's your own.

Go tasting with a plan. Don't try to do too much in a day. Do try to do the Foxen Wine Trail and the Santa Ynez Wine Trail in one day. Do one or the other, or do several selected wineries from each.

Unlike areas such as Napa, wineries here are spread apart. I would say from my own experience, you can visit five to six wineries comfortably in one day in Santa Barbara County.

If time is not a concern and money is no object, make your Santa Barbara County wine tasting experience a two day, even three day event.

If you want to do it in style, there's world class lodging like the Alisal Guest Ranch near Solvang, the Ballard Inn and  Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn & Spa (formerly the Los Olivos Grand Hotel). Spending less on accommodations might mean you can spend more on wine. Check out Buellton where there's good lodging at reasonable prices--like the Windmill Motor Inn, the Econo Lodge, the Motel 6 and the Rancho Santa Barbara Marriott. Something for everyone.

I hear, too, that the really very best deals are the motels in Lompoc and Santa Maria. A real treasure and landmark in our north county is the Santa Maria Inn.

Common courtesy says if you are part of a large group (say six people or more) you should call ahead to make an appointment. It's just a nice idea, I think, especially if you plan a visit late in the day.  If you do, you have to keep the appointment or call if you will be late.

If you are part of a limousine tour definitely call ahead for an appointment. Limousines are a dreaded symbol for most tasting room staffs. Limousines breed irresponsibility, for it's perfectly okay to be chauffeured about drinking your bottles of Dom, Cristal, Grande Dame or what-have-you. I know; I've been there.

But don't show up to some tasting room late in the day on a Saturday unannounced and expect to necessarily be welcomed with open arms. Visit early or make an appointment!

Responsible tasting room staffs usually always offer very small samples anyway, and they should always be willing to cut customers off, or not serve them, if they appear to be "on the edge" or "out of control." Otherwise, several loud, obnoxious types can spoil the tasting experience for the other patrons.

In California, it is against the law for a bar tender (in a bar or a tasting room) to knowingly serve alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person.

Ten years ago, our county was drawing wine tasters--really serious wine tasters--from around the world. But as Santa Barbara County has become more famous for its wines, and a better-known destination winetasting place for southern California, the not-so-serious types are also coming to visit wineries.

There are evolving two types of wine tasters.

First, your traditional serious taster who loves wine, buys a lot of it, collects it, and wants to learn more about it.

Second, there is a growing number of people who want to taste for the effect, who want to go winetasting because it's "the thing to do"--a reason for getting out of the house on the weekend. These people generally invade tasting rooms in groups of four or more, who come to drink, not to taste. With these folks, there is little focus on the wine. Topics of conversation run the gamut--anything from motorcycles, to the recent fishing trip, to the latest neighborhood scandal in Tustin-- but not about wine! This is sad; wine simply becomes the "social lubricant." The people I'm talking about are just out "to party," and would be just as happy guzzling gin and tonics back at Mel's in Santa Barbara or shooting tequila at Mattei's Tavern, one of my favorite bars in Los Olivos.

Man of the Vine, Bob Senn who lives in the Los Alamos Valley,writes The Independent's monthly wine column, "Grapevine," and owns the Los Olivos Wine & Spirits Emporium. His annual guide to area wines & wineries reflects 14 years spent writing about wine for The Independent and its predecessor, The Weekly.  He began his training when his dad handed him a bottle of Paul Masson Rhine Castle to teach him "how to drink." Happily for budding wine lovers, he's learned his lesson well.

*The Santa Barbara Independent's Definitive Guide to Wine Tasting in Santa Barbara County, published Octoboer 8, 1998, has been slightly altered by the author for inclusion on this website.

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