Situated in the scenic valleys of Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Ynez is home to some of the most elegant wines the United States has to offer. Santa Ynez Valley is the largest viticultural area in America. What this means is that it is the largest area in the country dedicated to making wines, so it’s well worth a visit if you love your tipple.
Wine in Santa Ynez
A common question asked by wine lovers about American Viticultural Areas is what type of wines are produced there?
California has an excellent climate for wine cultivation and vineyards on the western side of the valley are principally responsible for Pinot Noir.
The eastern grape plantings produce a variety of different types of wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc to name a few. Santa Ynez thus encompasses a variety of different and exquisite wines. Truly the best the country has to offer.
Santa Ynez produces and ships out over 1 million cases of wine each calendar year, helping make California the number one exporter of wine in the United States. The valley has around 120 wineries that are open to the public to experience the wines produced therein. No state in the country has more wineries than California, with over 4000 wineries within its borders.
Best wineries in Santa Ynez Valley
Foxen Vineyard and Winery
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The Foxen Winery is steeped in a rich Californian history, and it stands as one of the oldest wineries in the valley. Founded in 1985 by the “Foxen Boys” Dick Dore’ and Bill Wathen, Foxen Vineyard and Winery is a sustainably run, vineyard-focused winery specializing in a minimalist production style.
Situated in the Foxen Canyon, the entire winery and tasting room exploits the beautiful natural Californian sun by being completely solar-powered. The winery specializes in Pinot Noir, Red Blends, and Cabernet Sauvignon amongst many others.
- Wine Tasting Prices: Reservation based
- Operating Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Weekdays
Sunstone Vineyards and Winery
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The Sunstone winery is sectioned off from a gorgeous French Villa in the scenic valleys of Santa Barbara County. The villa is surrounded by vineyards and courtyards that make you feel as though you’re relaxing in the sun in the open French countryside.
Owned by the Rice family since 1989 the Sunstone Winery finds itself on south-facing slopes in a micro-climate that is almost too perfect for the production of grapes. This winery embraces the culture and history of winemaking patrons feel as though they’ve spent a day engulfed in an elegant European lifestyle.
Sunstone winery produces any type of wine you can possibly think of from whites to reds to sparkling wines. Their featured wines include a gorgeous Bordeaux and a stunning Cabernet Blanc.
- Wine Tasting Prices: $20 per person
- Operating hours: 11 am – 5 pm
Rusack Vineyard
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Nestled amongst the oak forests of Ballard Canyon, the Rusack Vineyard provides a location quite unlike any of the other Santa Ynez Valley wineries. The handcrafted wines produced in their winery reflect their love and passion for the surrounding areas and vineyards upon which their grapes grow.
The vineyards and surroundings are idyllic, and the rural estate is surrounded by rolling hills covered in oak trees. The winery offers a large assortment of wines, many of which could be exactly to your liking. Their mission is to create world-class wines, and this is reflected by their success. The winery is especially popular for their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
- Wine Tasting Prices: $18 per person
- Operating Hours: 10 am – 4 pm
Gainey Vineyard
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The Gainey Vineyard, in contrast to many of the wineries on this list, expresses itself via the Spanish-style architecture of its estate. Situated in the idyllic Stat. Rita Hills the vineyard sits in the perfect climate for vinification and wine culture. The estate was bought in 1962 by the grandfather of now owner Dan Gainey.
The winery specializes in Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Merlot but they have also garnered fame for their exquisite desserts and sparkling wines. The wine tasting is situated on the terrace of the estate where patrons will overlook the countryside hills and vineyards that belong to the manor.
- Wine Tasting Prices: $20 per person
- Operating Hours: 11 am – 5 pm
Stolpman Wineries
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Stolpman Wineries, owned by Tom Stolpman, is situated on one of the most productive viticultural sites in Santa Ynez Valley. Located on the Central California Coast this winery is built on rare Limestone outcropping and produces some of the best wines the country has to offer.
Stolpman focuses mainly on Varietal wines such as Syrah and Grenache, which indicates a huge difference from what his competitors are mainly producing as their specialities. You will however find some more classic wines such as Merlots and Pinot Noirs here.
The wine tasting rooms produce friendly and non-sales-like vibes. The room itself looks modern and is open to visitors.
- Wine Tasting Prices: Reservation based
- Operating Hours: 11 am – 5 pm
A Wine For Every Palate
There are a huge variety of Santa Ynez Valley wineries open for the public to visit, and this is because of the perfect climate conditions that California has for the growing of grapes and vinification of wine. The luxurious Mediterranean climate of the state provides comfortable and steady temperatures that tend to sway over to the warmer side more often than not.
One of the biggest wine industry trends right now is tastings. This is one of the reasons why the Californian wine industry continues to grow as more and more people become aware of the experience available in the valleys of the state. An average wine tasting in Santa Ynez for example costs around $20 per person. That’s well worth splashing out for!