Best Santa Barbara Wineries to Visit

Richard Sanford was among the first to extol the virtues of the Santa Rita Hills' cool climate Pinots and Chardonnays, and his deft touch is evident in these lovely wines. His touch—and his family's—is also on display in the gorgeous, design-magazine-worthy Buellton tasting room opened in 2014, which among things employs recycled Douglas fir, harvested in Washington in 1912, for its benches, bar-tops and shelves. That live olive tree in the middle of the room, under the skylight? Her name is Olivia. almarosawinery.com

Hippest tasting room ever? Babcock's hangar-sized "retro-rock-and-roll" venue in Lompoc is chockablock with vintage photos, antler chandeliers, mid-century furnishings, board games and a party atmosphere. The old tasting room is now the cozy, funky "Soul-Struck Lounge" for private events. For those who'd like to base themselves here, Bryan Babcock's own handsome Mediterranean house is available, B&B-style. Best of all for fans: The Pinots and Chardonnays. babcockwinery.com

Beckmen's tasting room is set amid beautiful rolling vineyards near Los Olivos, serving wines from one of America's premier Rhône-style wine specialists. Beckmen's commitment to hard-to-explain-briefly biodynamics makes it worth reserving for the hour-long, 11:00 daily vineyard and winery tour ($25 including tasting). The tasting room itself offers flights of six estate wines ($20). Call ahead to stake out one of the gazebos or pond-side picnic spots. beckmenvineyards.com

One of the pioneers of Santa Barbara's modern wine renaissance, Brander makes notable red wines—including Bordeaux-style blends—but put itself on the map with its Sauvignon Blancs, which are produced here in at least five bottlings and blends. The mellow Santa Ynez tasting room offers a shady courtyard to kick back and enjoy the scenery. brander.com

The sleek, clean-lined, futuristic tasting room in Lompoc is worth the trip to sample and buy these small-production, site-specific Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, which may be difficult to find in some states. The tasting room, open weekends or by appointment, offers two flights, with current releases and older wines. brewerclifton.com

Value-driven wineries are becoming comparatively rare in the Santa Barbara wine country of today, but this well-funded Santa Ynez outpost of the Gallo empire offers excellent quality for price. Visitors the distinctive, red-tile roofed Spanish mission style winery with its triple-bell tower often opt to taste out in the courtyard beside the fountain, and to take advantage of the educational wine and food pairing programs. bridlewoodwinery.com

One of the early jewels in the Jackson Family Wines portfolio, Cambria commands a vast stretch of 1,600 acres of the cool, foggy Santa Maria Valley. Visitors to the well-appointed tasting room off Foxen Canyon Wine Trail can taste through a range of generally moderately priced Chardonnays—the grape that put Cambria on the map, Pinots, Syrah and several at-the-winery exclusives. There are tours on the weekend, or by appointment. cambriawines.com

Cottonwood Canyon is a small, boutique-sized producer whose Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Syrahs can't be found everywhere. One special place to find them: In the 6,000-square foot caves at the Santa Maria winery (there is also a Santa Barbara tasting room). For $29 (call ahead) you can taste a full flight of wines, have tour of the cellar and caves, and finish up with a barrel tasting. cottonwoodcanyon.com

The Dierberg family produces wine from three diverse estate vineyards in the region, gathering them all up under the peaked roof of the big green barn that serves as the tasting room in the Santa Rita Hills location, aka Drum Canyon Vineyard. A $20 fee gets you a six-wine flight ranging over Bordeaux-style wines (Star Lane) and Burgundy style wines plus Syrah. dierbergvineyard.com

The late television actor's family runs a mini-empire in Los Olivos, which includes the main winery tasting room—rustic chic, but in a South-of-France, not a backwoods, way—the sparkling wine devoted Bubble Shack, and the upscale, boutique Fess Parker Inn, with its estimable restaurant. The family turns out a considerable range of wine, including the Rhône-oriented Epiphany label, most of it of high quality, and at a welcoming range of prices. fessparker.com

Foley's big (3,500-square foot), comfortable Lompoc tasting room, stocked with leather club chairs, is a familiar stop for Santa Rita Hills wine tourists. The premium-priced Burgundy specialist offers tastings beginning at $10 for a five-wine flight with a knowledgeable guide. Visitors with more time might want to opt for a cheese pairing ($40) or the full-on barrel tasting and cellar tour ($60). foleywines.com

Longtime critics' and insiders' darling, Foxen now has a sleek, solar-powered, modern tasting room at its Santa Maria winery to showcase its acclaimed Pinots, Chardonnays and Rhône-style wines. But older fans don't have to regret the passing of the former 19th-century blacksmith shack (now called "The Shack") that long served as Foxen's quaint tasting room—it now focuses on Foxen's Bordeaux-style and Cal-Ital offerings. foxenvineyard.com

Wine grapes were a late-comer as crops on the Gainey family's massive swath of Santa Ynez Valley farmland, but third generation proprietor Dan Gainey was shrewd enough to purchase prime vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills to complement the home ranch's production. The winery's Spanish-style tasting room offers several ways to sample the all-estate production, including Monday-to-Friday barrel tastings ($15) and special weekend tastings at the old farmstead with a jeep-ride vineyard tour ($15). gaineyvineyard.com

Leading Rhône Ranger Craig Jaffurs has set up shop in the heart of Santa Barbara, but a visit here provides a kind of county-wide vineyard tour, since Jaffurs specializes in vineyard-based wines from many of the region's top growers. Though Syrah is the calling card, there is a range of estimable wines to taste here. A $10 fee gets you five samples and a take-home logo glass. jaffurswine.com

A block from the beach in Santa Barbara's revitalized warehouse district, the Funk Zone, Kunin is a small production, personal-scale operation with a Rhône-focused, but eclectic lineup of offerings (yes, they've got your Counoise). The winery itself, in Santa Maria, can be visited by appointment, but the white-frame, So Cal-chic tasting room is a central-to-everything destination on its own. kuninwines.com

Lafond has an in-town outpost in Santa Barbara, but the gorgeous vine-row and peaks scenery of the Santa Rita Hills makes visiting the winery itself a different experience. There are two tiers here, the more affordable SRH wines and the pricier Vineyard Designated line available to taste. If you have a group, call ahead to arrange a cheese-and-fruit-accompanied VIP tasting ($35 a person) in the barrel room or salon. lafondwinery.com

If you are more about the wine than the château, you will want to check out this surprising enclave in a Lompoc (that's lom-poke) industrial park. The 20+ wineries that share this space are a strong selection of top artisan producers in the county, labels like Fiddlehead, Samsara, Pali and Palmina. It is a working environment—some wines are produced right on premises, and the winemaker may very well be on hand to tell you about it. Open weekends; check the website for specifics. lompocghetto.com

The laid-back town of Los Olivos has become a magnet for winery tasting rooms, and in some cases these wineries' only tasting room. The wine sampling experience here is park and wander, within a few blocks you can sip bottles from the likes of Qupé, Tensley, Alta Maria, Carhartt, Nielsen by Byron and many, many more. If you want to take a break, it's also a great place to stroll into galleries, boutiques and cafes. sbcountywines.com

One of the region's most sought-after labels, Melville is a compulsory stop for lovers of Santa Barbara Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Fortunately, they make visiting easy. The Mediterranean-style, seven-day-a-week tasting room in Lompoc is spacious and accommodating, with a picnic space to catch the breeze through the hills outside. Call ahead for the 75-minute, $25 guided vineyard and winery tour on weekends. melvillewinery.com

Sanford, and its Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, was a cornerstone of Sta Rita Hills'—some would say Santa Barbara's—rise to fame as a producer of graceful Pinot Noir. Sanford today makes all its Pinots from its estate vineyards, and estimable Chardonnay as well. There are two dedicated tasting rooms: in downtown Santa Barbara, and at the winery in Lompoc, which also offers a slate of premium tasting experiences and tours by advance reservation. sanfordwinery.com

Another of the collective tasting room experiences Santa Barbara County seems to specialize in, this one has the distinction of a lovely location in downtown Santa Barbara's El Paseo historic district, and tasting rooms for six high-quality, generally artisan-sized producers who typically don't offer drop-in visits at their production facilities. Au Bon Climat is the most familiar name, but Margerum, Grassini and Happy Canyon are also notable labels. winecollectionofelpaseo.com

One of Santa Barbara County's trailblazers, Zaca Mesa continues to produce fine Rhône-style wines at relatively gentle prices. The laid-back visitor's center near the wine nexus of Los Olivos provides rotating flights of wine for tasting at $10, plus a slate of by-appointment tour and tasting experiences. Coming in 2016: Zaca University, a part on-site, part on-line wine education program. zacamesa.com