Santa Barbara County Wineries and Tasting Rooms

Areas in Santa Barbara County

• Santa Ynez Valley

  Tasting rooms in Solvang, Santa Ynez and Buellton, amid vineyards and horse ranches. Its smaller AVAs include Ballard Canyon, known for Syrah, and Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, known for Cabernet Sauvignon.

  85+ places in Cruv

• Los Olivos

  A hub of tasting rooms mixed with art galleries, shops and cafes, so you can park once and stroll. The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail heads north from here.

  30+ places in Cruv

• Sta. Rita Hills

  A cool, windy western corridor between Buellton and Lompoc for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Loop west on Santa Rosa Road to Lompoc and its in-town tasting rooms, then back on Highway 246.

  25+ places in Cruv

• Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail

  Wineries and tasting rooms across the city of Santa Barbara: the Funk Zone near the beach, the Presidio neighborhood, Midtown and downtown. For vineyards, head over the mountains to the valleys.

  20+ places in Cruv

• Santa Maria Valley

  A little over an hour from Santa Barbara, this cool-climate AVA, established in 1981, grows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The valley is also home to Santa Maria-style barbecue.

  15+ places in Cruv

• Los Alamos and Alisos Canyon

  A Western town on Highway 101, about 15 minutes north of Buellton, on the drive south from Santa Maria. Syrah was the top grape when Alisos Canyon became an AVA in 2020.

  9 places in Cruv

Know before you go

Reservations

Some wineries require a reservation, and most do for larger groups (six or eight people or more, depending on the winery). For holiday and festival weekends, book event tickets and lodging months ahead.

Tasting fees

Many wineries waive the fee when you buy wine; the fee itself varies, so check with each one.

Getting there

From Santa Barbara, Highway 154 or Highway 101 crosses the mountains into the Santa Ynez Valley. From Los Angeles, the western Santa Ynez Valley is about a two-hour drive.

Best time to visit

Any season works: summer is busier and fall is harvest. Nights are generally cool, so dress in layers.

Getting around

The county is spread out, so pick one or two areas a day; Solvang and Los Olivos are easy on foot. Plan a designated driver, a rideshare or a tour.

Local vintners hold festival weekends and charity events, and Solvang and Los Olivos host holiday and town celebrations.

Nearby wine regions

• San Luis Obispo Coast

  Edna Valley vineyards average 5 miles from the ocean, and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir lead on this cool San Luis Obispo County coast.

  40+ places in Cruv · 20+ upcoming events

• Paso Robles

  More than 40 grape varieties grow across Paso Robles' 11 districts, from the oak-studded Westside hills to open Eastside ranchland.

  190+ places in Cruv · 75+ upcoming events

• Los Angeles Area

  Wine tasting without leaving Los Angeles County: tasting rooms in the city, mountain vineyards above Malibu and high-desert vines in the Antelope Valley.

  20+ places in Cruv · 10+ upcoming events