Santa Barbara California, located around 90 miles up the Ventura Freeway from L.A. , is definitely one of the most attractive cities on the West Coast . Besides beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara provides wine drinkers access to the outstanding wineries located in the nearby Santa Ynez Valley, in the southern extreme of the Central Coast viticultural region.

Central Coast wines, especially the ones produced in the Santa Barbara area , have steadily won recognition and favor for their consistently high quality . But it is not only the quality of the wine that has been raised , there has also been enormous growth in the number of wineries in the area . Santa Barbara County now has over 200 wineries, in four appellations : Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria Valley. The sheer variety of wineries presents a conundrum for the wine tourer : Of all the many wineries to select from, which ones should I visit?

To narrow things down a bit, Santa Ynez Valley is the best of the four appellations for a wine tasting tour because it has the highest concentration of wineries and is situated the nearest to the city of Santa Barbara– far and away the most interesting place to stay in the area .

For a lot of people , the 2004 film Sideways put the Santa Ynez Valley on the map. There is even a literal “Sideways map,” available online or from the local tourist information office, which guides you to all of the locations that Miles and Jack made on their crazy road trip of wine tasting and midlife angst. But, even though the Sideways locations made for fantastic theater and filming, they are not necessarily the best places to taste great wines.

So, If you are dying to tipple the great wines the region can offer , who should you ask for reliable information on which wineries pour out the most palatable vino ? The most likely informant , undoubtedly , would be a well-informed native . Luckily for the reader , I happen to know just such an individual . It just so happens that my father–for quite a few years the president of the Santa Barbara Wine Society–has been visiting Santa Barbara County wineries to tipple their wares for the past 45 years, during which time the Santa Barbara wine industry grew from practicaly nonexistent to being the major producer it is at present. His recommendations follow :

“The very best winery in Santa Barbara city is Jaffurs Wine Cellars, on Montecito Street near Milpas. It is kind of funky, but they make truly impressive syrah and you will often be able to talk to the winemakers. The rest are over in Santa Ynez Valley, and for ambiance and good wine I would recommend Gainey Vineyards (both reds and whites), Sunstone Winery (reds), Blackjack Ranch Vineyards (reds), and Rideau Vineyard (reds and whites). These wineries are all situated reasonably near each other. The best places for wine and a picnic are Beckman Vineyards (reds) and Rideau. I would suggest Kalyra (reds and whites) in the valley (it’s near Sunstone) to the younger set because it’s fun, but a bit noisy. For somebody who wants to drive further out, I would recommend Brander Vineyard (whites), Curtis Winery (whites), Fess Parker Winery (reds and whites), and Zaca Mesa (reds).”

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