History

The Santa Maria Valley became Santa Barbara County's first American Viticultural Area in 1981, the second designated in all of California. The Sta. Rita Hills AVA followed in 2001, bringing the most critically acclaimed sub-region into focus. Commercial wine production in Santa Barbara County grew through the 1970s and 1980s led by Sanford and Benedict Vineyard and later Brewer-Clifton, establishing the county's reputation for cool-climate varietals. The 2004 film Sideways brought widespread attention to the Pinot Noir here, and tourism to the wine trail has not receded.

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Common allergens: Sulphites

Make it at home

Yield Serves a cellarHands-on 4 hrTotal 18 minDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 10 lbs (4.5kg) fresh Pinot Noir grapes from a Santa Rita Hills or Santa Ynez Valley source
  • Winemaking yeast (RC212 or Burgundy strain)
  • Potassium metabisulfite (campden tablets)
  • Primary fermentation vessel, secondary vessel, airlock, hydrometer

Method

  1. Crush and destem the grapes, keeping 20 percent whole-cluster if desired for complexity.
  2. Add one crushed campden tablet per gallon of must. Wait 24 hours.
  3. Hydrate and pitch the yeast. Punch down the cap twice daily during primary fermentation (7-14 days).
  4. Press when dry (SG below 1.000). Transfer to a secondary vessel and seal with an airlock.
  5. Rack off sediment after 2 weeks. Allow malolactic fermentation to complete (1-3 months).
  6. Age 6-12 months in glass or neutral oak before bottling.

Tip from the editors. Cold soaking the crushed grapes for 3-5 days before pitching yeast extracts colour and tannin without alcohol extraction, producing a darker, more structured wine from Pinot Noir grapes.

Where to eat santa barbara county pinot noir

Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir in Santa Barbara

The Valley Project ★ 4.3

$$ Wine barFunk Zone

Funk Zone tasting room with a chalk mural mapping all six Santa Barbara County AVAs. One room where viticultural geography anchors every pour.

Why locals goMost Funk Zone visitors pour through the bigger branded tasting rooms and walk past this chalk-mural wine education room on Yanonali Street. The county-wide AVA focus makes it the best single-stop introduction to why Santa Barbara wine country is worth the drive north.

TipAsk for a flight spanning all six AVAs to understand the difference between Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir and Happy Canyon Cabernet in one sitting.

Directions

Bouchon Santa Barbara ★ 4.2

$$$ Wine barDowntown Santa Barbara

Longest-running Wine Country restaurant in Santa Barbara since 1998. Wine Spectator Award. Santa Barbara County cellar, paired with a seasonal kitchen.

PourSanta Barbara County Chardonnay by the glass

WineSanta Barbara County wines, deep California list

FoodFull Wine Country cuisine menu

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