Santa Barbara
Wine Country

Santa Barbara Wine Country is one of the hot wine travel destinations says the Wine Enthusiast magazine and website. Santa Barbara’s wineries and vineyards rate alongside those of Napa Valley as an exciting wine destination to visit. 

Three USA wine destinations made Wine Enthusiast's Top Ten list, the other one alongside Santa Barbara and Napa Valley being Virginia, on the east coast. The other top seven destinations around the world are:

  • The Champagne Region in France (of course!)
  • The Veneto Region in Italy, taking in Venice
  • The Central Otago Wine Region in New Zealand
  • The Colchagua Valley in Chile
  • Priorat-Cambrils in Spain
  • Tokaj-Hegyalja in Hungary
  • The Mosel Valley in Germany

Well, as a list we’d say that is far from being the Usual Suspects. In the United States you might expect to find places like Sonoma, Paso Robles and Oregon ahead of wines from Santa Barbara and Virginia. You might also expect to find more than one wine travel region from France, in addition to Champagne - and why is there nowhere from Australia? Well, lists like this are meant to stir up publicity for whoever produces the list, but they do also make you think - and its certainly good news for the vineyards and wineries of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara Wine Country 

So why is Santa Barbara such a great place to visit for the wine traveler? “That’s thanks in equal parts to its Hollywood-style glamour, palm tree-fringed sandy beaches, fashionable resorts, great cuisine, endless shopping and one of the most beautiful wine regions in California,” says Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Tour of Santa Barbara Wine Country

Right in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara you can tour this Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

Santa Barbara Wine Country Wine Varieties

Wine Enthusiast says that these are the prominent wine varieties that are the best wines to look for in Santa Barbara: “Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah feature in the cool parts of the valley, while Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhône varieties dominate the warm areas.”

If you want to read what Wine Enthusiast has to say about Santa Barbara wine country, click here. 

You might like these

  • Napa Wine Country Inn

    The Napa Wine Country Inn and Gardens in St Helena overlooks a vineyard and has free wine tastings every evening and offers guests help with booking wine tours.

  • Wineries and Vineyards on the Pacific Coast Highway

    The wineries and vineyards along the Pacific Coast Highway make some of the best wine in the world, from Oregon and Washington to California's Sonoma and Napa.

  • Where to Eat on the Pacific Coast Highway

    Where to eat on the Pacific Coast Highway: advice on the best fine dining options, budget restaurants, romantic locations in Oregon, Washington and California.

  • Where to Eat and Stay on the Pacific Coast Highway

    Expert advice and personal recommendations on where to eat and where to stay along the Pacific Coast Highway, including a guide to PCH Hotels that you can buy.

  • Washington Wine Country

    Washington Wine Country includes plenty of vineyards and wineries that can be visited while traveling the Pacific Coast Highway including the Olympic Peninsula.

  • Ventura Bars, Breweries, and Beer Festivals

    There are plenty of Ventura bars, breweries, brewpubs and pubs to enjoy, not to mention one of the biggest beer festivals in California.

  • Sonoma County Distilleries

    Sonoma County is so associated with wine that it's easy to overlook the fact that it's also home to distilleries and here's a list of the main distillers.

  • Santa Cruz Downtown Wine Tastings

    There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.

  • Santa Barbara

    Standing on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Santa Barbara is an attractive resort with a historic downtown, sandy beaches, a mission, and good museums.

  • Santa Barbara Whale Watching

    Santa Barbara whale watching cruises in southern California can be booked through Condor Express, with whale watching trips leaving from the harbor.

Recent Articles

RSS

  1. Best California Beach Hotels

    Jun 23, 21 05:26 AM

    Here is Pacific Coast Highway Travel’s pick of the best California beach hotels including beach hotels in Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, and Malibu.

    Read More

  2. Frightened terns abandon 3,000 eggs after drone illegally crashes on beach

    Jun 05, 21 03:27 AM

    About 3,000 elegant tern eggs were abandoned at a southern California nesting island after a drone crashed and scared off the birds, a newspaper reported Friday.

    Read More

  3. The Longest Trail

    Jun 02, 21 03:59 AM

    In 1972, California voters mandated the creation of a coastal trail from Oregon all the way to Mexico, but it still isn’t complete.

    Read More