Hi,

Staying near Santa Barbera in early September with my family (wifey, son (22) and daughter (18)) - are there any wineries that do tours where under 21s are allowed? Tried Grimms but they said no, which started me wondering if there any that would allow under 21s...

If anyone has any info on where we could go as family, that would be great!

Thanks

John

John,

Welcome to Fodors.

As no one has answered your question yet I decided to look up one piece of information - "Legal drinking age in Santa Barbara".

The result I got was:

"The legal drinking age in Santa Barbara, California, is 21. It is against the law for anyone under 21 to possess, purchase, or consume alcohol. Penalties for those caught violating these laws can include fines."

This actually applies to the entire state of California. Wineries cannot take the chance that an underage visiting with family might get ahold of some alcohol while visiting the facility so they "err" on the side of caution and won't allow anyone under 21.

Google AI says: "While many California wineries require guests to be at least 21 to consume alcohol, most wineries allow 18-20 year olds to participate in tours and visit the tasting room, provided they are accompanied by an adult. Some wineries may have stricter rules or limitations for younger guests, especially regarding access to certain areas like vineyards."

The drinking age, all across the country is 21. In every state. That's why there is no drinking on college campuses.....

Thanks - I kind of guessed Wineries would err on the side of caution - shame...

Persons 18-21 are allowed to go on wine tours at many wineries. They just can't drink.

"That's why there is no drinking on college campuses....."

I must have missed that no drinking rule when I attended San Diego State.
Actually, on the SDSU campus these days, there are a couple of eating establishments where you can purchase beer or wine, too . For the hard stuff, check the dorm rooms.

I am sure he did, PrairieHikerl, but it is a matter of finding a winery that has tours that will allow underagers to take the tour. I looked online at a few in Santa Barbara and came up empty .

There are plenty of wineries that allow children, but generally they stay in some outdoor play area. They arent allowed in a tasting room, but not that many even have tours, at least in that area. They just have tasting rooms. So not sure what an 18 yr old would do. Look at Melville Winery, Andrew Murray or Storm Wines. I think Melville has a tour.

Thanks very much!

Brings back memories of visiting Napa Valley when our son was about 9. Mondavi let him come along on the tour, and the poor tour guide was badgered to death by our boy asking technical questions at every step. He grew up to be an engineer, unsurprisingly.