Wineries near Santa Barbara?
 

Which wineries should be visit during our trip to Santa Barbara? We strongly prefer reds. As we are flying home and live in a no-shipping-allowed state, we will be unable to purchase very much.

ttt - need replies, please?

Sanford is a bit north of Santa Barbara, about halfway to Santa Maria. I live a few thousand miles away, so I haven't visited them, but I've always been a big fan of their wines, especially their Pinots. www.sanfordwinery.com

Check out the Fess Parker winery. www.fessparker.com I haven't been to this winery, tho I had a very nice Riesling at dinner last week from here that was excellent. Cheers! ***kim*** (~~)

My husband and I just returned yesterday from a few days in SB wine country--you'll love it. We also prefer reds and they are producing some fabulous Pinot Noirs and Syrahs and other reds there. Some of our favorites include:

Rusack: We enjoyed their excellent Pinot Noir with lunch yesterday. The locals raved about their Syrah and Pinot. We drove about 4 miles from Los Olivos to their winery in Ballard Canyon. What a beautiful country drive--we saw a herd of buffalo, angus cattle, sheep,horses and even some topiary horses out there. Their shady deck under giant oaks and pretty garden is the perfect place for a picnic, fantastic mountain views! Bring your own picnic lunch--the Los Olivos Cafe makes great ones. rusackvineyards.com

Go out to the beautiful Sunstone winery outside of the city of Santa Ynez and taste their wonderful Reserve Syrah--pricey, but we thought it was worth it. Beautiful stone tasting room & wine caves here and charming picnic areas--it looks and feels like the south of France. Also well-known for their Merlot. sunstonewinery.com

We love the Curtis winery's all-Rhone wines, especially their Syrahs and Heritage Cuvee blend of rhone varietals.
The winery is on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail and is next door to Firestone (who owns it)--it's another nice picnic spot and down the road from Fess Parker's, Zaca Mesa and Rancho Sisquoc, which makes a good Cabernet that we enjoyed.

Their are many good wine tasting rooms in Los Olivos where you can taste many of the areas best wines, especially the good small producers that don't have their own tasting rooms. We like the one at Los Olivos Cafe, Richard Longoria's (wonderful Pinot Noir), Andrew Murray, great Syrahs and Pinots. The Los Olivos Wine & Spirit Emporium tasting room and wine shop out in the field off 154 near LO has a large selection for sale and tasting.

In your travels, don't miss tasting the Di Bruno wines, their Sangiovese is outstanding. At the top of my list is Arcadian--Joe Davis used to be the winemaker for Morgan winery in Salinas, and now has his own winery. These are amazingly good reds--we picked up some of his excellent Gary's Pinot Noir.

The new owner of the Ballard Inn has opened a new tasting room there (tasting room open only on week-ends), so we missed that, but they pour Arcadian(the only place that does in the area, that I know of) and a few other good ones.

Also check out very good reds from Foley and Foxen. Hitching Post makes some great Pinots. You'll find lots more good reds in your own tastings. If you can possibly go during the week, I recommend it, it's so peaceful and uncrowded. Either way, happy sipping!

THANK YOU, Winerycat (great name, btw). Your description and suggestions are very, very helpful, and a lovely read as well. I'm regretting more and more that we will be unable to bring more than a few bottles of wine home with us, and AZ law forbids shipping. . .

Any other suggestions for our Sun-Tues trip to SB? Restaurants? Other attractions?

Has anyone been to the Wine Cask or Olie e Limone in SB? I'm considering a trip to SB for our anniversary in early December. Any opinions on Citronelle at the Santa Barbara Inn? jkgourmet, where are you staying?

The Four Seasons Biltmore looks very nice! We almost booked there last Oct. but were unable to make it. ***kim*** (~~)

thanks for all the good info, winerycat!

Can you tell us where you stayed. I'm thinking of the Santa Ynez Inn for our anniversary later this year...

The Fess Parker Inn & Spa also looks very nice. We'll probably choose something in Montecito on the beach. ***kim*** (~~)

jkgourmet, sorry about the wine shipping laws, I take it you're driving? Can they limit the amount you bring into AZ in your car's trunk? I'd be curious to know and how much?

In Santa Barbara, we have enjoyed Downey's very much--it's an excellent, bistro-like place, and very good food and wine. Check it out at downeyssb.com.

Also on State street, just a few doors down from Downey's is Opal, another local favorite, has a similar look. It was full last time we were in town, so we missed it, but check it out at www.restauranteur.com/opal/ Those would be my top 2 choices. Check to make sure they're open, Sun., Mon., or Tues. being nights that some restaurants are closed.

State Street has lots of fun shops and little cafes to explore. Their farmer's market was wonderful when we were there a couple of months ago--they close down much of State Street. The mission up on the hill is another nice place to explore and closeby El Encanto Hotel's patio is great for wine and appetizers. We had a delicious prawn cocktail and cheese plate there recently--the ocean views are pretty from the deck.

We had a good lunch recently at the Four Seasons Biltmore in their Patio restaurant. The food's pretty good and has a great ocean view, right across the street from the beach. I hear their Sunday brunch buffets are good. The hotel's public spaces are beautiful, old and grand. You can also eat or just have drinks in their La Sala, just off the Lobby, which is an absolutely gorgeous room. The grounds are lovely to walk and there's easy access to the beach across the street. I think the rooms were recently re-done or are still in the process of it, and aparently that was a much needed renovation.

Frankie, we looked at Santa Ynez Inn, Ballard Inn and Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos, then settled on Fess Parker's because we wanted to be situated in Los Olivos, as we usually do.

Santa Ynez Inn offered us a great mid-week rate, and was beautiful with gardens and Vineyard House restaurant next door, as well as a gift shop, wine tasting room and salon/spa in the complex.

SYI is new construction, a luxurious feel, has some very nice antique pieces throughout the hotel, but we also noticed much "new" Victorian, as opposed to the real deal. That might not matter to you, but it did to us. Still, it was a very nice place and we might have stayed there, but as I said, we wanted Los Olivos to be our home base.

Hope this helps!

How was the Vintage Room, the restaurant at Fess Parker's? Would you recommend it if you're not staying at the inn? ***kim*** (~~)

thanks winerycat. I think I know what you mean. I sorta got that feeling from the online pics...

jkgourmet, I've heard good things about Brophy Bros. in Santa Barbara. Maybe a SB local could help us out with some of the great places to dine in SB for a special occasion. ***kim*** (~~)

kimamom, have you considered the San Ysidro Ranch or Baccara?

I've never been to Santa Barbara before! Are these places nice? I've heard of Bacara before. Don't they have a REALLY nice spa there? I'll probably be starting my own thread later to get more opinions on SB.

My appetite was whetted for this place when a renter at our condo from SB left a beautiful booklet on the place. It looks like a very nice place to spend a few days for an anniversary trip in December. ***kim*** (~~)

Kim, there have been some real changes at the Vintage Room since we last stayed. Now, the inn is including a complimentary breakfast AND dinner to guests of the inn, which is a 3-course menu limited to only 2 entrees most of the week(!), 4 entrees on Thursday night only. It seems they aren't too interested in attracting non-guests.

Our first night there, we ate somewhere else in town, Brother's restaurant at Mattei's Tavern, which was excellent. The next night we ate at Vintage Room--our entree choices were Fillet of Beef or Chicken Cordon Bleu. We choose the beef dinner, the fillet was excellent, but not the soup, which was woefully underseasoned. We were pretty happy with the rest of the dinner,tho -- it being complimentary didn't hurt and the wine list was Wine Spectator-awarded with low mark-ups and not all Fess Parker wines. We found a great deal on a Morgan (Monterey county) Rhone blend we just couldn't resist. It's a beautiful, romantic place too, but way too limited for dinner for a non-guest.

When we were in Sant Barbara, we went to a small but lovely little vineyard called Gainey. We had not been to vineyards before so I cannot compare it but we liked it very much. Here is their website: www.gaineyvineyard.com/

Did you taste the Triada there? I've made a note to visit Gainey just to try this. Interesting, made up of Syrah, Grenache (I found an excellent Grenache in Ashland, OR this summer) and a little Viognier. I can't wait to explore the SB wine country! ***kim*** (~~)

Sorry but I don't remember which wines we tasted but they gave us very personalized attention w/a complete description of each wine we were tasting. It was a really nice experience. Hope you enjoy it!!

Re: info requested above: Another board that I use frequently for restaurant recommendations (chowhound.com) has some very positive comments on The Wine Cask and Olio Lemone. Not so positive on Cintronelle, and accordingly, we will be skipping that one.

Re: winerycat's questions. No, we will be flying and renting a car, which makes bringing wine home very difficult. Arizona law does not allow shipping into the state to individuals, so most wineries simply refuse to do it. We have driving to CA and brought cases home in the car ourselves, and had no problem with that; however, we did 'hide' them in the trunk.

Have you read any reviews on Bouchon? We're considering that for our anniversary dinner. The Inn @ Spanish Garden (highly recommended on Tripadvisor) is offering a room with a $95 gift certificate there that sounds inviting.

Harbor View Inn also looks very nice with ocean views, right across the street from the beach. Any opinions on this place? ***kim*** (~~)

JK,

I second the recommendations for Foxen and Sanford. My two personal favorites are Foley and the fantastic Richard Longoria, tasting room in Los Olivos.

Since I moved back to Utah a few years ago, I had to discontinue my club memberships to Longoria and Foley (TRAGIC!), as Utah is a no shipping state too. Recently, however, the stat changed it's laws, and while the winery can's ship to you - you CAN buy and ship it to yourself!!!!!!! Who hoo!!

You might check out the situation with AZ. Good luck!

We will be in that area the end of December for 2 days and one night.

Unfortunately since it is a holiday week we could not stay at a number of the places we wanted since they had 3 night minimums.

We will be staying at the Santa Ynez Inn - I hope it is as nice as it looks!

Keep this winery/food thread going - I can;t wait to go.

Is the Foley vineyard in Solvang? Here's a cool website for those interested: www.santabarbarawinecountry.com Cheers! ***kim*** (~~)

This is going to become a more popular area to visit with the opening of the new movie SIDEWAYS.

Garymey,
Yes, when we ate at the Los Olivos Cafe, people were still talking about some of the filming that was done there and other places in the Valley for Sideways. Evidently, the movie featured many of the winemakers and the restaurants and their food. I'm assuming the movie was a documentary then? What can you tell us about it?

LOL, I don't think it's a documentary. www.foxsearchlight.com (Upcoming movies, Oct. 2O.) It's apparently an R rated movie about two men who drink wine and chase women on a trip.

I don't go to R rate movies, but this one may be an exception for the SB wine country scenery. ***kim*** (~~)

LOL, yeah, I guess that's about as far from a documentary as you can get! No matter, I'll be in line for it too!

Foley is on the Alamo Pintado Rd., on the way to Ballard & Los Olivos.

Their website says it's right by Solvang. I'll never forget the day we drove to Cambria, had lunch at the Moonsotne Bar & Grill, drove to Solvang and walked around for a few hours. (I could then say I saw Solvang!), went back to the Moonstone Bar & Grill for dinner and drove home.

What a busy day that was! LOL ***kim*** (~~)

Kimamom:
I would skip Citronelle. Over priced and not all that great.Yes, it is across from the ocean, but at night you cant see it. My recommendation is have dinner at Olio e Limone, it is excellent. Small-ish and lovely. Then go for a walk along the breakwater at the beach if you want a romantic stroll after dinner.
Olio e Limone has recently started serving lunch. Also very good.
And wineries...my pick is 'Gainey'.
minnie.

Thanks for the tip! I think our anniversary dinner will be at the Wine Cask with other dinners at Olio e Limone & Bouchon. I hope to try Brophy Bros. & La Playa Azul Cafe for Mexican.

Our room at the Harbor View Inn will come with a nice breakfast each am which will be great. I can't wait to visit SB for the very first time! ***kim*** (~~)

kim, I've heard not so great things about Playa de Azul. Pedestrian Mexican, at best. If you miss it, I don't think you'll have missed much.

Where is another good Mexican place in SB? Any SB locals know of a really good place with great food? ***kim*** (~~) Any opinions on Brophy Bros? I want at least one really good seafood lunch, a view would nice.

Kimamom,
For authentic Mexican food, go to La Superica. Great! Family owned and operated, food is fantastic. Walk up window to order, then find a table on their patio. It may not be much to look at, but the locals all love the ambiance. It is on Milpas Street.
Also, a big Yes to Brophys.
minnie.

Thanks, minnie I need all the advice I can get on SB! I'll probably start my own thread, later. I hope jkgourmet has learned a lot, too! ***kim*** (~~)

minnine17, have you ever tried Sage & Onion in SB and would you recommend it? ***kim*** (~~)

Hi kim,
No, I have not eaten at Sage & Onion.
However, my brother eats there frequently and highly recommends it. I hear the cheese souffle is excellent.
minnie.

Brander makes exquisite reds. Put them on your list if you have the time.

When you get into town, grab a free copy of the Wine Country map.

The Wine Cask, Downey's, Opal, Sage & Onion, Olio e Limone are all excellent and all would be lovely for an anniversary dinner. I haven't eaten at Citronelle in quite awhile, but the food is excellent (IMHO). However, their service has been horrific of late. I've heard from two different people that they enjoyed the food at Bouchon but the servers were exceedingly snooty and pretentious -- enough so that neither will go back.

Tupelo Junction is a wonderful little place on State Street serving upscale Cajun/Southern food. Excellent.

We recently ate at Quantum, which is also downtown, in a weird location (not for strolling to/from) on Carrillo (not to be confused with Cabrillo or Castillo) Street. Aside from a bit of pretentiousness on the part of some of the staff, the need for valet parking unless you're a local and know what you're doing, and the fact that you absolutely must have reservations and confirm them several times (they lost ours after only 2 confirmations), the food is exquisite! It has sort of a tasting menu where you'll want to order several things to share and indulge in their excellent wine list.

Brophy's is at the harbor and it's a great, lively, casual place for oysters, clams and a glass of wine.

We like Playa Azul well enough but if you're after great, authentic Mexican food, you need to head over to Milpas Street. La Superica is really the best in town. This is not your rice-and-beans and cheese enchlada sort of place. Order at least one of the daily specials (Monday is chile relleno in cream sauce) and the #16 Superica Especial.

Down the street, Altamirano makes a great chicken mole and their tacos Altamirano is excellent too. In the heart of downtown, Los Arroyos makes a fabulous ceviche tostada.

Bon appetite!

Thanks for the great info, Harriet! Which place would say is the most romantic place in SB for a fine dining meal? White tablecloths, candles on the table, maybe even a fireplace in the dining room. ***kim*** (~~)