Top Wineries on the
Foxen Canyon Road Wine Trail
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Our home base for this wine country getaway is
the town of Los Olivos. Check the wine road map for details if you
are starting from a different location. Head north from Los Olivos
to Highway 154 and turn left. This leads to the Foxen Canyon Road.
Continue on Foxen Canyon Road until you hit the stop sign. Turn right
toward the Koehler Winery. At this junction, the Curtis Winery and
Firestone Vineyards are to the left. This tour will lead back towards
those wineries on your return.
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Fess Parker Winery
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Winery Descriptions, Driving directions, Tasting Room Hours
Koehler Winery
You will spot the Koehler Winery about a mile from the stop sign
on Foxen Canyon Road. The Koehler entrance road is a beautiful drive.
The road is lined with vineyards and majestic oak trees. The tasting
room is small but very adequate. There is also a very attractive
picnic area with a great view. All the wines here are estate grown
except for the Pinot Noir. The 2001 Cabernet is delicious as is
their Chardonnay.
Tasting Room Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily
Phone: (805) 693-8384, email: info@koehlerwinery.com, Koehler
Winery
Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard
Continue along Foxen Canyon Road a short distance to the Fess Parker
Winery. Fess Parker made his fame and fortune as a TV actor playing
the role of Davy Crockett in the late 50’s. Today, his winery
and vineyard are making the fame and fortune. The winery, tasting
room and grounds are the most lavish of any of the wineries in the
Santa Barbara wine region. It is definitely one of the most attractive
wineries you will find in California. The winery produces 75,000
cases of wine mostly from their estate vineyards located in three
different growing areas of Santa Barbara Country. The Pinot Noirs
are very delicious.
Tasting Room Hours: 11 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday, Sat. and
Sun. 10 am to 5 pm
Phone: (800) 841-1104, email:info@fessparker.com, Fess
Parker
Zaca Mesa Winery
Continue on Foxen Canyon Rd. to the Zaca Mesa Winery. This winery
has a very spacious and modern tasting room. The winery concentrates
on Rhone-style wines and produces excellent Syrah wines. The wines
are all estate grown and Wines & Spirits Magazine named Zaca
Mesa the 2004 Estate Winery of the Year. There is a cozy picnic
area equipped with a life-sized chess game. There is also a short
hiking trail that leads up from the parking area. Tours can be arranged
by appointment. Zaca Mesa is located about 3 miles from Fess Parker.
Tasting Room Hours: 11 am – 4 pm daily
(805) 688-9339 ext. 308, email: info@zacamesa.com, Zaca
Mesa
Foxen Vineyard
If you are looking for rustic, this is the place. Don’t be
surprised if you drive past this winery on your first try. The rustic
barn-like structure is easy to miss, having no resemblance to a
winery. Don’t be fooled by appearances. This boutique winery
has some of the finest wines in the entire region. The Pinot Noir
is their flagship wine, but the Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Franc
are also very good wines. Foxen is located approximately nine miles
from the Zaca Mesa Winery. Watch carefully.
Tasting Room Hours: 11 am – 4 pm daily
Phone: (805) 937-4251, email: info@foxenvineyard.com, Foxen
Vineyards
Rancho Sisquoc Winery
The famous Flood Family of San Francisco are owners of this small
winery which produces less than 10,000 cases a year. They make several
varietals each in small amounts. The Pinot Noir sells out quickly.
Other wines of note are the Malbec, and the Cabernet, both excellent
and reasonably priced. This is also a rustic tasting room, but the
grounds are spacious and tranquil. The winery is situated up a two-mile
drive from Foxen Canyon Rd. so the grounds are peaceful and quiet.
This is a good choice for a relaxing wine country picnic lunch.
You will find the entrance to Rancho Sisquoc Winery about one mile
past Foxen Winery.
Tasting Room Hours: 10 am – 4 pm daily
Phone: (805) 934-4332, email: sisquoc@ranchosisquoc.com, Rancho
Sisquoc
At this point, you can head back toward Los Olivos and visit Curtis
Winery and Firestone Vineyards.
Curtis Winery
The Curtis Winery is owned and operated by the Firestone family.
The winery concentrates exclusively on Rhone varietal wines and
has a separate winemaker from Firestone. Among the Rhone wines,
the Curtis Winery is noted for its fine line of Syrah wines. The
winery has a small modern tasting room with a comfortable picnic
area located adjacent to it. The tasting fee is $6.00, and with
your Curtis wine glass, Firestone will waive its tasting fee and
vice versa. If you are touring with others, a few hearty ones in
your party might try the 1.2-mile hiking trail from Curtis to Firestone.
The hike is moderate and affords the hiker some beautiful vistas
of vineyards and the surrounding mountains.
Tasting Room Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily
Phone: (805) 686-8999, email: info@curtiswinery.com, Curtis
Winery
Firestone Vineyards
The Firestone winery is one of the original wineries in Santa Barbara
County. The winery began operation in 1972. Today the winery is
housed in a very beautiful hillside setting. They have an exquisite
tasting room and offer tours throughout the day from 10:15 to 3:15.
The winery has a series of labels of the traditional varieties that
include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. One
of our favorite wines is the Vineyard Select Riesling. It is a great
value at $8 a bottle. This is a beautiful spot for a picnic lunch.
Don’t forget about the 1.2-mile Brook Trail that leads to
the Curtis Winery. Be sure to check out the historic photos of the
Firestone family posing with various dignitaries.
Tasting Room Hours: 10 am – 5 pm daily
Phone: (805) 688-3940, email: ken@firestonewine.com, Firestone
Vineyards
