WineCountryGetaways.com

   
Santa Rita Hills wineries in Santa Barbara Co.


Top Wineries on the Santa Rita Hills Wine Trail

Head out to the city of Buellton and look for Santa Rosa Road. Head west on this road to the Mosby Winery. This wine trail leads to the Santa Rita Hills Appellation. The cooling climate of the Pacific Ocean makes this area ideal for growing and producing cool climate grapes. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the flagship wines for most of these wineries. Visit Mosby, Sanford, Lafond, Babcock, and Melville wineries.

Sanford wines

The Tasting Room at Sanford


Top Wineries on This Wine Trail

Mosby Winery – tops in California Italian wine varietals
Sanford Winery – Pioneer winemaker in Santa Rita Hills. the movie Sideways
Lafond Winery – Syrahs are fabulous here
Babcock Winery – small production of great wines
Melville Vineyards – best picnic spot, great Pinot Noir<

Following your visit, vote for your favorite tasting room. See survey on the right column.

View all 2007 Santa Barbara Wine Trail Survey Results

Dining and Lodging Recommendations

See Restaurants      • See Lodging

Winery Descriptions, Driving directions, Tasting Room Hours

Mosby Winery and Vineyards
While other wineries in this region concentrate on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Mosby winery specializes in Italian varietals. The winery offers a broad range of Cal-Ital wines including a line of dessert wines. The tasting room is a cool looking red barn structure. It was originally a carriage house built in the 1850’s on what was a famous estate. Our favorite wines of the tasting were the Cortese, the Pinot Grigio, the Sangiovese, and La Seduzione. This winery is a refreshing change of pace from the usual fare of wines offered by most California wineries.

Tasting Room Hours: 10 am – 4 pm daily pm
Phone: (800) 70-Mosby, email: mosbywines@yahoo.com, Mosby


Sanford Winery and Vineyards
Sanford is approximately five miles from Mosby. Watch carefully on the left side for a small sign posted at the entrance road to the winery. The owner and founder is Richard Sanford, a pioneer of this wine region. While most growers ignored this region, Sanford foresaw the potential for making exquisite Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and other cool-growing varietals. Today the winery has several hundred estate acres that are certified organic vineyards. The winery is well known for its line of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Don’t overlook the Sauvignon Blanc; it is excellent wine and will go with many a light meal. Sanford is one of the wineries featured in the popular movie “Sideways.”

Tasting Room Hours: 11 am – 4 pm daily
Phone: 805-688-3300, email; info@sanfordwinery.com, Sanford


Lafond Winery and Vineyards
Continue along Santa Rosa Road about a mile to Lafond Winery. Pierre Lafond, who owns the much larger Santa Barbara winery, established this winery in the Santa Rita Hills with the goal of making small amounts of estate wines. The winery produces two lines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The wines labeled SRH are blends from their vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, and the Vineyard labeled line are wines made from select single vineyards. The wines are all excellent and we especially enjoyed the two Syrah wines. There are picnic tables available.

Tasting Room Hours: 11 am – 4 pm daily
Phone: 805-688-7921, email; lwv@lasfondwinery.com, Lafond


Continue on Santa Rosa Road until you come to the stop sign.
Turn right on to Highway 1, then another right onto Highway 246 towards Buelton. Travel about 7 miles to the entrance for both Babcock and Melville Wineries. It will be on your left.

Babcock Winery
Babcock and Melville Vineyards share the same entrance way. Stay to the left as you head up the road. Babcock, like Sanford winery, is one of the original wineries in the Santa Rita Hills. After growing sought-after grapes, the Babcocks decided to create a winery and produce their own wines. Today, they produce award winning wines under the winemaking of their son, Bryan Babcock. The winery has a tremendous reputation for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Babcock also produces other varietals including an outstanding Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Syrah.

Tasting Room Hours: 10:30 am – 4 pm Friday to Sunday, noon to 4 pm on Monday.
Phone: 805) 736-1455, email: info@babcockwinery.com, Babcock


Melville Vineyards & Winery
The winery has a very gorgeous Mediterranean winery and tasting room that blends in among the vineyards and nearby mountains. This is a family affair with Ron Melville and his two sons making some exciting wines. The winery produces two lines of wine from their estate vineyards. The estate line is their mainstay while the vineyard-designated wines are made in small lots. The small vineyard lots of Pinot sell out quickly but the more affordable estate Pinot Noir is a delicious and lush wine selling for around $25.

Tasting Room Hours: Open daily, 11 am – 4 pm
Phone: (805) 735-7030, email: info@melvillevineyards.com, Melville


   

Santa Barbara Wine Trails

Sideways wineries

Winery Survey


View all 2007 Santa Barbara Wine Trail Survey Results

Santa Barbara Wineries Topics

   


Copyright © 2003-2008 WineCountryGetaways.com. All rights reserved