Local vintners have outdone themselves yet again by majorly upgrading the line-up of outdoor wine tasting experiences in Santa Barbara. While many wineries previously offered outdoor tasting options, be they overlooking rolling hills and vineyards in wine country or prime patio perches just steps from the beach in downtown Santa Barbara, the recent pandemic presented new opportunities for vintners to create fresh, alfresco experiences that are super safe and just as enjoyable as ever.
To help you plan a perfect day—or better yet, several days—of wine tasting along the Urban Wine Trail and in Santa Barbara Wine Country, use this guide as your checklist to safely sip and social distance.
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Prep & Plan
No matter which area you decide to go, advanced planning is a must to ensure you have the best experience possible. Reservations are strongly recommended (and in many cases required) as wineries are limiting the number of guests to ensure social distance can be maintained and make it easier to avoid mixing with those outside of your household. If you are traveling with children or a dog, call ahead to confirm they are permitted and learn about new restrictions. Some family-friendly wineries are requiring children not leave the table during the tasting for everyone’s health and safety, which might not be ideal for young ones with energy to burn. The same goes for dogs on the leash remaining tableside.
All tastings are taking place seated and wine will be brought directly to you, be it a tasting flight, a glass, or bottle. You are required to wear a mask upon arrival and whenever leaving your seating area—but that face covering can be removed while you’re at the table, so you can use all of your senses to fully appreciate the wines. As always, drinking and driving is a no-no, so pick a designated driver or hire a tour company that can do the driving (and planning) for you.
Where to Sip & Savor
Now that you know the rules of the road, it’s time to design your ideal itinerary. Use the wine guide below to discover wineries offering exemplary outdoor tasting experiences by location. These include neighborhoods in Santa Barbara as well as the distinctive wine regions over the hill in wine country.
Note: Santa Ynez Valley is approximately 30 miles from downtown Santa Barbara and generally takes about 45 minutes to reach by car. Add another 15 to 20 minutes to reach the Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys, which are further west and north, respectively.
The Presidio District
El Paseo, Southern California’s very first shopping center dating back to the 1920s, is home to an impressive collection of boutique wineries in downtown’s Presidio District. The historic, open-air complex lent itself to expanding seating areas in the lovely courtyards between buildings. Taste the masterpieces of winemaking legend Jim Clendenen at Au Bon Climat, which has limited outdoor seating so they strongly encourage booking reservations through their website. Sit for a full-service tasting at Happy Canyon Vineyard, whose wines showcase the terroir of Santa Barbara Wine Country’s hottest growing region. Grassini Family Vineyards is pouring their Estate and Red Wine Flights on their patio and courtyard spaces now appointed with attractive wooden tables. Jamie Slone Wines has ample outdoor café style seating, too, where you can pair wines with artisanal cheese boxes specially prepared by Slate Catering.
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Taste the masterpieces of winemaking legend Jim Clendenen at Au Bon Climat in Santa Barbara's Presidio Neighborhood.
Photo Credit: aubonclimat via Instagram
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Outside is the best place to be. Happy Canyon Vineyard has updated the El Paseo courtyard with new tables and plenty of shade.
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Plenty of patio and courtyard spaces are available for afternoon sipping at Grassini Family Vineyards.
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Jamie Slone Wines has ample outdoor café style seating, where you can pair wines with artisanal cheese boxes specially prepared by Slate Catering.
Photo Credit: jamieslonewines via Instagram
The Funk Zone
Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail originated in The Funk Zone neighborhood, so it has a large number of tasting rooms in a relatively small footprint of 13 blocks between lower State Street, Cabrillo Boulevard, Garden Street and Montecito Street. Founded in 1962, Santa Barbara Winery has deep roots in the community. They took full advantage of their outdoor patio to welcome guests for tastings, wines by the glass, and bottle service and offer cheese plates from Pierre Lafond Deli. The Valley Project is another great place to get the lay of Santa Barbara’s winegrowing land with a patio tasting structured around Santa Barbara County’s six American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Sunday through Thursday, you can experience the same funk and flair of Municipal Winemakers’ indoor tasting room while sipping wine under their palm tree-shaded patio. Nearby, pop into Pali Wine Co. for a sip and seat within their newly expanded outdoor patio offerings.
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Founded in 1962, Santa Barbara Winery has deep roots in the community.
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At The Valley Project, get the lay of Santa Barbara’s winegrowing region with tastes from each of the area's unique AVAs.
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Margerum Wine Company and Barden Wines brought the elegance of their tasting room to the red-tiled sidewalk out front.
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Spacious outdoor seating so you can continue to savor J. Wilkes all summer long.
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Margerum Wine Company and Barden Wines brought the elegance of their Hotel Californian tasting room to the red-tiled sidewalk out front, and introduced a menu of gourmet level bites and pizzas. (They are not taking reservations, so it’s first-come, first-served.) Also located in the Hotel Californian complex, reservations are required at the new J. Wilkes Tasting Room. Cheese and charcuterie boards perfectly complement the wines—as does the people watching on State Street!
Haley Corridor
The Haley Corridor neighborhood stretches from State Street to Milpas Streets between West Cota and Montecito Streets. It’s easily accessed on foot from downtown State Street and the Funk Zone, too. Here you’ll find Carr Winery Barrel Room whose stellar, spacious patio is open daily for tastings bookable online. Less than three blocks away, Jaffurs Wine Cellars makes some of the smoothest syrah around, and thanks to their sizable lot, there’s ample outdoor territory for tasting.
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Open for daily tastings, Carr Winery's expansive outdoor patio is a stellar location to sip their latest tasting flights.
Photo Credit: carrwinery via Instagram
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Jaffurs Wine Cellars, making some of the smoothest syrah around.
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Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley includes the towns of Los Olivos, Buellton, Santa Ynez, Solvang, Ballard, and Los Alamos. Expect small walkable towns and villages with dozens of wineries dotted around the surrounding countryside. Folded Hills Estate Tasting Room & Winery at the Homestead is the first winery accessed just beyond the Gaviota coast as Highway 101 bends inland. Reservations are currently required for tastings set in their refined ranch atmosphere. Set on 100 acres of rolling hills in Santa Ynez, Gainey Vineyard is limiting tastings to one-hour per traveling party in order to make reservations more accessible. You might just think you’re in Provençe at nearby Sunstone Winery, whose postcard-worthy courtyard and picnic area look straight out of France. The equally stunning Bridlewood Estate Winery is offering weekend tastings by appointment on their Spanish-style veranda and patio.
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Savor wine tastings set in Folded Hills' refined ranch atmosphere.
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A secluded spot for two. Enjoy a glass of premium wine within the comfort of Sunstone Vineyard's wide-open spaces.
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Bridlewood Estate Winery, offering weekend tastings by appointment on their Spanish-style veranda and patio.
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A picturesque setting for your next wine country experience.
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Sustainability-minded Beckmen Vineyards boasts one of the best views in the Santa Ynez Valley.
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Over in Los Olivos, Zaca Mesa Winery is a longtime staple of the region’s winemaking legacy dating back to 1973. Daily tastings take place at good old-fashioned picnic tables and appointments are encouraged. Sustainability-minded Beckmen Vineyards boasts one of the best views in the Santa Ynez Valley, and they are welcoming tastings by appointment Friday through Sunday. Mosey on over to Los Alamos to taste Casa Dumetz Wines’ on the spacious garden patio adjacent to Babi’s Beer Emporium—and yes, that means beer and cider are also on the menu! Appointments are required Monday through Wednesday but walk-ins are welcome Thursday through Sunday.
Santa Maria Valley
Some of Santa Barbara Wine Country’s oldest vineyards and most revered pinot noirs and chardonnays come from grapes grown in the Santa Maria and Lompoc Valleys. Take in sweeping views of the Santa Maria Valley at Presqu’ile Winery, who are welcoming guests by appointment Wednesday through Sunday for their Food+Wine Experience. You’ll want to linger on their vast patio and terrace while savoring the “Mezze Picnic” prepared by Chef Julie Simon using the bounty from their garden onsite and ingredients sourced from local purveyors. Certified sustainable Riverbench Vineyard & Winery is a leading producer of sparkling wines, and you can taste at the source at their original Foxen Canyon property on the Sisquoc River. Choose between a 60-minute wine-only tasting or a 90-minute wine country picnic and tasting, with advance reservations bookable through Tock.
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Take in sweeping views of the Santa Maria Valley at Presqu'ile Winery.
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Certified sustainable, Riverbench Vineyard & Winery is a leading producer of sparkling wines.
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Lompoc Valley
The Lompoc Valley is renowned for its cool climate wines—especially the pinot noirs from the Sta. Rita Hills. Right along rural Highway 246, Babcock Winery & Vineyards has several picnic tables and umbrellas spread out on the property. Tastings are first-come, first-served Friday through Sunday, and by reservation Monday through Thursday. A menu of snacks, cheese, and charcuterie is available throughout the week. Last but definitely not least, find Sanford Winery on the winding Santa Rosa Road that connects Lompoc to Buellton. They are open to guests 21+ for tastings by appointment daily. You can’t beat their views of the hallowed ground that is the Sanford & Benedict vineyard planted in 1971, which first put Santa Barbara wine on the map.
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Planted in 1971, the the Sanford & Benedict vineyard put Santa Barbara wine on the map.
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Founded in 1982, Au Bon Climat (which means "a well-exposed vineyard") produces internationally-recognized Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc wine from grapes grown in California's Santa Barbara County. The Au Bon Climat winery is located on…
Beckmen Vineyards is one of North America's premier producers of Rhône varietal wines since our establishment in 1994. A family owned and operated vineyard and winery, we craft premier wines with a focus on Rhone varieties, sourcing fruit…
Bridlewood Estate Winery welcomes guests for tours and wine tastings at our estate in the heart of Santa Barbara County. To ensure an exceptional experience and personalized attention for our guests, advanced reservations are required. From…
Carr Vineyards & Winery is a small, handcrafted winery producing 4500 cases in downtown Santa Barbara. Owner and winemaker Ryan Carr established the winery in 1999. All of the wines made by Carr are sourced from Santa…
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Voted Best Winery and Best Tasting Room by the readers of both the Santa Barbara Independent and the Santa Barbara News-Press! We are a family owned and operated winery and vineyard with a love for the land and a commitment to…
Located at the Hotel Californian, just steps from Santa Barbara’s bustling Funk Zone neighborhood, find the newly-opened J. Wilkes Wine tasting room. Visitors can enjoy a welcoming place to sip the label’s acclaimed wines, with a fresh, chic…
Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, Jaffurs Wine Cellars produces world class hand-crafted wines. Since 1994 our family owned winery has focused on producing limited quantities of top quality Rhône…
At Jamie Slone Wines our mission is to provide guests an outstanding Santa Barbara wine experience! Recent accolades include: Winner: Favorite Winery & Favorite Tasting Room 2019 Santa Barbara News-Press Readers' Choice Awards. BEST…
Located near Santa Barbara’s waterfront at the Hotel Californian, Margerum Wine Company offers tastings or wines by the glass in our expansive tasting room or on the heated patio. And at the gateway to the Sta. Rita Hills, our…
Our Santa Barbara wine tasting room is located within the “Funk Zone” section of downtown Santa Barbara, just two blocks off the beach and two blocks off of State Street. Come by to check out our beautiful collection of Santa Barbara…
Founded in 1962, Santa Barbara Winery is Santa Barbara's first commercial winery since the prohibition era. Today, the winery and tasting room are in the heart of Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean. While Santa…
Sunstone Vineyards, Winery and Villa is an organic vineyard retreat, located just 35-minutes north of Santa Barbara, in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. Enjoy Sunstone wines in our Provençal French courtyards, stone barrel-aging caves or…
We love wine, and we believe that Santa Barbara is one of the best places on Earth to grow and make it. This project is our love letter to Santa Barbara's wine country. Born out of a desire to showcase the County's incredibly diverse Viticultural…
Established in 1973, Zaca Mesa is a family owned and operated winery with a long-standing history in Santa Barbara County. As the first vineyard to plant Syrah in the area in 1978, Zaca Mesa has since helped pioneer the Santa Barbara…
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Where to Wine in Santa Barbara The definition of “wine country” is a bit different here in Santa Barbara. Yes, you can taste to your heart’s content in gorgeous traditional countryside winery settings and walk amongst the vineyards in the rural Santa Ynez, Lompoc and Santa Maria Valleys. But you can also tap into our ever-growing South Coast urban winery…