Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
on TV. Even though Fess has now passed on, his winery still gives away coonskin-cap-
etched souvenir glasses. Savor the pricey, award-winning Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Rancho Sisquoc Winery
WINERY
10am-4pm Mon-Thu, to 5pm Fri-Sun)
This tranquil gem is worth the extra mileage, not necessarily for its hit-and-miss wines, but
for the charmingly rustic tasting room surrounded by pastoral views. Turn off Foxen
www.sanramonchapel.org
)
, a little white church built in 1875. Incidentally,
sisquoc
is the
Chumash term for 'gathering place.'
SANTA BARBARA WINE COUNTRY 101
Although large-scale winemaking has only been happening here since the 1980s, the cli-
mate of Santa Barbara's Wine Country has always been perfect for growing grapes. Two
parallel, transverse mountain ranges - Santa Ynez and San Rafael - cradle the region and
funnel coastal fog eastward off the Pacific into the valleys between. The farther inland you
go, the warmer it gets.
To the west, fog and low clouds may hover all day, keeping the weather crisp even in
summer, while only a few miles inland, temperatures approach 100°F in July. These delic-
ately balanced microclimates support two major types of grapes. Nearer the coast in the
cooler Santa Maria Valley, Pinot Noir - a particularly fragile grape - and other Burgundian
varietals such as Chardonnay thrive. Inland in the hotter Santa Ynez Valley, Rhône-style
grapes do best, including Syrah and Viognier.
Santa Rita Hills Wine Trail
When it comes to country-road scenery, eco-conscious farming practices and top-notch
Pinot Noir, the less-traveled
Santa Rita Hills
(
www.staritahills.com
)
region holds its own.
Almost a dozen tasting rooms line an easy driving loop west of Hwy 101 via Santa Rosa
Rd and Hwy 246. Be prepared to share the roads with cyclists and an occasional John
Deere tractor. More artisan winemarkers hide out in the industrial warehouses of Buellton
near Hwy 101 and farther afield in Lompoc's 'Wine Ghetto' (
www.lompoctrail.com
)
.
