Why you should visit Santa Ynez wineries
This blog post covers the best wineries in Santa Ynez, California.
The town of Santa Ynez is located in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, California. Each of the Santa Ynez wineries on this list offers something special.
Some have big ranches with dozens of acres. Another is housed in a small historic building. Some wineries make “co-fermented” blends. Others make single varietal estate wines.
But what do they all have in common? Incredible wines!
The Santa Ynez Valley is known for its world-class wines and the town of Santa Ynez is no different. If you’re already planning a trip to the valley be sure to visit the neighboring towns of Los Olivos, Los Alamos, Solvang, and Buellton.
How to access the best Santa Ynez wineries
Santa Ynez is accessible from major California cities
Santa Ynez wineries are within easy driving distance of several major cities and towns.
If you already live in Santa Barbara County, then great! You can simply drive to the Santa Ynez wineries on this list. But if you live out of state you’ll need to plan ahead. Your best bet is to fly into one of the cities I mention below, rent a car at the airport, and drive from the airport to these Santa Ynez wineries.
Although the town of Santa Ynez does not have its own commercial airport, it is relatively easy to access nearby airports.
The closest commercial airport is located in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) is about 30 miles from Santa Ynez, which should take about 38 minutes by car.
The next closest airport is Santa Maria Public Airport (SMX) located in Santa Maria, CA. It’s about 34 miles from the airport to the town of Santa Ynez, which should take you about 37 minutes by car.
The San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) is also an option. Santa Ynez is 63 miles from SLO County Airport, which should take a little over one hour by car.
The closest major city is Los Angeles. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is 127 miles from Santa Ynez. The drive should take about three hours. But, given that LA traffic can be terrible, the drive could take longer.
The town of Santa Ynez is a short drive to neighboring towns
Santa Ynez is near several other small towns in Santa Barbara wine country.
- Solvang is 3.8 miles away, which is a roughly 9 minute drive.
- Los Olivos is between 5.3 to 7 miles from Santa Ynez, depending on your route. It should be a roughly 10 minute drive.
- Los Alamos is 17 miles away, which should take you 21 minutes by car.
- Buellton is 7.4 miles away, which is about a 19 minute drive.
As you can see, a car is required to actually reach the town of Santa Ynez. And you’ll want a car to visit the other small towns throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.
The best Santa Ynez wineries for a wine tasting
Roblar Winery
Fun fact: Roblar Winery used to be a horse training facility. In the late 1990s the owners planted vineyards on the property. Today Roblar Winery is a winery, restaurant, and farm all rolled into one.
They have a five-acre farm that grows organic produce. Their full service restaurant serves lunch, brunch, and dinner. And of course their winery churns out delicious wine. It’s the kind of place you can relax for hours.
The Roblar estate vineyards are home to Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. They source Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from other vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills AVA.
Check out the “Farm to Fork Wine Tour & Tasting” hosted on Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM. These vineyard tours begin with a guided walk through the vineyards. They end with a wine tasting paired with small bites.
Brave & Maiden Estate
Brave & Maiden Estate is a gorgeous winery located in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley wine region.
This sustainably farmed vineyard makes limited production estate wines. They work with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah.
Brave & Maiden Estate winery has one of the most attractive tasting rooms in the valley. Designed by architecture firm Bracken & Bracken, the winery consists of three modern barn-style buildings. There’s lots to explore. You can stroll through the garden, sit beneath the vine-covered pergola, or relax in the manicured interior. There’s even a small courtyard perfect for outdoor tastings.
If you’d like to sample Brave & Maiden wines you’ll need to make an appointment. The winery accepts reservations from 10 AM to 3:30 PM seven days a week.
The “Private Seated Tasting” costs $55 per person and lasts for one hour. The “Private Winery Tour and Seated Tasting” begins with a walking tour and ends with a tasting. These private tastings cost $100 per person and lasts 90 minutes.
Grimm’s Bluff Wines
Grimm’s Bluff is a certified organic winery located in the Happy Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara County. Their 246-acre ranch is blessed with hot days, cool nights, and a westward wind.
Grimm’s Bluff Wines crafts delicious wines from Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Their vineyard also has a bit of Petit Verdot.
Grimm’s Bluff Wines has practiced organic farming methods from the get-go. And now they’re Certified Organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers agency.
You can visit the Grimm’s Bluff wine tasting room located in Los Olivos, California. The winery also offers tastings at their ranch in Happy Canyon. A private ranch tour includes an inside look at their vineyards, wines, and sustainable farming practices.
The “Reserve Wine Tasting & Vineyard Tour” (alternately called the “Reserve – Ranch Tour and Tasting”) costs $100 per person and lasts 75 minutes. The “VIP Wine Tasting and Ranch Tour” (alternately called the “VIP – Ranch Tour and Tasting”) is a two hour experience that costs $150 per person.
By the way, Grimm’s Bluff is also home to olive trees! They make an estate olive oil from a unique blend of Tuscan olive varieties.
Star Lane Vineyard & Winery
Star Lane Vineyard & Winery is a family-owned winery located in Santa Ynez.
Siblings Michael Dierberg and Ellen Dierberg Milne run the winery their parents founded in the late nineties.
Star Lane Vineyard specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. But they also work with Malbec, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Nebbiolo.
If you’d like to sample Star Lane’s delicious wine you can visit their private estate in Santa Ynez. Keep in mind that visits are limited and by appointment only.
CrossHatch Winery
Many of the other Santa Ynez wineries on this list make single varietal wines. But CrossHatch is different.
CrossHatch Winery makes co-fermented blends from grapes sourced from Santa Barbara County vineyards. This means they harvest multiple varietals on the same day then crush and ferment them together.
Both the owner and the winemaker at CrossHatch embody the winery’s philosophy. Owner Michelle Vautier grew up in Argentina and enjoyed a successful fintech career before she made the leap into winemaking. Head winemaker Ryan Carr grew up in Southern California and earned an art degree before he transitioned into the wine industry. Today he’s head winemaker at both CrossHatch Winery and his eponymous Carr Winery.
CrossHatch is a very small production winery that only makes 1000 cases of wine per year. Their Santa Ynez tasting room hours change seasonally so be sure to double check before you head over.
Other California wine regions to visit
Other charming towns in the Santa Ynez Valley you should visit
The town of Santa Ynez is one of several charming towns in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. The following towns are within easy driving distance of the Santa Ynez wineries on this list.
Solvang is about 9 minutes by car from Santa Ynez. Known as the “Danish capital of America,” Solvang is a quaint town that’s simply adorable. It has thatched roofs, traditional windmills, and cute shops. And guess what else they have… wine! Here are six Solvang wineries that will make your trip even better.
Los Olivos is a 10 minute drive from Santa Ynez. Los Olivos is a town with the best restaurants, art galleries, and old-fashioned buildings. And exceptional wines of course. These six Los Olivos, California wineries make delightful organic wines.
Los Alamos, California is another small town situated in the Santa Ynez Valley. Los Alamos is about 21 minutes by car from Santa Ynez. This list covers the four best organic Los Alamos wineries that will round out your Santa Ynez adventure.
Buellton is a roughly 19 minute drive from the town of Santa Ynez. It’s not as flashy as Los Olivos or as trendy as Los Alamos. But these four wineries in Buellton make incredible wines using sustainable methods.
California wine country towns worth a trip
There’s no denying the splendor of Santa Barbara County. The surrounding wine country is gorgeous. But it isn’t the only place to go wine tasting.
Just up the road from Santa Ynez is the town of Santa Maria. These Santa Maria wineries are known for excellent cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay.
Santa Ynez is within driving distance of Los Angeles. And did you know LA has wonderful wineries too? It’s true! If you’re into fresh natural wines or big bold reds, these six Los Angeles wineries will have what you need.
Malibu is right up the road from Los Angeles. So you might as well go, right? Right. These Malibu wineries and wine bars are nestled in the Malibu hills and perched near the Pacific Ocean.
Southern California has its charms but we all know Northern California is the state’s most famous region.
If you’re interested in natural wine, organic wine, and sustainable farming you should visit the Russian River Valley. This California wine country destination is known for its world-class Pinot Noir. We focus on four Russian River wineries that farm organically or biodynamically.
Of course we can’t mention NorCal without talking about the wine industry’s crown jewels Napa, Yountville, and Healdsburg.
We have two Napa lists. One covers the best boutique Napa wineries and the other outlines the best downtown Napa wineries. We explore the best Healdsburg wineries in another post. And last but not least this list of a dozen Yountville wineries offers a little something for everyone.
If you’re looking for something more low key then consider Auburn. It’s another Northern California town with lovely wineries. These Auburn wineries offer great wine and views. And it’s less than an hour from downtown Sacramento.
