CALIFORNIA
In Santa Barbara County, the mountains do something that happens nowhere else on the West Coast of the Americas: they run from east to west, rather than north to south. So unlike everywhere else where peaks protect the inland areas from the effects of the sea, the county’s prominent valleys open right onto the Pacific Ocean, which is a rather wild, frigid and wind-whipped beast in this corner of California.
On the western edge of the long, narrow Santa Ynez Valley—and for all of the wider Santa Maria Valley—that translates to cool temperatures, with fog in the morning and a steady breeze in the afternoon. This allows for deliciously extended ripening seasons for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The reward is that the county offers world-class wine at a tremendous value for every palate.
The temperatures rise a bit inland, becoming ideal for other varieties: Syrah and other Rhône grapes in Ballard Canyon; Sauvignon Blanc and a smorgasbord of reds in the Los Olivos District and Bordeaux grapes in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.
There’s a diverse menu of great wine available from these appellations: Storm’s Donnachadh Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills; Liquid Farm’s Bien Bien Chardonnay from the Santa Maria Valley; Stolpman’s Estate Syrah in Ballard Canyon; Happy Canyon Vineyard’s Bordeaux-style red
