The Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon takes place in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County and the course runs through the towns of Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, and Solvang.
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Wineries Not to Be Missed!
Your stay in wine country will not be complete without visiting a winery (or 3)! When planning your trip to the Santa Ynez Valley, be sure to visit these incredible wineries offering fabulous wines, friendly hosts, and tasting rooms that range from small and intimate to simply spectacular. Don’t forget to let the tasting room staff know you ran the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon! Remember, wine makes the perfect souvenir.
Buttonwood Farm Winery
1500 Alamo Pintado Road
Solvang, CA 93463
805.688.3032
The practice of sustainability is nothing new at Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard. It began in 1968 when owner Betty Williams purchased the beautiful property, named after the buttonwood tree, a sycamore native to Santa Barbara County.
From the onset, Betty initiated many projects involving cultivation of the land, including Buttonwood’s vineyard, peach orchard, row crops, and tasting room gardens.
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Byron Wines
2367 Alamo Pintado Avenue
Los Olivos, CA 93441
805.938.7365
Every time you taste one of Byron’s wines you are surrounded by the flavors, textures and scents that can only come from here the Santa Maria Valley.For more than two decades, Byron has been an avid proponent of sustainable farming methods. We were environmentally friendly long before it was trendy. We have developed programs that have kept our land healthy and led to the production of higher quality, more authentic and site-specific wines.
Carivintas Winery
476 1st St
Solvang, CA
805.693.4331
They started the winery with three things in mind: to do something they enjoy and love; make a decent living; and give back to the community. You’ll notice the art on their labels is of animals and various wildlife scenes. These are all paintings of rescued animals and treasured or endangered environs. They are affiliated with non-profit groups such as Best Friends Animal Society, Return to Freedom, and many other animal shelters and support groups around the country. A portion of their profits are donated to these groups every year.
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Cimarone Wines
2982 Grand Avenue
Los Olivos, CA 93460
805.448.7777
Roger and Priscilla Higgins embarked on their ‘retirement’ project in 2001 when they planted the 26 acre Three Creek Vineyard. Like so many vineyard farmers, they became intrigued with the notion of crafting wines with the fruits of their labors. Over the past 12 years, Roger and Priscilla have been hands-on participants in the development of their high quality, small lot wines.
In 2012, the Higgins sold both the Santa Barbara County vineyard and winery, but retained the right to continue to utilize the premier vineyard fruit to produce their Cimarone and 3CV wines. In collaboration with renowned winemaker Andrew Murray, they now produce their highly regarded wines with exceptional Three Creek Vineyard fruit at the Andrew Murray Vineyards winery.
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Fess Parker Vineyards & Winery
6200 Foxen Canyon Road
Los Olivos, CA 93441
805.688.1545
Fess Parker had an affinity for Santa Barbara wine country, and he found the perfect way to share it—through Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards and the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn.The story of these family enterprises began in 1989 when Fess and his son Eli planted a small vineyard, intending to sell the fruit to local wine producers.
The initial planting was White Riesling, covering just a little more than five acres. Today, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards boasts more than 300 estate acres that grow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Viognier.
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Grassini Family Vineyards
813 Anacapa Street, #6
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
805.897.3366
At Grassini Family Vineyards and Winery, our extended family’s passion for beauty, the commitment to hard work and a special place all come together to make the wine in bottles bearing our family’s label something special… and it is our hope that you will enjoy the poetry of the wine and its sense of place and tradition with your friends and family. Articondo would have been proud.
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Palmina Winery
1520 East Chestnut Court
Lompoc, CA 93436
805.735.2030
Embracing the Italians’ rich, wonderful lifestyle and attitude toward food, wine, friends, and family, Californians Steve and Chrystal Clifton are doing some amazing things at Palmina Winery.
They share a strong conviction that wine should simply be an extension of the plate, and they handcraft an intriguing range of small-lot wines born from Italian varieties grown in California’s Santa Barbara County.
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Sunstone Vineyards and Winery
125 N Refugio Road
Santa Ynez, CA 93460
805.688.9463
Sunstone, a boutique winery named after the vineyard estate’s exposed sun-dappled shale and stones, is the premiere destination winery on the central coast. Located just 30-minutes north of Santa Barbara most visitors would agree, Sunstone is the most beautiful vineyard and winery tasting room on California’s Central Coast.
The tasting room is reminiscent of some of the small wineries in the Provencal French countryside, featuring a kitchen complete with a wood-burning oven and two stone barrel-aging caves built into the hillside. The gorgeous courtyards and picnic grounds provide the perfect place to experience the wines. The Villa at Sunstone now serves as an extension of the Sunstone Winery lifestyle by providing a culinary center to entertain guests for weddings, winemaker dinners and private culinary retreats.
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Zaca Mesa Winery
6905 Foxen Canyon Road
Los Olivos, CA 93441
805.688.9339
After two decades of experimentation with planting numerous varieties— including the Santa Barbara County’s first Syrah in 1978—it was evident that Zaca Mesa was a particularly sweet spot for grapes from the Rhône Valley of France.
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Travel articles not to be missed!
Read about New Legends in Santa Barbara
In the history of California wine, Santa Barbara wine country is a new frontier. Over the past 40 years, several legendary vintners including Pierre Lafond, Richard Sanford, Ken Volk, and Richard Longoria, have written the first chapter.
Due to their vision and efforts, Santa Barbara County vineyards have a stellar reputation for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Now, a new generation has emerged. Meet nine of the region’s most talked about vintners, destined to make their own marks in Santa Barbara wine.
Read about the Santa Ynez Valley
It’s about as authentic Wild West as you’ll find these days, with lone cattle grazing on golden hills; silent, narrow country lanes; and farmers wearing cowboy hats in the fields. There’s more elbow room in the Santa Ynez Valley. But don’t let the wide-open spaces fool you. In every direction, there is plenty to see and do.
Read about Sweet Spots in Santa Barbara County
Even the name “Santa Barbara” makes people smile. Soaked in sunshine and serenity, the beautiful little city is located on California’ s Central Coast just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, making it a great getaway for couples, friends, and families.
And for wine lovers, the idyllic town is the start of a love affair that stretches inland across the four distinct wine growing regions that make up Santa Barbara wine country.