Buellton, located in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, is home to several outstanding wineries known for their diverse and high-quality wines. This article highlights some of the best wineries in Buellton, showcasing their unique wine offerings, picturesque tasting rooms, and beautiful vineyard settings. It serves as a guide for wine enthusiasts looking to explore the top wine destinations in the region.
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The Terroir
7 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) make up Santa Barbara county. The region is said to be a patchwork quilt of micro-climates just great for growing grapes and making wine.
The transverse nature of the valley with both the coastal Santa Ynez mountains and the interior San Rafael range running transverse sees the valleys run east to west instead of the more usual north to south. More than 70 different wine varieties are grown around Buellton and in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Pinot Noir tops the acreage planted (more than 5 000), followed by Chardonnay (4 500), Syrah is third at (1200), and Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for around 702 acres planted.
Buellton’s Oldest Winery
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The oldest winery in Buellton is the Zaca Mesa Winery, established in 1973. A family-owned winery with a long-standing history in Santa Barbara County, Zaca Mesa Winery was the first vineyard to plant Syrah in the area in 1978. It has since helped pioneer the Santa Barbara Rhône movement specialising in Syrah and Viognier.
Zaca Mesa Winery combines the best of old-world winemaking practices with innovative farming and vineyard techniques. They continue to produce high-quality, California Rhône-style wines.
7 Of The Best Buellton Wineries To Explore
Tierra y Vino Tasting Room
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Tierra Y Vino’s story is one of labour and love. Andres Ibarra and his family emigrated to the US in 1975. The child of a horse rancher and oldest son of ten siblings, Andres began pruning grapevines and picking grapes in the local vineyards at age 16.
Andres fell in love with winemaking and got his first official winemaker position in 1985. His reputation grew and soon he was recruited to make wines all across Santa Ynez. In addition, he gained extensive knowledge of the soil, grapes and microclimate of the valley.
Wines include Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, to name a few.
- Wine Club: Yes
- Hours: Join them in the Tasting Room from Thursday-Monday, open from 11am-5pm.
Pence
Pence Ranch are a small, artisanal winery of 47 acres specialising in Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Gamay. They farm organically and produce not only wines but also bread from their own Italian rye.
Punters can enjoy a private tasting with the Pence staff and Burgundian wine lovers (Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay) will especially enjoy this experience. Their pinots are not overly oaked, with a hint of fruit notes. Pence provides a classy but relaxed ranch vibe.
- Wine Club: Yes
- Hours: You need to book an appointment via the website.
Buscador Winery
Owner/winemaker Matt Kowalczyk and wife Stephanie Lopez have created a unique boutique wine experience built on integrity.
Ten years of searching for the best vineyards, working with the best winemakers, practising innovative winemaking techniques, and creating a distinctively different feel has now blossomed into their own winery and tasting room.
Focusing on bold Bordeaux, Rhone and Burgundian varietals. Buscador means “Searcher”.
- Wine Club: Yes
- Hours: Open for wine tasting Fridays-Mondays 12pm-5pm. Reservations are not required except for groups of 8 or more people. Book through the website.
Cholame Vineyard
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Pronounced Sho-lamb, Cholame Vineyard is a small production winery located in San Miguel, California at the southern tip of Monterey County.
Vintner David DuBois founded the winery in 2006 and recently opened his first Tasting Room in Buellton. Here, visitors can sample a selection of estate-grown red varietals in addition to white varietals from Santa Barbara.
The varieties chosen for the vineyard were Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Syrah, Syrah, Tempranillo and Zinfandel.
- Wine Club: Yes.
- Hours: The website is a little unclear but contact David through the website or email [email protected] or call (805) 610-1122.
Section Wines
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Don’t be fooled by the prosaic name of this winery. This winemaker is steeped in Italian wine traditions. Owner and winemaker Marco Luchesi is clearly in love with winemaking and there are lots to choose from – Vermentino, Arneis, Viognier, Rose, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and the Bordeaux. Lucchesi was born in Pisa, Tuscany and his parents owned and operated a small restaurant in Pisa. Here Marco began his love affair with great food and the finest of wines.
Section Wines was established in 2014 and specialise in Italian, Bordeaux, and Rhône varietals grown in Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs. Marco’s winemaking is founded in the style of the old world, but he has a modern approach to branding – combining his love for music and art with the beautiful flavours of his handcrafted wines.
- Wine Club: Yes
- Hours: Book through the website.
McClain Cellars
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A winery, barrel and wine-tasting lounge with a hip modern industrial vibe. The ambience may be described as a cross between a New York Soho music venue and a beautiful Napa Valley tasting lounge.
Featuring 90-96 wines, they include good reds, crisp whites, yummy sparkling and much more.
Enjoy the large patio and outside seating. Fun for the whole family.
- Wine Club: Yes.
- Hours: Make a reservation through the website.
Ken Brown Wines
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Ken Brown is the doyen winemaker in this area, having made wine for around four decades. He is devoted to making the best Pinot Noir. A pioneer in Santa Barbara County, he has been prolific throughout his 41-year career, working at Zaca Mesa Vineyards as the first winemaker, starting Byron Vineyard & Winery, and moving to small lot wines with his wife Deborah at Ken Brown Wines, producing only 3 000 cases a year.
- Wine Club: Yes. Be prepared to happily join after a visit.
- Hours: Check on the website.
So wine lovers are spoilt for choice and can choose to either pack many tastings into a festive weekend or take a chilled day’s outing and explore one or two of the best wineries in Buellton.
Oh, did we forget to mention just how beautiful the Santa Ynez Valley Is?
Born amidst the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley, Chloe’s love for wine was instilled from a young age. This passion led her to the picturesque wine regions of France, where she immersed herself in the rich wine culture and traditions.
Chloe’s dedication to the craft culminated in her becoming a wine sommelier, a testament to her deep knowledge and appreciation for wines.