Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara is one of California’s most exciting wine regions. 

Santa Barbara wine first came to widespread prominence with the movie Sideways, which showed millions of Americans just how beautiful Santa Barbara wine country is…and how transcendent the wines that are produced there can be. Santa Barbara Chardonnay and Santa Barbara Pinot Noir are the two most famous wines produced in Santa Barbara, but the region is home to other great grape varieties, too.

Is Santa Barbara considered wine country?

Yes! While Napa and Sonoma are the most well-known wine regions in California, and though reference to “California wine country” often implicitly means those two regions, Santa Barbara, with its gorgeous vistas of grapevines stretching toward the horizon, is most definitely wine country, as well.

What viticultural areas are included in Santa Barbara?

Located around 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles—significantly south of California’s most famous regions, Napa and Sonoma—Santa Barbara County boasts seven sub-AVAs, including Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria Valley, Los Olivos District, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon, Alisos Canyon, and Santa Ynez Valley.

How did Santa Barbara County become so popular?

The popularity of Santa Barbara can be traced back to the movie ‘Sideways,’ which showcased just how gorgeous the region is. But a star-turn in a movie wouldn’t have had the impact that it did if the wines of Santa Barbara County didn’t live up to the hype. And the truth is that the wines of Santa Barbara County are among the most exciting in California. It’s a region of stunning geological diversity, which allows the grapes that grow there to transmit this incredible land in delicious, often profound ways.

What grapes are grown in Santa Barbara?

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the two most important grape varieties in Santa Barbara County, but Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Chenin Blanc, Zinfandel, Viognier, and many more grape varieties are also grown there.

What wine is Santa Barbara famous for?

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County are often discussed as being among the greatest expressions of those grape varieties in all of California. From the cooler, windier vineyards that produce wines of energy and elegance, to warmer pockets whose wines showcase lusher, riper expressions of the grape varieties planted there, Santa Barbara County is justifiably regarded as a region of diversity, accomplishment, and outright deliciousness.

What are the most popular wines from Santa Barbara County?

There are many wonderful wines that are produced in Santa Barbara County, and Total Wine & More has a spectacular selection of them. Among the most popular are Santa Barbara Vineyards, Pali, Sanford Winery, Renegade Wines, Sandhi Wines, Siduri, Joel Gott, and Lloyd Cellars.

Browse our full selection of Santa Barbara wine online or check out our selection of highly rated Santa Barbara wine for a great new Santa Barbara wine to try this week!

Want to learn more about Santa Barbara wine?

Visit our Guide to Santa Barbara wine to learn more about Santa Barbara wine.