Santa Ynez Valley Wines & Wineries

Alexander & Wayne  (805) 688-9665

• 2922 Grand Avenue
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.alexanderandwayne.com

Alexander & Wayne is in Los Olivos is next door to the Arthur Earl tasting room – both wineries are owned by Arthur “Art” White and Earl Brockelsby. Alexander & Wayne was founded first, in 1992, when the two friends and computer industry co-workers decided to change careers and become vintners.

At Alexander & Wayne, Art and Earl produce a wide variety of wines, mostly traditional California varieties such as those found in the Burgundy and Bordeaux regions of France, as well as an array of dessert wines. Most of the selections are single-vineyard wines made from grapes purchased from select local growers with whom Alexander & Wayne has had long-standing relationships.

Art is the winemaker and likes what he calls “fruit-forward, full-bodied red wines and fresh, easy-drinking whites.” He takes the minimalist approach to winemaking, letting the individual character of the grapes determine the aromas, flavors and character of the wine: “My job is to find and purchase excellent fruit, then let the natural product come through,” Art explains. “In the winery, I avoid doing anything that detracts from what nature and our growers have provided us.” Using his “natural,” hands-off technique, Art estimates that he “intervenes” in the winemaking process “no more than 10 percent of the time, to ensure consistency. Ninety percent of what’s in the bottle is a reflection of what came from the vineyard.”

Art and Earl are proud that Alexander & Wayne sells 98 percent of its wine directly to the consumer, through their tasting room and wine club. The two friends’ approach to merchandizing their vintages mirrors Art’s unadorned, commonsense style of making wine: “We want our customers to buy our wine because they tasted it and liked it,” the partners agree. For that reason, Alexander & Wayne wines have never been entered in competitions or rated by wine critics. Alexander & Wayne wine is served in several local restaurants whose proprietors tasted Art and Earl’s wine, liked them, and decided to feature Alexander & Wayne on their wine lists.

Arthur Earl   (805) 688-9665

• Daily 11am – 6pm
• 2922 Grand Avenue
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.arthurearl.com

“Variety is our passion,” says Arthur “Art” White, who with partner Earl Brockelsby founded Arthur Earl Winery in 1996 (Art and Earl also own Alexander & Wayne, established in 1992, but the two wineries are separately bonded). “We started Arthur Earl,” explains Art, “because we wanted to make many of the up and coming California varieties and that resulted in more varietals than one winery could handle.” All Arthur Earl wines are produced in their own winery, where they also produce wine for growers, wholesalers and other wineries.

Arthur Earl wines are made from grapes grown on California’s Central Coast. This area provides an abundance of excellent growers who take advantage of each different climate and soil combination to grow varieties suitable for each vineyard. Art is the winemaker and produces small quantities of Rhône, Spanish and Northern Italian style wines as well as Zinfandel. Art’s red wines are big, full-bodied, and fruit forward, while his whites are fresh, with a lot of flavor, and easy to drink.

Pinot Grigio, Malvasia Bianca, Nebbiolo, Barbera, and a red-wine blend named “Il Re”—“The King” in Italian—comprise Arthur Earl’s Italian offerings. Rhône choices include Viognier, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and a red Rhone style blend called “A Genoux,” which in French means “on your knees”—the phrase comes from Alexander Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo. The writer of swashbuckling adventures is said to have described his favorite wine as “so good that you should drink it on your knees with your hat off.” Arthur Earl recently added some Spanish style wines including Tempranillo and a Rioja style blend called Asevala.

Art and Earl invite wine aficionados to visit their Los Olivos tasting room to enjoy the taste of Italy, France, Spain and classic California with their hats on or off . . . standing or on their knees. 

Bridlewood    (805) 688-9000

• Roblar Avenue
• San Ynez, CA 93460
• Daily 10am – 5pm 
• www.bridlewoodwinery.com

Just 30 miles north of Santa Barbara on the eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley, our 105-acre estate is home to world-class wines, hillside vineyards and breathtaking views of the magnificent Santa Ynez Mountains. This is Central Coast Wine Country at its best. A destination all its own, Bridlewood blends rustic, Spanish-style architecture with a modern, artisan winery. Bridlewood estate exudes the Central Coast lifestyle that is both comfortable and relaxed. Spend some time getting to know us. Enjoy their wines, tour their barrel room, kick back on the veranda overlooking our majestic vineyards and catch a glimpse of what Central Coast winemaking is all about.

Bridlewood crafts  a range of premium wines that reflect the kaleidoscope of flavors found in dozens of Central Coast vineyards from Monterey to Santa Barbara. Winemaker David Hopkins spends a great deal of time in the vineyards inland and along the Pacific Coastline, searching for grapes that will give him unique flavors. In the winery, David melds different vineyard lots to coax the best flavors into his Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The result is a collection of wines that are generous of fruit and seamlessly integrated – balanced wines that speak to the flavors of the Central Coast. Gather at one of their hand-crafted barrel tables or savor a glass of wine by the fountain in our sunny courtyard. On weekends, you can even take your glass of wine on a horse-drawn carriage ride around our estate.

Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard    (805) 688-3032

• Daily 11am to 5pm
• Alamo Pintado Road
• Solvang, CA 93463
• www.buttonwoodwinery.com

Buttonwood Farm Winery is a small gem set amidst the splendor of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Buttonwood’s thirty-nine acre sustainably managed vineyard stretches across a sun drenched mesa on the eastern portion of a 106 acre property. Buttonwood started planting in 1983 and now have 33,000 plants, small in the world of wine, but huge to us. Buttonwood’s varietal mix of sauvignon blanc, semillon, marsanne, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and syrah reflects the preferences of founder Betty Williams and owners Bret Davenport, Seyburn Zorthian and Barry Zorthian, Betty’s son-in-law and daughters, for Bordeaux and Rhone style wines. As we expected, they grow perfectly in our warm Santa Ynez Valley location.

Sustainably managed under the experienced eye of vineyard manager Armando Zepeda for the past 25 years, the vineyard provides fruit of outstanding quality. Care is taken every step of the way as winemaker Karen Steinwachs and her cellar crew translate the quality of the fruit into remarkable hand-crafted wine; wine meant to be consumed with food; wine with aging potential.

The winery was completed in time for the crush of 1989 and now produce 8,500 cases of wine a year. How could it not be so given their spectacular surroundings and the congenial winemaking atmosphere of Santa Barbara County?

Carina Cellars  (805) 688-2459

• Daily 11am to 5pm
• 2900 Grand Avenue
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.carinacellars.com

Carina Cellars strive to produce wines worthy of being placed among the stars. Carina seeks out vineyards throughout the Central Coast with the best Rhône grapes available in a quest to produce truly great wines. With crisp Viogniers full of tropical fruit and spring flowers, dark Syrahs loaded with spice and lush fruit, earthy Mourvedres and bright, fruity Grenaches, we represent the classic character of Santa Ynez Valley and Paso Robles in our wines. Rhône blends: Clairvoyant, Sibylline and Syrah “7 percent” all strive to embody the traditions of the revered Rhône region, melded with the unique flavors of California’s Central Coast. Carina’s flagship blend, Iconoclast, seeks to defy all conventions with its 67% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa and 33% Syrah from Santa Barbara County.

Carina Cellars is the result of an avid wine collector with a dream who meets an accomplished winemaker with a vision. When attorney and businessman David Hardee and winemaker Joey Tensley met in 2002, they were quick to recognize the benefits of combining their passion. With Hardee’s talent for business, Tensley’s talent for wine making, and a shared belief in only the best, Carina Cellars was born.

Casa Cassara  (805) 688-8691

• Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6.30pm
• Monday to Thursday, noon to 6.30pm
• Valley Station Drive
• Buellton, CA 93427
• www.casacassarawinery.com

The Casa Cassara estate Vineyards are located in the Santa Rita Hills just between Buellton and Lompoc and are currently at the highest elevation of any vineyards in the region. ( Hence the name for their wine club, THE ALTITUDE CLUB).  It is here that Estate Pinot Noir is grown on 12 acres, and produced at the winery  by our winemaker John Krska.  In addition to his winemaking skills, John is also a well established viticulturist who farms the many vineyards throughout the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County. Casa Cassara has an airy tasting room in Buellton with an area for children to play, with a variety of toys, books, and puzzles. The tasting room, in addition to featuring limited production wines, also features gourmet wine gifts and offers a gallery setting for several local artists.

Daniel Gehrs   (805) 693-9686

• 2939 Grand Avenue
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.danielgehrswines.com

For over 30 years, Daniel Gehrs has been a sought-after wine stylist up and down the California coast- making his mark at wineries from Congress Springs Vineyards (Santa Cruz Mountains) to Zaca Mesa, Bridlewood, Lucas & Lewellen, and Sunstone wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. With a degree in political science and no practical experience in winemaking, after taking a job at Paul Masson Winery in Saratoga he made his first “real wine” in the early 1970’s from one of the Masson vineyards. Dan recalls, “Instead of attending enology school, I decided to learn winemaking from a hands-on standpoint.  The result,  an innovative, outside-the-box attitude about wine.

Between 1974 and 1990, Dan and his wife, Robin, made a series of memorable wines at the mountain top Congress Springs Vineyards in Saratoga. He continued his award-winning style at Zaca Mesa Winery from 1993-1997, where his 1993 Syrah was chosen as #6 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year. In 1998, Daniel was involved in the development of Bridlewood Winery, while the emerging Lucas & Lewellen brand became a client in 1999. He continued to be a part of the Sunstone Winery winemaking team between 2003 and 2008.

Current total production of the Daniel Gehrs Wines brand is around 7,000 cases, representing about 12 different varietals. Stop by the tasting room in downtown Los Olivos on “tasting room row” to sample one of the Gehrs Family award-winning wines.

Lincourt  (805) 688-8554

• Daily 10am to 5pm
• 1711 Alamo Pintado Road
• Solvang, CA 93463
• www.lincourtwines.com

There’s an atmosphere of casual grace at Lincourt that invites you to kick back and relax. But don’t be fooled –  serious wines and extremely focused in thei mission of creating wines that showcase the ideal grape growing conditions of Santa Barbara County!

Founded in 1996 by Bill Foley, Lincourt is a producer of ultra premium wines from the Santa Barbara County. Named in honor of Bill and Carol’s two daughters, Lindsay and Courtney, the Lincourt winery is located in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, on Alamo Pintado Road in the Santa Ynez Valley. Originally a dairy farm, the property retains the rural charm and simplicity of an earlier era. The quaint tasting room is located in the former farmhouse, a 1926 Sears Craftsman kit home. The barns have been converted to a winery and barrel rooms, and equipped to allow for handcrafted, premium winemaking.

Lucas & Lewellen  (805) 686-9336

• Daily 11am –5.30pm 
• 1645 Copenhagen Drive
• Solvang, CA 93463
• www.llwine.com

Visit the Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards Tasting Room, located in the charming European village of Solvang. Voted “The Best Tasting Room in The Santa Ynez Valley” by readers of The Santa Ynez Valley News, The Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards Tasting Room invites visitors to participate in an unforgettable wine tasting experience.

This winery’s knowledgeable and friendly Tasting Room staff offers guests a sampling of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards’ premium estate wines: rich and full-bodied reds, fine white wines, and their popular sparkling wine. On any given day, you may find owners Royce Lewellen and Louis Lucas behind the bar, pouring wine and captivating guests with the real “dirt” on the grapes – we call Louis “The Dirtman”.

Mandolina  (805) 686-5506

• Daily 11am –5.30pm
• 1665 Copenhagen Drive
• Solvang, CA 93463

A taste of Italy from Santa Barbara County! Known for approachable style and excellent quality at reasonable prices, Mandolina produces estate-grown Italian varietals including Pinot Grigio, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Moscato, Sangiovese, and ever popular Super-Tuscan blends of Bordeaux and Italian varietals.

Reminiscent of the landscape and beautiful villas of Tuscany, the warm and intimate European ambiance of the Mandolina Tasting Room bids guests to sample wines as one of the family. Mandolina features a variety of gourmet foods, paintings, lovely Italian gifts, and unique wine-related items.

Presidio  (805) 693-8585      

• Daily 10am to 6pm
• 1603 Copenhagen Drive, #1
• Solvang, CA 93463
• www.presidiowinery.com

Presidio was founded in 1991 from winemaker Douglas Braun’s concept of bringing European viticulture philosophy to Santa Barbara County. His idea was of a high-density, low-yield per vine vineyard, planted low to the ground to maximize the refraction of heat from the soil, at the winery’s estate Presidio Vineyard located west of the Santa Rita Hills near Lompoc. This certified organic and bio-dynamically farmed vineyard’s cool climate and southern-facing exposure is particularly well-suited for Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay.

Presidio’s vineyard management blends modern viticultural techniques with traditional farming methods. Douglas’ involvement in the vineyard is year-round from pruning to harvest. Controlling pruning to limit crop levels, meticulous canopy management, and precisely monitored minimum drip irrigation with organic compost fertilization to maximize concentration result in the highest quality fruit; the essential start to a superior wine. At harvest the fruit is hand-picked and sorted to ensure select clusters and immediately transported to the crushing facility to prevent deterioration of the flavor chemistries in the hot, summer sun.

Rideau  (805) 688-0717      

• Daily 11am – 4.30pm
• 1562 Alamo Pintado Road
• Solvang, CA 93463
• www.rideauvineyard.com

Many wineries talk about history but few exhibit it in the form of a historic building with rooms full of antique and collectible appointments. At the 1884 adobe building that is the tasting room and home of Rideau Vineyard, authenticity and charm are everywhere—in the ambiance of the restored historic inn that surrounds you, the flavors of the hand-crafted, award-winning wines that are served with the warmest hospitality.

Rideau Vineyard, established in 1997 by New Orleans native Iris Rideau, dedicates its 16 acres to the famous grapes of France’s Rhône valley – Syrah, Viognier, Mourvedre, Roussanne, and Grenache.  The team that transforms Rideau grapes into award-winning wines includes Winemaker Andres Ibarra, Assistant Winemaker Caren Rideau, Iris’ goddaughter and Enologist Marlen Sosa.

Scott Cellars  (805) 686-5450

• Wednesday – Monday noon to 5pm
• 2933 San Marcos Avenue, Suite 101
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.scottcellars.com

Come discover one of the NEWEST boutique wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. Talk with winemaker Peter Scott Fraser and sample his rich, luxurious wines perfectly paired with killer cheeses. Located just one block east of Grand Avenue in Los Olivos.

Sunstone  (805) 688-9463

• Wednesday – Monday noon to 5pm
• 125 North Refugio Road
• Santa Ynez CA 93460
• www.sunstonewinery.com

When Fred and Linda Rice and their three children moved in 1989 from Santa Barbara to a peaceful 55-acre Santa Ynez ranch to grow wine grapes, little did they know that they would end up happily presiding over one of the largest organic vineyard estates in Santa Barbara County. Today, Sunstone Vineyards and Winery devotes its entire 77-acre estate to organic grape growing. The Rices’ sun-dappled acreage, which is planted to Rhone and Bordeaux varietals, meets all California Certified Organic Farmer (CCOF) standards.

Fred and Linda, along with son Bion, who is now President of the winery, and daughters Ashley and Brittany, originally chose the terraced site overlooking the Santa Ynez River for its ideal south-sloping exposure, its sandy, rocky soil, and a microclimate that features earlymorning fog, warm, breezy afternoons, and cool evenings. It proved to be a fortuitous choice, as they soon discovered that it was a perfect spot for the growing of top-notch organic fruit and enjoying a country lifestyle

Bion Rice recommends experiencing Sunstone wines directly at the winery. “Tasting our wines is tasting the terroir of this special place,” he says. ”As you drive in, you are surrounded by the soils and the vines that create our wines. You can feel the temperate winds that sweep between the rows, creating the perfect climate for Bordeaux and Rhone varietal grapes. Our goal is to capture the true essence of this vineyard in your glass.” Aromas of French lavender and rosemary greet visitors as they approach the winery’s inviting courtyard and tasting room. The architecture recalls wineries in the Provencal countryside, and the relaxed ambiance in the tasting room includes a kitchen complete with wood-burning oven. Over 5,000 square feet of stone barrel-aging caves are built into the hillside. Winemaker dinners and other special events are held in the tasting room, caves, and courtyard year-round.

Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard   800 841 1104

• Monday- Sunday from 10 AM until 5 PM
• 6200 Foxen Canyon Road
• Los Olivos, CA 93441
• www.fessparker.com

When Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950’s, it caused an international sensation and changed his life forever. So too did the purchase of 714 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley change the course of the Parker family’s history.

Realizing the potential of Santa Barbara County as a premium grape-growing region, Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “ Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small. “The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County. 

Working as a family has always been a great source of pride and pleasure for the Parker family. Eli Parker began in the family business as assistant winemaker in 1989. After several years of learning the craft at the side of renowned and accomplished winemakers, Eli took the reigns as winemaker himself with the 1995 vintage. A leader of the winery since it’s inception, it was in 1996 that Eli formally assumed the title and responsibilities of President. In the early 1990’s, Ashley ran the first tastings out of the barrel room and represented the winery at trade shows. In 1998, Ashley became Eli’s partner, working on the public relations and sales and marketing teams. The presence of Fess and his wife Marcy as the founding visionaries of the winery is a vital and enduring one.

Fess Parker, Star Of ‘Davy Crockett’ And ‘Daniel Boone,’ Dies at 85

March 18, 2010 Fess Parker died at his Santa Ynez Valley, California, home on the 84th birthday of his wife, Marcella of 50 years.

Fess Parker, whose iconic portrayal of frontiersman Davy Crockett made him a TV and film star starting in the mid-1950s, died Thursday (March 18) at the age of 85.  A family spokesman told The Associated Press that Parker died at his home of natural causes. Parker was said to be coherent and communicating with his family just minutes before his passing.

Parker launched “Davy Crockett” in December 1954, quickly inspiring an American fad for the coonskin cap his character wore in the show. The three episodes were repurposed the following year as a feature film called “Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.” He followed up that success with a string of Disney films like “Old Yeller.”

In the 1960s, Parker again found fame on TV as the star of “Daniel Boone,” another show about a frontiersman wearing a coonskin cap. The series ran for six seasons, from 1964 until 1970. Following the conclusion of “Boone,” Parker would rarely be seen on the small screen and instead became a real-estate developer and winemaker.

I remember visiting some years ago the Fess Parker Winery and my wife and I having lunch at their Inn. I also remember growing up wearing a coonskin cap and pretending to be Davy Crockett.  I never met Mr. Parker in person; however, I just have to admit how sentimental and touched I felt when I heard that he had died.  My sincere regards to all the loved –ones Fess has left behind.

                                        ——  John Krause  ——-