Sip and Savor Santa Barbara County
At Alisal Guest Ranch, you are in the heart of Santa Barbara County—one of the best wine-producing regions in the country, with over 100 different wineries and tasting rooms. The county’s varied microclimates and soils, as well as its unique geography, provide ideal growing conditions for many types of grapes—from the beloved Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs, to unique varietals like Albariño and Grenache Blanc. Alisal is perfectly situated so that our guests can visit a wide variety of nearby wineries. Our dining room offers an extensive wine list that focuses primarily on wines from Santa Barbara County and Central California, so you can have a taste at the Alisal before you venture out.
Our Guest Services team is happy to help you plan a picnic and a day spent wine tasting at some of our favorite vineyards.
The following recommended wineries and distilleries offer complimentary tastings¹ for guests staying at the Alisal.
( ¹ Parties of six or more may incur a fee. )
Andrew Murray Vineyards
Los Olivos
andrewmurrayvineyards.com
Passionately focused on Rhône varieties, Andrew Murray has consistently crafted highly acclaimed red wines and white wines in the Santa Ynez Valley for 20 years. His Viogniers, single-vineyard Syrahs, and blends led Robert Parker, Jr. to refer to Andrew Murray Vineyards as, "...one of the shining stars in the Santa Barbara firmament."
Beckmen Vineyards
Los Olivos
beckmenvineyards.com
Tom Beckmen’s 365 acres (which are all biodynamically farmed) are perfectly situated to produce fantastic Rhone varietals. Guests can get a taste for themselves at Beckmen’s Los Olivos tasting room.
Carhartt Vineyard
Los Olivos
carharttvineyard.com
Making Wine from Ground to Glass, by Hand and Heart in Rancho Santa Ynez for Three Generations, Carhartt is a family owned and operated vineyard and winery.
Carr Winery
Santa Ynez
carrwinery.com
The vast microclimates of Santa Barbara County allow the winery to produce several great wines including Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Grenache and Syrah. Carr Winery has two locations for guests to enjoy wine tasting in downtown Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez.
CrossHatch Winery
Solvang
crosshatchwinery.com
All of the wines produced by CrossHatch Winery are co-fermented blends sourced from Santa Barbara County vineyards. The idea of co-fermented wine is nothing new. Some of the best and oldest wines in the world are made this way, but with the micro-climates of Santa Barbara it really adds another layer to the process.
Fiddlehead Cellars
Lompoc
fiddleheadcellars.com
As one of Lompoc's wineries, Fiddlehead Cellars stands apart for its textural, place-drive wines, its passion for winemaking, and its commitment to sustainability.
*Tasting by appointment only*
Firestone Winery
Los Olivos
firestonewine.com
Firestone Vineyard belongs to an entrepreneurial and adventurous family tradition that dates back more than a century to legendary tire innovator Harvey Firestone.
Foley Wines
Lompoc
foleywines.com
Any visit to Santa Rita Hills must include a stop at Foley Estates. The property was founded by Bill Foley in the late 1990’s and today is one of the most important in the appellation.
Foxen Winery
Santa Maria
foxenvineyard.com
Bill Wathen and Dick Doré (also known as the “Foxen Boys”) have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded FOXEN at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County. Since that time, their dedication has remained the same the creation of very small production, sustainably-farmed, vineyard-focused wines.
Gainey Vineyard
Santa Ynez
gaineyvineyard.com
Gainey has been family run since the 60's when it was a cattle farm. The first vines were planted on the property in the mid 80's and they have been producing great wine ever since.
Kalyra Winery
Santa Ynez
kalyrawinery.com
Take an Australian-born winemaker, give him twenty years making wine in California and Australia... then add some of the best grapes from two continents and what do you get? An outstanding portfolio of wines from Santa Barbara County, California, Australia, Portugal, France, Spain and Italy.
Ken Brown Wines
Buellton
kenbrownwines.com
A pioneer in Santa Barbara County, Ken Brown has devoted his career to the pursuit of great Pinot Noir. His craft is his passion and with a very small production of only 3,000 cases per year.
Kohler Winery
Los Olivos
koehlerwinery.com
Situated on the celebrated Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in the Santa Ynez Valley, Koehler Winery is located in one of California’s most diverse and distinctive growing regions.
Lincourt Winery
Solvang
lincourtwines.com
Lincourt is known for small-lot bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that bear the names of the women who have influenced and shaped Bill Foley’s life including his wife, mother, grandmother and aunt.
Pence Winery
Buellton
penceranch.com
Within the 200-acre working ranch is the Pence Vineyard. They are focused on producing the finest Burgundian-inspired wines made in the New World. *Tasting by appointment only*
Presqu’ile Winery
Santa Maria
presquilewine.com
Located in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s singular Santa Maria Valley, Presqu’ile (pronounced press-KEEL) is a small, family-run winery dedicated to making exceptional cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Rideau Vineyard
Solvang
rideauvineyard.com
Founded in 1997, Rideau Vineyard has been producing highly-acclaimed, small-lot wines for two decades. Our thirteen acres of estate vines are comprised of five Rhône varietals which are harvested by hand and bottled as highly-expressive blends and varietal wines.
Rusack Vineyards
Solvang
rusackvineyards.com
Located between Solvang and Los Olivos in Ballard Canyon, Rusack meticulously farms its grapes in small lots, which extends the winemaking process, and creates exceptional Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, and more.
Samsara Winery
Los Olivos
samsarawine.com
SAMsARA produces limited releases of Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Grenache from carefully selected micro-sites within Sta. Rita Hill's most distinctive vineyards.
Sanford Winery
Lompoc
sanfordwinery.com
In 1971, the first pioneering vineyards in Santa Barbara were planted at Sanford Winery. This renowned cool climate AVA was not only launched by the planting of the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, but also expanded to neighbors’ plantings through cuttings from this vineyard.
Star Lane/Dierberg Vineyards
Lompoc
starlanevineyard.com
Star Lane harvests fruit from three vineyards in the County to produce Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The tasting room allows visitors to get a taste of all of them.
Stolpman Vineyards
Los Olivos
stolpmanvineyards.com
Dedicated to sensible farming & winemaking, Stolpman Vineyards believes that they can create natural, vibrant, site-specific wines, with a focus unique to Ballard Canyon AVA, California.
Zaca Mesa Winery
Los Olivos
zacamesa.com
Zaca Mesa hand crafts their wines with integrity using traditional methods from grapes sustainably grown in our Santa Barbara County vineyard.
