Any suggestions for wine tasting in Santa Barbara?
Saturday, February 13th, 2010 at
6:32 pm
KJM asked:
I am going to Santa Barbara and am wondering if anybody can suggest ways to do some wine tasting at area wineries without spending an arm and a leg…
I am going to Santa Barbara and am wondering if anybody can suggest ways to do some wine tasting at area wineries without spending an arm and a leg…
Tagged with: Wine Tasting In Santa Barbara • Wineries
Filed under: Wine
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It’s true that almost all wineries charge for wine tastings now. But it’s usually only about $5 and most of them let you keep the glass. When I did a big Santa Barbara/Central Coast wine tasting vacation (about a weeks worth!) I thought that sounded silly, but it turns out they are mostly very high quality glasses and it’s been really great to have them.
Anyhow, even if you are spitting, you probably aren’t going to be able to do more than 3 or 4 wineries in a day, particularly if you choose any that you need an appointment for. So you aren’t looking at more than $20 for the day. You can also split one tasting between two people to save some money.
Also, you can pack a picnic lunch – a number of wineries have picnic areas and it’s usually pretty gorgeous around there so it’s even nicer than going inside a restaurant.
The Santa Barbara wine region is about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Valley. Some of my favorite wineries are Curtis, Mosby, Rideau, and Sunstone. They all charge $3 – $5 for tasting. I agree with the other post, bring a picnic and sit out on the grounds and enjoy your tasting.
It’s very common for a couple to split a tasting at a winery…this lets you sample more wine before you’ve had enough.
Santa Barbara wineries are not as expensive as those in Napa. Learn more about wine tasting in the Santa Barbara at