This report examines one of the most exciting wine regions in California—the wine producing valleys of Santa Barbara. It is a wine region of great diversity that enjoys a cool climate for producing high quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and other varieties. Since the release of the movie Sideways in 2004, Santa Barbara and its wines, especially Pinot Noir, have become world famous. However, the story of the land, the winemakers, and their outstanding wines is not well known and partly motivates this report.
After a brief introduction to the geography of Santa Barbara, we look into the history of its wine industry We explore the growth and development of the vineyards and wineries in the Santa Maria Valley, the Santa Ynez Valley, the Santa Rita Hills and other smaller growing regions. Since the special vineyards of Santa Barbara are not well known outside the region, we provide an annex describing the most important ones that are a source of fruit to multiple Santa Barbara wineries. We also discuss how over the decades Santa Barbara became an important producer of premium wines and the roles played by many pioneers and investors whose passion and determination built the wine industry.
The report also examines the terroir that contributes so importantly to the rich diversity of Santa Barbara’s growing areas for cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah and the warmer conditions for growing Grenache and other Rhone and Bordeaux varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc. We also identify the high quality and diversity of Santa Barbara’s vineyards and discuss the dramatic improvements in viticulture over the past several decades,
including the introduction of sustainable viticulture practices.
