Location: Santa Barbara
Top Things to do in Santa Barbara
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Things to do in Santa Barbara, California (CA): The Best Wineries & Vineyards
Nestled between the shrub-covered slopes of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the clear blue shores of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Barbara is California at its best. Mission Santa Barbara is an example of 18th-century religious architecture, boasting beautiful grounds and a wonderfully detailed interior. Work up an appetite with a walk through Shoreline Park, then dine above the water on Stearns Wharf. Fig trees, parks, waterfalls, and botanical gardens round out Santa Barbara’s natural beauty.
Restaurants in Santa Barbara
1. Skyenna Wine Lounge
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
2. Jamie Slone Wines
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 187 reviews
• Winner: Best Winery & Best Tasting Room 2019 Santa Barbara News-Press • Best Urban Tasting Room Runner-Up 2018 Santa Barbara Independent Reader's Poll. Our mission is to provide guests an outstanding Santa Barbara wine experience. In our cozy tasting room, you’ll discover our passion for family, entertaining and delicious handcrafted 90+ point wines from the best local vineyards. We’re sipping on Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sparkling, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Red Blends and Cabernet Sauvignon. We are living the wine lifestyle. Join us and our little Havanese dog Sophie in our tasting room at the Historic El Paseo in the Presidio Neighborhood, downtown Santa Barbara.
Reviewed By joedepietro - Gaithersburg, United States
Five years ago Sophie (the wine dog) invited us in for a tasting and the rest is history. We have been wine club members ever since and truly enjoy spending time with Jamie and Kym drinking their fabulous wines. We take our friends and family there every chance we get.
3. Grassini Family Vineyards
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 34 reviews
Voted Best Winery and Best Urban Tasting Room by the readers of the Santa Barbara Independent for three years running! (2018, 2019 and 2020) Grassini Family Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard with a love for the land and a commitment to making limited production Bordeaux wines from our estate vineyard in the Happy Canyon AVA in the nearby Santa Ynez Valley. When you’re in downtown Santa Barbara, be sure to visit our dog-friendly, spacious wine tasting room. We currently have THREE outdoor patios with all of our tables spaced generously apart from one another, making it the perfect spot to safely enjoy a glass of wine in the fresh air with your loved ones! Taste our incredible estate Bordeaux wines, and then explore the historic Presidio Neighborhood, where you'll find several other wine tasting rooms, wonderful restaurants, and fantastic boutiques!
Reviewed By hollyberry57 - La Jolla, United States
We stumbled on Grassini when walking around downtown SB looking for a place to eat. They didn't have food, but said we were welcome to bring some from an outside eatery while we tried their wine. So we settled in with take-out pasta and a spectacular bottle of proprietary red to recover from the drive from San Diego. The Tasting Room is beautiful and spacious, in that traditional Santa Barbara Andalusian style with whitewashed walls, carved wood, Persian carpets, and leather furniture; there's also a front and a back patio, both in charming courtyards. The staff was SO nice. We liked it so much that we stopped in a few days later on our way back down south and joined the wine club. This will be our spot in Santa Barbara.
4. Cebada Wine
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 13 reviews
Cebada Wine is one of Santa Barbara's newest wine tasting rooms! Our award winning, Estate Grown, Old World Burgundian Style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are sure to impress. Find us Downtown on the Urban Wine Trail Map.
5. J. Wilkes
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Wines of Character, Wines of Place. J. Wilkes' BRAND NEW Tasting Room located on lower State Street offering affordable quality wines that over-deliver at their reasonable price point showcasing a sense of place and balance. Our Consulting Winemaker Wes Hagen acheives this through blending the very best vineyards within an American Viticulture Area to present wines that represent an area, but not an individual site. Our J. Wilkes Wines are fruity and lively enough to drink with or without food, balanced enough to improve almost any meal, and crafted to be aged 5-10 years in the cellar for those wine connoisseurs out there. Please stop in for a wine tasting experience you will never forget inside our elegant Tasting Room featuring an Industrial Chic Decor, outdoor seating, an indoor fireplace, table games, small bites, and live music every weekend 3pm-6pm.
Reviewed By christineprogers - Philadelphia, United States
Their wine flight + chocolate pairing is really cute and reasonably priced. Each wine tasted better than the last. I generally dislike red wines and I really enjoyed the ones I tried here!
6. Sanford Winery Tasting Room
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8 reviews
Join us in our elegant downtown Tasting Room which offers the hospitality and hand crafted wines that you have come to expect from Sanford in an urban location. Sanford Santa Barbara is proud to offer a variety of wine tasting options and wines by the glass.
7. Frequency Wine Company
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Our modern furnished tasting room is located in the historic Presidio neighborhood of downtown Santa Barbara. We offer family produced wines and focus on single vineyard selections, offering pure expressions of critically acclaimed Santa Barbara County terrior.
Reviewed By Mbmixer - Exeter, United States
Fantastic find off the beaten path,Frequency was a couple of blocks off the main strip. Was there with family. The place is adjacent to a cheese shop where you can order cheese plates to accompany your tasting at Frequency. It is a small family run vineyard with family members pouring. Great people and conversation.Their pinots, chardonnays and special varietals were delicious. They were a great source for restaurant recos as well. It was a great way to take a load off enjoy wines and plan your next move.
8. Santa Barbara Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 124 reviews
Reviewed By 936kurtg - Los Angeles, United States
My wife and I enjoyed our wine tasting experience. We interacted with three staff members and all were so pleasant and helpful. Our favorite wine was the Pinot Noir and the cheese plate is a must. I noticed they were pet friendly and bought out water for pets and made sure they stayed filled. Masks need to be kept on until wine is served which shows they are taking care of their customers. Thank you!
9. Au Bon Climat Tasting Room
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 49 reviews
Our beautiful tasting room is located in downtown Santa Barbara just one street off of State Street. We offer flights of 6 wines for tastings. We are the only tasting room in town where you can taste library selections! Please come visit us soon.
Reviewed By BlakievanHemert - Santa Barbara, United States
This is really good tasting room where one can buy not only current releases, but some wines that have been stored and aged which ABC wines are quite capable of doing for the better. Their inventory covers a wide variety of white and red wines. And all of this comes from one of the best winemakers in the world.
10. Lafond Winery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 23 reviews
