Page 62 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SPRING 2021 REDISCOVERING CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST

The Uban Wine Trail
We can’t think of many other cities that have
the number of tasting rooms tucked into its urban
core as Santa Barbara. Yes, the county is one of
California’s most expansive wine-growing areas,
with over 220 wineries and 23,000 acres of vine-
yards carpeting Santa Ynez, Lompoc and Santa
Maria valleys. But within the city itself are over
three dozen tasting rooms, all within walking dis-
tance of each other on the Santa Barbara Urban
Wine Trail.
We only had time to visit two wineries, one in
the Funk Zone and the other in the historic
downtown district. The first was Santa Barbara
Winery, just two blocks from Stearns Wharf. This
pioneer was the first post prohibition winery in
the area, founded in 1962 by 32-year-old Pierre
Lafond, who had a popular wine and cheese shop
that counted among its customers, the late Julia
Child.
The pleasant patio tasting room was by ap-
pointment, but we saw a few walks-ins seated
during our visit. The extensive tasting menu of-
fered a broad range of local varietals and blends.
We opted to taste five- a ganache rose, three
whites and a group of reds, including our favorite
in the group, a Pinot Noir. All were priced right
for everyday quaffing.

62 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2021