International Jaguar Festival 2018 Santa Barbara - Winery Tours

HomeIJF Winery Tours

JCNA International Jaguar Festival 2018 - Santa Barbara, California
October 31st - November 4th - SOLD OUT

The Event Schedule & Details Hotels Santa Barbara & More What's to Do LA

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SANTA BARBARA WINE COUNTRY

By Sandy X. Mayuga, Wine Touring Chair, JOCLA

OK. Let’s be perfectly honest from the starting line. A HUGE attraction for attending the JCNA International Jaguar Festival (IJF) in Santa Barbara, CA is the proximity to the world-class wine country of the Central Coast of California and the opportunity to visit the vineyards, tasting rooms and wine-making facilities in and north of Santa Barbara. There … we’ve admitted it … and doesn’t it feel and sound good! Can’t you taste the fruit forward varietals already?

With over 100 wineries and over 50 varietals grown in the Santa Ynez AVA,^{^[1]} you are sure to find wines and wineries that you will love. Some of these facilities are less than a mile walks or bicycle ride from The Santa Barbara Hilton Hotel and Resort, the Headquarters of the IJF. The Santa Ynez Valley AVA, the home to four associated AVA appellations, can be visited after a scenic 40-minute drive passing ranches, vineyards, the largest lake in the region and a quaint Danish village. The olde’ Jag won’t event break a sweat. And for those die-hard enthusiasts who want an opportunity to “test” the backroads to northern Santa Barbara County and the Santa Maria AVA, take a one hour fifteen-minute drive through some of the prettiest vineyard and quintessential California oak tree country anywhere.

[1] American Viticultural Areas: areas designated by the Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, after an application by grape growers in the region, as grape growing areas which are distinguishable by geography, soil, climate and other characteristics and that allow vintners to attribute a given quality, reputation and other characteristic to wines made from grapes in that AVA.

California “Driving Under the Influence” Laws

No advice about enjoying wine country is complete without mentioning that California has some of the most stringent impaired driving laws in the country, whether the influence is alcohol or any other substance that impairs safe driving. Like in all states, California’s penalties are severe. The California Highway Patrol and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department patrol wine country. But you can enjoy Santa Barbara Wine Country safely and responsibly with a little planning and restraint. Take turns being the designated driver. You don’t need to taste at every winery in every AVA – plan your trip to limit the number of wineries you visit in a day. How about sharing or splitting a tasting with your spouse or a partner? Wineries routinely accommodate that. After all, the idea is to taste the wine and enjoy its aroma, nuances and flavor -- not get “snockered.”

Perhaps enjoy driving on a “dry” day and share a coach or limo or designate a non-drinking driver on a “wet” day. The JCNA and JOCLA cannot be responsible for the consequences of your alcohol consumption. By planning ahead, you can enjoy Santa Barbara Wine Country and still have fun and be responsible!

The following is a small “tasting” of the main areas of Santa Barbara Wine Country, including some advance intelligence and resources to help you plan your visit to SB wine country and some personal insights and recommendations.^{^[1]}

Where is Santa Barbara Wine Country?

A map of the AVAs of Santa Barbara County. Most of the AVAs are about a 40-minute drive from Santa Barbara. There are a number of tasting rooms and some wine-making facilities within a mile of The Santa Barbara Hilton Hotel and Resort, IJF Hq.

The unique, transverse nature of the valleys of Santa Barbara Wine Country provides a patchwork quilt of micro-climates and terrains, resulting in one of the most diverse grape growing regions in the world. Unlike the rest of North America, the valleys in the Pacific coastline, including the coastal Santa Ynez Mountain range, run east-west rather than north-south. Because of this geologic oddity, the ocean breezes sweep eastward, channeled by the hills and mountains that ring the region. Heading east, the temperatures are warm during the day and very cool during the night, whereas the vineyards that lie westward toward the ocean enjoy a mild and moderate climate, with early morning and late-night fogs. Coupled with unique soils of ancient beaches and sea beds containing limestone and other minerals, the Santa Ynez Valley is a near-perfect place for a wide variety of wine grape varieties.

Tip No. 1: Many of the vintners cultivate or purchase grapes from several AVAs in the region and from even AVAs further north in California. Although a vintner’s wine tasting room or winery may be in a certain AVA, that doesn’t mean the vintner only makes wines from that AVA. For example, one of my favorite wineries is in the Santa Rita Hills AVA which is the area best known for its “cool” varietals of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But he owns and harvests vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in the much hotter Happy Canyon AVA in the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley and in my opinion, makes the best Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. Another vintner may blend just a “smidgen” of Chardonnay grapes from the Santa Maria AVA into his Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay for a little different “structure or character.” So regardless of where a winery is located, it’s best to study each winery’s offerings and to know what wines are offered and from where its grapes hail.

Tip No. 2: One of the most enjoyable experiences is packing a snack or picnic – as simple or as complicated as you want to make it – and enjoying the serenity of Santa Barbara Wine Country. Many tasting rooms and wineries have picnicking areas in beautiful woodland settings. And fresh fruits are available from local roadside vendors. Enjoy the area!

The Funk Zone

Although not an AVA, just a few blocks west of IJF Hqs. is Santa Barbara’s The Funk Zone (or just the “Zone”). It includes most of what’s called The Urban Wine Trail. Begun by hip visionaries intent on redevelopment of an old warehouse and industrial area -- bordered by the ocean and Santa Barbara’s scenic beaches and marina on the south side and the Amtrak station and Highway 101 to the north – the Funk Zone

More on the Funk Zone

Santa Rita Hills AVA

This could be my favorite AVA … except for the others. In the western most part of Santa Barbara Wine Country, a typical day in the Santa Rita Hills AVA (SRH) starts with marine layer clouds and fog, which burn off by 10 a.m. Then two or three hours of mild sunshine until the on-shore winds pick up, cooling things down again.

Los Olivos District

The Mediterranean climate of Santa Barbara County and much of California is as conducive to growing wine as growing olives … much like Spain, Italy and other countries along the Mediterranean. The Los Olivos AVA is an area where ancient rivers deposited loose soil, rocks and other sediment between the Purisima Hills above Solvang and the western flank of the Happy Canyon area.

More on the Los Olivos District

Happy Canyon

Positively Yes! Located in the far eastern edge of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA, the Happy Canyon AVA delves into the San Rafael Mountains just northwest of Lake Cachuma. Being inland means a significantly warmer climate that ensures complete maturation for later ripening varieties.

More on Happy Canyon

Ballard Canyon

Ballard Canyon, one of the newest AVAs, lies where the unique soils and climate of the Canyon create a great environment for producing distinctive wines from red grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc and white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne.

More on Ballard Canyon

Wine Trails

Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos and the Foxen Canyon Wine Trails with western hospitality meets world class wine in the Santa Maria and Los Alamos area. The transverse nature of the Santa Maria Valley lends itself to a diverse range of wines produced here. Heading south from Santa Maria, take a leisurely drive along Foxen Canyon to Los Olivos or drive down the 101 and stop in the Western town of Los Alamos.

More on the Wine Trails

Other Resources

When you arrive at the IJF, the JOCLA will have brochures, maps and other resources for your wine tasting pleasure. In the meantime, here are some other resources through the magic of the Internet:

Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation: https://www.sbcountywines.com/home.html

Guide to Wine in Santa Barbara: https://santabarbaraca.com/itinerary/santa-barbara-wine-curious/

Forbes Magazine: “Forbes Magazine Santa Barbara Wineries”

Wine Folly: An Introduction to Santa Barbara Wine Country, http://winefolly.com/review/an-intro-to-santa-barbara-wine-country/

[1] These are nothing more than this writer’s personal favorites based on my experience. I’ve visited the area and its wineries since turning 21 and graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 1970. Back then and for many years thereafter, tastings were free. Not now … but the quality and sophistication of the wines has improved astronomically!