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Best Pinot Noir Wineries in Santa Barbara County
Best Pinot Noir Wineries in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County produces some of the world's greatest Pinot Noir — the cool, ocean-influenced Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley creating...
Santa Barbara County produces some of the world's greatest Pinot Noir — the cool, ocean-influenced Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley creating conditions for haunting complexity and genuine Burgundian character.
Featured Wineries
01
Brewer-Clifton
Greg Brewer's Sta. Rita Hills estate is the California benchmark for cool-climate Pinot Noir — single-vineyard wines of extraordinary precision from the appellation's most distinctive marine-influenced sites.
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Domaine de la Côte
Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's biodynamic Sta. Rita Hills estate produces some of California's most ethereal and complex Pinot Noir — genuinely Burgundian in their restraint, mineral depth, and aging potential.
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Au Bon Climat
Jim Clendenen's Santa Maria Valley estate helped define California Burgundian Pinot Noir — complex, food-friendly wines from Bien Nacido Vineyard that have influenced a generation of California Pinot winemakers.
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Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards
Richard Sanford's organic Sta. Rita Hills estate continues the pioneering legacy of the region's founding Pinot Noir producer with wines of genuine purity and restraint from historic Santa Rosa Road vineyards.
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Melville Winery
One of the Sta. Rita Hills' most accessible and visitor-friendly estates, Melville produces excellent single-vineyard Pinot Noir at prices that represent genuine value for appellation-level quality.
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Dragonette Cellars
Brothers Brian and Steve Dragonette produce Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir of exceptional elegance from carefully selected vineyard sources with a personal touch that makes their wines feel genuinely handcrafted.
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Diatom
Greg Brewer's minimalist Sta. Rita Hills project focuses exclusively on Chardonnay from the appellation's diatomaceous earth soils — one of California's most unique and compelling white wine programs — but the Pinot Noir sister project from the same sites is equally outstanding.
View Profile →08
Clos Pepe Estate
The Sta. Rita Hills estate vineyard that has supplied fruit to some of California's greatest Pinot Noir producers now produces estate wines that showcase what this distinctive marine-influenced site can achieve.
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View Santa Barbara Region →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Barbara County good for Pinot Noir?
Santa Barbara County is one of California's great Pinot Noir regions. The Sta. Rita Hills in particular produces wines that compete with premier cru Burgundy in complexity and structure. The combination of diatomaceous earth soils, marine influence, and extended growing season creates conditions that allow Pinot Noir to develop genuine depth.
What is the difference between Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir?
Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir tends toward greater mineral precision and structural tension due to the diatomaceous earth soils and direct Pacific exposure. Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is slightly more fruit-forward with a distinctive cool-climate freshness. Both are outstanding but express the variety differently.
What is Sideways Pinot Noir?
The 2004 film Sideways popularized Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir with the famous line from the protagonist declaring his love for Pinot. The film was set in the Santa Ynez Valley and is credited with sparking enormous interest in the region's wines, particularly Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills.
What vintage is best for Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir?
Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir matures relatively quickly and is typically best from 2-8 years after vintage. Recent standout years include 2019, 2021, and 2012 — all cool, even vintages that allowed extended hang time. Warmer vintages can also be excellent but develop faster.