Best Wineries in the Sta. Rita Hills
The Sta. Rita Hills is California's most celebrated cool-climate Pinot Noir appellation — ocean-cooled, diatomaceous-soil vineyards producing wines of...
The Sta. Rita Hills AVA occupies the westernmost section of Santa Barbara County's wine country, where the transverse mountain ranges that run east-west create a corridor that funnels cold Pacific air directly from the ocean into the vineyards. The climate here is among the coolest in California wine country, with temperatures that rarely exceed 75°F during the growing season and marine winds that can reach 30 mph in the afternoon.
These extreme conditions — combined with the distinctive diatomaceous earth soils (composed of ancient microscopic sea organisms) that give wines a unique mineral quality — produce Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of haunting complexity and genuine Burgundian character. The wines have a tension, a salinity, and an aromatic precision that identifies them as products of a very specific and special place.
Since Richard Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir vines on Santa Rosa Road in 1971, the Sta. Rita Hills has attracted California's most serious Pinot Noir producers. Today it stands as one of the world's great Pinot Noir appellations, producing wines that compete with premier cru Burgundy in quality if not in price.
Featured Wineries
01
Brewer-Clifton
Greg Brewer's estate is the Sta. Rita Hills' most celebrated producer — single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of extraordinary precision from the appellation's most distinctive sites. The Machado, Hapgood, and Mt. Carmel bottlings are California benchmarks.
View Profile →02
Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards
Richard Sanford's organic and biodynamic estate continues the pioneering legacy of the region's founding producer, making wines of genuine purity and restraint from vineyards on and near the original Santa Rosa Road planting.
View Profile →03
Babcock Winery & Vineyards
One of the original Sta. Rita Hills producers, Brian Babcock's estate has been making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from marine-cooled vineyards since the early 1980s. The estate wines are reliable expressions of what the appellation does best.
View Profile →04
Ampelos Cellars
The Clemens family's certified biodynamic estate produces Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Grenache from estate Santa Rosa Road vineyards with a philosophical commitment to natural viticulture that shows clearly in wines of exceptional purity.
View Profile →05
Sanford Winery
The historic La Rinconada Vineyard estate founded by Richard Sanford remains one of the most important sites in the appellation, now producing wines under the Sanford & Benedict label that continue the tradition of exceptional Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir.
View Profile →06
Melville Winery
One of the Sta. Rita Hills' most visitor-friendly estates, Melville produces estate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah from Santa Rosa Road vineyards with a welcoming tasting room and wines that offer excellent value for appellation-level quality.
View Profile →07
Zotovich Family Vineyards
The Zotovich family estate produces single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from their Sta. Rita Hills benchland with a family-focused approach that combines genuine quality with personal hospitality.
View Profile →08
Foley Estates
The Foley family's Sta. Rita Hills estate produces compelling Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards with the resources and commitment to quality that have made FWS one of the more reliable larger producers in the appellation.
View Profile →
Explore Santa Barbara Wineries
Browse WinoNotion's complete Santa Barbara directory with tasting room details and visitor tips.
View Santa Barbara Region →
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir special?
The combination of diatomaceous earth soils, cold Pacific Ocean influence, and an extremely long growing season (grapes can hang into November) produces Pinot Noir with exceptional aromatic complexity, fine-grained tannins, and natural acidity that makes the wines both food-friendly and long-lived.
What is diatomaceous earth soil?
Diatomaceous earth is composed of fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. These ancient soils — remnants of a prehistoric sea floor — are very low in organic matter and nutrients, which naturally stresses vines and limits yields while imparting a distinctive mineral quality to the wines.
Is the Sta. Rita Hills the same as Santa Rita Hills?
The appellation was named Sta. Rita Hills (with an abbreviation) to avoid trademark conflict with a Chilean wine brand called Santa Rita. The wines, however, are unrelated — Sta. Rita Hills is a California AVA in Santa Barbara County focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
What is Santa Rosa Road in the Sta. Rita Hills?
Santa Rosa Road runs through the heart of the Sta. Rita Hills appellation, with many of the most celebrated vineyards situated along its length. A drive along Santa Rosa Road past vineyards like Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada provides a genuine sense of what makes this appellation special.