These are actual photos from our tours. These types of scenes and views are a daily occurrence on our wine tours. Join us for a feast of the senses.
Santa Barbara Wine Country is located in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County.
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Harvest 2019 is well under way here in Santa Barbara County. Let us pick you up in Santa Barbara or the Santa Ynez Valley and give you a unique authentic wine country experience. Join us for an unforgettable day of tasting amazing wines in unique beautiful intimate settings.
This is our busy season for wine tours as people from all around the World visit to see wines being made. Most of the year the wineries are quiet as wine is aging in barrel, not right now. All the action in wine making happens as the fruit matures and is brought into the winery for processing. In just a few short weeks grapes are crushed, fermented, and are put to rest in oak, cement, or stainless steel to be readied for aging and eventually bottling. Many wineries bottle last year’s vintage at this time to make room in the cellar for the new vintage. Many of our guests are getting to see the fruit as it is destemmed, crushed and fermented.
2019 Crop Report: We had good rainfall in the Winter which led to great bud break and foliage, a cool Spring and Summer have lent to a long growing season called a “winemaker’s vintage” meaning the winemakers can make stylistic decisions rather than being dictated by weather and timing. Mid to late August saw the first white grapes and pinot noir being harvested. Then slowly and surely all the other varietals are rippening in good fashion. Many varietals have 4 weeks or more before they can be harvested. We could see harvest continuing all the way through mid-November like last year. This is good because all the fruit isn’t being rushed in for processing. Slow and steady wins the race for high quality wines.
All of this makes it a great time of year to visit Santa Barbara Wine Country, so, join us for a wine tour! Our professional tour hosts can pick you up from Santa Barbara, relax for a drive up the beautiful Gaviota Coast. Alternatively, we might take you up over the Santa Ynez Mountains with breath taking views of Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. Check out Visit Santa Barbara for other things to see and do while in SB. Or, if you prefer to stay in the Santa Ynez Valley we can pick you up from the many hotels in the area. Check out Visit SYV for more info on places to say and things to do. Reserve your wine tasting tour with us today!
A perfect time for a Santa Barbara wine tour, Springtime is a time of renewal and growth, and it is beautiful to behold. Here in Santa Barbara Wine Country, Spring brings about the cyclical emergence of growth and vitality. Firstly, planted cover crops flourish between the rows of vines. Later, they are mowed and tilled under the soil to fix nitrogen to be used by the vines as fertilizer. Then, about mid-March, we witnessed the first signs of growth on the vines, know as “bud break”. This signifies the beginning of the new vintage and it is an exciting time to see the vigor of the new growth. The hills and valleys are a stunning green, as green as I have ever seen them. The sheer amount of rain this Winter has set us up with spectacular flower blooms and vibrant greens on all living things. Soon, the green will give way to golden brown and the wildflowers will subside. The vineyards will grow to be a vibrant green in stark contrast to the golden hues of the hillsides.
At about this time tourism picks up and wine tours start filling up. Wineries start hosting pick up parties and other events. Many new releases of past vintages are added to the line up for tasting. As wineries sell out of their current offerings, many aging past vintage reds are bottled and released. Whites and rosés that were picked in the fall are also bottled and released.
All of this makes it a great time of year to visit Santa Barbara Wine Country, and join us for a wine tour! Our professional tour hosts can pick you up from Santa Barbara, relax for a drive up the beautiful Gaviota Coast. Alternatively, we might take you up over the Santa Ynez Mountains with breath taking views of Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley. Check out Visit Santa Barbara for other things to see and do while in SB. Or, if you prefer to stay in the Santa Ynez Valley we can pick you up from the many hotels in the area. Check out Visit SYV for more info on places to say and things to do. Reserve your wine tasting tour with us today!
Eric has been in the hospitality industry for most of his life. He holds a level 1 Sommelier Certificate from the International Sommelier Guild. He has been passionate about wine since his early 20s when he had the pleasure of sharing a bottle of 1987 Caymus Special Select with his Food & Beverage Director. That was his Wine wake-up call. Eric has a few serious passions in his life; First, his wife and two sons, Motorcycles, Kings Hockey, Wine (Obviously), Minnesota Vikings, Dodgers and Twins Baseball! He loves sharing his passion with everyone who will listen, making people laugh and enjoying themselves. He has been the Wine Buyer at the oldest family owned and operated store in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley for over six years now and loves getting to work in the mornings!
Why we feel it is important to hire a professional tour company.
Wine Tour Gift Certificates make great presents. With the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s time to start thinking about your gift-giving strategies. Don’t rush to find something that your recipient probably doesn’t need. This year, why not give the gift of a new experience?
Our gift certificates are the perfect gift for friends, family, and co-workers! There is no better way to show someone you appreciate them, than to treat them to a day spent in our beautiful Santa Barbara County Wine Country. Gift Certificates for our all-inclusive Wine Tours include luxury transportation from almost anywhere in Santa Barbara County. Whether, they are staying in Summerland, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta, or anywhere in the Santa Ynez Valley we will pick them up for a great day of wine tasting. All tasting fees at three or four premium local wineries; a delicious picnic lunch provided by our local organic marketplace; an expert Tour Host with extensive knowledge of the geography, history and wines or our region, and plenty of bottled water!
Gift Certificates can be for our Wine Lover’s Group Tour, our Private Wine Tours, or purchased in any denomination that can be applied to a future tour. They don’t expire, the recipient/guest has the freedom to schedule their tour for any time they like. Plus, we offer volume discounts for offices, co-workers and larger groups. It couldn’t be easier!
Take the headache out of Holiday gift giving – treat the wine lovers in your life to a wine tour gift certificate for an amazing day with us in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country!
With over 18 year experience we are the best choice! We will make planning there trip with a gift certificate a breeze!
We have sold thousands of wine tour gift certificates over the years an we are the number 1 attraction in the Santa Ynez Valley with over 250 five star TripAdvisor reviews. We maintain a five-star rating on Yelp!
