Wine Tasting Weekend in Santa Barbara

A highlight of some of our favorite wineries in the Santa Barbara area that we visited on a recent trip to the area. 

A couple weekends ago we headed to Santa Barbara to celebrate my friend Alyssa’s 40th birthday. Normally I’m in charge of putting together our travel itineraries so it was extra amazing that I didn’t have to do any planning for this trip. Alyssa’s husband put together the whole thing for us and he did a great job!

Here’s a highlight of some of the amazing places we visited.

We stayed at this amazing airbnb close to the Funk Zone, so we were able to walk to many restaurants, wineries and local shops.

Santa Barbara Restaurants

• The Lark Restaurant (Funk Zone) – We dined here on our first night. They had creative small plates and amazing cocktail. Highly recommend.
• Bibi Ji (Downtown Santa Barbara) – This is a fun spot with amazing Indian food. We were led through their tasting menu with unique wine pairings.
• Bettina Pizzeria – On our final night, we headed to this elevated pizza restaurant which was suggested to us by one of the local tasting rooms. With Italian cocktails like spritzes and negronis, it was a pleasant surprise that I definitely would seek out again.

Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Rooms

Kunin

Pouring some unique Rhone blends, this is a definite spot to check out. It’s located in the Funk Zone and just a block from the beach.

Municipal Winemakers

Right next door to Kunin, be sure to stop by Municipal Winemakers. Their chic vintage-vibe tasting room will give you the chance to sample their delicious, food-friendly wines.

Outer Santa Barbara Wine Tasting

If you’d like to venture out of the city of Santa Barbara, you can head to wine country where you’ll have the chance to sip wine with a view of the vines at the wineries themselves.

Santa Ynez AVA Wineries:

Demetria Estate

This was the first stop on our trip and it did not disappoint. We loved every wine we tasted here and the view was absolutely gorgeous.

Brave and Maiden

This stunning tasting room offers sit down tasting experiences in an upscale atmosphere.

Dining tip: While in the area, we had brunch at the Bear and Star in Los Olivos. Highly recommend for their house smoked brisket hash and their bloody mary.

Santa Maria Valley AVA Wineries

Presqu’ile Winery

It was super windy when we visited, but on a calm day, their patio is the place to be. With an amazing view and a Sauvignon Blanc that’s perfect for the sunshine, this spot is definitely worth a visit.

Santa Rita Hills AVA Wineries

Alma Rosa

Not a far drive from Presqu’ile Winery, Alma Rosa has a tasting room in Buellton. While it doesn’t have a view of the vines, the tasting room is bright and airy and the wines were some of the favorites that I tasted on our trip.

This trip was not compensated and all opinions are my own. 

Interested in more California wine tasting experiences? Be sure to check out these areas too:

• Weekend Wine Tasting in Paso Robles
• Wine Tasting in Livermore Valley
• A Perfect Day in Napa Valley
• Sonoma Wine Tasting
• A Perfect Palm Springs Itinerary