Santa Barbara County sits on California's Central Coast and is one of the most beautiful, diverse, and exciting wine regions in the world. Thanks to a rare transverse mountain formation that runs East/West from the coast Santa Barbara wine country experiences significant maritime cooling influences. A thick blanket of fog creeps over the vineyards almost every night, cooling the air and allowing the wine grape to retain all-important acidity. Close to the ocean temperatures remain very low throughout the day, rarely topping 70 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas, making coastal Santa Barbara surprisingly one of the coolest growing regions on the west coast. Further inland temperatures warm up significantly and allow for an entire new range of varietals to grown. While the primary varietals grown in Santa Barbara County are Pinot Noir & Chardonnay, everything from Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah and even Grenache can grow successfully here. No where else on earth does world-class Pinot Noir grow so close to high quality Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Not only is the climate special, but the soils in Santa Barbara County are unique as well. Large deposits of diatomaceous earth line the hillsides of Santa Rita Hills giving wines a distinct oceanic character, and unique oil-rich "Monterey Formation" is present as well. Limestone, sandy soil, and even serpentine and chert can be found here and are highly valuable for quality wine production. While Santa Barbara may have gained a majority of its fame from being featured in the movie "Sideways" it certainly has more than enough to offer to keep the serious wine drinker captivated.
Pure red cherry, Asian spice, fresh cranberry. Underripe strawberry, pine cone, tart blueberry…
Syrah is a versatile grape that can grow in a wide range of soils and climates…
Melville Winery is one of the stalwarts of the Santa Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County California…