Californias Other Wine Country

Santa Barbara County wineries. Courtesy Kurt Naks & christamichaels.

While California is well known for its fine wines, most people think of Napa and Sonoma Counties when pondering which West Coast wine to try or buy, leaving Central and Southern California completely out of the mix. From Temecula to Santa Barabara, Paso Robles and beyond, the whole of the Golden State has much to offer in the way of picturesque vineyards and premium bottles. Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast notes of the Central Coasts Santa Rita Hills (SRH), for example, Today, I think its safe to say that the SRH stand as one of the greatest places in the New World to grow pinot noir. And they got there on their own-not with marketing packages and celebrity auctioneers. Not with spin. Not by luring in big spenders with resorts and great restaurants.Lacking Napas fame and flair, Californias other wine country is a relatively young one - This is Sonoma in the 1970s-empty roads, a few dozen tasting rooms, winemakers and their families greeting customers at a barn door. Which makes the region ideal for a true wine-lovers visit. And the pinot noirs seem a good a place as any to start with, in terms of what to taste first.The following wineries produced stand-out pinots that impressed The Los Angeles Times.Brewer-Clifton, Santa Rita HillsAlma Rosa, Santa Rita HillsAu Bon Climat, Santa Maria ValleyClos Pepe, Santa Rita HillsDragonette Cellars, Santa Rita HillsTyler, Santa Barbara CountySamsara, Santa Rita HillsBonaccorsi, Santa Maria ValleyFlying Goat, Santa Maria ValleyFind great luxury hotels in Northern or Southern California wine country.


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