“I would much rather work with nature than try to dominate it.“

Once a rural ranching hinterland, Santa Ynez Valley has emerged as one of America’s most exciting wine destinations. As complement to its wealth of wineries and tasting rooms, the valley’s hospitality offer has exploded. Boutique hotels, creative restaurants, and curated fashion and home goods stores have sprung up around the region’s characterful towns. What Santa Ynez gets right about growing – and gentrifying – is the careful merger of its historic frontier town cowboy energy with upscale development. The other thing the region is getting right: a focus on sustainable growth — in the vineyard. Right now, Santa Ynez Valley has some of the best wineries and vineyards in California. Period.

Santa Ynez Valley growers have demonstrated an increasing dedication to sustainable, organic, biodynamic, and now regenerative farming practices. From small minimalist labels to ambitious projects, it’s easier than ever for consumers to vote with their dollars for better environmental and social practices without compromising on taste and pleasure. Currently, around 25% of the region’s 200 wineries are at least Sustainability in Practice (SIP) certified.

Several growers who have converted to biodynamic farming, haven’t looked back. Brook Williams, owner and winegrower for J. Dirt Wines believes biodynamic farming is about efficiency and a sense of place. “I would much rather work with nature than try to dominate it,” he says.

While many of California’s famous growing regions face hotter, drier conditions and regular threat of wildfire, Santa Ynez Valley and the larger Santa Barbara County AVA have been spared some measure of unpredictable weather. Santa Barbara County reaps the unique benefit of a geological feature that regulates temperature, especially in the Pacific-facing St.Rita Hills: transverse valleys. The Santa Ynez Mountains form part of the Transverse Ranges, an east to west (instead of north to south) geological chasm that sucks the cool Pacific Ocean air inland which slows down grape ripening and retains acidity.

“I think we are well situated to limit the impact of climate change,” says Williams. “I think our area will actually get colder as the interior of our east-west valley gets hotter and draws more wind from the ocean into our area. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will appreciate the cool temperatures but will struggle against the increasing velocity of the winds,” he says. On the Christy & Wise vineyard, he purposefully planted wind tolerant varieties like Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre rather than “the usual suspects.”

Wine consumers looking for pure, energetic Pinot Noir, fresh yet complex Chardonnay, or earthy and elegant Syrah, should start looking north of L.A. instead of San Francisco.

Where to Taste in Santa Ynez Valley

For the wine lover, Santa Barbara County’s seven AVAs keep even the most ambitious tasters busy. From Alisos Canyon, Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Los Olivos District, Santa Maria Hills, Santa Ynez Valley, to Sta. Rita Hills, the varying climate, grapes, and styles offer something for everyone.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Certifications, Climate Actions

Former Zaca Mesa CEO Brook Williams farms Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and several Rhône varieties just outside Sta. Rita Hills and in Edna Valley. Already familiar with the area, Williams felt the cooler conditions would lead to beautiful, elegant wines, so he started purchasing vineyards in 2012. He acquired the former Presidio Vineyard and renamed it Duvarita, then the Demeter Biodynamic certified vineyard Slide Hill (formerly the Sawyer Lindquist vineyard) in Edna Valley from Bob and Louisa Lindquist. In 2015, he added 514 acres next to Duvarita and named it Christy & Wise vineyard. J. Dirt Wines show exceptional purity and precision and should be on every wine collector’s radar.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Certifications, Climate Actions

Open seven days a week, Roblar Winery encourages appointments but accommodates walk-ins when available. Your best bet: book a tasting with lunch. While bar stools and tables offer seated options inside, take advantage of the fabulous weather in Santa Ynez Valley on the leafy patio. Surrounded by oak trees, this 40-acre property blends rustic ambiance with sophisticated wines. The menu changes regularly based on the season, as all dishes are composed of fresh produce harvested weekly at the adjacent organic farm. The farm employs regenerative agricultural practices through organic soil amendments and on-site livestock manures for composting, among other things. The winery makes a wide range of wines, a feature of Santa Ynez Valley’s diverse soils and climates. Selections range from Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier to Syrah, Grenache, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Water Management, Certifications

Foxen’s origin story dates to the 1800s when William Benjamin Foxen, an English sea captain, put down roots in Santa Maria Valley. In 1837, he purchased a 9,000-acre tract of land called Rancho Tinaquaic. Time saw the property trimmed to 2000 acres, though the heart of the ranch remains in the hands of family, including co-founder Dick Doré. In 1985, Doré and friend Bill Wathen, started a wine brand, the first bottle made in an old blacksmith shop on the ranch. In 2009, they built a solar-powered winery and tasting room. The duo dry farms for water management and the vineyard is SIP certified. A row of electric charging stations outside the tasting room encourages guests to bring their EVs. Foxen makes a range of wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Rhône varieties.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Water Management, Certifications,

For mountaintop vistas, head to this certified organic winery in Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara. The vineyard makes up 16.5 acres of a 246-acre ranch, much of it farmed using biodynamic principles. The estate takes visitors by appointment, though this family-run business only sees one party at a time. Booking options include a tasting of reserve wines based on Bordeaux varieties, while the longer ‘tasting and ranch tour’ sends you on an immersive experience around the property. The tour starts with a glass of rosé at the cabana, a visit with the farm animals, then wraps up inside the stylish barn with sips of Sauvignon Blanc, Cliff Hanger Cabernet Sauvignon, and Contango Cabernet Sauvignon partnered with a cheese platter. While the destination is photo-worthy, you can also taste the wines in the Los Olivos tasting room.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Certifications, Community Support

In 2005, brothers John and Steve Dragonette, along with their close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis, turned a shared passion for wine into Dragonette Cellars. Having honed their expertise at a prestigious wine shop in Los Angeles, they ventured into northern Santa Barbara County to create wines from cool-climate vineyards. Their wines regularly receive high scores and accolades from all the major wine publications, especially for the Syrah and Pinot Noir. They work with 17 different vineyards, each with its own farming team and climate and soil combinations. Some vineyards are certified biodynamic like Duvarita, or certified organic, including Rita’s Crown and Spear, or else SIP-certified. For fruit sourced from conventional vineyards, they pay an upcharge for organic farming.

North Stars: Certifications, Water Management, Production and Consumption

Though the furthest AVA in Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley is well worth the drive. Family-owned, Presqu’ile is SIP certified, farming sustainaby through a variety of methods that include water management, habitat rehabilitation, and grazing animals like pigs and goats. Presqu’ile occupies a favored hilltop spot two miles from highway 101 that feels worlds away. Magnificent ocean and vineyard views from an expansive terrace hint at the quality of the wine inside. Presqu’ile focuses almost exclusively on cool-climate winemaking with a particular focus on deftly delineated vineyard expressions of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. Unusual for the region, they also produce standout traditional method sparkling wines including blanc de blancs, a brut cuvée, and a sparkling rosé.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Waste Management, Water Management

This family outfit practices biodynamic and regenerative farming. The owners offer tastings of their wines inside or on a leafy patio, poured by a small but dedicated team that creates a welcoming air of intimate conviviality. Boasting over 213 acres of rolling hills and 45 high elevation hillsides planted with vines, the views from the property are worth the visit alone. You might even spot a herd of sheep grazing in the vineyards from your shaded table beneath an oak tree. Though the owners specialize in Rhône-style wines, the creamy lemon-curd, Burgundian-style Chardonnay entices many a guest to linger longer.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Waste Management, Community Support

Just outside Solvang, James Sparks tastes guests on his personal label, King’s Carey. The unassuming industrial spot off the main strip belies his winemaking credentials. Sparks learned his craft at lauded wineries, including Dragonette Cellars and Liquid Farm, both earning a string of high scores and accolades. Sparks, who greets visitors by appointment, sources organic grapes for his minimal intervention wines. He works with Semillon, Grenache, Chardonnay, and Syrah, as well as sparkling wine, much of it fun and experimental, which he pours with self-deprecating humility.

North Stars: Production and Consumption, Certifications, Climate Actions

Natural wine enthusiasts with a soft spot for Austrian varieties can book an appointment or simply walk into Solminer’s Los Olivos tasting room. Owners David and Anna deLaski produce wines inspired by Anna’s Austrian heritage. In 2012, they bought a 12-acre farm five minutes from town, then slowly transitioned to organic, biodynamic, and now regenerative agriculture. They grow Grüner Veltliner, Blaufränkisch, and Sankt Laurent, while sourcing a little Syrah from Coquelicot, a nearby organic and regenerative vineyard. The bright and airy space lends itself to the fun, funky natural wines in the glass. They also participate in 1% for the Planet.

North Stars: Certifications, Water Management, Waste Management

Though relatively unfamiliar to the average wine drinker, the diminutive Alisos Canyon AVA, next to the tiny town of Los Alamos, has an outsize reputation for Rhône varieties. Though a relative newcomer–the appellation earned its status in 2020–winemakers and growers have been working the land for 50 years and consider it a recognition long overdue. The bright, complex wines of Dovecote Estate Winery are testament to that. Indeed, the push for the appellation was spearheaded by the winery’s owner Noah Rowles who purchased the celebrated Thompson Vineyard a decade ago. Planted in 1989, the vineyards first earned SIP certification and are now farmed through regenerative agriculture which includes bee-friendly products, regular composting, and rotational animal grazing. Despite the small-batch, artisan nature of the wines, tastings are a relaxed affair, held in a wooden ‘wine shack’ by the pond.