The Ultimate Day Trip Itinerary for Santa Barbara Wine Country

Thinking about visiting Santa Barbara wine country? Good choice. You'll soon be sipping world class wines, enjoying delicious food and soaking in the charm of this burgeoning wine region.

While you no doubt could spend an entire weekend here packed with phenomenal wine tastings & food, it's also a super easy day trip from Los Angeles. Below are some of our favorite spots so you can get the most out of your Santa Barbara wine trip.

Liquid Farm

Image source: Liquid Farm

Liquid Farm is one of our favorite producers of Chardonnay, not just in Santa Barbara, but in all of California — seriously, this stuff could rival the top houses of Burgundy in our book. Their gorgeous tasting room in Los Olivos offers tasting flights as well as wines by the glass/bottle. There is ZERO pretension here. Their staff is super knowledgeable and friendly and they shared amazing insights with us on the terroir / winemaking style / food & wine pairing ideas. They have tabletop shuffleboard and arcade games inside so you can have some fun while you sip or keep your kiddos entertained.

Bodega Los Alamos

Image source: Bodega Los Alamos

No SB wine trip is complete without a stop at Bodega Los Alamos. This open air wine and beer garden features natural & organic wines as well as beers & ciders hard to find elsewhere. With fire pits, picnic tables and a bocce court, it's a great place to unwind with friends. We're obsessed with their tiny boutique selling an impressively curated assortment of wine & homewares. Don't forget to stop in the greenhouse and check out their unique pottery & plants.

Presqu'ile

Enjoy sweeping views of the ocean & vineyards from the terrace of this popular winery & tasting room in Santa Maria Valley. They do cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah well. Like REALLY well. Not only this, but they also have an amazing food program, making this an awesome place to have a lunch AND tasting. We highly recommend the Wine & Food Experience, with which you'll get a tasting flight of current release wines paired with 5-6 family style small plates. This isn't a traditional food & wine pairing where you pair one specific plate with one specific wine. Instead, chef Julie Simon creates a smorgasbord of seasonal dishes that pair well with ALL the wines. This way, you can mix and match what you taste & eat together to bring out different and new flavors.

Stolpman Vineyards

Head to the tiny town of Los Olivos and you'll find a fantastic set of tasting rooms, gift shops and artisanal eats along Alamo Pintado Ave. Among this set, you'll find Stolpman. You can choose to taste their estate-grown classics on their tasting patio, or walk over to their garage next door to taste some fun & funky stuff from their So Fresh line.

Have any recommendations for Santa Barbara tasting experiences? We want to hear from you! Drop us an email or comment below.