Discover Santa Maria Valley Wine Country

While Santa Maria Valley’s cool, Central California Coast climate is perfect for year-round enjoyment, the best time to visit California’s wine country depends on your goals. However, for peak grape harvesting and winemaking, August and September are the best months to visit. Not only does this time of year coincide with harvest season, but the warm daytime highs and cool mornings and evenings make it the perfect time for outdoor exploring and sightseeing.

California features some of the most iconic, stunning and top-tier vineyards in the nation across various AVAs. While Napa Valley and Sonoma may be the most well-known, Santa Maria Valley is chock-full of world-class vineyards. Due to its cool climate, varietals like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah flourish here. 

Some of the best vineyards in California include: 

• Presqu’ile Winery: A family-owned estate winery known for its award-winning wines, culinary program, and showcasing of contemporary art curated in Santa Barbara County. Take an estate tour, enjoy a ride on horseback, or reserve a semi-private tasting in their cellar. There’s so much to enjoy and explore, including the wine. 
• Foxen Vineyard & Winery: Situated right along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, it's where you can see “The Shack,” or the original building where it all began, as well as a new solar-powered winery and tasting room just up the road. Visiting both locations tells the story of Foxen and their philosophy to have as little intervention on the land as possible. Not to mention, their world-class wine and Rhône varietals are a must-taste. 
• Bien Nacido Estate: A legendary vineyard in California that became one of the most coveted sources of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah in California, if not the world. Bien Nacido helped put the Central California Coast on the map of the most prestigious vineyards. 
• Paul Lato Wines: A boutique winery located in Santa Maria Valley that focuses on harmony and elegance with minimal intervention in the cellar. They source only the highest-quality vineyards to produce acclaimed Burgundian and Rhône varietals. 
• Riverbench Winery: Part of the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, Riverbench Winery has built a bold reputation for outstanding Chardonnay and sparkling wines. Aging in French oak barrels gives their wines a naturally enhanced depth of flavor.

These are only a few of the best vineyards in California, but you can’t go wrong with any of the wineries in Santa Maria Valley. You’ll find a diverse selection of world-class wines among the 17 wineries along the 30-mile stretch of Foxen Canyon Road that runs between Los Olivos and Santa Maria. Stunning scenery, vineyards and rolling hills add to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail experience.