Wine CountryThe Santa Maria Valley Wine Region & AVASanta Maria Valley Wineries & WinemakersSanta Maria Wine TastingSanta Maria Wine VarietalsSanta Maria Wine TrolleyFoxen Canyon Wine Trail$500 Wine Weekend Book A Room In the Heart of the Santa Barbara County Wine Region The Santa Maria Valley occupies the northern perimeter of Santa Barbara County on California’s Central Coast, which is today recognized as one of the world’s most dynamic wine-growing regions. With an encompassed 2,696 vineyard acres, the Santa Maria Valley is also the Central Coast’s first officially approved American Viticultural Area (AVA). The Santa Maria Valley boasts a rare “transverse” geography, an east-west orientation that channels cool ocean air directly into the valley. The result is a Mediterranean climate that produces one of California’s longest growing seasons. The unique growing environment ensures the development of complex, flavorful and exquisitely balanced grapes. Grapes in the region are either grown on the Santa Maria Bench or off the Bench, both wine grapes with completely different and unique flavor profiles. Grape growing in the Santa Maria Valley can be traced back to the early Mexican Colonial period in the 1800s. In 2011, there were 18,790 acres and nine vineyards added to the Santa Maria Valley AVA. With its geological oddity and natural funnel-shape, the Santa Maria Valley AVA is bounded by the San Rafael Mountains and Los Padres National Forest to the east and by the Solomon Hills and the city of Santa Maria to the West. The Santa Maria Valley AVA can be explored easily, with 34 tasting rooms within a 30-minute drive. The Santa Maria Valley Wine Trolley is one of the most popular ways to taste the region’s wines. The Trolley makes a loop to some of the area’s tasting rooms every weekend from May to October. Winos can also cruise through the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, which is home to 14 tasting rooms. The wines of the Santa Maria Valley, especially the award-winning Pinot Noir, have also proven to be a perfect match for Santa Maria Style Barbecue, adding a fresh dimension to this local culinary tradition. The vineyards and wineries of the Santa Maria Valley were featured prominently in the hit movie Sideways, and two wines from the region were named to the Wine Spectator’s prestigious list of Top 100 out of more than 19,000 wines from around the world. Santa Barbara County placed in the top five of USA Today 10 Best’s Best Wine Region in 2018. Santa Maria was also named the Most Underrated Town in California by House Method, and Travel Channel named Santa Maria Valley a Top 10 City for Wine Snobs (but you won’t find any snobbery here). With more than 30 winery tasting rooms welcoming you to the region, it’s no wonder the Santa Maria Valley is a favorite among wine lovers throughout the world. Here, you will taste exquisite Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and many other varietals that excel in our extraordinary coastal climate and beautiful countryside. See all the ways you can experience a wine tasting weekend in the Santa Maria Valley and plan your wine getaway now.
Round Table Pizza In 1959, Bill Larson opened the first Round Table Pizza in Menlo Park, California. He envisioned a gathering place where you could “share a little pizza with someone you love.” Bill believed in using gold-standard ingredients and time-honored recipes to boldly bake hand-crafted pizza worth sharing. Today, we pay homage to Bill’s vision by continuing […]
Rancho Maria Public Golf Course Enjoy playing the game you love at Rancho Maria Golf Club. Nestled in the foothills overlooking the Santa Maria valley, Rancho Maria Golf Club is located on the central coast of California, just 5 miles southwest of downtown Santa Maria on Highway 1. There are no parallel fairways at Rancho Maria, and you’ll love the […]
A Glance into the Past Antiques Located in the historic village of Arroyo Grande, A Glance Into The Past is the largest Antique Mall in the area. We pride ourselves on quality, variety, and reasonable prices. We have loyal customers who frequent our shop when they need something special for their collections or dealer inventory. You won’t find any gifts, crafts or reproductions here. […]
Blosser Urban Garden Blosser Urban Garden (BUG) is a sustainable, small-scale organic farm in an urban setting that serves the community with food and hands-on education. The garden is a sustainable, small-scale organic farm in an urban setting committed to providing sustainable agriculture to the Central Coast. Our main focus and passion is providing quality organic produce delivered […]
January 09 Santa Maria Valley Restaurant Month 2020 January is Restaurant Month in Santa Maria, California! The Santa Maria Valley is starting 2020 with #SantaMariaStyle, chock-full of participation from local and loved restaurants, wineries and breweries. Each participating location will be offering a special for $20.20, including everything from wine pairings to tastings and special menu items. This experience is part of California […]
January 17 Presqu'ile: 3rd Fridays Live - Will Breman Friday, January 17, 2020 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm Presqu’ile Tasting Room Complimentary Event Santa Barbara resident and Voice contestant Will Breman will be kicking off the 3rd Fridays Live series for the New Year! Will learned to sing when he was just three years old. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, […]
January 17 Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum: Generation STEM Family Fun Night! Join us for a night of science and robotics at the Discovery Museum. Brought to you by students at Cal Poly majoring in Engineering, Computer Science, and Child Development! Standard admission applies.
January 17 Blast 825 Brewery: Eric Knierim Music Come celebrate the weekend with Eric playing his original songs as well as other classic rock, blues, country and alternative tunes!