Exploring the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail features over a dozen wineries along a scenic and winding roadway stretching from Los Olivos to Santa Maria.  Along the Trail, Santa Barbara County wine enthusiasts can enjoy a diverse selection of award-winning Rhône, Bordeaux and Burgundy varietal wines from cool and warm climate vineyards.

From the south, the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail winds through oak-studded hillsides and canyons before emerging in the Santa Maria Valley and the sweeping vistas of the Santa Maria Bench, which includes some of the largest vineyards in Santa Barbara County, as well as the sprawling agricultural fields that produce a range of fruits and vegetables.  In the south, daily temperatures can range from the upper 90s during peak summer months to the low 50s in the evening.  In the north, daily temperatures can average 64 degrees due to the onshore flow that sweeps in from the Pacific Ocean eastward into the Santa Maria Valley.

The Foxen Canyon Wine Trail is divided between the Santa Maria Valley AVA and the Santa Ynez Valley AVA and features many prominent vineyards, including Rodney's Vineyard, Demetria Estate Vineyard, Tinaquaic Vineyard, Riverbench Vineyards, Dierberg Vineyard, Bien Nacido Vineyards, Julia's Vineyard and Colson Canyon Vineyard, among others.

From an area once dotted by historic land grants, the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail has evolved into a renowned wine producing region between the bucolic town of Los Olivos and the tract home developments and shopping centers in Santa Maria.  Visitors will be treated to some exceptional Rhône and Burgundy varietal wines at several wineries along the wine trail, including Andrew Murray, Demetria, Foxen, Riverbench Kenneth Volk and Costa de Oro, as well as contrasting climates and vistas at the northern and southern end of the wine trail.

Since there are no restaurants or markets along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, you should consider putting together a delectable spread for a picnic in the vineyard, especially if you want to maximize your tour of Los Olivos and the Santa Maria Valley.  There are a few places in Los Olivos where you can pick up a sandwich and other sides before hitting the wine trail, including Panino and Los Olivos Grocery.

Visitors to Santa Barbara County should dedicate a day of wine tasting along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail.  The wine region is accessible from the north in Santa Maria on E. Betteravia Road and the 101 Freeway and the south from either Highway 154 and Zaca Station Road or Highway 154 and Foxen Canyon Road, closer to the town of Los Olivos.

The Last Word: Remember to "Share the Road" with bicyclists, tractors and wildlife on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail and taste responsibly!

FOXEN CANYON WINE TRAIL

Firestone Vineyard
5000 Zaca Station Road, Los Olivos  (805) 688-3940
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling

Curtis Winery
5249 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos  (805) 686-8999
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Rhône blends

Andrew Murray Vineyards
5095 Zaca Station Road, Los Olivos (entrance to Firestone Vineyard)  (805) 686-9604
Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wines: Syrah, Grenache, Rhône blends

Koehler Winery
5360 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos  (805) 693-8384
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Rhône blends

Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard
6200 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos  (805) 688-1545
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Syrah, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Chardonnay, Riesling

Demetria Estate
6701 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos  (805) 686-2345
Tasting by appointment only
Wines: Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Rhône blends

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards
6905 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos  (805) 688-9339
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne, Rhône blends

Tres Hermanas Winery & Vineyard
9660 Foxen Canyon Road, Santa Maria  (805) 937-8451
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Bordeaux and Rhône varietal wines and blends

Foxen Winery
7600 Foxen Canyon Road (new winery), Santa Maria  (805) 937-4251
7200 Foxen Canyon Road (the shack), Santa Maria  (805) 937-4251
Open daily 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10-$12
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Bordeaux and Italian varietal wines

Rancho Sisquoc Winery
6600 Foxen Canyon Road, Santa Maria  (805) 934-4332
Mon-Thurs, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Fri-Sun, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $8
Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux varietal wines

Riverbench Vineyard & Winery
6020 Foxen Canyon Road, Santa Maria  (805) 937-8340
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Kenneth Volk Vineyards
5230 Tepusquet Road, Santa Maria  (805) 938-7896
Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wines: Burgundy, Bordeaux and Rhône varietal wines and "Heirloom" wines

Cambria Winery
5475 Chardonnay Lane, Santa Maria  (805) 938-7318
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Viognier, Syrah

Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard & Winery
3940 Dominion Road, Santa Maria  (805) 937-8418
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Bordeaux blends

Costa de Oro Winery
1331 S. Nicholson Avenue, Santa Maria  (805) 922-1468
Open daily 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $7-$10
Wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Foxen Canyon Wine Trail Association
Santa Maria Valley Wine Country Association
Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association

Foxen Canyon Wine Trail

Santa Maria Valley

Overlooking Zaca Station Road

In the Rhône at Hospice du Rhône 2011

Could you ask for any more perfect wine weather?!  From April 28-30, Rhône fans from distances close and far converged on the Paso Robles Event Center to participate in the "world's largest international celebration of Rhone variety wines" - Hospice du Rhône.  For three days, hundreds of Rhône wine enthusiasts experienced a variety of seminars, tastings and offline events inspired by Rhône varietal wines produced by the world's most renowned wineries and winemakers.

Every year, people from across the world embark on a pilgrimage to various sites of religious importance.  The same can be said about Hospice du Rhône for those people who are inspired by the twenty-two Rhône varieties.  It should be no surprise then that Hospice du Rhône is one of the most iconic wine tasting events in the world.

In 2011, Hospice du Rhône featured an à la carte offering of wine seminars with highly acclaimed winemakers, as well as the Friday Soiree.  The Friday Rhône Rendezvous Tasting and Saturday Grand Tasting provided the backdrop for these world-class wine producers to share new and old vintages of their award-winning wines.  HdR also released a helpful app to add tasting notes and share tweets during the seminars and tastings.

I was fortunate enough this year to participate in the Saturday Grand Tasting.  For three hours, hundreds of Rhônely Hearts tipped their glasses for a pour of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne and other Rhône varietal wines and blends.  Even three hours wasn't long enough to savor a fraction of the hundreds of wines being poured by the some of the most talented winemakers in the world.

Because interest in Rhône varietal wines remains a niche market, it is going to take more time and education to highlight the remarkable expressions of the Rhône wines being produced by Central Coast wineries, as well those from Northern California.  There were also some superb French Rhône producers whose wines continue to garner acclaim by the world's leading wine critics and regular wine drinkers.

Stay tuned for information about other HdR events later this year such as #Syrah Day and #Grenache Day, as well as next year's theme and the schedule for Hospice du Rhône 2012 (April 26-28).  You won't want to miss this Rhônetastic event!

Justin Smith, Saxum

Ecluse Wines

Alta Colina Vineyard & Winery

Full of Life Flatbread, Los Alamos, CA

"In the Ghetto"

"In the Ghetto" was made famous by Elvis Presley in 1969.  Nearly thirty years later, Rick Longoria moved his winery operation to an industrial complex at the eastern edge of Lompoc (pronounced "Lom-Poke"), which years later became affectionately known as the "Lompoc Wine Ghetto."

Neatly tucked behind the Home Depot and Lompoc Valley Medical Center at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Highway 1 lies a nondescript collection of single-story, corrugated metal buildings that has been transformed into a growing wine destination in Santa Barbara County. There's no shortage of wineries and wine tasting rooms in this renowned grape growing and wine producing region in California's Central Coast. On the flip side, you have to travel miles from one winery to another in order to experience the depth of wines being produced throughout Santa Barbara County. So, what if you could park your car and taste award-winning wines from a dozen wineries all within walking distance?

Pinot Noir. Chardonnay. Syrah. Viognier. It's all here at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. For years, many Sta. Rita Hills wineries quietly crafted their wines with little fanfare in this industrial complex at the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills in the historic agricultural town of Lompoc. With the surge of interest in Santa Barbara County wines, wineries have raced to open new tasting rooms in their production facilities to pour their highly acclaimed wines for Central Coast wine enthusiasts. Compared to the ornate wineries and tasting rooms lining Highway 246 and other major wine trails, the Lompoc Wine Ghetto is the equivalent of a dive bar "where everyone knows your name" and the places feels like a throwback to the past when the wine region was in its infancy.

Recently, the Lompoc Wine Ghetto launched a new website and Facebook page to promote the dozen wineries that pour award-winning wines from Santa Barbara County. The Lompoc Wine Ghetto has also produced a helpful map to help guide visitors through the maze of tasting rooms. There are future plans to bring eateries to the Ghetto since there are few if any restaurants in the area. With the newfound interest in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, as well as the recent launching of multiple online and social media tools to promote this newly discovered wine destination, it appears that the rising stars in Santa Barbara Wine Country are making a name for themselves "In the Ghetto."

GHETTO WINERIES

Ampelos Cellars
312 N. 9th Street, Lompoc.  (805) 736-9957
Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Rhône blends

Evening Land Vineyard
1712-C Industrial Way, Lompoc.  (805) 736-9656
Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Fiddlehead Cellars
1597 E. Chestnut Avenue, Lompoc.  (805) 742-0204
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir

Flying Goat Cellars
1520 E. Chestnut Court, Unit A, Lompoc. (805) 736-9032
Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir

Jalama Wines/Joseph Blair
308 N. 9th Street, Unit C, Lompoc.  (805) 735-8937
Friday-Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Rhône blends

La Vie Vineyards
308 N. 9th Street, Unit D, Lompoc.  (805) 291-2111
Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wines: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Longoria Wines
1700 Industrial Way, Unit A, Lompoc.  (805) 688-0305
Saturday-Sunday, 11:00 a..m. to 4:30 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10-$15
Wines: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Albarino, Tempranillo

Loring Wine Company
1591 E. Chestnut Avenue, Lompoc.  (805) 742-0478
Friday-Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Pinot Noir

New Vineland/Piedrasassi
1501 E. Chestnut Avenue, Lompoc.  (805) 736-6784
Friday-Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah

Palmina
1520 E. Chestnut Court, Lompoc.  (805) 735-2030
Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Italian varietals

Samsara
1500 E. Chestnut Court, Unit A, Lompoc.  (805) 331-2292
Friday-Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Pinot Noir, Syrah

Taste of Sta. Rita Hills
1505 E. Chestnut Avenue, Lompoc.  (805) 735-8774
Thursday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir

Zotovich Cellars
1500 East Chestnut Court, Suite D, Lompoc.  (805) 736-1600
Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Tasting Fee: $10
Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Viognier

Zotovich Cellars

Jalama Wines

Ampelos Cellars

New Vineland/Piedrasassi

Flying Goat Cellars