Santa Ynez Valley (The Wine Region from Sideways) | BevGeek Road Trip

Okay, so you don't want to watch historical videos. Fortunately, you did seem to like my video about Merlot Wine and the film Sideways, and with the 20th anniversary of the movie's release now upon us, I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore the wine region where this film took place, the Santa Ynez Valley. This wine region is one of California's lesser known gems. It's relatively close to Los Angeles, but far enough away that you feel like you've left the city behind. The Santa Ynez Valley is well known for Pinot Noir, and plenty of Pinot is featured in Sideways, but the valley has a unique geography that allows for a wide variety of wine grapes and styles. So, does the Santa Ynez Valley live up to its depiction in Sideways? Is it worth a trip up the Pacific coast for a visit? To find out, we're going on a BevGeek Road Trip! Before we explore the valley, let's take a look at its geography. The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, in Southern California. It's about 30 miles or 50 kilometers northwest of Santa Barbara, and about 150 miles or 240 kilometers northwest of central Los Angeles. At a 2-3 hour drive up US Highway 101, depending on traffic, the valley makes a nice weekend getaway from the city. Its location on the Pacific coast makes it great for growing wine grapes. What sets the Santa Ynez Valley apart is its orientation. Most valleys near the Pacific coast, like the Sonoma and Napa Valleys in Northern California, run north-south, parallel to the coast. As the mountains surrounding these valleys block them from ocean winds and morning fog, valleys further east have warmer and drier climates than the ones further west, giving each valley its own distinct climate profile. The Santa Ynez Valley, on the other hand, runs east-west. As a result, wind and fog from the Pacific Ocean comes in from the west, allowing for a cooler climate in the western part of the valley. The fog dissipates as it moves its way inland and is hit by the morning sun from the east, and the ocean breezes break up over the hills within the valley, allowing a climate that is warmer and sunnier in the eastern valley. This gives the right combination of microclimates for growing cool and warm climate grapes in a relatively small area. These geographical advantages were put to good use in the early years of European settlement in the area. Winemaking in the valley dates back to the era of Spanish rule in the 18th century, but widespread viticulture didn't take off until well after Prohibition was repealed. On the heels of Napa and Sonoma's growth in the late 1960s and early 70s, modern winemaking would take hold in the Santa Ynez Valley, and on April 14th, 1983, the Santa Ynez American Viticultural Area was officially established. With a variety of unique growing conditions, it was natural for several smaller AVAs to also gain official recognition. The first sub-AVA was the Santa Rita Hills AVA. Established in 2001, this is the westernmost sub-region in the valley, and as such has the coolest climate. Burgundian grape varieties are widely grown in the Santa Rita Hills. Most of the Pinot Noir that Santa Ynez is known for grows here, with Chardonnay and other cool climate grapes also commonly grown. Moving east, we come to the Ballard Canyon AVA. Founded in 2014, the namesake canyon for the sub-region runs north-south, protecting the area from the ocean winds, making this area warmer than the Santa Rita Hills. Warmer climate grapes are grown here, with Rhone varieties being especially popular. Neighboring to the east is the Los Olivos District AVA. Established in 2016, this area has more gentle slopes and less marine fog. This lends itself to growing warm climate grapes such as those found in Bordeaux, Rhone, and even some varieties from Italy. Furthest to the east is the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA. Founded in 2009, this sub-region has the warmest climate in the valley, making the wines here richer in flavor by comparison. In addition to wine, the Santa Ynez Valley has plenty else to do. The valley was a ranching area before viticulture became big here, and horse riding is still a popular outdoor activity. There's also several nice towns to explore. Situated between Happy Canyon and the Los Olivos District, the town of Santa Ynez is home to a number of restaurants and has the vibe of a cowboy town. It is also the warmest and sunniest town in the valley. At the northern end of the Los Olivos District, the town of Los Olivos is filled with Victorian homes, boutiques, and art galleries. It has also hosted several TV, film, and music video shoots. The TV movie, Return to Mayberry, and the Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson video for Say! Say! Say! were both filmed around Los Olivos. In fact, Michael Jackson liked the area so much that he built his Neverland Ranch several miles outside of town. And of course, some filming for Sideways was done here, including... I am not drinking any ******* Merlot! ...that scene. At the southern end of the Los Olivos District is Solvang. This town proudly celebrates its Danish heritage, to levels almost bordering on kitschy, and is home to several Danish bakeries and a very good sausage and beer garden. At the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley is Lompoc. Sitting just outside Vanderburg Air Force Ba... Vanderburg Space Force Base, this town was founded in the 1870s as part of a temperance colony, and is now, ironically, home to numerous winery tasting rooms. Its eastern location makes it the coolest and cloudiest town in the valley. And in the middle, situated between the Santa Rita Hills and Ballard Canyon, is Bealton. Sitting right off of the 101, this town's central location is a perfect jumping-off point for all parts of the valley. It has numerous restaurants and hotels, from national chains, if you're looking for some Hamptonality, to local joints with their own unique character. One unique local accommodation is the Sideways Inn. Nestled between the 101 and an RV park off of Highway 246, this motel opened in the 1980s under the name Windmill Inn, taking its name from the windmill containing the property's main lobby. The Windmill Inn was where Miles and Jack stayed during their trip to the valley, and many scenes from the movie were filmed here. It was purchased by Highway West Vacations in the mid-2010s, who gave it its current aim to capitalize on interest generated by the film. The current owners remodeled the inn, giving it a more bougie aesthetic. The new Sideways branding is heavily emphasized. The trademark windmill is still there, with plenty of Sideways merchandise for sale inside, as is the outdoor pool, with fire pits also around the property. The Sideways Lounge has a nice variety of wines and beers available, and a sausage food truck is on site providing a bite to eat for guests. They also offer a knock-and-drop breakfast service for guests so they can eat before heading out for the day. We start our exploration of the area wineries to the west, at the Peak Ranch Winery in the Santa Rita Hills. The former home of the Sanford Winery, Peak Ranch is owned by John and Gil Wagner, and is home to some excellent cold climate wines. Some examples of these are their Chardonnays. Their 2018 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a rich wine, with vanilla and butterscotch flavors, and kiwi fruit on the finish. Their Peak Ranch Chardonnay is creamier than the Santa Barbara County, with less pronounced vanilla flavor. This wine also has good apricot flavors, with kiwi on the finish. Peak Ranch also makes great Pinot Noirs, like their 2018 Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir. This is a bright and smooth wine, with flavors of strawberries and bing cherries. In addition to Burgundian varieties, Peak Ranch also makes some Gruner Veltliner. This Austrian variety does well here, and Peak's 2020 Santa Rita Hills Gruner Veltliner has a round body, with crisp apple flavors, leaning towards Granny Smith apples. Staying in the Santa Rita Hills, we go to the Pence Vineyards and Winery. The vineyard was started by Blair Pence, stemming from his fascination with Burgundian wines, and they also grow Gamay, the main grape of Beaujolais. They currently have small production levels, and only sell their wines direct to customers, at their winery, or through their website. Their 2020 Estate PTG is a 50-50 blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay. This is a light-bodied, Beaujolais-style wine, with bright cherry flavor, and hints of cranberry. Their 2019 Estate Pinot Noir gives flavors of cherry and strawberry, and has some light tannins to balance out the fruit. Their 2018 Estate Chardonnay is a bright wine, with pineapple flavor, and some subtle vanilla notes. Before we head to the eastern side of the valley, let's stop back in Buellton. If you're not a wine drinker, and beer is more your thing, the Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company may be for you. Founded in 2010 by the father-and-son team of Jim and Jamie Deatonhofer, they have four taprooms around the Central Coast region of California, but their brewery is located here in Buellton. During my visit there, I tried their Munich-style Dunkle. Named, I Dunkled In My Pants, this dark brown lager had subtle chocolate and coffee flavors, without being too sweet. If IPAs are more your style, their Hoppy Poppy IPA is a good one. It had flavors of citrus and pine, and was balanced with malty sweetness. Moving back to wine, we go into Ballard Canyon, and to the Russack Vineyards. Established in 1995 by Jeff and Allison Wrigley-Russack, the grapes grown on the estate are roughly 50% Syrah, which they make some excellent wines from. But they also source some cold climate grapes from the Santa Rita Hills and the Santa Maria Valley for some of their wines. An example of this is the 2018 Bien Nacido Chardonnay. Made with grapes from the Bien Nacido vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, this gives off tropical fruit flavors of mango and pineapple, with some hints of butterscotch. Another is their 2016 Salmon Hills Pinot Noir. This is a bright wine with cherry and subtle vanilla flavors, and soft tannins. They also make great warm climate wines, like their 2018 Santa Catalina Zinfandel. This is a light-bodied Zin, with flavors of tart cherry and allspice. Moving into the Los Olivos District, we go to Rideau Vineyard. This was established in 1997 by Iris Rideau. Originally from New Orleans, Iris was the first African-American woman winemaker and winery owner. She sold the vineyard in 2016, which is now owned by Martin and Isabel Gouther. First is their 2018 Estate Viognier. This bright Viognier has strong honeysuckle flavors and minerality. Next is their Roussant. This white wine is creamy with strong butterscotch flavors and minimal fruitiness. Finally, their 2017 Estate Syrah is a lighter-bodied Syrah, with dark cherry flavors and soft tannins. In the town of Los Olivos is Carhartt Family Wines. They were founded in 1996 by Mike and Brooke Carhartt. Mike, whose great-grandfather Hamilton Carhartt started the famous clothing brand, converted the family horse ranch into a vineyard, with Brooke as the winemaker. Their son Chris is now part of the family business as co-winemaker. Like Pence, Carhartt Family Wines is a small operation, only selling direct to customers. Carhartt's 2020 Venture Buffalo is a chilled red made from the lesser-known Rhone grapes and so. It has boysenberry flavors with mild tannins. Their 2018 Revel Rhone is a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah, Avedra, and Petite Syrah. It is medium-bodied, has blackberry flavor with hints of black pepper. Carhartt also grows Italian varietals, which are showcased in their 2017 Venture Equilibrio. Made from Montepulciano and Sangiovese, this wine has dark cherry and herbal flavors with gripping tannins. Moving east of town, we come to Vincent's Vineyards. Founded in 1989 by Tony Vincent, who previously worked in show business and real estate, they mostly grow Bordeaux varietals, with some Rhone grapes included in the mix. Their staff was very helpful during my visit, giving some great pointers on where to take good photos and videos of their vines. They had a couple of Sauvignon Blancs on offer when I visited. Their 2019 Sauvignon Blanc used a blend of stainless steel and concrete tank aging, and had pineapple and cantaloupe flavors. They also had a Sauvignon Blanc from that same year that was 100% concrete aged. The acidity of this wine was dialed back, and it had flavors of cantaloupe and pear. Moving on to their Reds, the Bar V Ranch Road Wine is a 90-10 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, respectively. This wine had blackberry flavors, with hints of pepper on the finish. Their 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon had flavors of dark cherry, strong tannins, and black pepper, and a hint of thyme on the finish. Moving south, we reach Sunstone Winery. Founded in 1989 by Fred and Linda Rice, this was the first organic vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. Sunstone was purchased by Teddy and Jamala Cabugos in 2019. The 2020 Chardonnay from Sunstone reflects the warmer climate of the eastern end of the Santa Anaz Valley. It has flavors of vanilla and butterscotch, with some subtle flavors of papaya. The 2020 Grenache Rosé has a round body with watermelon flavors. The 2019 Estate Syrah is a bright wine with flavors of fresh strawberries. Finally, the 2018 Estate Merlot Reserve is an earthier wine. It has boysenberry flavor with gripping tannins. Near the eastern end of the valley is the Ganey Estate Vineyards. This vineyard was established in 1984 by Dan J. Ganey on land that was previously a family cattle and horse ranch. In addition to this eastern vineyard, Ganey also owns several vineyards out west in the Santa Rita Hills. The 2021 Ganey Vineyard Limited Selection Estate Syrah has a ripeness that reflects the terroir of the eastern valley. It has flavors of ripe cherry and raspberry, has big tannins that give leather and tobacco notes, and has black pepper on the finish. By contrast, the 2021 Evans Ranch Lone Oak Vineyard Syrah comes from a vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills. This wine is brighter, with fresh raspberry flavors, milder tannins, and hints of white pepper on the finish. Heading back to Buellton, we go to Hitching Post Wines. This winery was started by Hitching Post chef and owner Frank Castini and former Alaska fisherman Gray Hartley. Their first release was in 1985, and the winery highlights grapes from Santa Barbara County with a focus on Pinot Noir. The 2019 Cartagas Chardonnay comes from a vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley, north of the Santa Anaz Valley. This is a bright, light-bodied chardonnay with flavors of pineapple and lemon and hints of minerality. The 2021 St. Rita's Earth Pinot Noir comes from several vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills. This is a bright red wine with fresh raspberry and strawberry flavors and a long finish. The 2021 Four Top Blend is a richer red wine. With 85% Merlot from the warm, happy canyon in the eastern Santa Anaz Valley, this has flavors of blackberry and hints of leather and cocoa. Despite its richness, this wine is not too heavy. No trip to the Santa Anaz Valley would be complete without dining at Hitching Post II. As the name implies, this is the second Hitching Post restaurant, with the first one opening in Casamalia, California in 1952. Frank Astini and his wife Natalie opened Hitching Post II in Buelton in 1986. The Hitching Post specializes in Santa Maria-style barbecue, which involves grilling meats on a large grill with red oak coals. Now, being from North Carolina, I admittedly cringe a bit when I hear grilling referred to as barbecue, but it does fall more in line with the barbecuing tradition of places like Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa. While sirloin tri-tips are most associated with Santa Maria barbecue, Hitching Post II offers a wide variety of steaks, other meats, and even grilled artichokes, which is one of their specialties. A meal at the Hitching Post is best paired with a glass or two of Hitching Post wine. For my meal, I started out with a 2018 Perfect Set Pinot Noir. This bright, light-bodied wine had a lot of earthy flavors of mushroom and tobacco, as well as white pepper. There were flavor notes of fresh strawberry, but they were subdued compared to the earthier notes. I followed that up with a 2018 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir. With grapes from its namesake vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills, this wine had a depth of flavor while having a good amount of acidity to balance it out. This wine had fresh strawberry flavors, soft tannins, and hints of leather. Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the flagship wine from the Hitching Post, the Highliner Pinot Noir. Featured heavily in the movie and a favorite of Miles, this blend of Pinot Noir grapes from across Santa Barbara County showcases the best of what the region has to offer. I naturally tried the Highliner, but instead of describing it here, I'm saving it for a future video about Pinot Noir, where I'll compare it with numerous other Pinot Noirs from around the world. That video will be out in the coming months. Subscribe to the channel and enable notifications to get an alert when it's released. Whether you're a fan of the movie sideways or not, the Santa Ynez Valley is worth a visit. Its unique geography allows for a great diversity of wines, from cold climate Pinots to warmer Syrahs, in a gorgeous setting that's more laid back than other wine regions in California. The valley also has things to offer visitors outside of wine, and all within a short distance from the second largest city in the United States. The Santa Ynez Valley is truly one of America's best wine destinations. Thanks for watching. Hopefully you enjoyed this guided trip through the Santa Ynez Valley. If so, let me know by clicking the like button. If you want to see more video tours through the world's most renowned beverage destinations, then click subscribe and the bell icon, so you'll be notified when new videos are released. Have you visited the Santa Ynez Valley? If so, what were your thoughts of the region and its wine? What is your favorite beverage? Let me know in the comments. Thanks again, and until next time, good night, pleasant dreams, and come again!