You’ve all seen Sideways,* so you already know how beautiful Santa Barbara wine country is. The narrow back-country roads wind endlessly through the undulating hills lined with geometrically perfect rows of grapevines and meadows spotted with old California scrub oaks. With its impossibly blue sky, its cooling ocean breeze (depending on where in the County you are), and its relative lack of crowds (in comparison to, say, Napa), I can think of fewer places I’d rather be.
You’ll rub elbows with old salty dog fisherman and SB locals in the know and dine on some of the best and freshest seafood around. Order the ceviche and the beer boiled shrimp. You won’t be disappointed.
Mrs. Rusack is the granddaughter of William Wrigley, Jr. (as in Wrigley Field), who used to own 
Catalina Island. In fact, the Rusack label actually has a picture of a piece of Catalina Tile – a little shout out to the family’s rich history. All of Rusack’s wines are great, but my favorite is, of course, the Pinot Noir….
came), and pass through Buellton. Continue along the 246 until you reach another of my favorites – Foley. Foley recently brought on Kris Curran (formerly of Sea Smoke) as winemaker, and she has done absolute wonders with Foley’s wines. There’s not much else I can say except that you simply must stop and taste. I, of course, love the Pinot Noir, but virtually every wine on their tasting list is fantastic. I’d especially recommend giving their award-winning Rose a shot. It’s remarkably dry and balanced and has none of the cloying sweetness of many pink wines.Once you’re done at Foley, continue west along the 246 until you see the driveway for Melville and Babcock. They share the same exit off the highway but split soon thereafter, with Melville on the right and Babcock up the hill on the left. J and I attended the Winemaker’s Dinner at Melville in April, and it was fantastic. We had a chance to do vertical tastings (the same wine from different vintages) of virtually all of their wines, and it really gave us an appreciation for how much thought winemakers put into each and every wine they make.
Finally, head up the hill to Babcock,*** which makes upwards of a dozen wines these days. Some years I wish they’d scale back and focus on just a few, but other years they really seem to hit the mark with every single wine they offer. If possible, see if you can try the Ocean’s Ghost Pinot 
Noir. As the name implies, it’s made from grapes grown closest to the ocean and has a magical sort of earthiness not found in some of the grapes grown further inland.
Once you’ve finished your tasting at Babcock, you’ll probably be ready for a good meal. If you’re up for a great steak (accompanied by a great Pinot), stop in at the Hitching Post in Buellton.**** Other good options are Patrick’s Side Street Cafe or the Los Olivos Cafe, both in Los Olivos. If you’re staying the night (which I recommend if you haven’t had a designated driver all day), stay at the Hadsten House in Solvang. It’s brand new and is very modern and comfortable and has none of the cheesy Danish decor found elsewhere in Solvang.
And there you have it. A perfect day of wine tasting in Santa Barbara County! I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have!!
Next up: San Luis Obispo County (Paso Robles area). I haven’t spent much time in or around Paso Robles, so any wine or food recommendations are extremely welcome! Send them to corkpopper.blog@gmail.com!!
* Lest anyone think my love for Santa Barbara Pinot Noir is somehow due to the movie Sideways, the film was actually released in 2004, a year AFTER I graduated from college. ** A shout out to JL, with whom I often argue about wine. He pretty much despises Pinot Noir,
poor chap.
*** A note to those from SoCal. The Babcock family actually owns Walt’s Wharf, an really fantastic seafood restaurant in Seal Beach. They don’t take reservations, but it’s well worth the wait…
**** I know, I know. Another Sideways location. Sometimes, however, the movies just get it right.
