Santa Barbara County (SBC) wine country lies within geographical features unique to North and South America. A coastal mountain range runs north-south along the entire west coast of the Americas. However, in one location, halfway down the length of California, the range makes a brief turn east. The vines of SBC, then, sit within the only transverse mountain ranges of the two continents. One frames the wide, open Santa Maria Valley and the other hugs the north and south borders of Santa Ynez...
Santa Barbara County – kicking off with Chardonnay
Tuesday 2 February 2016
This is the first of a series of articles about the exciting wines of Santa Barbara County.
Become a member to continue reading
Celebrating 25 years of building the world’s most trusted wine community
In honour of our anniversary, enjoy 25% off all annual and gift memberships for a limited time.
Use code HOLIDAY25 to join our community of wine experts and enthusiasts. Valid through 1 January.
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 286,346 wine reviews & 15,820 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 286,346 wine reviews & 15,820 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 286,346 wine reviews & 15,820 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 286,346 wine reviews & 15,820 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Tasting articles
Tasting articles
See also the companion article on sparkling, white and rosé wines published last month. For more ports and Madeiras, see...
Tasting articles
Part one of a two-part exploration of change in the vineyards of southern France.
Not for the first time, I’ve...
Tasting articles
A comparative tasting of champagne from the highly acclaimed 1996 vintage and the overshadowed 1995. And a daring way to...
Tasting articles
Sherry, port and Madeira in profusion. This is surely the time of year when you can allow yourself to take...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Nick on restaurants
An annual round-up of gastronomic pleasure. Above, the German island of Sylt which provided Nick with an excess of it...
Inside information
The penultimate episode of a seven-part podcast series giving the definitive story of Jancis’s life and career so far. For...
Wine news in 5
Plus potential fraud in Vinho Verde, China’s recognition of Burgundy appellations, and the campaign for protected land in Australia’s Barossa...
Free for all
Go on, spoil yourself! A version of this article is published by the Financial Times . Above, my glasses being...
Wines of the week
A brilliantly buzzy white wine with the power to transform deliciously over many years. And prices start at just €19.90...
Inside information
On South Africa’s remote West Coast an unlikely fortified-wine revival is taking place. Malu Lambert reports.
Saldanha’s castle is an...
Inside information
Part three of an eight-part series on how to pair wine with Asian flavours, adapted from Richard’s book. Click here...
Book reviews
A compelling call to really look at your wine before you drink it, and appreciate the power of colour.
The...