One day USA Travel Guide may get to Napa Valley, what with all its pomp and prestige, but until then we’re perfectly happy sipping our way through the lesser-knowns. A couple months back we visited the Livermore Valley outside of San Francisco. Today we’re heading even farther afield to the Santa Ynez wine region just north of Santa Barbara, California. Join us for a Back-Country Wine Tour out of Santa Barbara.
The Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours Company knows Santa Barbara and the wine region better than anyone, having run comprehensive tours of the area for over 10 years. In fact, the company much resembles the wineries on their tours: family run and inspired by the beauty and bounty of Southern California.
The company offers several tour options, from excursions deep into the Santa Ynez Mountains to hunting trips, but today we’re all about that beloved beverage that my wife assures me “tastes like burning”: wine. Whatever your poison – red, white, varietals – the wineries of Santa Ynez have the perfect pour, and the Back-Country Wine Tour is your chance to sample from the best.
You’re morning starts when you climb aboard a cushy 4-7 passenger jeep in Santa Barbara. It’s about an hour drive up to the wine region (near Solvang), but the splendid scenery and your driver’s friendly narration will have the time passed before long. You’ll know when you made it. The lush vineyards stretch for miles in every direction, rolling along with the attractive contours of the wine country.
Don’t go all Avatar on us now, there’s wine to taste. The Back-Country Wine Tour includes visits to four wineries for tastings, wine discussions and conversation. The Santa Ynez Wine Country has over 20 excellent wineries, and your scheduled four aren’t necessarily set in stone. I can’t predict just where you’ll be headed, so if you’d like a little prep, I recommend you read up on the Santa Barbara wineries.
After four stops and a gourmet deli lunch (sandwiches, but, you know, good sandwiches), it’s finally time to head back home. On the return trip, your driver will give you a taste of Cloud Climbers’ gamier tours with a couple canyon trails.
All in all, it’s a good a use of six and a half hours as any you’ll find in Santa Barbara. If you’re a wine lover in Southern California looking for something new, treat yourself to the Back-Country Wine Tour of Santa Barbara by Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours.
Info: $120 per adult/semi-private tour, or $550 for a private jeep for four. Includes live narrated tour, tastings at 4 wineries, a logo wine glass and gourmet lunch at one of the wineries. Tours depart from Santa Barbara at 10:00 a.m. Learn more.
Hotel: We love staying in Santa Barbara as much as we love exploring its top attractions. Stay at one of our favorite Santa Barbara hotels with the Holiday Inn Santa Barbara – Goleta Hotel.
Have fun!
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One Comment
Love wine tasting in Santa Barbara! One of the best things you could possibly do if you are in the area! The Santa Ynez mountains are so lovely and gorgeous-they are very reminiscent of the South of Spain and their gorgeous rolling hills. I was just in SB and I had a great time enjoying the scenery and sipping on some grade A red wine! I stayed in town at the South Coast Inn (www.santa-barbara-hotel.com). So elegant and in the best possible area to catch up on some much needed R&R!
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