Come as you are, plan on spending a night or two and experience the Central Coast’s most historic wine.If it’s been too long since your last weekend getaway and you need to stock your wine shelf (and fridge), we’ve got your

weekend wine plans, stock lock and barrel. Santa Maria Valley is the oldest American Viticultural Area (AVA) on the Central

Coast and the primary growing region for all Santa Barbara County wines. The geography in Santa Maria Valley is transverse,

which allows coastal breezes to blow in and linger, creating a cool environment for grapes to grow in and hang on the vine

longer. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes really love it here, as will you.

Beyond exceptional wine, the people here are just as special. In fact, National Geographic recognized Santa Maria Valley as

one of the top 25 happiest cities in the United States. Plain and simple, the good folks in this valley will welcome you like

family. You can expect a casual wine scene where you don’t have to swirl your wine ‘just so’ to fit in, and you’re likely to meet

the winemakers themselves in the tasting rooms you visit.

Day 1

• Breakfast at Kay’s Country Kitchen

• Grab to-go snacks at Old Town Market

• Visit cnagy and CORE tasting rooms

• Ride the Wine Trolley (in season)

• Presquile Winery

• Cottonwood Canyon Winery

• Costa de Oro Tasting Room

• Dinner at The Swiss in Santa Maria

Day 2

• Brunch at Far Western Tavern (Sun-days)

• Riverbench Winery

• Rancho Sisquoc Winery

• Foxen Winery

• Late lunch at Bell’s in Los Alamos

• Catch the sunset at Cambria

WINE WEEKEND ITINERARY

Day One

Start your day in Santa Maria Valley’s Old Town Orcutt. The charming, walkable East Clark street is the perfect starting point to your

day of tasting. You’ll enjoy breakfast at Kay’s Country Kitchen. Try a local’s favorite, the Santa Maria Style tri-tip and eggs.

Then, head to cnagy and CORE tasting rooms to kick off your day of Santa Maria Valley wine tasting. cnagy Wines is owned by

winemaker and Santa Maria Valley native, Clarissa Nagy. She makes her cnagy brand wines using grapes from several vineyards

around the region including Bien Nacido, Riverbench, Garey Ranch and White Hawk. Clarissa works with the grapes she has grown

to love as a winemaker and wine lover. You can taste for yourself the sophistication in her Viognier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and

Syrah. CORE Winery is owned by Dave and Becky Corey. Best known for their red blends, CORE blends small lots of their favorite

varietals, Mourvedre and Grenache.

Your Trip at a Glance

SantaMariaValley.com/plan-your-trip #SantaMariaStyle

While visiting CORE, you can purchase a ticket to ride the Santa Maria Valley Wine Trolley which is the best way to taste a variety of Santa Maria Valley

wines with safe transportation. The trolley makes stops along the Foxen

Canyon Wine Trail every Saturday and Sunday from mid-May to mid-October.

The trolley route takes an hour, allowing riders to step on and step off at your

leisure.

The first vineyard stop is one of Santa Maria Valley’s most beautiful and

renowned wineries, Presqu’ile. At Presqu’ile, you can enjoy delicious wines

and sweeping scenic views with even a peek at the ocean on a clear day.

Voted a top 10 tasting room in USA Today’s 2018 Reader’s Choice Awards,

Presqu’ile focuses on making wines from around the area as well as from their

sustainably farmed vineyard. Taste the Santa Maria Valley blend and compare

this to the single vineyard designate wines for a true Pinot Noir educational

experience.

Next, enjoy boutique crafted wines at Cottonwood Canyon Winery and Vineyard. Cottonwood Canyon’s 78-acre estate specializes in hand-crafted Pino Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay. Santa Maria Valley’s

cool growing environment coupled with Cottonwood’s hands off approach to winemaking produces age-worthy wines similar to

what you would find with most French Burgundies.

Your last Trolley stop will be at Costa de Oro, a vineyard that uses old-world winemaking styles and new-world grape growing

methods to make their complex and harmonious Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. A veteran of the Santa Maria wine industry,

winemaker Gary Burk uses the artistry of old world winemaking styles and new world grape growing practices to make wines of

character. Try the “CF” Pinot Noir, a smooth expression of the grape with layers of flavors such as spice, earth, and fruit.

By now you’ve worked up an appetite. We like to joke that Santa Maria Valley wine is best paired with jeans (because we

really are that laid back here) but truly the best wine pairing is with our legendary barbecue. Check out one of our classic Santa

Maria Style barbecue joints like The Swiss, located in Santa Maria.

Day Two

Wake up, hydrate and head back to Orcutt to enjoy a #SantaMariaStyle brunch at Far Western Tavern for some contemporary

California ranch cuisine. Then, choose a designated driver as you head out to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail to spend the another day

exploring more vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley.

Pro Tips

» Your room key will get you a free tasting at participating wineries.

» Check winery websites to book special wine tours in advance, like the cave tour at Cottonwood Canyon.

» When in season, the wine trolley makes a its first and final stops at the Radisson hotel.

SantaMariaValley.com/plan-your-trip #SantaMariaStyle

Deep in the heart of the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, you’ll find Riverbench’s craftsman style tasting room in the middle of their

estate vineyard. Here, you can sample various clones of Pinot Noir from historic vines planted in 1973. The vineyard is planted

on the steep river bank known as the Santa Maria Bench and gives you a real sense of the unique geography of the valley. Try the

Pommard Pinot Noir, made of an old world Burgundian clone, for something more assertive and sophisticated or the the Bedrock

Chardonnay for a glimpse of unadulterated Chardonnay.

Make the scenic drive to the rustic Rancho Sisquoc Winery and explore Santa Maria Valley culture and wine together. Rancho

Sisquoc is part of a Mexican land grant back in 1852, prior to that, the Chumash Indians called the area Sisquoc or gathering place.

Today, the winery grows more than 300 acres of grapes to make their exquisite wines and is indeed a gathering place for those who

love wine and the beautiful landscape along the Sisquoc river.

Your next vineyard is Foxen Winery, a sustainable, solar-powered winery that’s been growing grapes for more than 30 years.

The “Foxen Boys,” Bill Wathen and Dick Doré, have been making wine together since 1985. Since that time, their dedication has

remained the same: the creation of small production, sustainably farmed, vineyard focused wines. One of the most recognized

names of the Santa Maria Valley, Foxen Winery offers more than six types of wines. The Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir is a fantastic

representation of the area style.

Keep making your way a bit south until you find yourself at Bell’s in Los

Alamos for a late lunch. This French-inspired bistro menu includes plates

like handmade pasta, steak frites, rotisserie chicken and salads. A late

lunch or early dinner is best on Sundays as Bell’s closes at 5:00 p.m.

Now you’re just in time to catch a spectacular sunset from Cambria Winery. With gorgeous valley views and a sneak peek at the barrel room

from inside the tasting room, you can get a great sense of winemaking

at Cambria. Sip on their delicious Chardonnays from the region while

learning about the 200 years of farming history at this beautiful estate.

The single vineyard designate Katherine’s Vineyard is a beautiful, classic

style Chardonnay.

With 34 tasting rooms within a 30-minute drive, two days isn’t nearly long enough to experience all that Santa Maria Valley has to

offer. If you can, stay a bit longer or make plans to come back again soon. With so much do do from here, Santa Maria Valley is the

perfect home base on the central California coast where you can eat, drink and do more for less.

NOTES:

SantaMariaValley.com/plan-your-trip #SantaMariaStyle