Santa Maria is located near San Luis Obispo in California. It may be one of the lesser-known wine regions in California, but it offers great tasting wines, gorgeous scenery, and is affordable. Wine tasting in Santa Maria is the perfect weekend getaway and a great stop along a California road trip, especially up the coast.
Disclaimer: Special thanks to Sextant for hosting me on my visit. As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.
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History of Santa Maria
Santa Maria was once home to the Chumash people for thousands of years. In 1769, the Spanish explored the area and established two missions in the area. After California gained statehood in 1850, the area turned into farmlands and there was an agricultural boom in the region. In 1888, oil was discovered in the area and created another boom. Present-day oil wells are still in operation in the area in addition to the wine production.
How to Get to Santa Maria
Santa Maria does have a small airport that offers direct flights from several places along the west coast such as Las Vegas, Mesa, and Portland. If you cannot find a good deal into Santa Maria, you can also opt to fly into Los Angeles International Airport or the Santa Barbara Airport.
From Los Angeles, get on the 405 north to the 101 north. Drive for about 97 miles and you will get to Santa Maria.
When to Visit Santa Maria
Since Santa Maria is along the California Coast, the weather is always quite nice. If you want to see the vineyards in full bloom, visit in the summertime, or the early fall. Winter and springtime will see the wineries being less busy. No matter what, you cannot go wrong wine tasting in Santa Maria.
Where to Stay in Santa Maria
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Santa Maria hotels here!
Santa Maria has quite a few hotels and it is not a huge city. We opted to stay at the Hampton Inn Santa Maria as it was a little over $100/night. Make sure to always check out Priceline Express Deals, as these can save you tons of money.
Transportation Around Santa Maria
You will want a car to get around Santa Maria, especially if you are coming from Los Angeles. Opt to get your rental car from Autoslash, as they often have the best deals. You can also opt to take the wine trolley that will take you to three different wineries in the area which is a perfect option for wine tasting in Santa Maria. Tickets cost $10. Note it is not running right now due to COVID.
Best Wineries in Santa Maria
Santa Maria is home to 34 wineries and tasting rooms. All of them have something different to offer and have amazing wines. Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs are the typical wines produced in this region, but you can also find other varietals as well. You can easily spend a weekend just wine tasting in Santa Maria at the various tasting rooms.
Cottonwood Canyon Vineyard and Winery
Cost: $20/person
Hours: Thus-Mon: 11am-5pm, Closed Tues-Wed
Best Wine: 2018 Chardonnay
Cottonwood Canyon is a smaller boutique winery perfect for wine tasting in Santa Maria. This 78 acre estate was founded in 1988. You can opt to do a tasting for $20/person for 6 tastes. You can also take a cave tour for $40.
The winery is super gorgeous and had a great Chardonnay and Syrah. For the tasting you got to try two Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Syrahs. One was a new release and one was a more aged version. I liked that you were able to compare the two and it was totally worth the $20.
Presqu’ile Winery
Cost: $30/person
Hours: Mon, Wed-Fri: 12pm-5pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-5pm, Closed Tues
Best Wine: Gamay and Rose
Presqu’ile (press-keel) Winery may have been my favorite stop in this region. This gorgeous family owned winery is set atop a hill and offers spectacular views of the area (and the ocean on a clear day). In 2007, the family obtained 200 acres of land and began growing grapes to produce Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah.
A tasting here costs $30 for 6 wines. However, we were also given 3 additional tastings on top of that. We also opted to do the food and wine tasting for $60. This was so worth it as they give you a ton of delicious food sourced from the area. The offerings change depending on what is in season.
Riverbench Vineyard and Winery
Cost: $25-$30/person
Hours: 11am-3pm
Best Wine: 2017 Pinot Noir
Riverbench was originally planted in the 1970s and produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sparkling Wine. It currently contains 115 acres of Pinot Noir grapes and 15 acres of Chardonnay grapes. The winery offers a relaxed atmosphere for wine tasting in Santa Maria and it is a great place to chill.
You can opt to do the $25 Estate Tasting or the $30 Library Tasting, both of which come with 6 wines to try. In the Estate Tasting, you get a sampling of Riverbench’s wines. If you opt for the Library Tasting, you do a side-by-side tasting of three past and three current vintages for each style of wine.
Sextant Winery (Edna Valley Location)
Cost: $20/person
Hours: 10am-5pm
Sextant Winery is one of my favorite wineries in the Edna Valley region. Owned by Craig and Nancy Stoller, this winery began in 2001. Present-day, it boasts two different locations, each with a unique experience. The Edna Valley location was once a small town -complete with a brothel, post office, and general store.
At the Edna Valley location, visitors can relax on one of the patios and enjoy food from the Gourmet Deli: the on-site restaurant. I highly recommend grabbing lunch while tasting here as the food was delicious. Everything is made fresh daily. Make sure not to miss the Peep Flatbread and the Sextant Bars.
A tasting here costs $20 for a mixed flight of 5 different wines. I really enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Chardonnay.
Other Noteworthy Wineries in Santa Maria include Bien Nacido, Cambria Estate, and Foxen Vineyard.
Wine Tasting in Santa Maria during COVID
Note: Due to COVID, you will need to make reservations for all of these wineries ahead of time. You will not be allowed in without a reservation. To make a reservation, go to each winery’s website. All tasting will be held outside and face covering are required unless you are sitting at your table.
Other Things to do besides Wine Tasting in Santa Maria
Although Santa Maria may be a smaller town, it does offer quite a few things to keep you entertained besides wine tasting. If looking for a nice dinner, head to Jocko’s Steakhouse for a delicious meal. Jocko’s is very reasonably priced and comes with a ton of food. It is open every day for dinner.
Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes
Near Santa Maria lies the Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes, which are the largest remaining dunes south of San Francisco. You can opt to visit the complex itself, or head to the Guadalupe Nipomo Dunes Center. At the center, you can learn about the ecosystems of the area as well as the local access points to the dunes. The Center is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
Hiking
Santa Maria has a ton of different hiking trails perfect for people of all levels. Check out a complete list of hikes in the area here.
Santa Maria Museum of Flight
The Santa Maria Museum of Flight is located near the airport and celebrates the history of flight. It is open Friday-Sunday. Visitors get the chance to visit two hangers with aircraft displays from all different eras.
No matter what, wine tasting in Santa Maria makes for a fun weekend getaway. If you have extra time, head north to spend time in Paso Robles, Healdsburg, Napa, and Sonoma. You can also opt to head south to the Santa Ynez Valley or Temecula. If interested in visiting some National Parks, Pinnacles and Channel Islands are both nearby.
