There are an amazing number of vineyards throughout California, but sorting through the options and determining which producers actually offer tasting rooms can be a pretty daunting task. Here you will find all of the information you will need to schedule your own trip to the best tasting rooms around!
The Southern Central Coast region as part of this article primarily covers two counties of California: San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County. As described by wineinstitute.org, the top grape variety for wine in San Luis Obispo County is Cabernet Sauvignon with 8,600 acres. Merlot comes in at second with 4,200 acres of land. Chardonnay tops the wine grape variety in Santa Barbara County with 7,100 acres, with Pinot Noir coming in next with 3,200 acres.
The wineries on this list were chosen based on the criteria of: Highly rated wines (across multiple rating sources), open to the public, and a focus on non-commercial brands with wide distribution. This list is by no means a comprehensive list, but rather a selection of top choices to help with your planning of a trip to the area.
Please feel free to comment with your feedback. We would like to hear from you if there are any other vineyards you feel belong on this list!
Map Instructions
- Zoom in using the “+” icon to see names for the tasting rooms that are in close proximity to each other
- Click on the Tasting Room pin to see more details on the winery, including open hours and contact information
