Santa Barbara Wine Tour: Private Estates & Vineyard Tastings

Skip the Tasting Rooms: Taste Wine Where It's Made

You visit three to four private Santa Barbara wine estates on the Santa Ynez Wine Trail, taste limited-release wines in seated settings often with the winemakers themselves, walk through vineyards and barrel rooms, and eat an organic lunch: all in a group of no more than eight people. Hotel pickup and drop-off in a luxury coach are included, and you avoid the crowded commercial tasting rooms entirely.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private wine tastings at estates

• Travel to Santa Ynez Wine Trail
• Taste limited release wines seated
• Visit ultra small production wineries
• Tour vineyards and barrel rooms
• Meet owners and winemakers

The experience

"Most people come here and hit the same five places everyone else does," our guide said as we pulled away from the main strip in Los Olivos. "We go to the ones that don't have signs." That's the whole point of this Santa Barbara wine tour. You're not standing at a crowded bar with thirty other people trying to hear the pourer over the noise. Instead, you're in a private vineyard estate or a small winery's barrel room, often with the owner or winemaker pouring for your group of six or seven. The tour runs about six hours, and it moves at a pace that lets you actually talk to people instead of rushing through.

The day starts with pickup from your hotel in a luxury Mercedes coach, and then you head out to the Santa Ynez Wine Trail to visit ultra-small production wineries that don't open to walk-in traffic. These are appointment-only places: the kind where you taste limited-release wines in a seated setting, not standing up at a counter. You'll walk through private vineyards, see the barrel rooms where the wine ages, and hear directly from the people making it. No commercial tasting rooms, no crowds, no feeling like you're on an assembly line. The whole thing is built around the idea that wine tastes better when you're not elbowing past tourists.

Lunch is organic (you choose between sandwiches or salads), and it comes with a cheese platter. Bottled water is included throughout the day. The group stays small by design, capped at eight people, which means the winemakers and owners actually have time to talk to you instead of giving a scripted spiel to a mob. By the end of the afternoon, you've tasted real wine from real producers, learned something about how it's made, and you're not exhausted from navigating a tourist trap. The coach drops you back at your hotel in the evening.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in a luxury Mercedes coach, private seated wine tastings at ultra-small production wineries and vineyard estates, private vineyard walking tours, private barrel room and winery production tours (often with owners and winemakers), organic lunch with your choice of sandwiches or salads, cheese platter, and bottled water throughout the day.

Information

Lasts , runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 235 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 7 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupUp to 7 · max 6 per booking6 private ›

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

AgesAdult (21 and older) · Under 21: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by SUSTAINABLE WINE TOURS

Is this one for you?This tour suits wine drinkers who want to taste real wines from small producers without the commercial tasting room experience: the small group size and private locations are what make conversations with winemakers possible in a single afternoon.

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Top questions

What's the difference between this tour and regular Santa Barbara wine tastings?

This tour visits private, appointment-only vineyard estates and small production wineries not open to the public. You taste seated wines in private settings with owners and winemakers, not at crowded commercial tasting rooms.

How many people are on the tour?

Maximum of eight guests per tour, usually six or seven. The small group size is intentional so you can have real conversations with the winemakers.

How long is the tour?

About six hours total, including pickup and drop-off from your hotel.

Is lunch included?

Yes. You choose from organic sandwiches or salads, and a cheese platter is provided. Bottled water is included throughout the day.

What's the minimum age?

You must be at least 21 years old to participate.

Do I need to arrange my own transportation?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off in a luxury Mercedes coach are included in the tour price.

Can I bring children?

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, but the tour is designed for adults 21 and older due to wine tasting.

What should I wear?

Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes. You'll be walking through vineyards and wineries.