Located along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail in the Santa Maria Valley AVA, just north of Santa Barbara, sits the beautiful vineyards and tasting room of Cambria Estate Winery. Just 15 miles from the Pacific Ocean, at the northern end of the Foxen Canyon, this is cool climate country and ideal for planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
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Santa Barbara County is the southern half of California’s Central Coast wine region. It takes in almost 10,000 km2 moving north from Santa Barbara to Santa Maria and then inland from there. It combines stunning beauty, from gorgeous coastlines to beautiful interior rolling hills. And as we recently discovered, it is making some outstanding wines at very fair prices.
Just an hour and a half’s drive from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara encompasses a delightful span of California’s central coast that is surprisingly underdeveloped particularly given its location and what it offers visitors: beautiful beaches lined with palm trees, fantastic restaurants, and easy access to a truly unique wine region producing world-class wines.
One of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive at Tablas Creek Winery’s tasting room is the directional sign that stands outside the front door. It points to the vineyard itself (9 yds to the left) and then in the opposite direction toward its partner, Domaine de Beaucastel, 9009 km away–a symbolic representation of its partnership with the Perrin Family of the prestigious winery in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And when you decide to partner with such a respected house to establish a winery on US soil, not only are expectations high, but the inevitable comparisons tend to follow. Robert Haas, importer and founder of Vineyard Brands did just that in 1989 with the Perrin family and the result is Tablas Creek, a winery making impressive wines that more than stand on their own merit.
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“We will be relentless in our pursuit of perfection. We won’t ever be perfect – but in the process we will achieve greatness.” – Vince Lombardi. That quote from the great coach could just as easily have been said by Daniel Daou, winemaker and co-proprietor of Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, California. Daniel, and his brother Georges, have set out to make the very best wine that can rival the best of Napa or Bordeaux, and Advinetures got to hear their fascinating story first hand when we visited with Daniel at their gorgeous hilltop winery.
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