This guide covers the Santa Ynez Valley, specifically Solvang and Los Olivos wineries, and one special detour to the Santa Maria Valley. The guide has my personal reviews of wine tasting experiences both in the tasting rooms located among the towns within the Santa Ynez Valley, as well as wineries and vineyard estates spread across the surrounding wine country.

Because you’ll definitely want to explore the region for at least two days, there are recommendations for where to eat, and what to do in addition to wine tasting, so you can plan your own perfect getaway as soon as this weekend.

And if you can’t quite squeeze a trip into your schedule in the immediate future, there are specific food and wine pairing recommendations at the end so you can experience the Santa Ynez Valley at home.

If you're just here for the wine, jump ahead to the Solvang and Los Olivos Wineries Guide below! Otherwise, keep reading...

Where and What Exactly is the Santa Ynez Valley?

Santa Ynez Valley is a wide valley that runs transverse west-east from the Pacific Ocean on the western edge to inland valleys in the east. It is located on the northern end of Santa Barbara County, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles, just over the mountains from the beaches of Santa Barbara.

The five major towns in the Santa Ynez Valley—and we're using the term "major" pretty loosely here—are Ballard, Buellton, Los Olivos, Solvang, and Santa Ynez, which is its own town, not to be confused with the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley.

What Wine Region is Santa Ynez Valley?

Santa Ynez Valley itself is one of seven American Viticultural Areas (AVA) within the larger Santa Barbara region, which in turn, is part of California's Central Coast AVA.

Santa Ynez Valley also surrounds smaller, more specific sub-AVAs from west to east: Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, Los Olivos, and Happy Canyon.

So, there are officially five AVAs in the Santa Ynez Valley.

For context, these are all seven AVAs of Santa Barbara, generally in order of when they were established:

1. Santa Maria Valley AVA established in 1981, the oldest AVA in Santa Barbara, and second oldest by mere months in California, known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
2. Santa Ynez Valley AVA established in 1983, known primarily for Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Syrah
   1. Sta. Rita Hills AVA part of Santa Ynez Valley, established in 2001, furthest west and closest to the ocean, really put the entire region on wine critics' radar, known for critically acclaimed Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
   2. Ballard Canyon AVA established 2013 known for Rhone varietals like Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, Viognier and Roussanne
   3. Happy Canyon established 2009 furthest east/inland, known for warmer climate Bordeaux varietals like Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon
   4. Los Olivos District AVA established 2016, known for Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Merlot
3. Alisos Canyon AVA, established August 2020 near Los Alamos, known for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Grenache Syrah blends

What Wines are Produced in Santa Ynez Valley?

The entire Santa Ynez Valley is known for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah, but the topography and climate vary so much that the region grows anywhere between 50 and 65 distinct varietals. The reality is, if you think of any wine, there is probably someone, somewhere in the Santa Ynez Valley at least experimenting with a few vines of it.

We already know why there is such a diversity of wines: the Valley's wide funnel shape and unique transverse orientation. Fog and cool winds off the Pacific Ocean pour into the wide end of Valley funnel, and flow east through the Valley. Because of this effect, the region is famously one of the coolest grape growing regions in California, even though it is on the southernmost end of the Central Coast. Average high temperatures peak around 80°F during the day and drop to around 50°F at night. These climate phenomena extend the growing season by as much as a month longer than other regions in California, with harvest going as late as October. The longer growing season means grapes can fully ripen on the vines without building up excessive sugar levels from heat.

Here are wines that are well known in specific AVAs:

1. Santa Maria Valley AVA very cool climate, known for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
2. Santa Ynez Valley AVA Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah
   1. Sta. Rita Hills AVA cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
   2. Ballard Canyon AVA warm climate grapes like Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, Viognier and Roussanne
   3. Happy Canyon warm Bordeaux-based grapes like Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon
   4. Los Olivos District AVA Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc
3. Alisos Canyon AVA Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Grenache Syrah blends

Chardonnay

The most widely planted grape in the Santa Ynez Valley is global favorite Chardonnay, a cool climate-loving white wine grape.

Pinot Noir

The most well-known and critically-acclaimed wine in the Santa Ynez Valley, like its parent region Santa Barbara overall, is Pinot Noir. These delicate, thin-skinned grapes grow well in the cool microclimates within the Valley that are naturally regulated by the breezes and fog off the Pacific Ocean. Diurnal temperature variation, the difference between the lowest temperature and highest temperature of the day, is wide in the Valley. The warmer daily temperatures and longer summers are when sugar and flavor develop in the grapes. But the cool temperatures and fog help Pinot Noir growers develop acid to keep the grapes balanced.

Pinot Noir is the primary red wine produced in sub-AVAs closest to the ocean and its cooling effects. The Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills typically exhibit bright fresh cherry flavors with a high degree of minerality and acidity.

Syrah

Not nearly as widely planted as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Syrah is no less important in the Santa Ynez Valley. The red Rhône varietal thrives in the warmer sub-AVAs like Ballard Canyon, Happy Canyon, and Los Olivos.

How Many Wineries are in Santa Ynez Valley?

There are more than 275 wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. It has the highest concentration of wineries in Santa Barbara.

This past year, Discover California Wines sent me all around the state of California to explore wine regions other than Napa and Sonoma. Paso Robles? A rustic gem. Monterey? Was beyond delighted to learn there's a lot more than just golf and the aquarium there. Anderson Valley? Still almost peacefully undiscovered. But perhaps my favorite, or at least the region I keep going back to, is Santa Barbara. More specifically, the vast wine country within Santa Barbara County, the Santa Ynez Valley.

How to Go Wine Tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley

There are two general types of tasting experiences in and around the Santa Ynez Valley: estate tastings and tasting rooms.

Estate Tastings

Larger, usually longer established wineries offer tastings at their vineyards/estates, which afford gorgeous settings with stunning views of hills covered with vineyards, tours of wine-making operations inside the facilities, and walks among the vines to get closeups of the grapes.

Tasting Rooms

Many smaller and/or newer wineries that don't have large estates or vineyards have tasting rooms. These tasting rooms are clustered around a few towns. These include Buellton, Solvang, and Los Olivos wineries

Recommended Tasting Schedule

My recommendation is to schedule a tasting at a vineyard or winery estate out in the countryside as your first appointment of the day, around late morning. After, grab lunch if you'd like, then come back to one of the towns and visit a few of the tasting rooms that are clustered together so you can walk. That way, you won't have to worry about driving after multiple tastings.

If you do it right, you can also make dinner reservations at a restaurant in the same area. Win win. Or is it win wine.

Where to Go Wine Tasting

Plan on visiting three wineries a day on this type of itinerary, four if you’re able to be militant about keeping to your schedule. There’s a lot of “open space” on the map between towns in the Santa Ynez Valley which makes it seem like there’s a lot of actual driving — but the distance between them is at most 5 to 7 miles. Some of the roads are two lanes through canyons so going can be careful.

Make absolutely sure you assign a designated driver or hire third-party transportation.

Best Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, and Los Olivos Wineries Guide

This list of the Best Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, and Los Olivos Wineries is culled from my most recent explorations with California Wines, previous personal visits to the region, and a few highly reliable recommendations from trusted friends and experts.

Click any link in the outline to jump ahead.

Los Olivos Wineries and Tasting Rooms

• Brewer-Clifton, Los Olivos Tasting Room
• Dragonette, Los Olivos
• Liquid Farm, Los Olivos
• Stolpman and Stolpman So Fresh, tasting room in Los Olivos

Solvang Wineries and Tasting Rooms

• Alma Rosa, Solvang
• Buttonwood Farm, tastings at the vineyard farm

Santa Ynez Valley Wineries and Beyond

• Cambria Wines, estate tasting in Santa Maria
• Casa Dumetz, Los Alamos
• Sanford Winery, estate tastings in Lompoc

Brewer-Clifton, Los Olivos Tasting Room

Brewer-Clifton is a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir specialist that reflects the unique geography, geology and climate of the Sta. Rita Hills vineyards where the grapes are grown. Founder Greg Brewer was named 2020 Winemaker of the Year. The wines are rich, complex and highly rated by critics.

Winery operations are in Lompoc just west of the Sta. Rita Hills in a somewhat industrial pocket that is home to a number of wineries. However, the Los Olivos tasting room is sleek and modern with a small garden area with shaded tables in the backyard.

Here's what we tasted:

• 2017 vs 2009 Brewer-Clifton 3D Chardonnay, which was a fun study in how aging affects Chardonnay
• 2020 Brewer-Clifton 3D Pinot Noir
• 2009 Brewer-Clifton Ampelos Pinot Noir
• 2017 Brewer-Clifton Machado Pinot Noir
• Diatom 2017 Machado Chardonnay
• bonus: Ex Post Facto 2020 Syrah

You can find higher production Brewer-Clifton wines with the 'Sta. Rita Hills' appellation online and in retail stores. Vineyard specific wines are available directly from Brewer-Clifton, and the most sought-after wines are available by allocation to members only.

• Address: 2367 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos, CA 93441
• Open for Tastings: Thursday through Monday, 10am – 4pm
• Reservations: required, book online

Dragonette Cellars, Los Olivos Tasting Room

Dragonette Cellars is a small-production, family-owned winery that makes Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah "of interest and distinction" with a commitment to mindful farming of the land, fermentation with native yeasts, and minimal manipulation in the cellar. The red wines are bottled unrefined and unfiltered, which lets the wines truly reflect the the soil and climate of the region.

The Rosé was my first introduction to Dragonette waaay back at a restaurant in Costa Mesa. Rosé is never bad, and this one was so accurately paired with the food that I took note.

Dragonette Cellars offers "deep-dive" tastings at their winery operations in Buellton, about a 15-minute drive from Los Olivos, which I did last year and loved. I highly recommend! But if you want to taste on an itinerary with other Los Olivos wineries, you can visit Dragonette's satellite tasting room.

My tasting at Dragonette Cellars included:

• 2020 Dragonette Rosé, Santa Ynez Valley
• 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard <-- we bought the most bottles of this
• Dragonette Chardonnay, Duvarita Vineyards
• Dragonette Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
• 2018 Syrah, John Sebastiano Vineyard
• Dragonette 'MJM' Syrah blend

Some of Dragonette's higher production wines are available via online retailers. You can also get most current releases direct from the winery. Limited production wines are available to members only.

• Address: 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos, CA 93441
• Open for Tastings: daily 11am -5 pm
• Reservations: recommended, book via tock
• www.dragonettecellars.com | @DragonetteWine

Liquid Farm, Los Olivos Tasting Room

Liquid Farm is a relatively new winery, founded in 2009. Production of their Chardonnay-focused operation is based in Lompoc. However, their charming tasting room/wine bar and lounge/boutique/board game living room is located amongst other Los Olivos wineries on the main drag. The winery name is a reflection of the founders' philosophy that wine is a product of farming. There is very little intervention in the winemaking process, minimal or no new oak, no additives, and no machine manipulation. The final product is a highly drinkable, lower alcohol, higher acidity wine.

My friend and I somehow ended up playing board games with a hilarious group of ladies on a girls' getaway weekend, made all the more entertaining after tasting through Liquid Farm's flight:

• 2021 Liquid Farm Rosé of Mourvédre
• 2021 Liquid Farm La Hermana Chardonnay
• 2020 Liquid Farm White Hill Chardonnay
• 2019 Liquid Farm Golden Slope Chardonnay
• 2020 Liquid Farm 'Four' Chardonnay
• 2021 Liquid Farm 'SBC' Pinot Noir

• Address: 2445 Alamo Pintado Ave Suite 101 Los Olivos CA 93441
• Open for Tastings: Sun-Thu-11am - 5pm, Fri-Sat 11am - 7pm
• Reservations: not required

Stolpman Vineyards and Stolpman So Fresh, Los Olivos Tasting Room

Stolpman Vineyards is a large-scale family operation based in Ballard Canyon. Vineyards are planted primarily with warm-climate Rhône varietals like Syrah and Rousanne, as well as Sangiovese. The satellite tasting room in Los Olivos has a patio for the classic Stolpman Vineyards wines, and a garden area dubbed the Garage for the 'So Fresh' lines.

We tasted through the So Fresh flight:

• 2021 'Uni' made with Roussanne, originally created for Uchi restaurant to pair with sushi.
• 2021 'Love You Bunches' Sangiovese, carbonic fermentation, a personal favorite
• Combe Trousseau
• So Fresh 'GDG' Gamay
• So Fresh 'Crunchy Roastie' Syrah blend

The fresh, highly drinkable 'Love You Bunches' carbonic sangiovese and rosé are "house wines" here.

• Address: 2434 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos CA 93441
• Open for Tastings: Los Olivos patio daily 11am-5pm, So Fresh "Garage" Fri-Tue 11am-5pm
• Reservations: required, book online

Once you've hit all the Los Olivos wineries, it's time to move on to Solvang wineries, tucked into the charming Danish-themed village with shops, Danish restaurants, and even a windmill!

Alma Rosa, Solvang Tasting Room

Alma Rosa is the second winery founded by legendary Richard Sanford, who planted the first Pinot Noir vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1971, the now iconic Sanford & Benedict vineyard. From that vineyard sprung critically acclaimed Sanford Winery, also made famous by its cameo in the movie Sideways (for all you movie buffs out there).

After 25 years with his namesake winery, Richard moved on just a little further down the road to start Alma Rosa, with a commitment to organic farming and sustainable winemaking. Alma Rosa is a Chardonnay and Pinot Noir specialist with its own estate vineyards, most notably El Jabali, the first certified organic vineyard in Santa Barbara county.

Alma Rosa offers tasting both at their estate out in the Sta. Rita Hills, as well as in their Solvang tasting room and spacious courtyard patio. We tried:

• 2021 Grenache Rosé, Two Wolves Vineyard, fun fact about Two Wolves Wine and vineyard: it's owned by the musician Pink
• 2020 Pinot Gris, La Encantada Vineyard
• 2020 Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills
• Pinot Noir, Bentorck VIneyard
• 2019 Pinot Noir 'Barrel Select' from Bentorck, El Jabali, Radian, and Rancho La Vina vineyards

• Address: 1623 Mission Dr, Solvang, CA 93463
• Open for Tastings: Sunday to Wednesday 11am-6pm, Thursday to Saturday 11am-7:30pm
• Reservations: recommended, book online
• Insider Tip: Cailloux cheese shop in the same plaza as Alma Rosa provides little cheese plates for purchase to go with your tasting!

Buttonwood Farm and Winery, Estate Tasting

Though Buttonwood Winery's tastings are held at their idyllic Farm and Vineyards, and not in a satellite tasting room in Solvang, its address is technically Solvang so it's included here. I visited Buttonwood last fall, toured the vineyards, and tasted wines with the winemaker herself, Karen Steinwachs. Read the details and my review on the Santa Barbara Wineries Guide.

Cambria Wines, Santa Maria

Technically, Santa Maria Valley is a stand-alone AVA in Santa Barbara, near but separate from the AVAs of the Santa Ynez Valley. However, I couldn't post about the Santa Ynez Valley without visiting one of the first wineries in one of the first AVAs in all of California, Cambria Wines.

Proprietors and sisters Katherine and Julia Jackson and current winemaker Julia Russell are the woman-led team that made Cambria a SIP Certified and CCSW (Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing) accredited winery as of 2014. Lady-led team with respect to Mother Earth? Here for it.

When I visited Cambria, they were still putting the finishing touches on their complete remodel of the estate winery and tasting room. I got a sneak peek, and then got to go through a tasting while walking the vineyards, planted with some of the oldest commercial vines in the region.

As of publication of this article, the completely remodeled tasting room and winery at Cambria are fully open!

Cambria wines are fairly widely distributed making it easy to get acquainted with the Santa Maria Valley and its cool climate wines at home first.

• Address: 5475 Chardonnay Ln, Santa Maria, CA 93454
• Open for Tastings: Thursday - Monday 10am - 4pm
• Reservations: required. book online
• Fun Personal Fact: One of the first wines I ever posted back when I was a baby wine blogger was 2006 Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, which was awarded first place on Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Wines List that year!

Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Sta. Rita Hills

Sanford Winery might be the winery that really made wine critics sit up and pay attention to Santa Barbara. The first Pinot Noir vines in the region were planted in 1971 in what is the iconic Sanford & Benedict vineyard. From the vineyard sprouted Sanford Winery, known for pioneering and championing cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Sta. Rita Hills. The wines taste true to the original founders' goal of producing refined Burgundian style wines that reflect their own California geography, soil, and climate.

Tastings take place at the Sanford estate in the Sta. Rita Hills, looking out over the sprawling La Rinconada Vineyard, planted adjacent to Sanford & Benedict a few years later. If history, farming, and making the connection between what we consume and the land is important to you, tour the legendary vineyards on an ATV like we did. Our tour guide Joann drove us through the vineyards, educating us on the history of the region, the vineyards and the winery while we sipped on tastes. Every so often we stopped to get a closer look at the grapes and taste wines right there among the vines from which they grew. Joann also showed us cool little things that you normally wouldn't think about as a casual wine consumer, like where water for the grapes comes from and how vineyard pests are controlled with hawks and owls.

• Address: 5010 Santa Rosa Rd, Lompoc, CA 93436
• Open for Tastings: daily 10am-5pm
• Reservations: required. book online
• Contact: (805) 735 5900 or info@sanfordwinery.com
• www.sanfordwinery.com
• Insider Tip: if she's available, do your tasting with Joann Saldana for a warm, extremely informative host!

Additional Recommended Wineries in Santa Ynez

Hitching Post Wines
at Hitching Post 2 Restaurant
420 East Highway 246, Buellton, CA 93427
(805) 688-0676
www.hpwines.com | @hitchingpost2

If you have strong opinions about any wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley or even the greater Santa Barbara County that are not mentioned here, please share them in the comments so I can add them to my future travel plans and to this Guide.

Restaurants in Solvang, Los Olivos, and Greater Santa Ynez Valley

After a day of tasting at Solvang and Los Olivos wineries, these are the best restaurants to come back to and have a wine-centric (or not!) meal, from Michelin-starred fine dining to Santa Maria BBQ and all the best in between.

Los Olivos Restaurants

Bar Le Cote is a new modern seafood focused bar and tavern. Definitely a must-try, if you can get a table. The vegetarian green "paella" was fun enough that it's on my list to re-create at home. I loved the branzino, but my favorite part was the boquerones with olives. I could have eaten plates of them all night with sparkling wine.

2375 Alamo Pintado Ave, Los Olivos, CA 93441
Open Wed-Sun 11am-3pm, 4pm-5:30pm, 4pm-8:30pm
Reservations: highly recommended
www.barlecote.com

Nella Kitchen and Bar is a new-ish coastal Italian restaurant from the same people who own S.Y. Kitchen in Santa Ynez and Toscana and Nerano in Los Angeles. It is located in the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn. We had a pleasant, salad and sparkling wine lunch on their patio.

2860 Grand Avenue Los Olivos, CA, 93441
Open: daily 11:30am - 10pm
Reservations: recommended
nellakitchen.com

Solvang Restaurants

Coast Range is a nouveau steakhouse from chef Lincoln Carson of Bon Temps in Los Angeles. It's dark and feels old school with leather booths. The usual steakhouse fare starting with caviar, oysters and chilled shellfish, Caesar salad, and "steakhouse sides" like creamed corn, baked potato, and French fries to go with grilled meat.

1635 Mission Dr., Solvang, CA 93463
Coast Range

More Santa Ynez Valley Restaurants

• Bell's, Los Alamos. One Michelin star restaurant from husband and wife team Greg and Daisy Ryan
• Bob's Well Bread, Ballard and Los Alamos. Artisan bread, pastries, and counter-service salads and sandwiches for lunch. A must-visit.
• Hitching Post II, Buellton. Made even more famous with its appearance in the movie Sideways. Santa Maria BBQ and good wine.
• Peasant's Feast, 487 Atterdag Road, Solvang, CA 93463
• S.Y. Kitchen, Santa Ynez. Fresh, easy California wine country cuisine.
• Lucky Hen Larder, Santa Ynez. Market and deli for cheese and charcuterie picnics to-go.

How to Get to the Santa Ynez Valley

You can get to Santa Ynez Valley by driving, taking the train, or flying.

Making a longer road trip along California's Central Coast, including Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Monterey, is highly recommended!

Driving

The towns of Solvang, Buellton, and Los Olivos in the Santa Ynez Valley are a 2½-ish hour drive from most starting points in Los Angeles. If you time your departure right like I did very early Friday morning, you can get to Santa Ynez, the first town that's part of the Santa Ynez Valley loop, in about 2 hours.

From San Francisco: The fastest route from northern California is taking US-101 south, then CA-154 east to Los Olivos. The drive time is about 4½ hours. The 101 also gives you the option, if you have the time to take it, to veer slightly off course onto Highway 1, and take the scenic route along the Central Coast. The coastal route will tack on an additional hour-and-a-half of driving, if you’re not tempted to stop to take in views, photos, meditation, what have you.

From Los Angeles: Hop on US-101 North and cruise through Santa Barbara. From the city of Santa Barbara, take CA-154 for an easy 40-minute drive over the mountains (except for fog in the early morning). Depending on your final destination within the Santa Ynez Valley, you can turn west onto CA-246 to Solvang, or just go straight to Los Olivos on CA-154.

Taking the Train

Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner runs between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara in about two-and-a-half hours. From the Santa Barbara Station, you take Amtrak's Thruway Bus. The entire train trip door-to-door from Los Angeles can take up to 10 hours.

Train to Santa Ynez from San Francisco/Bay Area is not recommended unless you have a billion hours to kill.

Flying

Major commercial airlines fly into the city of Santa Barbara (SBA), making it virtually inexcusable not to visit. There are direct flights from as far away as Chicago on American Airlines and United Airlines. From Santa Barbara, rent a car and drive into the Valley.

Food and Santa Ynez Valley Wine Pairings

If you can’t wait to head out to Solvang, Los Olivos and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley, grab a couple of wines and do your own wine tasting tour at home! A wine-friendly cheese and charcuterie board is always a great background for a wine tasting and one that features California cheeses, fruit, and nuts is a natural fit with California wines.

A full meal is an even better way to get a holistic feel for how a wine's vibe: how it tastes, smells, and pairs with a wide variety of food.

Here are some recipes and suggested pairings with wines from Solvang and Los Olivos wineries. It's not a coincidence that the recipes lean heavily toward fish and seafood. Santa Ynez Valley vineyards are influenced by the Pacific Ocean, both from above as fog and morning marine layers and from below in the diatomaceous soils. It's no wonder the wines are a natural match for Central Coast fish and seafood. Salmon, sablefish, albacore tuna, halibut, rockfish, crab, and oysters, and of course Santa Barbara uni (sea urchin) are just some of what's local to the area throughout the year.

• King Salmon ‘Californiçoise’ Salad with Liquid Farm 'White Hill' Chardonnay
• Classic Cioppino with Alma Rosa Pinot Noir
• Grilled Salmon with Cherry Salsa with Cambria Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Seared Salmon with Pomegranate Salsa with Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
• Salmon Piccata with Dragonette Sauvignon Blanc
• Salmon Puttanesca with Stolpman 'Love You Bunches' carbonic Sangiovese
• Marcella Hazan's Roast Chicken with Sanford Pinot Noir

Explore More California Wine Regions

Ready for more? Explore these California wine regions, from the furthest north to south:

• Anderson Valley, northern California, known for Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, and aromatic Alsatian varietals
• Monterey County, Central Coast of California
• Best Paso Robles Wineries, Central Coast of California
• Best Santa Barbara Wineries, Central Coast of California, named

Pro Tips and FAQs

Why Trust The Delicious Life?

Sarah is a professional recipe developer, writer, and digital content creator with almost 20 years of experience cooking and eating food specifically to pair with wines and vice versa, selecting wines to pair with food on the table. She has traveled to and tasted wine in Burgundy, France and throughout the many diverse wine regions of California.

_{This post was created in partnership with California Wines and California Grown to celebrate California Wine Month, which is every September. All opinions and recipe adaptations are my own. Your and our sponsors' support is what helps us live The Delicious Life so thank you!}

The post Best Santa Ynez Wineries, What You Must Taste and Drink appeared first on The Delicious Life.

After exploring the region this year and tasting through what it has to offer, I've put together this guide to the Anderson Valley, the best wineries, great food, and some fun little things to see and do. The guide has reviews of wine tasting experiences both in the tasting rooms located throughout the Valley, as well as wineries in other regions that produce wines using grapes grown in the Anderson Valley.

There are recommendations for where to stay, where to eat, and what to do in the Anderson Valley in addition to wine tasting, so you can plan your own perfect getaway as soon as this weekend.

And if you can’t quite squeeze a trip into your schedule in the immediate future, I’ve included some specific food and Anderson Valley wine pairing recommendations at the end so you can experience the Anderson Valley at home.

If you're just here for the wine, jump ahead to the Anderson Valley Wineries Guide below! Otherwise, keep reading...

Where is the Anderson Valley?

Anderson Valley, a narrow 15-mile long valley, is located about 100 miles north of San Francisco, or 2½ hours drive-time. See the pink shaded rectangle on the map above. The valley stretches diagonally southeast to the northwest along Highway 128 from just north of Sonoma toward the Pacific Ocean. However, the Anderson Valley is not part of Sonoma County. It can be confusing because the Alexander Valley is part of Sonoma. Anderson Valley is part of Mendocino County.

The three towns in Anderson Valley are Boonville on the eastern end, Philo in the middle, and Navarro on the western, or "Deep End," closest to the ocean.

What Wine Region is Anderson Valley?

Anderson Valley is its own American Viticultural Area (AVA) within the greater Mendocino County AVA. Vineyards and wineries have existed in the area for decades, with the earliest vines planted in the mid-1800s! But it wasn't until 1983 that "Anderson Valley" became recognized as an official AVA. Anderson Valley, along with its siblings like Mendocino Ridge and Yorkville Highlands, and well-known cousins Napa Valley and Sonoma are all part of the North Coast AVA of California.

The Anderson Valley AVA is one of the northernmost wine growing regions in California, which of course makes it one of the coolest. However the cool factor doesn't stop there. With its transverse orientation and deep, narrow shape accentuated by towering redwoods, the Anderson Valley acts as a natural funnel, pulling misty breezes and fog from the Pacific Ocean into the Valley.

Does that description sound vaguely familiar? It should. Four hundred miles to the south, the topography of the Santa Barbara wine region is shaped the same way! We'll see how this creates somewhat parallel wine production in terms of varietals in the two regions.

Rain is more plentiful in the Anderson Valley than other parts of California. In fact, the weather was perfectly sunny my entire time there, then dramatically changed to rain storms the day we left!

What Wines are in Anderson Valley?

The Anderson Valley is known for a few different types of wines—Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, and Alsatian varietals—all of which thrive in the characteristically cool, foggy climate of the region. Let's get into the big ones.

Anderson Valley Pinot Noir

The most well-known and critically-acclaimed wine from Anderson Valley is Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noirs from Anderson Valley typically taste like:

• bright red fruit flavors
• earthy, umami, mushrooms
• forest floor

These delicate, thin-skinned grapes grow well in the cool valley climate that is naturally regulated by the breezes and fog off the Pacific Ocean. Diurnal temperature variation, the difference between the lowest temperature and highest temperature of the day, is wide in the Valley, up to fifty degrees in variation. The warmer daily temperatures and longer summers are when sugar and flavor develop in the grapes. But the cool temperatures and fog help Pinot Noir growers develop acid to keep the grapes balanced.

California Sparkling Wines

Sparkling wines in the Anderson Valley are made from both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, several in méthode champenoise. The sparkling wines have a similar Champagne toastiness. Most recognizable is Roederer Estate, the California branch of French Champagne house Louis Roederer.

Anderson Valley Chardonnay

Around the world, Chardonnay often grows in the same regions as Pinot Noir, and it's definitely the case in the Anderson Valley, where Chardonnay can ripen in warmer microclimates inside the valley. Chardonnay is the second most abundant grape varietal grown in the Valley after Pinot Noir.

Alsatian

For the same reasons that Pinot Noir grows well in Anderson Valley, Alsatian varietals like Gewurztraminer and Riesling thrive, though the production volume is much smaller. Alsatian varieties are a mere 5% of total versus Pinot Noir which is almost 70%. (via)

How Many Wineries are in Anderson Valley?

There are 30 wineries in the Anderson Valley and 90 vineyards across 2,500 acres. That's a lot of numbers, but they're actually quite small. To get a sense of Anderson Valley's size, compare it to its well-known neighbor to the South, Sonoma, which has more than 500 wineries across 60,000 acres. Anderson Valley is truly something small and special.

Where to Go Wine Tasting in Anderson Valley

The region is small, but give yourself two full days to really dive into what Anderson Valley has to offer. As is my recommendation for wine tasting in any region, scheduling 2-3 wineries per day as a reliable itinerary. In the Anderson Valley, where the entire region is 15 miles along a single "highway" that is more of a cute little street in some places, this is totally doable.

Best Anderson Valley Wineries Guide

Goldeneye Winery

Did your mind immediately go to James Bond with the mention of Goldeneye? The association with 007 might be first for most people, but if you're a Pinot Noir enthusiast, Goldeneye offers one of the best representations of Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley.

• 2021 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir, a very light rosé
• 2018 Sparkling Brut Rosé - white peach, nectarine, wild strawberry, key lime, brioche
• 2019 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - cranberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, dried herbs, pennyroyal
• 2019 Confluence Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley - strawberry, plum, mint, wildflowers, black tea
• 2019 Gowan Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley - glacé cherry, blueberry pie, fresh rosemary
• 2018 Calera Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir, Ryan Vineyard - red cherry, dried herbs, fresh cracked black pepper

Inside Tip: Goldeneye's entry-level Pinot Noir is available at costco.

Goldeneye Winery
9200 Highway 128
Philo, CA 95466
www.goldeneyewinery.com/
wines: cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Drew Cellars, Tasting Room at The Madrones

• 2020 'Bahl Briney' Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
• 2019 Valenti Ranch Pinot Noir, Mendocino Ridge
• 2018 Morning Dew Ranch Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
• 2019 Valenti Ranch Syrah, Mendocino Ridge

Drew Cellars
Tasting Room at The Madrones
9000 Highway 128, Philo, CA 95466
Winery at 31351 Greenwood Road, Elk, CA 95432
www.drewwines.com
wines: cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah

Longmeadow Ranch, Tasting Room at The Madrones

Longmeadow Ranch is a Napa-based winery with vineyard estates in a few different locations, including the Anderson Valley. The Anderson Valley vineyards produce grapes for their Anderson Valley AVA sparkling wine, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Their satellite tasting room is located in The Madrones complex and hosts tastings indoors as well as outside at high tables. The tasting room also carries a selection of their Longmeadow Ranch Farmstead products like olive oils and vinegars. Tasting room manager Mark is awesome.

• 2017 Blanc de Noir Sparkling Wine, Anderson Valley
• 2018 Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
• 2021 Rosé of Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
• 2018 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
• 2018 'Pinole" Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Longmeadow Ranch
Tasting Room at The Madrones
9000 Highway 128, Philo, CA 95466
www.longmeadowranch.com
wines: estate-grown Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir

Roederer Estate

• Brut Multi Vintage
• Brut Multi Vintage, magnum
• Brut Rosé Multi Vintage
• 2015 l'Ermitage
• Roederer Estate Extra Dry

Insider Tip: Roederer Estate Brut Multi Vintage is available in some grocery store wine sections!

Roederer Estate
4501 Highway 128
Philo, CA 95466
(707) 895-2288
www.roedererestate.com
wines: California sparkling wine

Husch Vineyards

Husch Vineyards is a family-owned winery originally founded by the Husch family and now owned and operated by the Oswald family. With its first crush in 1971, Husch is the first and oldest winery in the Anderson Valley.

The cottage at Philo Apple Farm where we stayed had a bottle of Husch Vineyards Chardonnay chilling for me when we got there. The Chardonnay was an easy sipper and tasted exactly like the vibe: sitting on the front porch of a farm cottage in the late afternoon surrounded by apple trees and speckled sunlight.

Husch Vineyards
4400 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
www.huschvineyards.com
wines: cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Alsatian varietals

Handley Cellars

Handley Cellars
3151 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
handleycellars.com
wines: organic estate-grown cool climate sparkling, red and white wines

Scharffenberger Cellars

Scharffenberger, yes that Scharffenberger that made chocolate, now makes sparkling wine in the Anderson Valley in the traditional méthode champenoise. Neighboring Roederer Estate bought the winery, and the two maintain their own identities. The tasting room is open, and requires a reservation via their website.

Scharffenberger Cellars
8501 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
scharffenbergercellars.com
wines: California sparkling wine

Maggy Hawk

Maggy Hawk
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
9001 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
www.maggyhawk.com

Minus Tide

Minus Tide
no official tasting room; stop into Disco Ranch (local wine store) and pick up a bottle or they may already have a bottle open to taste by the glass!
www.minutstidewines.com
wines: food-friendly Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Carignan, and Syrah

Read Holland

Read Holland Wines
www.readhollandwines.com
wines: boutique production Riesling

Visiting the Anderson Valley

Where to Eat in the Anderson Valley

After a day of tasting at Anderson Valley wineries, whether nearby along Highway 128 or a little farther out throughout Mendocino County, these are the best places to come back to and have a wine-centric (or not!) meal, from fine dining restaurants to a BYOB pizza pop-up and all the best in between.

Boonville Hotel

Boonville Hotel's restaurant serves a prix fixe dinners in the hotel courtyard in the summer and in the dining room or guest rooms during the cooler months. Chef Perry Hoffman's wine-friendly food reflects the hotel garden, local farms, and the seasons with dishes like roasted lamb shank, local salmon, and on some special summer Sundays, paella. You can make reservations online via tock. There were no reservations available when I planned the trip, but one popped up last-minute while I was there!

Boonville Hotel
14050 Highway 128 Boonville, CA 95415
(707) 895-2210
www.boonvillehotel.com

Lauren's Good Food

Lauren's Good Food at the Buckhorn is a casual restaurant. Think sandwiches, salads, and burgers. There's a dining room inside, along with a full bar inside that hosts a Trivia Night. There are a few tables on the front porch that's also open for dogs. If you bring your pupper, the kitchen can make a "puppy patty" that is just a plain hamburger patty with no seasonings on a plate. Bruno loved it.

Lauren's Good Food
14081 Hwy 128, Boonville, CA 95415
(707) 895-3869

Offspring Pizza

Offspring Pizza started as a pop-up in the Farrer building, across the street from the Boonville Hotel. It is currently in the process of getting a full set-up, and meanwhile turning out amazing pizza from its wood-fired oven. Order at the counter, take your number to a table out on the patio. When we went, there was no alcohol, not even BYO.
Offspring Pizza
14111 CA-128, Boonville, CA 95415
(707) 972-2655
www.offspringpizza.com

Roederer Estate offers a tightly curated menu of small bites like cheese and charcuterie, smoked salmon, duck rillettes, crostini, mimosa eggs, and caviar to accompany their tastings.

Additional Dining Recommendations from Locals

Bewildered Pig just north of Philo is good for for beautifully presented local, seasonal food.

Best Hotels and Lodging Options in the Anderson Valley

Part of the reason Anderson Valley remains under the radar is that it is not (yet?) set up for commercial tourism like its neighbors Napa and Sonoma. The valley itself has a few tiny hotels, each with just a few rooms that can be identified by name, e.g. "oh you're going to Anderson Valley, you should stay in the Tower room!"

The other option for lodging is to stay in a hotel or vacation rental homes in one of the many towns along the coast, including Mendocino. I've included recommendations for these places at the end of this section.

Philo Apple Farm's Private Cottages

Philo Apple Farm is a working organic apple orchard that grows apples, related tree fruits like pears and quince, and produces various apple-adjacent products like jams, cider and vinegars. The owner family lives on the property, and has three small cottages they rent out to guests in an original B & B format. Not like "airbnb," but an actual original Bed and Breakfast. You can book the cottages on their website.

We stayed in one of the cottages for a weekend. The cottage was cozy, the bed was comfortable, especially after long days of wine-tasting. Bruno appreciated the “pet-friendly” front door that he could just push open and go outside by himself.

Here’s why you want to stay at Philo Apple Farm:

• Self-service: Virtually everything about the property is self-service, from check-in to morning coffee and light breakfast, to check-out. As a germophobic introvert, I appreciate this immensely.
• Covid-19 precautions: in addition to everything being self-service so you don't really interact with anyone except your own party, there are unobtrusive signs reminding guests about masks and social distancing.
• Super quiet. Like literally, *crickets* quiet.
• All of the grounds including the actual production apple orchard are open for walking and exploring
• 100% pet-friendly, and so convenient that each cottage's front door literally opens up to the outside.

Philo Apple Farm
18501 Philo Greenwood Rd, Philo, CA 95466
(707) 621-0335
www.philoapplefarm.com

Boonville Hotel

The Boonville Hotel, along with the Madrones (below), is one of the better known hotels in the Anderson Valley. There are 17 rooms, a few that are pet-friendly. A reservation at the hotel includes a reservation for dinner in their restaurant.

Boonville Hotel
14050 Highway 128 Boonville, CA 95415
(707) 895-2210
www.boonvillehotel.com

The Madrones

The Madrones is a converted estate that has guest quarters, tasting rooms, a restaurant, and a green herb "apothecary." There are nine Estate rooms, and recent addition, two rooms set slightly apart from the main complex, called The Brambles.

The Madrone and The Brambles
9000 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
(707) 895-2955
www.themadrones.com

Toward the Mendocino Coast

Locals and travel experts have recommended the following much larger hotels and resort style properties in and around Mendocino:

• Newport Ranch
• Stanford Inn
• Brewery Gulch
• Harbor House Inn in Elk has a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Other Anderson Valley Food Things

Philo Apple Farm, which has the cottages where we stayed, is an organic apple orchard that offers most of their fresh fruit along with associated food things like ciders, jams, and vinegars from their on-farm stand. Payment is via honor system. The Farm also hosts special cooking classes, dinners, and events throughout the year.

Anderson Valley Brewing
17700 Highway 253, Boonville, CA 95415
707-895-2337
www.avbc.com

Boonville Barn Collective is a small farm in the town of Boonville that specializes in, of all things, hot chili peppers. The farm started with a chili pepper variety that is known as Piment d'Espelette in France. Piment de'Espelette has an official AOC classification, so Boonville Barn names their peppers "Piment d'Ville" because it's grown outside of the Espelette region of France. The farm is not open to the public, but their dried chili powders are available in specialty food shops and of course, online. Peep this interview with the lady-founder/owner Krissy Sommegna that my friends at California Grown did!

How to Get to the Anderson Valley

You can get to the Anderson Valley by driving or flying. Making a longer road trip out of the Mendocino coast and through the north counties of California is highly recommended!

Driving to Anderson Valley

The Anderson Valley is a 2½-ish hour drive north from San Francisco. Though the actual mileage is about 120 miles, the last leg of the drive along Highway 128 is only two lanes that winds through gentle hills and redwood forests. You will occasionally see logging trucks hauling loads of redwoods.

From San Francisco: The fastest, most direct to Anderson Valley from San Francisco is taking US-101 north, passing through Marin, then through the familiar cities of Santa Rosa then Healdsburg. At the town of Cloverdale, take Highway 128 west toward Mendocino. From Cloverdale, you will get to the edge of Anderson Valley in about 45 minutes.

You can also take the scenic route that meanders along the coast from San Francisco to Mendocino, then cuts across inland on Highway 128. This route takes about 5 hours with no stops. Breaking this up into a multi-day road trip with overnight stops along the way is highly recommended.

From Los Angeles: The drive to the Anderson Valley from Los Angeles is just under 500 miles and averages about 8 hours, though you can breeze through in just under 7½ hours if you time it correctly to avoid LA and Bay area traffic (and get lucky!). The route is the usual I-5 north toward the Bay area, then along the East Bay. I have done this LA-Bay area drive countless times first as a college student at Cal, then as a Bay area food scenester.

Flying to Anderson Valley

If you're visiting Anderson Valley from anywhere that requires a flight first, you have two options, both of which still let you enjoy an hour of driving through valleys and redwood trees.

You can fly into Oakland (OAK) or San Francisco (SFO) on most commercial airlines, then drive the 2½ hours to the Anderson Valley. You can also fly into Santa Rosa (STS), a smaller airport that serves Sonoma County, rent a car, then drive the hour or so to Anderson Valley. American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have flights into Santa Rosa.

There is a tiny airstrip in Boonville into which you can fly with a lightweight plane. No commercial airlines fly directly into the Anderson Valley.

Food and Anderson Valley Wine Pairing Recommendations

If you can’t wait to head out to the Anderson Valley, grab a couple Anderson Valley AVA wines and do your own wine tasting tour at home! A wine-friendly cheese and charcuterie board is always a great background for a tasting, but a meal really lets you get the full feel of a wine.

Here are some recipes and suggested wine pairings from this guide. If the recipes feel heavily weighted toward fish and seafood, that's not a coincidence. The Anderson Valley is so close to the coast, and heavily influenced by the marine layer, it's no wonder the wines are a natural match for fish and seafood out of the Pacific Ocean. Salmon, sablefish, albacore tuna, halibut, rockfish, crab, and oysters are just some of what's local to the area throughout the year.

• Classic Smoked Salmon platter with Roederer Estate Brut sparkling wine (shipped or local delivery)
• Roederer Estate L'Ermitage (get it shipped, or local delivered) with Ultra-luxe Caviar Platter
• King Salmon ‘Californiçoise’ Salad with Roederer Estate Brut Rosé
• Miso-marinated Cod with Husch Vineyards Dry Gewurtztraminer
• Roasted Mushroom Salad with Golden Eye Pinot Noir (shipped or local delivery)
• Classic Roast Chicken with Drew Cellars Pinot Noir
• Korean Ginger Soy Braised Chicken with Longmeadow Ranch Pinot Noir
• Pear, Walnut and Brie Pizza (recipe below!) or Arugula Pear Salad inspired by that pizza with Read Holland Dry Riesling

Explore More California Wine Regions

• Monterey County, Central Coast
• Best Paso Robles Wineries, Central Coast
• Best Santa Barbara Wineries, Central Coast
• Santa Ynez, Solvang, and Los Olivos, Central Coast

List of Anderson Valley Wines

When you're ready to explore the Anderson Valley, either literally by going on a trip or figuratively by opening a few bottles at home, check out the following producers.

Wineries Located IN the Anderson Valley

The following wineries have tasting rooms in and around Anderson Valley that are open to the public, either walk-in or by appointment.

Drew Cellars *
Tasting Room at The Madrones
9000 Highway 128, Philo, CA 95466
Winery at 31351 Greenwood Road, Elk, CA 95432
www.drewwines.com
wines: cool climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah

Goldeneye Winery *
9200 Highway 128
Philo, CA 95466
www.goldeneyewinery.com/
wines: cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Handley Cellars
3151 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
handleycellars.com
wines: organic estate-grown cool climate sparkling, red and white wines

Husch Vineyards
4400 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
www.huschvineyards.com
tasting room is open, reservations not required
wines: cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Alsatian varietals

Longmeadow Ranch *
Tasting Room at The Madrones
9000 Highway 128, Philo, CA 95466
www.longmeadowranch.com
wines: estate-grown Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir

Roederer Estate *
4501 Highway 128
Philo, CA 95466
(707) 895-2288
www.roedererestate.com
wines: California sparkling wine

Scharffenberger Cellars
8501 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
scharffenbergercellars.com
wines: California sparkling wine

Anderson Valley Winery Recommendations from Locals

Maggy Hawk
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
9001 CA-128, Philo, CA 95466
www.maggyhawk.com

Minus Tide
no official tasting room; stop into Disco Ranch (local wine store) and pick up a bottle or they may already have a bottle open to taste by the glass!
www.minutstidewines.com
wines: food-friendly Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Carignan, and Syrah

Read Holland Wines
www.readhollandwines.com
wines: boutique production Riesling and Pinot Noir

Waits-Mast
www.waitsmast.com

Disco Ranch
Disco Ranch is not a winery but a retail store and wine bar with small tapas-style bites. It deserves a shout because it essentially serves as satellite tasting room for smaller wineries that don't have their own tasting rooms. Wendy, the proprietor, is awesome.
14025 CA-128, Boonville, CA 95415
www.discoranch.com

Slightly Beyond the Anderson Valley

Pacific Star Winery
33000 North Highway 1
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
www.pacificstarwinery.com
wines: unique reds and whites, with some obscure grapes, winery is situated on cliffs over the Pacific Ocean and has stunning views

Print

Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese Pizza Recipe

inspired by the seasonal offering at Offspring Pizza in Boonville, Anderson Valley, CA. Pair with an interesting dry white wine like Gewurztraminer or Riesling, or if you're inclined toward red, you can never go wrong with a Pinot Noir, especially one grown in the valley.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword pears, pizza, travel, walnuts

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 1 12-inch pizza

Ingredients

• 1 prepped pizza or flatbread dough
• 6 ounces brie-style cheese like Marin French Cheese Co. Traditional Brie cut into ¼-inch wide slices
• ½ Bartlett pear, thinly sliced lengthwise
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese like Point Reyes Bay Blue
• 1 tablespoon balsamic reduction
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, parsley, and tarragon

Instructions

• Heat oven to 450°F.
• Prepare pizza dough and stretch into a 12-inch round on a baking sheet. Top with Brie cheese slices, then sliced pears, walnuts, and blue cheese.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until pizza dough is golden and puffed and cheese is melted and bubbling.
• Remove pizza from oven, drizzle with balsamic reduction and top with chopped herbs.

Why Trust The Delicious Life?

Sarah is a professional recipe developer, writer, and digital content creator with almost 20 years of experience cooking food specifically to pair with wines and vice versa, selecting wines to pair with food on the table. She has traveled to and tasted wine in Burgundy, France and throughout the many diverse wine regions of California.

_{This post was created in partnership with California Wines and California Grown to celebrate California Wine Month, which is every September. All opinions and recipe adaptations are my own. Your and our sponsors' support is what helps us live The Delicious Life so thank you!}

The post Anderson Valley Wineries, a Hidden Gem in Northern California appeared first on The Delicious Life.

Yes, you absolutely can, and should, drink red wine with salmon!

(But we'll get to that in a moment.)

Start with Salmon's Basic Flavor Profile

Salmon is one of the most versatile fish in the kitchen. The higher fat content in salmon means not only is the fish fairly forgiving in terms of under- or over-cooking, but it's also richer and more flavorful on its own than other fish.

The versatility of salmon in the kitchen is also what makes it open to interpretation at the table for wine pairings. A basic preparation of salmon prepped with nothing but salt, pepper, maybe a few dried herbs, and seared in a hot skillet, is pretty much a blank canvas for any wine. The key is to pair wine to salmon's preparation, considering first any marinade, then the finishing sauce or condiment, and lastly the actual cooking method e.g. searing, grilling, poaching.

This Guide will walk you through the most popular types of salmon dishes and their best wine pairings, along with specific bottle recommendations. A recipe for a simple Seared Salmon that can be paired with virtually any wine, except full-bodied tannic reds, follows.

Of course, don't limit yourself. Use the general pairing principles, e.g. white, high-acid, citrus notes, for each type of salmon dish to pick different bottles of similar wine styles. And if you're feeling really adventurous, try something totally new. And definitely come back here and let us know about it!

Best Wines with Salmon - A Cheat Sheet

tl;dr Here is the wine with salmon pairing cheat sheet, which lists what types of wine pair with salmon the best:

• full-bodied white wines
• aromatic white wines
• sparkling wine
• rosé wine
• light-bodied, low-tannin red wines like Gamay and Pinot Noir

Full-bodied white wines like Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier have weight and texture that are natural matches with flavor-rich fatty salmon straight out of the pan. Lighter bodied white wines like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as aromatic white wines like Riesling and Gewürztraminer, work as complements to salmon with their light, bright, citrus characteristics that can balance and cut through salmon's fat.

However, if the salmon's preparation method is robust, and any accompanying sauce is richer and heavier, you can seamlessly pair rosé and light-bodied, low-tannin red wines like Gamay, Grenache, and Pinot Noir, and of course, juicy fruity rosé that’s characteristic of California, too.

To some extent, the specific type of salmon e.g. king, coho, sockeye, can even further fine-tune a pairing, but that's a graduate-level class that you can take after this.

The Wines - Monterey

The specific wines I'm choosing for this Guide all hail from Monterey, California. Yes, that Monterey!

Though it may be better known as a world-renowned travel destination and home to the enormous Monterey Bay Aquarium, historic Cannery Row, luxurious Pebble Beach golf courses, and breathtaking ocean cliffs of Big Sur, Monterey is also one of the oldest wine regions in California. Just inland of all the seaside tourist attractions and over the Santa Lucia Mountains, the largest part of Monterey is planted with 46,000 acres of vineyards. As a comparison, Monterey's more famous cousin to the north, Napa Valley, is planted with 45,000 acres of vineyards!

This past September, I learned about wines from Monterey by physically walking vineyards in one of the more well-known AVAs the Santa Lucia Highlands, touring wineries with harvest about to go into full-swing, and tasting world-class wines with the winemakers themselves. It was on this tasting trip with the California Wine Institute that I experienced first-hand how the Pacific Ocean's cool coastal air that rolls over the mountains and into the agricultural and viticultural valley influences the grapes, which in turn, extends to how well many of the wines pair with fish and seafood right out of the Monterey Bay, including everyone's favorite, salmon!

Monterey is located toward the southern end of the West Coast region, where wild salmon is abundant, so it makes sense that many wines from the region pair well with salmon!

Let's get into some specific pairings, shall we?

Wine with Seared Salmon

Seared salmon is one of food-life's greatest pleasures. It has salty, shatteringly crisp skin. It has barely opaque medium-rare center. And it has the impossible combination of feeling both light and clean and tasting luxuriously rich.

Seared salmon dishes are:

• soft and flaky
• but also meaty
• dependent on seasoning, sauce, and side dishes

and really shine with wines that are:

• acidic
• dry, medium-bodied for white wine
• earthy, light-bodied for red wine

At dinner at Cella restaurant in old town Monterey (highly recommend!), I ordered a seared local salmon from the Monterey Bay. The restaurant's sommelier came through with a recommendation of an Albariño produced right there in Monterey, really embodying the spirit of the age-old adage "What grows together goes together."

Albariño is a light- to medium-bodied, high acid white wine and exhibits citrus and stone fruit aromas. The albariño grape originates from Spain and Portugal, and can grow in the cooler microclimates along the Central Coast of California.

Best wines with seared salmon:

• La Marea Kristy Vineyard Albariño, Monterey
• The Fableist Albariño, from Paso Robles, just a little further south of Monterey along the Central Coast
• Scheid Vineyards Albariño, Arroyo Seco Monterey

Wine with Salmon in Briny, Lemony Sauce

My latest obsession is Salmon Piccata, the salmon version of lemon- and caper-laced chicken or veal piccata that many of us are more familiar with. The salmon itself is seared simply in a pan, but it's the high-toned acid and salt from the sauce that dictate the wine pairing. The butter in the Piccata sauce is there more for texture than taste.

Salmon Piccata and other briny, lemony sauces are:

• aggressive acid and salt
• strong lemon flavor
• light butter

and calls for wine that is

• equally high in acidity
• citrus-y to match the lemon

Best wines with Salmon Piccata and other Briny Lemony Sauces

• citrus forward Sauvignon Blanc, try Scheid Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey with zesty citrus and tart green apple, and hints of soft green spring herbs
• little to no oak Chardonnay, try Carmel Road Chardonnay, Monterey
• bolder, medium- to full-bodied dry rosé like one made from grenache or syrah

Make these Salmon Recipes with Briny, Lemony Sauces

• Salmon Piccata recipe
• Salmon with Olive Salsa Verde recipe

Wine with Grilled Salmon

Grilled Salmon is where Pinot Noir can truly shine as a pairing. When grilling, we tend to treat salmon like it's a more substantial type of meat, especially if the salmon is one of the fattier species like Chinook or responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon. We start with larger cuts like whole sides or thick, cross-cut steaks, and use more robust marinades and accompanying sauces. Salmon that is grilled on a wooden plank is particularly well-suited to the earthiness of Pinot Noir.

Grilled salmon is:

• fattier
• meatier
• smoky

and pairs with wines that are:

• earthy
• balanced in acidity
• medium-bodied for whites, can have some oak

Best wines with Grilled Salmon

• Pinot Noir, try Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir
• Pinot Noir, try highly-rated yet very affordably priced Talbott Vineyards Kali-Hart Pinot Noir

Try these Grilled Salmon recipes

• Grilled Salmon with Cherry Salsa
• Peruvian-style Salmon "a la Brasa"

Wine with Miso Salmon or Teriyaki Salmon

Miso salmon and teriyaki salmon are two different preparations, but they share a common flavor that dictates the wine pairing: prominent sweetness. Miso itself can be naturally sweet, and most recipes for the marinade are at least 25% sugar. Teriyaki sauce includes sugar and mirin, which is a Japanese sweetened rice wine.

Miso and teriyaki salmon dishes are:

• sweet
• sweet
• did I say sweet already
• sometimes salty and/or spicy

and do best with:

• medium-bodied
• high acid
• low tannin

Best wine with Miso Salmon or Teriyaki Salmon

• Dry Riesling, try Tatomer 'Steinhügel' Riesling', Santa Lucia Highlands. Tatomer is a Riesling specialist in Santa Barbara, and makes this special Riesling from a biodynamic vineyard in Monterey. Multiple vintages of Tatomer Riesling available here.
• Pinot Gris (same grape as Pinot Grigio), try La Crema Pinot Gris, Monterey La Crema is a widely available brand based north of Monterey in Sonoma, but this particular wine is made with grapes grown in Monterey!
• Gewürztraminer, try Scheid Vineyards Gewürztraminer
• Dry rosé

These wine pairings will more than likely work for salmon glazed or coated with any type of sweetness including brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, reduced fruit juice, etc.

Wine with Salmon in Tomato Sauce

Salmon with any form of tomatoes—whether that's covered with fresh tomato salsa, flaked into a simple marinara for pasta, or braised with a briny spicy tomato sauce like my favorite Salmon Puttanesca—hits all the taste senses for a perfectly balanced dish on its own. Salmon is oily and umami-rich. Tomatoes themselves are acidic and sweet, and whatever preparation will provide saltiness.

Salmon Puttanesca and other tomato sauces have:

• aggressive acid
• natural sweetness
• garlic and spice undertones

so it's no surprise that the perfect wine pairings are:

• sparkling wine with an ever so slight bitter edge
• dry rosé
• medium-bodied red that still has high acid

My go-to wine for Mediterranean-style tomato-based dishes is Sangiovese, a medium-bodied, high acid red wine which might be familiar to you in its Italian expressions as Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino, and Brunello di Montalcino. The Sangiovese grape grows most abundantly in Italy, but is expanding to pockets in South America and of, course California. I love this grape and the various expressions of it in different wines and I LOVE that Sangiovese from California is, obviously, fun and fruity.

Best wine with Salmon Puttanesca and other tomato sauces

• Sangiovese, try Scheid Vineyards Sangiovese, Monterey
• Carbonic Sangiovese, try 'Love You Bunches' from Stolpman's So Fresh label, which undergoes carbonic maceration resulting in lighter body, fruitier flavor and lower tannins. Stolpman Vineyards is a little further south down the Central Coast in Santa Barbara. I have been able to find this wine in my local Whole Foods

Wine with Smoked Salmon

Say "smoked salmon" and try not to think immediately of brunch, especially when the smoked salmon is the silky, thinly sliced cold-smoked variety served with classic accompaniments like capers, red onions, and if you're lucky, caviar. Those briny, robustly flavored components, combined with the automatic brunch association make it impossible for rosé, sparkling wine, or best of both, sparkling rosé, to come to mind as a pairing.

Hot smoked salmon, the kind that looks like a flaky fillet of cooked fish rather than transparent slices, has an earthier, smokier aroma. The same wine pairings work for both kinds of smoked salmon

If you're not a "sparkling wine person," first of all how dare you, and second of all, you have options for still wines. Look to bright, acidic, fuller bodied white wines and light-bodied Pinot Noirs with soft earth undertones.

Smoked salmon is:

• salty
• smoky
• rich with natural oils in the salmon

and therefore pairs best with:

• crisp sparkling to match the salt and smoke
• high-acid, subtle citrus white wines to cut through the fat
• full-bodied, dry rosé for balance

Winemaker Scott Caraccioli of boutique sparkling wine house Caraccioli Cellars poured his Brut Cuvée and Brut Rosé, both made with a combination of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and both of which paired perfectly with a Smoked Salmon toast I had for brunch literally over the waves of the Pacific Ocean on the terrace of the Monterey Plaza Hotel. The crisp bay breeze and the salinity of the ocean air as a backdrop for crisp sparkling wine paired with salty smoky salmon is a total vibe that I will be chasing forever.

Best wines with smoked salmon:

• Sparkling Brut, try Caraccioli Cellars Brut Cuvée, Monterey CA
• Sparkling Rosé, try Caraccioli Cellars Brut Rosé
• bold fruity rosé like a grenache rosé

Smoked salmon recipes

Recreate that ocean-view brunch vibe yourself with these Smoked Salmon recipes:

• Classic Smoked Salmon Platter How-to
• Smoked Salmon and Latkes Platter
• Smoked Salmon Benedict
• Artist Claude Monet's Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Spread

Wine with Salmon Sushi, Crudo, Ceviche, or Poké

Though they are all different styles from different cultural cuisines, sushi, crudo, ceviche and poké are all fresh, mostly raw, preparations of fish. Raw fish dishes often includes some form of acid whether that's a squeeze of citrus directly on the fish, vinegar in the sushi rice or shoyu in the marinade for poké.

These raw salmon preparations are:

• fresh
• light
• tart

and call for:

• light- to medium-bodied, high-acid white wines
• bright, dry rosé
• of course, sparkling.

For Ceviche Tostadas with Salsa Brava that I had at Passionfish restaurant in Monterey, winemaker Casey di Cesare of Sunny with a Chance of Flowers poured a bright rosé to match the fish ceviche. It was, naturally, perfect! He also poured Scheid Vineyards Grenache Blanc, a medium-bodied white wine that tempered the heat from the spicy Salsa Brava.

Best wines with salmon sushi, crudo, ceviche, and poké

• Grenache Blanc, try Scheid Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, Monterey
• Rosé, try Sunny with a Chance of Flowers Rosé, Monterey
• Sparkling wine, try the above Caraccioli Cellars brut sparkling wines, Monterey

Wine Pairing FAQ

Q: Ok, one shot only, what is the ONE best type of wine for salmon?

A: Full-bodied white wine. You will almost never go wrong with a medium- to full-bodied white wine with any salmon. Examples of full-bodied whites are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rousanne, and Viognier. Lighter bodied white wines like Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc are also natural complements to salmon that is served with a lighter, brighter, citrus-laced sauce or side dish. Sparkling wine always works, too, unless the salmon dish is spicy to the point of fire. The effervescence of sparkling wine can make spicy things taste even spicier!

Q: I only drink red wine. Is there a red wine I can drink with salmon?

A: Yes! You can drink light-bodied, low-tannin red wines with salmon. This class of red wines includes Gamay, Grenache, and of course, all-around favorite Pinot Noir. In fact, Pinot Noir with salmon is generally considered a "classic pairing" for the New World. The specific bottle pairing depends on the preparation method of the salmon, any accompanying sauce, and to some extent, the type of salmon e.g. king, coho, sockeye. Salmon that is cut into meatier "steaks," grilled over charcoal or wood, or flavored with robust seasonings are best for red wine pairings.

Q: What wine should I use to poach or cook salmon?

A: Whatever dry white wine you like to drink, use that to cook salmon. The only exception here would be a very oaked Chardonnay, which doesn't really work for cooking anything. When I'm making a sauce for salmon that includes lemon and garlic, I will almost always reach for a bottle of dry, citrusy, not too grassy Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris.

Explore More California Wine Regions

• Anderson Valley Wineries, North Coast
• Best Paso Robles Wineries, Central Coast
• Best Santa Barbara Wineries, Central Coast
• Santa Ynez, Solvang, and Los Olivos

More Perfect Food and Wine Pairings

• Best Wine and Cheese Pairings Guide, California Central Coast edition
• Classic Salade Niçoise with Santa Barbara wines, especially rosé
• Salmon with Olive Salsa Verde paired with Certified Sustainable California Wineries (CSCW) Sunny with a Chance of Flowers Sauvignon Blanc and Wente Vineyards Riva Ranch Chardonnay
• Salmon Piccata paired with Santa Ynez Valley wines
• Fall Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette paired with Anderson Valley wines

Print

The Best Salmon and Wine Pairings

Fast, easy, and most importantly healthiest, the BEST Baked Salmon recipe has only two ingredients and almost no cleanup!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Keyword anti-inflammatory, baked salmon, salmon

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 6-ounce pieces salmon your favorite variety, mine is wild King salmon
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• black pepper, optional
• chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375°F and make sure there is a rack just below middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and make sure the foil reaches up and over the edges.
• Pat salmon dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salmon pieces on top and bottom with salt and pepper if using. Place salmon on foil-lined baking sheet, skin side down.
• Bake in oven for about 10 minutes. Then check with a fork for flakiness, or with a thermometer to reach internal temperature of 145°. The baking time depends on how thick the salmon pieces are.
• Using a very thin spatula carefully remove salmon from baking sheet to plates. Garnish with shopped fresh parsley if using. If you did it right, you can just lift the foil off the baking sheet and throw it away.

Notes

Pro-Tip: Remove salmon from the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before cooking to take some of the chill off.

Leftover Baked Salmon can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days, or in the freezer for one month. 

_{This post was created in partnership with California Wines and California Grown to celebrate California Wine Month, which is every September. All opinions and recipe adaptations are my own. Your and our sponsors' support is what helps us live The Delicious Life so thank you!}

Why Trust The Delicious Life?

Sarah is a professional recipe developer, writer, and digital content creator with almost 20 years of experience cooking dishes to pair with wines and vice versa, selecting wines to pair with food on the table. She has traveled to and tasted wine in Burgundy, France and throughout the many diverse wine regions of California.

The post Wine Pairing with Salmon - Best Wines and Specific Bottle Ideas appeared first on The Delicious Life.