Executive Editor Jim Gordon motored about 250 miles (400 kilometers) south from his home in Napa Valley this past week to Santa Barbara wine country, where he tasted dozens of wines each day, tramping through vineyards where the harvest was still wrapping up and talking with winemakers and producers from Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills and the other AVAs of Santa Barbara County.
For someone who began tasting Santa Barbara wines almost 40 years ago, it was an eye-opening reminder of just how diverse this wine region in Southern California really is, and how much it continues to evolve.
Pinot noir, syrah and chardonnay compete for attention here, with pinot having the highest profile, yet Santa Barbara County is in the scrum of top-quality syrahs in the state as well – no disrespect to Paso Robles or the Sierra Foothills.