Wine tasting is one in all Santa Barbara County’s most cherished actions, and for good cause. With greater than 275 wineries within the area, and a plethora of world-class wine available, it’s no surprise why locals and vacationers alike make time to style wine, and achieve this typically.
However what occurs while you plan to get pleasure from a day of wine tasting and your babysitter flakes, or you’ve gotten a brand new child however don’t wish to quit your pre-baby way of life? Fortunately, there are many wineries and tasting rooms you’ll be able to enterprise to with the kiddos, and many who even let your fur infants be a part of, too. So collect the newborn wipes and coloring books, as a result of we’re sharing a number of the space’s most family-friendly wineries.
Earlier than we soar in, although, let’s pause for a second to handle these of you who could also be doubting the idea of wine tasting as a household exercise. If that’s you, we get it, however allow us to simply say this: It’s not simply in regards to the wine. Certain, you wish to be aware of how the wine appears, smells, and, after all, the way it tastes, however wine tasting is a real sensory journey, so the whole lot from the setting and ambiance to the conversations you’ve gotten and the folks you bond with can play equally vital roles.
“Visiting a vineyard may be a lot greater than tasting wine,” affirms Chad Melville, proprietor and winemaker of Melville Vineyard. “At Melville, we invite friends of all ages to soak up the great thing about our vineyards, study farming, contact the soil, and create recollections.”
Echoing this sense of connection to the land is Santa Barbara resident Geneva Ives, who brings her little one alongside not just for comfort causes. “We would like our son to grasp the native agriculture and all of the work that goes into producing wine,” she explains. “If he chooses to get pleasure from wine when he will get older, we wish him to comprehend it shouldn’t be one thing mass-produced that you simply purchase with out considering. Wine is the folks and the area.”
Certainly, wine tasting transcends the act of savoring what’s in your glass — it’s about fostering a connection to the land and neighborhood, and creating shared experiences each with the individuals who make the wine and with those that savor it collectively.
Says Santa Barbara mother of two, Ashley Hollister: “We like to deliver our kids to family-friendly wineries as a result of it’s such a stunning expertise to loosen up with a glass of wine whereas the kids can frolic round, making pals with the opposite kids from neighboring tables, sharing cherished moments of play and connection concurrently their mother and father.”
Keith Saarloos, a third-generation member of Saarloos + Sons, believes “wine is a communal expertise.” He provides that, to his household, “Children are a part of our neighborhood.”
This family-oriented strategy resonates with Andrew Murray, proprietor and winemaker of Andrew Murray Vineyards, who says, “We’re a household enterprise and we raised our personal kids in and round our vineyard.” Recognizing the significance of family-friendly environments, Murray emphasizes their dedication to catering to households touring collectively by making certain their vineyard is a welcoming place for each adults and youngsters alike.
It’s evident that many wineries in Santa Barbara provide extra than simply high quality wines — they supply experiences for fogeys who, like myself, enjoyment of merging their ardour for wine with their kids’s firm. So, while you’re able to craft your individual wine-tasting recollections with your loved ones, no matter age, listed below are a number of inviting locations to contemplate:
Saarloos + Sons
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With a reputation like Saarloos + Sons, you’ll be able to think about that cultivating a spot the place households really feel welcomed is a precedence for the Saarloos clan. At their Los Olivos tasting room, you’ll discover a cupcake station for teenagers, in addition to some outdated pedal tractors within the yard — good for burning off that sugar rush. Not surprisingly, canine are welcome, too. (saarloosandsons.com)
Melville
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Moreover Melville’s vary of acclaimed wines, the vineyard provides a number of non-alcoholic drinks and snacks for friends of all ages to get pleasure from — assume lemonade, cheese and charcuterie, and even ice cream sandwiches from Rori’s Artisanal Creamery. Cease in for a tasting, play a sport of cornhole or life-size Join 4, then let the youngsters dive into their winery-themed exercise books, full with a scavenger hunt. Mother and father of pups may even respect the bottle-shaped canine toys accessible for buy. (melvillewinery.com)
Vega Winery & Farm
Credit score: Danielle Laudon
This Buellton vineyard, restaurant, and farm is a vacation spot the entire household (even the four-legged type) will like. Right here, Mother and Dad can sip on Italian and French varietal wines and picnic whereas the youngsters feed livestock and play garden video games. Be looking out for the opening of the Vega Normal Retailer, which can provide seize ‘n’ go picnic lunches, snacks, toys, video games, and extra, together with on-property tractor rides being provided within the close to future. (vegavineyardandfarm.com)
Presqu’ile
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Although adults are the one ones who can respect the wines of this lovely Santa Maria Valley vineyard, the entire household will certainly relish its relaxed setting and views. One of the best half? You don’t must be 21 to dig into the Mezze Picnic, a tasty unfold of seasonal fare highlighting substances grown in Presqu’ile’s personal natural backyard. (presquilewine.com)
Andrew Murray
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At this picturesque Foxen Canyon vineyard, you’ll discover a big garden ideally suited for households who wish to unfold out a bit, in addition to exercise packs designed particularly for the little ones. Inside these welcome kits are crayons, toys, and even a letter from the Murrays’ personal daughter. Furry pals are welcome, too. (andrewmurrayvineyards.com)
Storm Wines
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The indoor-outdoor setting of this relaxed family-owned and -operated tasting room units the right stage for sipping chilled reds and refreshing sauvignon blancs. Fortunately, you don’t have to go away the household behind to get pleasure from all of it, as Storm Wines is each kid- and dog-friendly. The truth is, it’s not unusual to see the Storms’ personal kids on-site. (stormwines.com)
Fess Parker Vineyard
Wine is a household affair at this multigenerational family-owned vineyard, so it’s solely pure that households can be welcomed. Whereas Fess Parker doesn’t permit anybody beneath 21 for the wine experiences, the expansive, picnic-friendly garden is a good spot to let the youngsters run round and play. Don’t fear, you’ll be able to order wine to savor on the garden. (fessparker.com)
Future Good
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Children of all ages are at all times welcome at this cheerful Los Olivos tasting room. Mother and father will respect Future Good’s easy-drinking wines and welcoming setting, whereas the kiddos will get a kick out of the whimsical area — full with disco ball on the porch — to not point out the glitter stickers, crayons, and customized rainbow and robotic pages they’ll get to paint throughout a go to. (futureperfectwine.com)
Potek
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At Potek, situated at The Mill, Mother and Dad can pattern a variety of pleasant wines in between bites of smashburger. And for the youngsters? Fries and milkshakes, after all. With a big, informal patio; common stay music; and a brewery on-site, too, The Mill has turn out to be a vacation spot the entire household can get pleasure from. (municipalwinemakers.com/pages/potek)
In fact, that is only a small sampling of the family-friendly wineries Santa Barbara County has to supply. There are lots extra all through the area — comparable to Kunin, Roblar, Zaca Mesa, and Longoria, to call a number of — which can be prepared and keen that will help you create lasting recollections you and your kiddos can cherish endlessly.