Welcome to Santa Barbara Wine Week!

Seven Days of $10 Glasses of Wine
from 33 Establishments

By Matt Kettmann | April 27, 2023

Though just a trickle through our lives a quarter-century ago, the wine industry now flows through Santa Barbara County like a firehose, soaking every corner of our regional economy and culture, from the landscapes and logos we see to the people we meet and the foods we eat. The numbers speak for themselves: $1.7 billion in annual economic activity, 10,000-plus people employed, and more than one million tourists visiting wineries each year.

Harder to quantify is the unparalleled magic of a Santa Barbara wine experience, which is often lost on those of us who live here. Nowhere else in the United States — and very possibly, nowhere else in the world — can you enjoy locally grown and produced wine in so many distinctive settings: amid the gentle sea breezes and urban vibe of the Funk Zone; in the historic cottages of Los Olivos and Los Alamos, steps away from internationally envied restaurants; or amid the vines and barrels of an estate winery outside of Lompoc or Santa Maria, getting hands-on education from winemakers themselves. And you could easily tackle all of that in the same day.

Like the industry has done in communities elsewhere, wine is elevating our hospitality scene, opening viable career paths for younger generations, and uplifting the historically exploited, often immigrant communities that serve as its agricultural backbone. Not everything is perfect, of course, and much work remains on the table in regards to social justice, environmental sustainability, and economic equity. But on the whole, wine continues to make Santa Barbara County a more dynamic place to live, work, and play.