There are so many wine tours on the California Central Coast, especially in our particular area, because we’re a quick 30-minute drive up the 154 to fruit-filled vineyards. You feel like you’re worlds away while you’re sipping wine and enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Growing up in this area, I’ve been on plenty of wine tours. They’re all fun and offer a different approach, however, if you’re looking for a personal and luxurious wine tour, then you must start with Villa Wine Tour. Their Exclusive Tour offers a one-on-one experience and personal wine tastings at private vineyards.
In addition to a personal and luxurious tour, this private wine tour is a safe option during Covid-19 because you aren’t surrounded by lots of people.
Our day started at 10:15am, when Kim and I hopped in Villa Wine Tour‘s comfortable SUV with the owners, Sean and Gabi. Along the way, Sean and Gabi shared their history working in the wine industry, which made us realize we were in great hands!
Our first stop was McKinney Family Wines, located in the Santa Ynez AVA. Matt McKinney, owner and winemaker, shared his unique story of how he went from one passion to another: professional volleyball to Viticulture. While you’re tasting his wines, he’s also walking you through his vineyard and explaining each step on how he makes each varietal. I learned more about Viticulture and geology on this private tour than any other tour I’ve ever been on in the past.
We tried about seven or eight wines, however, Matt currently has about sixteen varietals in his library. Not only are his wines polished and smooth, their names also have meaningful stories behind them. I’m a history nerd, so I appreciate this extra touch! All of the wines we tasted left me in “awe,” however, I brought home bottles of the 2017 Baron, a GSM, and the 2017 Napoleon’s Secret, a five primary red varietals blend.
Mark my word: You will leave the McKinney family’s estate craving more.
We hopped back into Villa Wine Tour’s SUV and ventured to Grassini Family Vineyards, which is about a 10 minute drive away from McKinney and rests in the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara A.V.A. We were greeted by sweet Megan, who I discovered doesn’t live too far away from me in Santa Barbara.
The first thing that I noticed when driving through the front gate of the Grassini vineyard was the use of reclaimed wood everywhere. Visually, it makes the vineyard look extra romantic…As if a vineyard even needs that! The wood used in the winery is reclaimed antique fir that was milled from timbers in the Columbia River. In the 1800s, the timber’s main use was to move materials down rivers to lumberjack camps. Where are they now? Well, these are the same timbers that you see at the winery, as well as Grassini’s bar in their tasting room, which lives in the historic Presidio neighborhood in Santa Barbara. This is the exact neighborhood where my family planted its roots during the birth of El Presidio de Santa Bárbara in 1757.
We tasted five varietals: 2019 Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc, a 2017 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, a 2016 Estate Merlot, the 2017 Articondo Proprietary Blend, and a 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Personally, I loved the Cabernet Sauvignon, however, it was a pretty hot day outside, so both of the Sauvignon Blancs tasted heavenly.
While we were tasting, Sean and Gabi, set up a beautiful lunch for Kim and me. They were prepared to meet our dietary restrictions and focused on delicious plant-based options, like quinoa, freshly baked bread, a summer salad, and mixed vegetables. Most wine tours settle for a boxed lunch, whereas Villa Wine Tour‘s meal was thoughtfully prepared and was mouth-watering.
When booking your next tour, be sure to consult with Villa Wine Tour first. If you do your research, you’ll realize this is the best value for your money. You might be tempted to book one of the less expensive tours that pushes you through tasting room after tasting room, but most of those tours don’t include the tasting room fees, are significantly less personal, and only feature the public tasting rooms. Most of these experiences are jammed packed with people, and you’re stuck standing shoulder to shoulder depending on where you’re at. With Villa Wine Tour, you are taken to the private boutique vineyards and get an educational, professional, and luxurious experience.
“In vino veritas [In wine is truth].” – Pliny the Elder
