11 Best Wineries in Santa Maria

“We came for the Friday live-music happy hour with young children and had a very enjoyable experience. I found it to be extremely kid friendly, or at least welcoming. In the parking lot, we passed a departing staff member and I confirmed I could bring children (a lot of wineries don’t permit children), and he said of course and pointed out the grassy areas as well as recommended the seasonal chocolate chip cookies (which were REALLY good albeit $5/pop). When we got inside a staff member was very friendly in explaining how the happy hour works (outside of happy hour it’s by reservation only but Friday evenings first-come, first-serve for seating). She was very nice and friendly when I asked if it was okay I brought food for my kids (normally they don’t allow outside food but can be flexible for kids// I expected this and had just brought them each a discrete snack box with their dinners). View was gorgeous at 6 pm. We enjoyed the live music… and actually wished she had played more. We tried the Chardonnay and Syrah as the website specified they specialized in those as well as Pinot. We also enjoyed the seasonal flat bread. Most groups seemed to go for a bottle of wine. This attests mostly to the kid-friendly nature of the event but there were a couple other groups with small children, diverted by coloring etc and mine enjoyed walking around the flowers and looking for bugs. Overall, everyone was very nice and everything was delicious and the atmosphere was very chill and relaxing for a Friday evening. I would definitely go back for the Friday evening happy hour.“

“On a sun-drenched day in February, we stood with Wes Hagen in the vineyards and soaked in the beauty of the Santa Maria hillside. After our vineyard trek, we sat in the recent homestead of James Ontiveros and tasted some very special Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and yes, even some Cabs from Native 9 / Ranchos de Ontiveros.I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy your day than spending it with Wes, along with a glass of wine, while he shares the rich and storied history of Santa Barbara wine country. His knowledge of the surrounding soils and terroir completely elevated the tasting for us.Carve out some time for your own deep-dive into the wonderful world of Native 9 / Ranchos de Ontiveros wines; it’s worth the trip!“

“The most idyllic wine tasting spot! We drove past so many wineries and this one was out of this world - the service and just everything. Super happy about this extraordinary experience! The wines were super tasty as well - highly recommend going there!“

“Stumbled across this lovely winery after visiting another winery down the road and so happy we came here. Great wines great attentiveness and service from Danica and all!! Highly recommend if you enjoy an easy drinking Pinot Noir and light crisp Chardonnay. Can’t wait to come back.“

“Hands down, my favorite producer of wine“

“best staff. best owners. great wine.“

“I visited on 7/22 and my time there was amazing! Craig was wonderful! He poured some amazing wines and was so nice. He was kind enough to give me the industry discount as I work for Total Wine. And also give us 30% off our purchases. I plan to definitely visit again!“

“Cotiere winemaker proprietor Kevin Law makes some of the most compelling wines in Santa Barbara County and their QPR is absolutely outstanding! He also sources from Napa Valley and those wines are extraordinary as well. We had a magnificent tasting at the winery with Kevin and look forward to our visit every time we travel to Santa Barbara.“

“I am a wine club member here. This place remains true to the term " boutique winery" the surrounding area of Santa Ynez is growing in tourist visits to all the wineries and vineyards. But Tres Hermanas Winery sits nestled adjacent Santa Ynez in Santa Maria. It is absolutely a peaceful, Serene, beautiful. I highly recommend the Pinot Noir ,Sangiovése and the Sadie Cuveé which are my favorites. The picnic area is ample, lush and with beautiful views of the Syrah Vineyards and surrounding mountains. It is for me one of the premier places for a tasting and picnic with out huge crowds which have been growing fast within this last year. Whoever is reading this, please check this place out.“

“Discovered this place on the wine trolley. Even better than the wine, which is already pretty good is the gorgeous views of this winery. There weren't many people there when we went and that combined with the views of nature made this place an almost meditative experience. The staff was friendly and treated us kindly.“