Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the Sta. Rita Hills located? Sta. Rita Hills is an AVA in Santa Barbara County, where the Central Coast of California bends. Its boundaries are between the towns of Buellton on the east and Lompoc on the West. The AVA is comprised of three east-west or transverse hills named Purisima Hills on the north, Santa Rosa Hills on the south, and the middle hill named the Sta. Rita Hill.
What is an AVA? AVA stands for American Viticulture Area. AVAs throughout the country are regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) which is overseen by the U.S. Treasury Department. AVAs are designated grape-growing regions with specific climactic and/or geographic characteristics that distinguish it from other AVAs. Having a designated AVA on a wine label enables vintners to identify the appellation of origin, which in turn allows consumers to select credible sources of wine per their preference. The AVA system is the equivalent of the "Cru" classification in France or the "DOC" classification in Italy. Or think of it as identifying a neighborhood vs a city. For example, a home in the neighborhood of Bel Air is more specific than refering to a home located in Beverly Hills or Los Angeles.
How do you choose the wines in your tasting room? We procure quality, small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sta. Rita Hills made by some of the best winemakers who do not have their own formal tasting rooms. These are sought-after wines that are hard to find elsewhere, such as Sea Smoke, Paul Lato, OLG, Chanin, Mail Road and Racines. Some are up-and-coming winemakers that we help to expose to wine aficionados.
Where is the tasting room located? We are in the town of Los Olivos, CA, about 40 minutes northwest of Santa Barbara, and about 90 minutes south of Paso Robles. Our address is 2923 Grand Avenue. Once you find the flagpole at the main intersection of this very small town, head north (away from the Post Office) and you'll find us on the left-hand side of the street across from the Los Olivos Art Gallery.
When are you open? We are open Thursdays through Mondays from 11am to 5pm. We're closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We are also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day. For other holidays, we will always post our hours on our homepage.
Do I need a reservation? Reservations are not required, however we definitely recommend them for large parties or on weekends. Submit a reservation request on our homepage, or call us at 805-688-1900, or email us at info@tasteofstaritahills.com.
What can I expect to taste on your flight? We offer 2 to 3 flight options depending on the season. Each flight includes 6 pours, typically 2 local white wines (Chardonnay, Sparkling) and 4 local red wines (Pinot Noir). The seasonal third flight might be a white wine flight in the summer, or a special winemaker's flight. We do our best to pour a variety of styles of Pinot Noir to help customers explore and understand what satisfies their palate. See the page Taste > Wine Flights for more details. Our flights change often so if you want to know what we are pouring on the day of your visit, it's best to call us.
Can I taste Sea Smoke wine? The short answer is "sometimes"! Due to the exclusivity and limited quantities available, we pour Sea Smoke wines for tasting when a new release comes in. We typically include a tasting of 1 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir as an optional add-on to a flight for an additional fee. Once we are low on inventory, we will take it off the flight so we can sell bottles only. Sorry, we simply cannot accommodate everyone who comes in just to taste Sea Smoke. You can also shop library vintages of Sea Smoke online: see Where to Taste Sea Smoke.
Do you have a wine club? Yes! Why join 10 wine clubs when you can join 1 club that brings you a variety of winemakers and the best wines of Sta. Rita Hills. Our club allocations are 3 bottles, 4 times per year. Member benefits include a 10% discount on all bottle purchases, waived tasting fees, and advance notice of winemaker events. We have 3 membership levels to suit your budget. For details and to sign up, go to our Join > Wine Clubs page.