Sea Smoke
Where to Taste Sea Smoke
Sea Smoke, the Sta. Rita Hills winery famous for its waiting list, has no public tasting room and doesn't regularly offer winery visits. In Los Olivos, Taste of Santa Rita Hills has been the place to find it for more than a decade. We pour the latest releases from Sea Smoke, and we also carry older vintages of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
This page is about Sea Smoke, the Sta. Rita Hills winery. Not the dragon, and not the fog.
For more than a decade, we've been something of an unofficial tasting room for Sea Smoke. We have the largest collection of Sea Smoke wines -- both current and library vintages -- of any retailer in America. But that doesn't mean we can pour their wines year-round.
Because quantities are still very limited, we pour Sea Smoke when a new release comes in, as an optional add-on to our Reserve Flight. Once we're low on inventory, we take it off the flight and sell bottles only. Sea Smoke typically releases their estate wines each Fall, but for the first time in more than a decade, Sea Smoke moved its Fall 2026 release to Spring 2027. If tasting Sea Smoke is the reason for your visit, please call us at (805) 688-1900 to find out if we are pouring it on our flight. We do have them available to purchase by the bottle, which you are welcome to open and pour with your group while you visit us. You can find all of our available vintages of Southing and Ten Pinot Noir, plus the estate Chardonnay at our store or online.
In June 2026, we were honored to host Sea Smoke's director of winemaking, Don Schroeder, for a special tasting event. He shared the latest Sea Smoke bottlings and the new Botella in our tasting room. And when PaperCity Magazine asked him in July where he goes for a glass, he named Taste of Santa Rita Hills in Los Olivos.
CAN YOU VISIT SEA SMOKE?
Not usually. Sea Smoke's own FAQ says, "At this time, we do not regularly offer winery visits." The estate vineyard has no tasting room, and Decanter reported in 2024 that the winery declines requests for vineyard tours. The winery simply does not produce enough wine to sustain a tasting room. If you call them to ask about tasting, Sea Smoke will send you to Taste of Santa Rita Hills in Los Olivos.
ABOUT SEA SMOKE
Bob Davids founded Sea Smoke in 1999, buying a former horse farm on the south-facing slopes above the Santa Ynez River and planting it to vines. The first vintage, 2001, was released to wide acclaim and put Sea Smoke on Wine Spectator's Top 100 within a few years.
Today the estate vineyard covers 172 planted acres, from 218 to 720 feet, planted to ten French clones of Pinot Noir plus Chardonnay. It has been farmed organically since 2005 and biodynamically since 2013. The name comes from the marine fog, the "sea smoke," that travels up the Santa Ynez River canyon. Don Schroeder joined in 2003 and has led the winemaking since 2008. When Constellation Brands bought the winery in 2024, Don was promoted to Director of Winemaking.
THE SEA SMOKE WINES
Southing: Pinot Noir named for the estate's south-facing bluffs. The brighter, more elegant or "feminine" of the two flagship Pinots.
Ten: Pinot Noir named for the ten clones on the estate. Sea Smoke calls it "our deepest and most structured expression," also known as the more "masculine" Pinot.
Grand: The best lots of a vintage, aged for years in bottle before release.
Estate Chardonnay: A vibrant, powerful, yet balanced expression of the same estate vineyard.
Sea Spray: A Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine made from estate Pinot Noir.
Botella: Sea Smoke's original second wine, made from 2001 to 2014 and brought back with the 2024 vintage, now from neighboring Sta. Rita Hills vineyards. Aged less time and made to drink sooner.
HOW TO BUY SEA SMOKE
Most Sea Smoke is sold direct to consumers through their membership. Becoming a member requires joining the winery's waiting list, which could take 2 years to move from the waitlist to the active list as wine becomes available. Active members have access to Chardonnay, Ten and Southing each Spring, and Grand and Sea Spray go to members in exceptional standing in the Fall. Decanter put the waitlist at about 4,700 people in 2024. As of the 2024 vintage, Botella has been crafted by Sea Smoke as a sub-brand that is more widely available outside of their membership.
Or skip the wait: we carry current and library vintages of Sea Smoke Southing and Ten, going back to 2014, while they last.
SEA SMOKE AND "SIDEWAYS"
Many credit the 2004 film "Sideways" for Sea Smoke's rise, though Decanter notes the waiting list was building almost from the start. According to Slate, a bottle of Sea Smoke appears at the film's double-date dinner, which was filmed in Los Olivos, just down Grand Avenue from our tasting room. Read more about the film's local locations in our Sta. Rita Hills guide.
SEA SMOKE FAQ
Does Sea Smoke have a tasting room?
No. Sea Smoke has no public tasting room, and its own FAQ says it does not regularly offer winery visits. In Los Olivos, Taste of Santa Rita Hills pours Sea Smoke as an optional add-on to a flight when a new release comes in, and carries library vintages of their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Can you visit the Sea Smoke vineyard?
Not usually. Sea Smoke does not offer public tours, and Decanter reported in 2024 that the winery declines requests for vineyard tours. The estate is on south-facing slopes above the Santa Ynez River in the Sta. Rita Hills.
How do you get on the Sea Smoke mailing list?
Sign up for The List on Sea Smoke's website. You join a waitlist and move to the active list as wine becomes available. Active members get access to purchasing Chardonnay, Ten and Southing each Spring.
What is the difference between Sea Smoke Southing and Ten?
Both are estate Pinot Noirs. Southing is named for the estate's south-facing bluffs and is the brighter, more elegant wine. Ten is named for the ten Pinot Noir clones on the estate and is the deeper, more structured wine.
Why is it called Sea Smoke?
The name comes from the marine fog, the "sea smoke," that travels up the Santa Ynez River canyon and cools the estate vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills.
Can I buy Sea Smoke without being in their club membership?
Yes, however it is rare to find even at higher-end wine retail outlets due to limited quantities that quickly sell out. Taste of Santa Rita Hills carries current and library vintages of Sea Smoke Southing and Ten Pinot Noir and Estate Chardonnay at the Los Olivos store and in its online shop while they last. Botella by Sea Smoke is also available outside of their club membership.
