Critic picks

Wine Enthusiast's top-rated wineries in Santa Maria Valley

Wine Enthusiast scores on the 100-point scale. Its 22 ranked Santa Maria Valley producers run from 87 to 94 points, each with at least two rated wines.

Ranked by Wine Enthusiast's mean score across every wine of theirs Wine Enthusiast has rated. Highest average first; ties go to the producer with more wines rated.

22
Producers Wine Enthusiast rates
94
Top score
469
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 194Bien Nacido EstateSanta Maria Valley, United States30 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 294Solomon Hills VineyardsSanta Maria Valley, United States19 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  3. 393Ranchos de OntiverosSanta Maria Valley, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  4. 493PiroSanta Maria Valley, United States12 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 593Ann AlbertSanta Maria Valley, United States3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  6. 692OptikSanta Maria Valley, United States12 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 792ChallenSanta Maria Valley, United States49 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 892Ambullneo VineyardsSanta Maria Valley, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 992OjaiSanta Maria Valley, United States101 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  10. 1091Presqu'ileSanta Maria Valley, United States45 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  11. 1191Mattina FioreSanta Maria Valley, United States2 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  12. 1291DestinataSanta Maria Valley, United States3 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  13. 1391StasisSanta Maria Valley, United States19 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1491Amor FatiSanta Maria Valley, United States8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1591ProdigalSanta Maria Valley, United States7 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  16. 1691Royal PrinceSanta Maria Valley, United States6 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  17. 1790Purple Dragon CellarsSanta Maria Valley, United States7 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  18. 1890CambriaSanta Maria Valley, United States104 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  19. 1990ZinkeSanta Maria Valley, United States17 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  20. 2090Ultima TulieSanta Maria Valley, United States4 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  21. 2189Tomi CellarsSanta Maria Valley, United States5 wines ratedCRITIC-RATED→
  22. 2287Sierra MadreSanta Maria Valley, United States9 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Wine Enthusiast rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Wine Enthusiast score across every wine of theirs the critic has scored. A producer needs at least two such wines to appear: the guard stops a single lucky score on one bottle from outranking an estate with dozens of rated wines. More on how the list works

Frequently asked

How many Santa Maria Valley wineries has Wine Enthusiast rated?
22 wineries in Santa Maria Valley, United States have at least two wines scored by Wine Enthusiast. Only those appear here.
Which Santa Maria Valley winery does Wine Enthusiast rate highest?
Bien Nacido Estate, at a 94-point average from Wine Enthusiast, followed by Solomon Hills Vineyards and Ranchos de Ontiveros.
How is this list ranked?
By Wine Enthusiast's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Wine Enthusiast-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Wine Enthusiast's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

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