Critic picks

Wine Spectator's top-rated wineries in Santa Barbara County

Wine Spectator scores on the 100-point scale. Its 16 ranked Santa Barbara County producers run from 83 to 90 points, each with at least two rated wines.

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

16
Producers Wine Spectator rates
90
Top score
74
Wines scored, top 25

The list

  1. 190Crown PointHappy Canyon of Santa Barbara, United States3 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  2. 290StormSanta Barbara County, United States3 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  3. 390TylerSta. Rita Hills, United States3 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  4. 489Roark Wine CompanySanta Ynez Valley, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  5. 589MargerumSanta Barbara County, United States2 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  6. 688HabitSanta Barbara County, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  7. 788Grimm's BluffHappy Canyon of Santa Barbara, United States3 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  8. 887BranderSanta Ynez Valley, United States5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  9. 987GrassiniHappy Canyon of Santa Barbara, United States5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  10. 1086Santa Barbara WinerySanta Ynez Valley, United States13 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  11. 1186Zaca MesaSanta Barbara County, United States5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  12. 1286FirestoneSanta Ynez Valley, United States8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  13. 1386ByronSanta Barbara County, United States8 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  14. 1486PalminaSanta Barbara County, United States5 wines ratedDISTINCTION→
  15. 1585SanfordSanta Barbara County, United States3 wines ratedCRITICS' PICK→
  16. 1683Blackjack RanchSanta Barbara County, United States2 wines ratedDISTINCTION→

How we choose

Wine Spectator rates individual wines, not estates. Each producer's place here is its average Wine Spectator 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 Barbara County wineries has Wine Spectator rated?
16 wineries in Santa Barbara County, United States have at least two wines scored by Wine Spectator. Only those appear here.
Which Santa Barbara County winery does Wine Spectator rate highest?
Crown Point, at a 90-point average from Wine Spectator, followed by Storm and Tyler.
How is this list ranked?
By Wine Spectator's average score across each winery's wines. A winery needs at least two Wine Spectator-rated wines to be listed, so a single high score cannot top the ranking.
Does this use user reviews?
No. Only Wine Spectator's professional ratings. There are no crowd star averages in it.

Keep exploring

Take Santa Barbara County with you

Download on the App StoreFree · iPhone