foxen canyon wine trail

The variety of wineries and wines along Foxen Canyon may be some of the best in California. Although "a slice of Heaven in the Spring", there is also much to be said about winter, when the vines are sleeping and there are no crowds. Our favorites are Zaca Mesa and Firestone, although Fess P. was very good this time, and the new Andrew Murray tasting room at the vineyard is much to be preferred over their place in Los Olivos. And many of the tasting rooms are dog-friendly!

The storied Foxen Canyon Wine Trail represents all that is right with California wine country. But a stone's throw from L.A., Southern California wine enthusiasts can immerse themselves in a spectacular afternoon of traveling from one winery to the next, tasting some extraordinary wines along the way. Our most recent visit found us entertaining close friends who had never experienced the FCWT and so it was with eager abandon we alighted upon our journey the morning of 9 March, 2014.There are many ways to approach the area; we usually enjoy starting at Cambria and working our way ultimately toward Firestone and did this time, as well. Cambria is a tad out of the way but it's worth the visit. Next stop for us was Rancho Sisquoc and, for my money, it's one of the prettiest spots along the trail. Also a little out of the way but well worth it. Then, it was on to the headliner, Foxen Vineyards. My wife and I belong to the Anchor Wine Club there and you just cannot go wrong with their wines; some of the boldest expressions of California Pinot Noir I've ever had. Fantastic producer and highly recommended.After that, we went to Zaca Mesa. ZM is a beautiful place but their wines are middle of the road, IMO. Not bad but nothing to write home about.We wound up finishing our tour down the road and off the trail at Dierberg which is in Lompoc. Not part of the trail but another winery that should not be missed if you get the chance. Tastings range from about $10 to $25 ea. depending on the winery.I could do the FCWT every single day of my life and never get bored. If you love Cali wine, you'll probably feel the same. Go and enjoy!

Personally, visiting 8 vineyards and tasting upwards of 50 wines in one afternoon is over the top. But this is a beautiful drive even if you are not tasting. If you are on a bicycle, be aware that this is a two lane country road. I recommend picking up picnic fare, choosing a vineyard you'd like to taste at, then buying your favorite bottle and picnic on their grounds. Beautiful bucolic views.

If you are looking for a very relaxing afternoon, you must take this ride. Viewing by limo is the best way and many are in the area. There is a lot of history is tied to the trail and if time allows, do your homwork first. One item that gets overlooked is the approximate location where Fremont and his soldiers camped while on their way to rescue Santa Barbara from the Mexican army. Chec also on the history of Benjamin Foxen. There are many wineries on the trail and to see them all would tae several days. Included in the trip would be to see the thoroughbred horse farms as well as the miniature horses in Los Olivos. Michael Jacksons Neverland Ranch is nearby but cannot be viewed from the road.

While visiting Santa Barbara for the first time during a recent trip, we decided to take a day to visit some of the vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. We debated between visiting the wineries that were in Los Olivos/Solvang Area (about 40 min from Santa Barbara), or driving an extra half hour up the mountain to the vineyards on Foxen Canyon Rd. After several suggestions to take the extra drive up Foxen Canyon, we decided to go for it. It was well worth the drive - Foxen Canyon is a beautiful back country road with gorgeous scenic views. We started by grabbing lunch at Los Olivos Grocery to bring with us before heading onto Foxen Canyon. We headed up towards the northern end first and worked our way back down. Our favorite winery was Rancho Sisquoc - located about a mile off of Foxen Canyon Rd, down a small dirt road, it had a very peaceful and scenic setting. Rustic, log cabin like tasting room, casual atmosphere, friendly servers, and great wine - we loved everything we tried here and even joined their wine club. In addition, nice picnic grounds to enjoy lunch and a bottle of wine!

great wineries and it's a very pretty drive, Zaca Mesa and Foxen were 2 of our favorites. Cambria is at the end of the trail and is probably the biggest and busiest winery out here.

My wife is a big wine person and I am less so but I do like wine. The idea of wine tasting sounded as if I would be surrounded by pretentious snobs but I was happily mistaken. My wife and I went wine tasting every night and had a blast every time. The people in So. Cal. are very friendly and knowledgable and they don't mind stupid questions. Had a lot of very good wines and managed to make it back to the hotel every night but sometimes it was close. This was way better than I had expected and I highly recommend it.

It's just a really pretty ride with interesting wineries w/ their own unique personalities. It's up to you to find which one you like most.

There are so many wineries east of Santa Maria you could never visit them all in a week. If you like wine tasting the central coast is a great place.

The greatest motorcycle ride in California! Just west of the Sierra Madres, beautiful vineyards, oak groves and winding roads. Bicyclists love this ride as well!

Kenneth Volk 5230 Tepusquest Rd 93454 805-938-7896. Open 10:30-4. WOW. RECOMMENDED. $10 for 6 tastes (count seemed quite flexible). There were 23 wines open to choose from. Business was pretty good too. Prices for the wines offered ranged from $24-60. There were several discount schemes. Several of the wines were quite good (to us) with a Aglianico 2008 a bit of a stand out. So many choices, too good to miss. Some specials help when buying a case. Hint: do not turn out of the parking lot to the right if you are headed back to Santa Maria! Our Garmin did not seem to mind, but this turned out to be the long lonely windy road!

Just be sure you have a designated driver. The trail is breathtaking.

Looking for a Wine Trail in SB County? Not sure where to go? Go straight to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail. There are so many options to choose from. Along the road is a grocery store, a tavern, and too many vineyards to name. If you make a full day, hire a driver!We visited Tres Hermanas and Firestone, but would have loved to stop at more.

Foxen Canyon is one of the most beautiful back roads in Santa Barbara County. Drive slow, take in the views, fun and great wineries, Foxen Winery a Must stop. Ken Volk winery too.

Windy , windy road. Some years its in good repair, some years not so good. A kajillion wineries, recommend a desiignated driver if you plan to do any tasting. Typical tasting is $10 and may or may not include the glass. Pack a picnic or at least some bread & cheese, many wineries have picnic areas.