 A
Brief History Of Winegrowing in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County has a history of winemaking and winegrape
growing stretching back more than 200 years to before California
was a state. From the Mission Era of early California through
the Ranchero and Pueblo Era, struggling through Prohibition
to the beginning of the modern era of viniculuture that started
in the 60's, Santa Barbara County continues to combine traditional,
hand-made techniques, with the latest cutting-edge innovations
in grape-growing and winemaking.
- 1782 - Father Junipero Serra planted Mission vine cuttings
in what is
now the Milpas District of Santa Barbara
- 1804 - Adobe winery constructed in Goleta
- by late 1800's
- 45 separate vineyards encompassing 260 acres of land are cultivated to winegrapes
- 1884 - Justinian Caire
imported grape slips (vitis vinifera) from
France and planted a 150-acre vineyard on Santa Cruz
Island
1933 - Prohibition repealed - 1960's - First commercial
vineyard planted by Uriel Nielsen and Bill De Mattei
in the Tepusquet region of Santa Maria Valley
- 1962 - Pierre Lafond opens Santa Barbara Winery,
the first since
Prohibition
- 1970's - Vineyard expansion by viticultural
pioneers.
- 1980's - Local wineries developed, both
large premium commercial wineries and smaller artisan
operations
- 1981,
1983 - Santa Maria Valley and Santa Ynez Valley recognized
as AVAs
- 1983 - Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association
formed
- 1990's - explosive growth to +10,000 acres
of premium winegrapes
- 1992-1996 - grape and wine
sales increased, making vintibusiness Santa Barbara
County's largest agricultural sector
- 1999 - 39,200
tons of winegrapes crushed from 16,500 acres of vineyards.
Locally, 50+ wineries produced 71,000 cases
of wine
- 2001 - Sta. Rita Hills AVA status granted
(sub-AVA of Santa Ynez
Valley)
- 2004 - Sideways movie brings attention and
increased tourism
- 2009 - Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara
granted AVA status (sub-AVA
of Santa Ynez Valley)
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