The Economic Alliance Foundation
Forging a stronger Northern Santa Barbara County

Wine & Tourism Initiative

HomeInitiativesWine & Tourism Initiative

All INITIATIVES

Recent SECTOR NEWS

Santa Ynez Vineyard Yields Organic Rewards

Sign Up for Leaders' Digest!

First Name
Last Name
Email Address*
Cell
 
Please ignore this text box. It is used to detect spammers. If you enter anything into this text box, your message will not be sent.

Wine & Tourism

Northern Santa Barbara County: The Heart of Santa Barbara Wine Country
The heart of Santa Barbara County Wine Country is really “vineyard country,” which lies almost entirely in Northern Santa Barbara County, and hosts seven of the region’s federally designated American Viticulture Areas (AVAs).

Wine tasting is a key tourism draw, and tasting rooms adjacent to vineyards, with access to vineyard tours, are much more of a visitor draw. Even the visitors to Santa Barbara city often end up at least a day in North County’s “vineyard country.” Santa Maria Valley first put Santa Barbara County on the international wine map in 1981 when it became the third established American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the nation, the same year as Napa. The Santa Ynez Valley AVA soon followed, along with explosive growth and the establishment of Santa Rita Hills and Happy Canyon AVAs. More recently, Santa Barbara County was the 2021 “Region of the Year” due primarily to the vineyards in North County producing world-class wines.

The varietals of 2022 most popular were Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, North County is home to 283 wineries and 7 officially recognized American Viticultural Areas or AVAs: They are Santa Maria Valley AVA, Santa Ynez Valley AVA, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Ballard Canyon AVA, Los Olivos District AVA, Happy Canyon AVA, and Alisos Canyon AVA. The North County AVAs, with 15,750 acres under vine as shown in the map below, dovetail with North County’s key visitor areas:

Wine & Tourism Initiative

The Santa Barbara County wine and wine grape sector and the related businesses that support the industry provide a total contribution of $1.7 billion in annual economic activity for the region, according to the latest report commissioned by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers.

Also in the report — “The Economic Impact of California Wine and Grapes on Santa Barbara County 2022” — is this: The county’s wine industry provides 10,202 local jobs and $602.6 million in annual wages and benefits.

The local winemaking industry also generates $117.2 million in annual tourism spending from its 1.1 million annual visitors, the report stated.

The Economic Impact of California Wine and Grapes on Santa Barbara County 2022:

325+

Recognized wineries.

15,750 acres

Under vine

117.2 million

Annual tourism spending.

10,202

Local jobs.

Tourism

The draw of our tasting rooms and wine events attracts thousands of visitors, filling our hotels, restaurants and retail establishments and supporting hundreds of businesses.

Santa Barbara County’s popularity comes with its unique combination of coastal and valley tourism sites. While winetasting at North County tasting rooms is a key destination asset, some visitors come for special events such as the PRCA-sanctioned Santa Maria Elks Rodeo or frequent car shows, launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base (see Space Enterprise Initiative), or the annual Chumash-hosted Native American PowWow. Others prefer to view “Egyptian” artifacts from the famous the original Ten Commandments film at the Guadalupe Dunes Center, hike the Dunes, or try the restaurants in Old Town Orcutt. Some come for performances at the PCPA in Santa Maria or Solvang Theaterfest. Wine tasters, old west architecture fans and trendy shoppers alike can stroll happily through the small communities of Los Alamos (“Little LA”), Los Olivos, or Santa Ynez. Wine, beer and spirits buffs can stop for a sip in Buellton or visit famous Pea Soup Andersens.

Other popular visitor attractions in North County include the Chumash Casino & Resort, and the Danish “village” of Solvang, which draws a million visitors a year. A new Chumash museum projected to open in Q1 2024, as well as Santa Maria’s proposed Planes of Fame museum, plus increased Vandenberg space launches and an envisioned space-related theme attraction in Lompoc should continue to increase visitor interest in North County!

Leisure & Hospitality Employment Forecast

FROM CA DOT 2021 COUNTY-LEVEL ECONOMIC FORECAST in thousands (000)

2022 - 27K
2023 - 28K
2024 - 29K
2025 - 29.5K
2026 - 30K