Wineries Worth Discovering
From standout bottles to the people, places, and experiences that make each winery special, these are Kimo’s firsthand recommendations to help you plan your next wine adventure.
Santa Ynez, CaliforniaCrown Point Vineyard
The Grounds
Nestled within horse properties and thoroughbred training grounds in the rolling hills of Happy Canyon in Santa Ynez, California, Crown Point Vineyards has found a perfect location to produce some of the best wines in Santa Barbara county. On par with Napa and Sonoma Valleys in the north, they have struck upon the ideal combination of soils, climate, varieties, wine development, and hospitality, in producing the most stellar wines to compete for the highest medal ratings as well as space in your wine locker. The result is a winery with the “ultimate goal” of being the best utilizing a Type-A determination and drive to create the unquestionably best wines possible.
The crush and fermentation areas are neat and well organized while the barrel storage is immaculate. They provide elegant tasting areas to accommodate all size and manner of presentations. The vineyards are meticulously organized and blocks routed for optimal growth while carefully offering dedicated sections of beautiful, indigenous wildflowers to capture the vibrant personality of this exquisite winery.
Tour & Tastings
The experience included a “gator” tour, accompanied by the dedicated, cuddly four-legged hosts of the vineyards, to take in the aspect designs and glorious views.
Their second label is called “Relevant” and can be found only in select restaurants and shops, but it is a reasonably priced introduction to Crown Point Vineyards. They also have their exclusive champagne (Yes, champagne!) called ROI, produced specifically in Champagne, France. Very exciting!
Despite the high level of this winery, Crown Point is proud to showcase its’ welcoming facilities and friendly staff, with humility and class. This was a wonderful experience to learn wine growing and production, and explore the nuance of these incredible wine offerings. Crown Point Vineyards is a MUST visit.
