Sparkling Wine in Santa Maria Valley & Los Alamos

This Bubbly Trail covers Santa Maria Vally, including Foxen Canyon down to just outside Los Olivos, and Los Alamos. There are 10 spots for Sparkling Wine on this trail.

See more! There are over 75 sparkling wine producers in Santa Barbara County.

In Los Alamos

1. A Tribute to Grace

A Tribute to Grace brings a deeply personal touch to sparkling wine: the Gracias Madre Blanc de Noirs is made from Grenache — winemaker Angela Osbourne’s favorite grape — in the traditional method, named in honor of her mother. It was made to accompany laughter, sunsets, and freshly harvested scallops. It does all three beautifully.

Lo-Fi Wines is constantly pushing the envelope: expect sparkling Chenin Blanc, Pét-nat Mondeuse rosé, and traditional-method Pinot Noir among their rotating releases. Quantities are small, sell-out speed is fast, and the winemaker’s curiosity never rests.

A Tribute to Grace brings a deeply personal touch to sparkling wine: the Gracias Madre Blanc de Noirs is made from Grenache — winemaker Angela Osbourne’s favorite grape — in the traditional method, named in honor of her mother. It was made to accompany laughter, sunsets, and freshly harvested scallops. It does all three beautifully.

Côtière, the project of Santa Barbara native winemaker Kevin Law, recently opened a tasting room at 645 Bell St. in Los Alamos. Known for terroir-specific wines from exclusive Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valley vineyards, Côtière brings the same vineyard precision to its sparkling program that has earned the label a devoted following among Central Coast wine lovers.

Méthode Champenoise is how sparkling wine is made in the Champagne region of France, also called méthode traditionnelle or classique. This is the highest-quality and most labor-intensive way to make sparkling wine. It involves bottling the still wine with additions of sugar and yeast after a first fermentation, ensuring a second fermentation happens in the bottle, trapping the bubbles inside. It then goes through aging (and periodic turning of the bottles to force the lees to the neck of the bottle), until it’s ready for dégorgement (to get these lees out) and dosage (to finish the wine).

2. Babi’s Beer Emporium (Best Coast Beverages)

Best Coast Beverages captures the essence of the Golden State in a stylish can. Best Coast Beverages created two bubbly wines that can be found at Babi’s Beer Emporium. Their Fizzy Red Canned Wine is 50% Grenache and 50% Mourvédre Blend while their Fizzy White Canned WIne is 100% Albarińo.

3. Côtière

Côtière, the project of Santa Barbara native winemaker Kevin Law, recently opened a tasting room at 645 Bell St. in Los Alamos. Known for terroir-specific wines from exclusive Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valley vineyards, Côtière brings the same vineyard precision to its sparkling program that has earned the label a devoted following among Central Coast wine lovers.

4. Lo-Fi

Lo-Fi is a partnership between two lifelong friends who believe in handcrafted honest wines that are made for everyday drinking. Enjoy lower alcohol wines made to pair well with all types of foods, from pizza to paté. Lo-Fi currently has one sparkling wine – their Chenin Blanc (made in traditional method) that can be tasted at their wine bar.

Lo-Fi Wines is constantly pushing the envelope: expect sparkling Chenin Blanc, Pét-nat Mondeuse rosé, and traditional-method Pinot Noir among their rotating releases. Quantities are small, sell-out speed is fast, and the winemaker’s curiosity never rests.

Pétillant Naturel, or Pét-Nat, is an even more ancient way to make sparkling wine than the widely-used méthode champenoise (also called méthode traditionelle) originated in Champagne, France. In the méthode ancestrale, the wine is bottled with a crown cap before it even finishes its first fermentation, so it develops carbon dioxide as it goes. It’s not disgorged, often unfiltered, and can be made from any grape variety.

In Santa Maria Valley & Foxen Canyon

5. Demetria

Demetria consists of 213 acres of rolling hills with 38 high elevation hillside acres currently planted to wine grapes, which are bio-dynamically grown Rhone-style grapes. They also source Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley AVAs. In addition to their more known varietals, Demetria also has two sparkling wines. Their Sparkling Rosé is set to release soon and their Grenache Rosé is currently sold out, but is released yearly.

6. Fess Parker

The Fess Parker Winery is a 30-year-old family owned and operated winery specializing in Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as estate grown Rhône varietals. Fess Parker also features five Sparkling wines that are a must try – Sibling Bubblery Sparkling Grenache, Fesstivity Brut Cuvée, Fesstivity Blanc de Blancs, Fesstivity Brut Rosé, Fesstivity Anniversary Cuvee (made with Méthode Champenoise). Taste the Bubbles here on Foxen Canyon, or at the Bubble Shack in Los Olivos, or their latest tasting room in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone.

7. Foxen

Foxen Vineyard & Winery is a small production, sustainably-farmed, vineyard-focused on producing wines using a minimalist approach to winemaking. At this time Foxen is out of stock of their old vine Sparkling Chenin Blanc, but you can still enjoy one of their Chardonnays or Pinot Noirs at their tasting room on Foxen Canyon.

8. Presqu’ile

Presqu’ile is a family run winery in the Santa Maria Valley dedicated to crafting exceptional cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah from Santa Barbara County. They currently have three sparkling wines to enjoy -Non Vintage Brut Cuveé Sparkling, Brut Cuveé Sparkling, and their Sparkling Rosé.

Read all about Presqu’ile’s food and wine here!

9. Riverbench

In Santa Barbara County, the only place to taste a flight of sparkling wine every day is Riverbench Winery‘s tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara, or at the winery in Santa Maria Valley on Foxen Canyon Road. They make 8 different sparklers in the traditional Champagne method!

Read all about Riverbench sparkling wines here.

10. So Far Out Wines

Info on this Pét-Nat coming soon…