Sparkling Wines in Santa Barbara County’s SRH: Loubud

Spotlight on Santa Barbara County Bubbles in Edible Santa Barbara – read the whole article.

Most of Santa Barbara County’s sparkling wine grapes come from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, where producers like Flying Goat and Sanford—among many others—have long crafted high-quality bubblies. The region is also celebrated for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, thanks to its cool climate, persistent coastal fog, and extended growing season. For younger winemakers without estate vineyards, sourcing fruit from these Champagne-like sites offers an opportunity to create both classic and playful sparkling wines as part of their lineup.

Loubud Wines in Downtown Santa Barbara

One of the youngest Sparkling Winemakers focusing on her own label of Bubblies is Laura Hughes of Loubud Wines, founded in 2015. Named after a nickname given to her by her father when she was young, Loubud has exploded onto the sparkling scene.

Hughes brings an artistic, micro-production approach to sparkling wine, crafting vineyard-designated bottlings from cool-climate sites like Cebada Vineyard. Each wine reflects her focus on precision and place, offering sippers a glimpse into small-lot winemaking. In her intimate El Paseo tasting room, you can settle in for a truly personal experience—sipping elegant sparkling wines while working on hand-cut puzzles with Hughes or her husband Paul (and their dog, Taco).

As Laura prepared Pinot Noir from El Jabali vineyard to be pressed, she muses on the process: “Traditional method is an art form that has some inscription to follow. You stay the course, like a recipe, but use your own sensibilities to follow a style. It’s very ritualistic.”

One particular ritual she uses for sparkling wine is barrel fermenting. She ferments in neutral barrels instead of stainless steel. “The oak complements the acidity, and softens it a bit, making it less rigid,” Laura says. This is just one stylistic preference Laura follows, which is rooted in the heritage of Schramsberg in Napa, where she started her Bubbly path. “More citrus comes out in the flavors, instead of tropical.”

Laura also blesses the first pick of each vintage with a little spray of her favorite Loubud Sparkling Wine, as well as a drink and donuts, plus a toast to the harvest. “I love this Cheers before harvest, for our safety and our sanity,” she says. “We’re doing this because we love it. Long days are coming, so we bless the fruit, show thanks to mother nature.”

Sparkling wine became Laura’s focus in 2012. After starting work at Sanford, she convinced the team to try this experiment, when there weren’t many bubbles in the area. Laura used her experience at Schramsberg (plus harvests in Burgundy and South Africa) to help create the sparkling program there, and launch her own brand.

Loubud’s first vintage was in 2015 (so this is their 10-year anniversary), starting with a Blanc de Noirs and a still rose. “Those first wines were from Cebada. They are really sandy soils in SRH, and have a lovely natural acidity. Vines struggle a little more in this soil, so the flavors are more concentrated in the fruit.”

This is why the Blanc de Noirs will always be Laura’s favorite – the first wine she ever made all on her own. And this Pinot Noir is in one of the most beautiful spots in the world, overlooking the ocean. After convincing herself she could do it, and experimenting with some of the best fruit, she has landed on crafting extra brut, SRH Sparkling Wines, some aged 1.5 years on the lees, some for 2 or more years (for reserve Bubblies). Now, she wants to share them with everyone.

The tasting room opened in December 2024, just 1 month after the birth of the couple’s first child. It’s small and cozy, set in a typically-Santa Barbara picturesque courtyard just off State Street. Husband Paul Hughes is also a handcrafting artisan, with hand-cut wooden puzzles. He draws images, loves puzzles, and started creating his own, cutting one piece at a time. Some are vintage magazines, others are local art around Santa Barbara. They will also be hosting a poetry writing workshop, where writers also learn about Santa Barbara agriculture. 

Laura is convinced about the terroir here. “There is so much significance in the land at Sanford and in the Sta. Rita Hills: love, passion, excitement. Many people working there have been with the land since the original planting. I see lots of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit here; it’s very inspiring. SRH isn’t known for traditional method sparkling wine yet, but it will be!”

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