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SANTA BARBARA, CA – CrossHatch Winery has announced plans to relocate its tasting room from Santa Ynez to a new home in downtown Santa Barbara. Vintner and owner Michelle Vautier will move the winery’s public-facing operations to 111 E. Haley Street, a larger space that will allow CrossHatch to expand its programming while continuing to place wine at the center of the experience.
The move represents a new chapter for the boutique Santa Barbara County winery, which has built a loyal following in Santa Ynez through its distinctive approach to wine, hospitality, and collaboration.
“Santa Ynez has been home in more ways than one,” said Vautier. “It’s where we shared glasses and bottles, where strangers became regulars, and where regulars became friends. That room holds so many memories – harvest celebrations, long conversations, and quiet afternoons that helped shape CrossHatch in ways you simply can’t manufacture.”
While the transition carries a sense of nostalgia, Vautier says the move reflects a long-term vision for the winery’s future.
“This move feels aligned with the vision I’ve carried for CrossHatch,” Vautier said. “The new space gives us room to deepen what we do and expand what’s possible.”
Located in Santa Barbara’s Haley Street corridor, the new tasting room will occupy an industrial-style building offering approximately 4,000 square feet of interior space along with a spacious outdoor courtyard. The property also includes a commercial kitchen, which will support food pairings, guest chef collaborations, and culinary programming as the space evolves.
“The kitchen will also be home to The Kitchen@Haley, which I envision as a shared culinary workspace to support local chefs and food entrepreneurs,” Vautier said. “CrossHatch has always been about collaboration and creative exchange. Wine doesn’t exist in isolation – it belongs alongside food, conversation, and the people who bring those things to life. The Kitchen@Haley will give us a way to invite local chefs and local culinarians in the community into that process through pop-ups, guest residencies, and collaborative dinners that celebrate the incredible talent of Santa Barbara’s food community.”
Over time, Vautier plans to build out additional elements that will allow CrossHatch to host larger wine club gatherings, seasonal celebrations, and expanded hospitality experiences.
In addition to the tasting room relocation, Vautier is continuing to expand and explore the agricultural piece of CrossHatch Winery. Last year Vautier purchased a farm on historic York Mountain in Templeton, where she has begun cultivating produce and exploring ways to further integrate farming into the CrossHatch philosophy.
“The farm represents another piece of the long-term vision,” Vautier said. “Wine begins in the vineyard, but it also lives alongside food, agriculture, and the rhythms of the land. The farm gives us the opportunity to explore and integrate that relationship more deeply.”
Vautier says the farm will gradually contribute ingredients and inspiration for the culinary and hospitality experiences planned for the new Santa Barbara tasting room.
“It’s about connecting the glass back to the soil,” she said. “The wines, the food, the farm are all part of the same story.”
“CrossHatch has always been about co-fermentation. Not just of grapes, but of ideas, food, creativity, and community,” Vautier said. “Wine will always remain the foundation, but this space allows us to bring more people and experiences into that conversation.”
Before the transition, CrossHatch will host a farewell gathering in Santa Ynez to celebrate the tasting room that helped build the winery’s community.
“Santa Ynez has supported CrossHatch in such a meaningful way,” Vautier said. “This move doesn’t mean stepping away from that community. I plan to remain actively involved in local events, collaborations, and the relationships that make the region so special.”
The Haley Street building previously housed a long-standing local business and recently became available following a change in ownership. Vautier says she felt a connection to the entrepreneurial spirit that shaped the space.
“As a single mother and small business owner myself, I feel a deep respect for the people who built their business here before me,” Vautier said. “There’s something meaningful about continuing the life of a place where people gathered, worked hard, and created something special.”
A timeline for opening has not yet been finalized. Wine club members will receive early updates, invitations to a private opening, and priority access to upcoming events.
“This next chapter of CrossHatch is about welcoming more people, more often,” Vautier said. “More space, more collaboration, and more depth.”
