Full Belly Files: Let’s Celebrate the Sta. Rita Hills

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For such a limited collection of windswept vineyards on former beanfields and cattlelands between Buellton and Lompoc, the success of the Sta. Rita Hills as an appellation is rather unparalleled. 

This land of primarily pinot noir and chardonnay originally captured attention five decades ago, when the 1976 Sanford & Benedict pinot noir proved that cool-weather grapes could thrive so far south. That momentum led to the creation of the appellation in 2001, and its fast fame — empowered immeasurably by the 2004 film Sideways — soon eclipsed many other larger and older regions across the entire West Coast. 

Today, winemakers from the region who travel the country often report that many consumers know the Sta. Rita Hills much better than they do even Santa Barbara, often asking, “Is that near Napa?” 

That small-but-mighty style also describes the region’s annual celebration: Wine & Fire, which is happening this year August 13 to 15. In a time when many other wine festivals are shutting down, Wine & Fire’s intimate format appears to work — so much that they launched an on-the-road version earlier this year that sold out in downtown Santa Barbara. 

The affair officially started in 2006, but was inspired by an event the prior year that honored Richard Sanford’s launch of Alma Rosa Winery. I attended that dinner, and it became the introduction for this cover story I wrote about Sanford’s life and legacy in 2012. 

Sanford, of course, is the Sanford of that original 1976 wine, which is celebrating a 50-year anniversary this year. The appellation, meanwhile, is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Wine & Fire itself is celebrating 20 years, depending on how you count the years. (Anniversary math can be a gray area — we know because the Santa Barbara Independent is celebrating our 40th anniversary in 2026, though it may spill into 2027…. — and COVID made counting even more confusing for annual events.)

Despite the adding up of anniversaries, much of the Sta. Rita Hills story remains the same. And it does so in beautiful ways, such as Richard Sanford being toasted at a dinner at Alma Rosa Winery on Thursday, August 13. I’ll definitely be at that one. 

More heroes will be feted as well. Sanford Winery’s longtime cellar master Auggie Rodriguez — who started working at the property at 16 years old back in 1986 — will kick off the weekend by receiving the Cellar Excellence Award at the Sanford & Benedict Barn Party on August 13 at 4 p.m. And at the La Paulée dinner on Friday, August 14, Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton will be celebrated as Vintner of the Year and Francisco Ramirez — who’s been farming vineyards for 30 years and owns Loma Escondida Farming — will receive the Farming Leadership Award.

Brewer, who started championing this region in the 1990s, is intimately tied to this place. “My identity is ultimately more Sta. Rita Hills than anything else, even personally,” he said, explaining he’s overjoyed to be honored alongside Rodriguez and Ramirez. “Auggie was in the game here well before me and has been so steadfast and faithful to the cause. Francisco and I are brothers on a level I have never otherwise known. Through work and life over the past 30 years, nothing I have accomplished would be possible without him by my side.”

There’s also plenty to do during the day at Wine & Fire. On Thursday, there’s a 20-year retrospective tasting featuring the wines and winemakers of Brewer-Clifton, Tyler Winery, and Hitching Post Wines. Among the selections are a 1997 Hitching Post Sanford & Benedict pinot, a 2007 Tyler La Encantada chardonnay, and a 2001 Brewer-Clifton Rozak Ranch chardonnay. (I don’t even know where that is.) 

“While ‘age-worthy’ wines are not necessarily wedded to ‘quality,’ I feel they are indicative of something that sustains relevance and stamina over the course of time,” said Brewer, who believes this tasting will be especially meaningful. “I have zero concern or reservation that all of our selected offerings will nourish and inspire everyone in attendance.”

Friday features two tastings led by Amy Christine, a Master of Wine who co-owns Holus Bolus Winery. (She’s a hoot.) One will focus on the rise of sparkling wines from the Sta. Rita Hills, and the other will be a blind comparison of the region’s pinot and chard to those of Burgundy and Oregon.

Saturday’s options include a walk through Domaine de La Cote followed by lunch at Sandhi tasting room or the always popular “Speed Tasting with Winemakers,” showcasing 16 wines and eight winemakers. As always, the event culminates in Saturday night’s grand tasting at La Purisima Mission, which harkens back to that original 2005 gathering. 

The continuing relevance of the Sta. Rita Hills is sure to be a constant talking point. As much of the wine world faces disastrous weather and a troubling sales environment, there are new vines being planted in this humble stretch of land east of Lompoc, including varieties like gamay, aligote, and trousseau that will excite new generations of wine fans. Winemakers from other regions, as far away as Burgundy and Champagne, are recognizing that the direct coastal influence is already moderating climate change’s wild weather. And there’s still a healthy mix of small-batch boutique vintners and the deeper pocketed outfits that can share this Sta. Rita Hills story with the world.  

“Much like the eight tentacles of the octopus tattooed on my arm, each of us have our own routes to market/media/consumers,” said Brewer of the array of vintners in the Sta. Rita Hills. “That diversity is critical for the long term viability and adaptability of an appellation and none of us would be here were it not for the profound success and untapped potential of what exists here.”

For tickets and full details, see staritahills.com/wine-and-fire. 

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From Our Table

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• Did you get your tickets yet for Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley?
• Thanks to a few summers of backyard lunch dates, I’m excited about Gainey Vineyard’s sauvignon gris and petite sirah. 
• I returned to report on the changes at Pence Vineyard. 
• Vintners still have about 12 hours to apply for state funding to pay for pollinator habitats.