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In short, a clone is a propagation of a single “parent” plant. When a bud from this plant is cut and planted, its offspring will be genetically identical to the parent plant. For a variety of reasons winegrowers use clones to yield fruit that is more specialized in its expressed traits.

“The unique, transverse nature of the valleys of Santa Barbara Wine Country provides a patchwork quilt of micro-climates and terrains, resulting in one of the most diverse grape growing regions in the world. The valleys in the Pacific coastline actually run east-west rather than north-south, and both the coastal Santa Ynez Mountain range and the more interior San Rafael range are transverse as well.” 
— Santa Barbara Vintners

Visit the Santa Ynez Valley

5 Reasons You Should Get a Group Together and Visit the Town of Santa Ynez

The Wine Collector’s Room is in the news.  Thanks Food and Home Magazine for including our new space for wine collectors! “A Space for Collectors….A classy place to store your best grape. As you pull open the large rusted steel …

Our 2016 Carr Sangiovese was this week’s wine feature in the Santa Barbara Independent. “It’s easy to think that not enough Santa Barbara wineries make Italian varietals when you enjoy this Carr sangio. Or, perhaps just enough make them, as …

Kærskov Vineyard is the newest vineyard under Carr Vineyard’s management. It was planted in 2014 by Ryan Carr with its first crop in 2016, making the very first vintage to be released from this vineyard available this fall!

The Wine Collector’s Room is Santa Barbara’s newest private wine storage facility. The Wine Collector’s Room has over 40 private, climate controlled lockers and a members-only lounge. Located within Carr Winery, Wine Collector’s Room members can access their lockers any time the winery is open. Bring your friends, host private parties, and enjoy wine and spirits from your private collection, all while protecting your investment in a safe and secure climate controlled facility.

We are honored to be selected as runner-up in the Santa Barbara News-Press Readers’ Choice Awards under two categories: Winery & Wine Tasting Room. Thank you!

“Of all of the tasting rooms I have visited in the area, Carr is the most unique, making you feel extremely immersed in the wine tasting experience.”

“Light-ish garnet with crystal-clear edges and considerable sediment.. A beguiling blend of smoke, motor oil, dust and RIDICULOUS spicy sweet perfume explode out of the nose. Cassis and cold tea with milk. Almost-fat tincture of blueberry and pie-crust are buoyed along with an earthiness and briar I would come far short of calling ‘green’.”

Romance is at the heart of what makes Santa Barbara tick. Lovebirds have been flocking to The American Riviera® for engagements, elopements, weddings, honeymoons and romantic retreats for well over a century. With more than 200 wineries in Santa Barbara County, winery weddings are a particularly delicious option. If an urban winery is more your flavor, check out the barrel room in the Carr Winery tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara.

Medium bodied and garnet colored, this wine gave off different aromas as it breathed the warmth of our home. Vegetables and wet earth on opening, we later experienced dark chocolate and dark berries on the nose. The flavors were pungent spice, black pepper, and chocolate. All very enjoyable…

So you may be thinking, why should I plan my wedding at a Santa Barbara winery? Picture-perfect vineyards, romantic sunsets, spectacular scenery and some of the best wine in the world. Still need convincing? With more than 300 days of sunshine, you can also expect your weddings to be rain-free!

Now you need to narrow down your list of options. With over 100 wineries in Santa Barbara county, the choices are staggering. You can chose a picturesque country setting, a vibrant urban setting and just about everything in between. We wanted to make it a little easier for you. After much research, we narrowed our list down to the five best options.

When Ryan and Jessica Carr moved their Carr Winery operations into a sketchy industrial section between downtown and the ocean, into a Quonset hut no less, they probably had no idea that they would be pioneers. Now there is all …

From the outside, visitors might be hard-pressed to imagine some of Santa Barbara County’s best wines are kept in Carr Vineyards’ Santa Ynez tasting room for aging. Inside, it’s a different story. The tasting room and warehouse on Numancia Street is rustic and artsy — a place where wine is celebrated, rather than merely sampled.

It’s rare to see a quality Cabernet Franc, as they are usually blended with other Bordeaux wines. Ryan, however, has found a niche for growing and nurturing this grape so it can stand alone as its own varietal. And he’s been making it to high acclaim for over a dozen years.

Santa Barbara features hundreds of wedding locations – many historical, some modern; but few have the eclectic and funky, unique charm of the up and coming FunkZone. Featuring wineries, breweries, “it” restaurants, galleries and fun shops, this is an easy stroll over from lower State Street by the railway tracks. Tucked in the FunkZone is Carr Winery, one of our favorite FunkZone locations for private events.

“Work hard, play hard and source really good fruit… it all starts from the fruit!” – Jessica Carr

Since 1999, Owner/Winemaker/Sommelier Ryan Carr and wife Jessica Carr have been developing an impeccable assortment of Pinot wines – crisp, juicy and delicious. Established in downtown Santa Barbara, their main tasting room is inside of a quonset hut. If the corrugated structure doesn’t enthrall you to enter, Jessica’s warm smile and innate ability to promote her product will have you become a member of their 800+ wine club. The decor is modern yet industrial with a saloon-ish style bar with wine on tap. Adjacent is an outdoor comfy patio where you and a group of friends can soak up a session while basking in the sunshine. 

Fall is the perfect time to explore Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail — an impressive collection of Santa Barbara County wineries and tasting rooms — whether you’re a first-time visitor or know its quirky path by heart.

If you’re one of the thousands who’ve descended on Santa Barbara for Fiesta this week, you probably already know – this is a wine lover’s haven. The wines coming out of here are some of the best in all of …

Greg Northcutt | Jul 26, 2017 Editor’s Note: The abbreviation, Sta., for Santa reflects industry use to differentiate the name of the appellation in the Santa Rita Hills area of Santa Barbara County from Vina Santa Rita, the older internationally trademarked name of …