Had a phenomenal tasting here! Wines were fantastic and I was able to get the full story behind the winery as well as a bunch of information into how the wines are made! read more

Whitcraft Winery - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I felt the need to write a review after my experience, especially after reading some negative ones here. 1. I think it's important to understand that Whitcraft is basically a 2 man operation. It's the owner and his right hand man, Chris P. Bacon. Yes, that's his real name. Because it's a 2 man operation, that's probably what's leading to a lack of tasting times, call backs, etc. That's not an excuse, that's something that they should definitely work on and improve. I got lucky and was able to schedule a last minute tasting. 2. For those of you complaining about the location and feeling unsafe. Stop it. Really, just stop it. Someone else on here said something like "your privilege is showing." Yeah, what he said. 3. The wines. I'm no somm, but I'm confident enough in my appreciation for pinots. Their wines are up there with anything else you can get in SB County. Their old-world style with whole clusters, etc. really adds a complexity to their wines that is hard to match. I haven't tasted everywhere, but I know my way around Samford, ABC, Dragonette, Liquid Farm, Melville, Sea Smoke etc. I love them all. Whitcraft belongs in their company IMHO. They do require a certain mood, which is probably why I will ONLY share these bottles with friends who really appreciate pinots. I won't waste these on my Cab friends. read more

I felt the need to write a review after my experience, especially after reading some negative ones here. 1. I think it's important to understand that Whitcraft is basically a 2 man operation. It's the owner and his right hand man, Chris P. Bacon. Yes, that's his real name. Because it's a 2 man operation, that's probably what's leading to a lack of tasting times, call backs, etc. That's not an excuse, that's something that they should definitely work on and improve. I got lucky and was able to schedule a last minute tasting. 2. For those of you complaining about the location and feeling unsafe. Stop it. Really, just stop it. Someone else on here said something like "your privilege is showing." Yeah, what he said. 3. The wines. I'm no somm, but I'm confident enough in my appreciation for pinots. Their wines are up there with anything else you can get in SB County. Their old-world style with whole clusters, etc. really adds a complexity to their wines that is hard to match. I haven't tasted everywhere, but I know my way around Samford, ABC, Dragonette, Liquid Farm, Melville, Sea Smoke etc. I love them all. Whitcraft belongs in their company IMHO. They do require a certain mood, which is probably why I will ONLY share these bottles with friends who really appreciate pinots. I won't waste these on my Cab friends. read more

This winery was recommended so we reserved a tasting slot. Because of the harvest/crush busy season, the employees are super busy, and they couldn't accommodate us today when they are normally closed. I made an appointment for tomorrow, and then this morning the owner called me to say he had to come in anyway so what time would work for us! When does that ever happen? We tasted five wines, all delicious, and we purchased three bottles. Can't wait to drink and serve them! read more

Great wine that's been around for a long time, only had it in a restaurant and I was hooked! Their Pinot Noir is superb

Best experience tasting in Santa Barbara by a long shot. Super small winery with amazing people, wine, and they hand (and foot)-produce. LOVED it!!!!!! 5 stars all the way! Cost to worth it ratio: 3.5 Highlights: - Comfortable atmosphere: laid back and casual to the extreme--and in a good way. One of the wines didn't even yet have a label on it. The tasting table was made of wooden crates. At one point, the owner non ceremoniously came out to the tasting area, filled his wine glass, made a funny comment and went in the back room. - Super friendly, personable, chill staff: not only did they know their stuff, but the way they presented it all to us in such a nonchalant, un-upity manner ROCKED! Our guy was hip enough not only to give us a backstage tour of their place, but pulled out a paper plate and white cheddar cheez-its for us to snack off of in the middle of our tasting. No need for fancy cheeses and breads here: one snack in a box fits the bill. It was awesome. After that point I nicknamed our guy "Cheez-It" and he was either being polite playing along or realy dug it. They aren't too cool for school, they're the "here have some of what we're having/mi casa es tu casa" hospitable version of ubercool. - Wine is produced by hand: no pumps and hand-bottled. They foot-stomp their grapes instead of using machines. How great is that? They even invited my friends back to be part of the stomping if they wanted to be. Some wineries stomp for show upon harvest, but this is their true wine-making method: old school "I Love Lucy" style. It probably is more fun this way but they also have a good reason for it--it's a more gentler way which softens the amount of tannins that make it into their wines. As a friend would say, that's SICK! (For those of you new to this phrase, it's like Michael Jackson's "bad" = it means something good.) - Fantastic wines: maybe that's why they lack an attitude--they don't need one. Their wines speak for themselves. Everything was great from delightful pinots to syrahs to lagrein (a new one to me). As we tasted each wine, our amazing winery host gave us detailed information about each and related stories in some cases (ex. how they came to make lagrein). - Super small space: I don't just mean tasting room space (which looks like the entry way from the tv show "The Office" dooo dooo dooo doo doo dooo doo dooo--now the song is stuck in my head), but their whole space maybe is the size of 2 residential house garages. And they do all of the production back there. I've been to some smaller wineries but that I couldn't believe--so impressive! - Teeny production: only 2k cases made per year and 400 of those are their most popular wine. Lowlights (my flip side to highlights): - I don't live close enough to make regular trips back here - Smaller production so distribution is practically non-existant except for chosen restaurants so will have to come back when I want more of their wine. This actually doubles as a highlight, as I hate buying bottles directly from the winery and feeling all special and then finding out I can buy it at any local supermarket or wine store. Best wine tasting experience in a long time--in Santa Barbara, Sonoma, or Napa! Will definitely come back here and recommend anyone to go try it out. read more

Whitcraft Winery - Fun tasting bar made of wooden wine crates - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

I called twice to try and order wine ahead of time. No answer. My wife and I then decided to walk a mile there to see if they were open. Once we got there we saw 2 large tables set up outside with 10+ people drinking. We were concerned as the stay at home mandate was still in place and all other wineries have shut their doors to pick up only. Nevertheless I approached and was stopped by one of the employees (maybe owner?) and asked what we wanted. I asked if they were open. No answer. I added for pick up? He said yes. When I asked for a menu he huffed and didn't get out of his chair to help. I was very disappointed and embarrassed. I said never mind and left. Very unprofessional to be sitting outside drinking your own product against county wide orders and not being courteous enough to assist a paying customer. Also, this was at 1:30 pm! read more

Whitcraft's tasting room is an EXPERIENCE, I loved the tour and the wines are top notch. Their tasting room is actually in their winemaking facility which sets it apart from the downtown tasting rooms. If you're a fan of Burgundy you have found your place! You can taste the hand-craftedness in their wines, their wines are balanced and structured. Their assistant winemaker Chris is also their tasting room associate, quite a treat if you're interested in making wines (and geeking our about clones/barrels/vineyards etc). Chris is extremely knowledgeable and will make your experience a memorable one. Tip, make sure to make an appointment, since they are in their facility making the wines they are not always open- smart to call ahead. read more

While at Westmarine in Santa Barbara, my wife got bored and, like a moth to a flame, found the winery next door. I wandered over and got a lesson in wine making from Chris P Bacon......say that three times fast and laugh your ass off. I haven't had a glass of wine in years but it was super interesting and always fun to learn from someone who loves what they do. I'll have to assume that the wine is good. Teresa loved it and bought a bottle or two. Thank you Chris P Bacon! read more

Went here for a living social deal. This is literally a warehouse that offers wine tasting only, no glasses of wine, nothing. Bottles are pricey and the quality is ok but not amazing. read more

Whitcraft Winery - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Tiney winery. Drove by it twice before finding it. Very small, but intimate. Had a great time talking to the guy pouring, and another person who helps make the wine. We saw them bottling in the back. Known for pinot noirs. Had the IL (?) and another reserve, and they were excellent. They only product 1700 bottles a year, almost everything is hand done, bottles filled by gravity, etc. We had 9 tastes for $10, 2 of them were being poured in the back so they didn't even have labels. I'm not sure how many they normally pour, but we got lucky that day. Great variety, a couple gems. We had a great time talking and laughing with them. read more

This place is set in the industrial part of town, which was SUPER sketchy to walk to. Times I wish I had mace on me.... So, after a long and pseudo tipsy walk to Whitcraft, it was a bit of a let down. There were 4 pinot noirs, a chardonnay and a shiraz. They were pretty good pinot's, though it was hard to taste the difference when they were back to back and the guy who was pouring, who was also the wine maker, kept pouring more on top of what was left from the previous glass. It made it hard to tell which was which. So, we decided to buy some to help them out and it was like $120 for two bottles! Holy cats! Super expensive, no price list in sight and we were still far from home! I would save yourself the walk and fears of your safety and stay on the less scary side of State Street. read more

The 2 stars is not based on the wine here... I never even got to taste it...here's why I'm giving it 2 stars.... I purchased a groupon deal and made an appointment on the weekday for my mini vacay in Santa Barbara. When I arrived NOBODY was there, I was left waiting by the door peeping through the windows. I called the business and nobody picked up. Luckily Santa Barbara winery was open... and their tastings are only $5 plus you get a wine glass!!! That was even better than the groupon deal. A week later I received a phone call from a Whitcraft Winery employee explaining that nobody told staff about the appointment. The dude sounded busy but he apologized and offered to send me a bottle of wine. AWESOME RIGHT?? Not really... It's been over 6 months and I haven't received my vino. It was nice for them to call back and offer to send me a bottle of wine.... next time please send it... read more

A hidden gem of Santa Barbara! Do not let the location fool you! The wines speak for themselves....I am a Syrah girl, BUT was very impressed with their Pinots! The "tasting room" is very small, but intimate. Had a great time talking to the guy pouring, which came to find out was the owner. I did not feel pressured to buy, but still left with a bottle of their amazing 2008 Aubaine Pinot Noir, which will be saving for a special occasion. Driving through SB? Well this is definitely a place to stop by for a tasting! read more

OK, so most of us think wine makers and wineries are these beautiful, fairy-tale estates with horses and vineyards and caves dug into the hillside by generations of family...Whitcraft is not that. Not even close, sister. It looks like they used to sell bags of concrete here, oh wait, that's because there IS a concrete factory across the street! This is winemaking at it's soul - hand crafted by a young guy carrying on his dad's tradition of non-intervention winemaking. I was fortunate enough to meet the dad before he passed last year and you will be lucky enough if you stumble into this (yes slightly sketchy part of town, but hey, it's still Santa Barbara...there is no bad part of town). As for the haters i read in other reviews, the owner is a cool dude, this isn't Banana Republic. He's making wine and cleaning the dishes at the same time. Let him enjoy his IPA. He might just give you one if you ask...Also, i just realized i have no idea how to spell banana without spel chec. read more

We stopped into Whitcraft late in the morning on a Saturday, looking forward to the tasting, since the last time we were in SB, they were just closing up. The owner's son appeared with an unopened bottle of IPA in hand. It sweated on the counter as he pushed us through all six pours like we'd interrupted his snack. Our questions about his family's wine were met with angsty, rolling-of-the-eyes attitude (Yes, I have to pour people wine and talk about it on the weekends, my family has always done this, now I've taken the reins, what a crappy existence...), and rushed explanations that seemed to assume we should already know this information. Honestly? The wine was fine, but the only thing that stood out was the bad attitude. For $10 a tasting, we'll head elsewhere next time. read more

A wonderful winery located in the "funk zone" area of Santa Barbara. Wine maker Drake Whitcraft is informative and friendly and not too bad on the eyes either!! If you're looking for a local winery with fantastic wines and an even better staff make sure you check them out while exploring the Urban Wine Trail. Extra star for their winery pup! Terra. Shes precious. read more

This was our first stop on the Urban Wine Trail and we were a little put off by the location since we were walking (think the beginning of a scary movie), but once we got there we had a great time! The atmosphere was laid back and the staff was friendly. The proprieter was there and he was a hoot. He allowed us to go to the back and watch the workers bottle the wine by hand - it was darn pretty cool! The wine was good and we got 7 tastings for $10, but the wines by the bottle were on the pricey side. We had a great time and would definately recommend this tasting room read more

This place is a super tiny hidden gem in SB. Been wine club members here for several years and thought it was time to review. This is a go to spot whenever we have visitors in town or are recommending places for folks to taste. The wine is mostly pinot, some chardonnay recently, and is crazy small production (about 1,000 wish cases per year). Everything is done by hand there by the two employees (owner and Chris) and lots of volunteers. Whitcraft doesn't own a vineyard, but they buy the best grapes around. They don't do anything to the wine as far as chemistry goes - unfined and unfiltered. (I picked up my wine club shipment the other day and Chris just had to put the labels on the bottles first!) The wines here are different from anything else you'll try in SB and are worth the trek out of the main area of the funk zone. Chris knows so much about wine - he will tell you everything you ever want to know about each one and then some! Whitcraft is definitely my favorite in SB and I'll keeping coming in for tastings as much as they'll let me! From sharing bottles of Whitcraft with family on the east coast, there's a bit of a following that's been developed. The requests I get from people when they find out I'm coming home for a visit...yikes! Check this place out for sure! (As a side note, if you're going to visit Whitcraft on a Friday or a Monday...give a call first. Chris is the only one to work the tasting room mostly and sometimes they need to close for one reason or another.) Cheers! read more

It's in an industrial park so it looks like it'll be shady, but it is the best wine we tasted doing the Urban Wine Trail. We almost didn't go in because it looked weird, but I'm glad we did! There may be no one in there so if you don't like one on one time with the guy pouring then don't go, but it's worth it. The guy who poured for us is one of two guys that works there which is cool .And the wine was amazing. This coming from a person who couldn't tell you the difference between Two buck Chuck and a 1962 (insert fancy pants french name). But I knew this was the best all day. We didn't get a bottle since it's a little pricey, but we thought about it for a long time. Go there. Talk to a local who loves to tell stories. Drink wine. Enjoy. read more

The location is weird but don't let that deter you from checking out these great wines. The guy who was giving us the wine tasting was incredibly knowledgeable. It was great having him explain all of the wines and surrounding wine valley to us. He also works at Jauffer's (sp?). We tasted 7 different wines that were all vegan. Yes, all wine is not vegan! He explained to us how Whitcraft specializes in a minimalist way of producing wine. I would suggest trying this place out while in SB. The only reason I didn't give this place a 5 star review is because of the location. P.S. Wine is not vegan because during the process places use skim milk to coagulate thicker sediment in the wine to remove it. read more

Stunning line up on the bar right now. Great Pinots and a fantastic Chardonnay. Chris was our amazing host. I can't say enough good things about this experience, the wines and our host. If you like wine at all and are in SB, make this a stop! read more

The Santa Ynez Half marathon hosts an after party for all finishers of wine and beer tasting. Now, I couldn't think of a better way to recover and rehydrate after running 13.1 miles! It was during the after party that The Brit and I found Whitcraft. Fortunately, Whitcraft wasn't too busy at first, so we just hung around the table like bar flies, cheerily allowing them to continuously fill our glasses. When we left the following day to return home to LA, we went on the hunt for the wine tasting room in Santa Barbara. Be warned... Whitcraft is off the (pretty) beaten path of SB, near the homeless hang around and industrial buildings. We were super bummed when we pulled up and found the tasting room had closed just before we arrived, but ever so excited when a gentleman inside opened the door and allowed us to purchase a bottle of what we so enjoyed at the festival/run after party. We weren't too disappointed that there wasn't time for a tasting since we knew what we'd be drinking with dinner later that day. The guy who helped us out was super friendly and still took the time to tell us about the wine and how Whitcraft originated. We really liked the small, simplicity of Whitcraft which is how we tend to prefer our wines. Small batches, limited barrels please. You can bet that we'll be visiting Whitcraft again on our next stop in SB or on the way to Santa Ynez. read more

Whitcraft Winery - Refresher from the big race day. - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This was our second stop in our little day trip to SB. The tasting room is pretty much just a table, crates of wines stacked all around the room and 3 big maps framed on the wall. It's definitely not Napa but it's great for just a local stop on a weekend day trip. Bottles ranged from $30 - $60 and they are mostly pinot noirs. We are actually more of cab drinkers ourselves but the pinots were tasty. read more

Went here for a wine tasting ($20/person) and ended up buying 2 wines (covered our tasting fees). They mostly produce Pinot Noirs, but also had a really light Chardonnay and a good Tempranillo! The employee was super knowledgeable about the wines and where their grapes are from and even was able to tell us which local places in OC carried their wines. He was also very helpful for recommendations for coffee & food :) read more

Showed up at noon on a Saturday with a group of eight people and the guy inside tells us they are closed all day for a club member event. He proceeds to tell us that we should have called first. We actually did call all the wineries we were visiting that day, but nobody answers when you call Whitcraft and there is no way to leave a message. He proceeds to tell us that we can come in for one taste but makes it clear that he is doing us a big favor. In the five minutes we are there he tells us a few more times that he is really going out of his way to serve us. He also tells us that if we want to buy a case of wine or join the wine club, we would be welcome to stay. I told him that if he had allowed us to do a full tasting we might have considered it. He charged us for the puny tasting and we left. Needless to say, none of us will be back. read more

My FAVORITE place to wine taste in Santa Barbara. My friend is a member of their wine club and I end up going at least four times a year. Drake has an extensive knowledge about wine and is incredibly informative. This place has the best pinots I've ever tasted. Definitely try any of their library wines if they are offering them. This place is the hidden gem of Santa Barbara! read more

Amazing! Chris was so funny and informative - the Pinot Noirs were phenomenal. It is in a hidden nook and well worth it. The people complaining about it being in a "weird area" are stupid, get over it and go inside. I even saw a bottle of their wine in the movie Sideways! Fantastic. read more

Chris and Drake Whitcraft are some of my favorite wine makers in the Santa Barbara area. Wine is a very personal experience. My tastes might differ from yours so you can't really trust someone else's opinion unless you know what they like. I like Pinot Noir. I like Chardonnay. Whitcraft is making both of these varietals in ways that are intensely compatible with my expectations. I also tend to like wines made from grapes from the Santa Rita HIlls appellation. Their Pinot Noirs have some grapes from this region (from the Melville vineyard). The 2007 vintage PInots are great. They range from $20-$60 and I think all of them might due with some aging but I tend to drink what I buy so I don't really know what I am talking about here. The 2007 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir is a great deal at $20/bottle and has a lively acidity and well as a meaty finish. It's bipartite character swirls around your palette like two distinct swimmers - separate yet joined in the same dance. The more pricey 2007 Aubaine Pinot Noir is a more balanced sip but at $60/bottle a more rare treat. Their Chardonnays are amazing: great nose, syrupy texture, complex as they open in the mouth with a satisfying finish. What I like in wine is complexity. I want to be introduced by the nose, greeted by the tongue, and satisfied by the palette and throat in a long finish. Whitcraft does not disappoint in any of these areas, HIGHLY recommended for a tasting. The tasting room is in an industrial park and is very small but is in no way "sketchy" as a previous reviewer stated. You can walk down the street to Carr Winery and some other winemakers in what is referred to as the Funk Zone although it would be better to drive because the distance is a little too far for a casual stroll. Whitcraft Winery reveals what is inherent in a wine grape's capacity to make wine out of itself. AMAZING! read more

The winery focuses on pinot noir and old-fashioned winemaking techniques. I liked one of the pinots, but it wasn't worth the price. So, I bought nothing but the $10 tasting. They also didn't create an atmosphere to buy. The attitude was unfriendly and there was a weird sign making a negative comment about women. read more

Excellent wines done in a old world small batch hand crafted style. Not the typical High alcohol, fruit in your face style that is so commonplace in California these days. If you like wines with finesse and character this is the place for you... Very friendly people at the tasting room. Can't recommend them more highly read more

i got a groupon other wise i never would have known about whitcraft....they are tucked away...close to everything, but still you have to know it's there. well, my friend and i truly enjoyed ourselves with drake. he is very knowledgeable. i bought a bottle of grenache. left very happy. read more

As mention by other reviewers this winery is weird but a good kind of weird. I decided to stop by after having visit a couple of other wineries and had herd that this one was a Vegan one. But how can it be, unheard of right. Well the best part of the tasting was that it was brought to us by the owner himself which was a little awkward at first but he warms up to you. He explains how his wine is done the way God intended and had none of the crap that others have. I must say the wines where tasty but man where they pricy. I guess if you want quality man made wine a la natural you gotta pay some cash right! An overall good experience and I think Ill probably stop by again but not sure if ill pay 60 bucks for one bottle! read more

Drove 6 hours to Santa Barbara for celebrations with this winery as our primary destination. We get here and it was supposed to open according to websites and several phone calls I made. We got here an hour after it was suppose to open and place is locked. Thanks. read more

Probably the BEST Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. Became a member immediately. The guy who works pouring the wine is pretty cool. I also met the son "Whitcraft', though he wasn't the most talkative fellow, there is no denying he sure knows how to make wine! read more

First off - the wine is great here. Recent years have led to a wider selection - both in terms of varietals and price - owing to economic changes, and the son of the original winemaker taking over and placing his own twist on things. Chris Whitcraft has been a serious part of the SB wine-making community before people even knew SB county made wine at all - since the mid-1970s. His son, Drake, has been involved in the winery since before he was old enough to drive a car, much less purchase a bottle of wine for himself. These people know the history, and they know what they are doing - they are not a wealthy family that got into wine because it was the cool thing to do. That commitment and respect for the trade is reflected in the wines, and in the humility/lack of pretension of the tasting room. It is a cool place to hang out and learn some history, especially if Chris or Drake are present. I want to note - it is so annoying when reviews talk about how the tasting room isn't swanky enough or the location isn't romantic enough. Obviously, you don't know anything about wine, or you really wouldn't care. Tasting rooms at legitimate wineries that produce high quality wines are not for bachelorette parties or groups of people looking to get wasted. They are for tasting wine, and learning. Show up without the attitude and entitlement, and with an open mind, and you'll have a nice time. Also, for everyone whining about how "unsafe" they felt walking to the location in broad daylight, which by the way is like 100 feet from Fess Parker's hotel, and about 500 feet from the ocean, your privilege is showing, and it isn't cute. Yeah, it's not a wine country estate - it's in an commercial area with warehouse space because that is what you need to produce wine. It's Santa Barbara, CA, not downtown Baghdad. Seriously, if you feel unsafe there, you have some serious misconceptions about what the world owes you. In sum, highly recommend. Show up with an open mind, a clean palate, and happy vibe and you will not be disappointed. read more

The second winery on our quick trip to Santa Barbara was Whitcraft Winery which is just down the street from Carr. The "tasting room" was much more of a cashier's table with boxes of wines all around. Thankfully their wines were explained by the owner, and had a very nice range of flavors. We ended up picking a bottle there to take home for another night. read more

A completely crudy experience! The wine is too pricey for the quality; got rude service from the winemaker and the location is in a crappy part of town. Need we say more? Skip it. read more

We went to Whitcraft and had a great tasting experience. The guy was very knowledgeable, and we enjoyed every wine we tasted. However, when we bought a few wines, the guy also told us about the sale they had on 2007 and 2008 wines. We purchased a 2007 Anderson Valley Morning Dew Ranch based on the guys's description. It was undrinkable - lots of sediment, prune colored, and vinegary. I emailed the winery about it and received no response. I had to pour $35 down the drain. Because of their lack of response to my email, I'm writing this negative review. Whatever you do, don't fall for their "sale" wines! read more

This has been my go-to winery since the mid 1980's for great Burgundian style wines. Consistency is the watchword here and the wines never disappoint. It is nice to see the son now following in his father's footsteps. Chris was one of the pioneers of wine making in Santa Barbara County and Drake is an exceptional member of "the next generation." read more