Chasing Sideways: A Weekend in Santa Barbara’s Wine Country

The brutal chill of an unseasonably cold Michigan winter feels far behind as the California sun hits my face. I’ve just arrived at LAX, and it feels alien to shed my winter layers as I step outside to find my husband and our weekend rental car waiting. He’s been out west all week for a conference, but the weekend ahead is ours to explore Santa Barbara.

Day One: A Malibu Delight

Leaving the airport, our first stop is Deus Ex Machina in Venice Beach, a favorite bike shop of my husband’s that also happens to have a decent café. More than ready to caffeinate after my journey, I grab an iced espresso, and we venture to the Pacific Coast Highway for a scenic drive north.

Santa Barbara is only about two hours from Los Angeles, depending on traffic, but we opt to take our time and relish the coastal views rather than the quicker freeway route. About mid-way through, we pull off in Malibu for a late lunch. It’s the perfect spot for a break during the drive, and you can’t beat the views. Excited for the novelty of being able to eat comfortably outside in the middle of January, John’s Garden calls our name. It’s situated off a courtyard with plenty of picnic tables, where we take in a leisurely lunch: an arugula salad for me and avocado toast for my husband.

After lunch, we follow the coast road to Santa Barbara to our weekend digs at The Moxy, located in the area known as the Funk Zone. We pull through the narrow streets, past vibrant street art and former warehouses that have been transformed into cafés, galleries, and wineries. With plenty of public art, coffee, and great food, not to mention being right off the beach, the neighborhood seems to be a spot-on fit for us.

After check-in, we venture out, eager to enjoy the late afternoon sun. It feels almost decadent to be outdoors, knowing what I left behind at home just a few hours earlier. We arrive at Stearns Wharf, where fishermen line its pier and sea lions bark in the distance. I lean against the wooden railing, close my eyes, and feel myself coming back to life under the rays of the sun. Just below in the relatively calm waters, paddleboarders soak up the last of the daylight. It’s Golden Hour on the left coast.

With the sun about to set and the temperature still warm enough, it seems only logical that we take in a happy hour at one of the Funk Zone’s many wine spots. Paradise Springs is right next to the hotel, and with its outdoor courtyard, it’s the most logical spot to hit before dinner. It’s an interesting winery with vines all the way back in Virginia, as well as here in the Santa Barbara area. I sip on a Sauvignon Blanc. I savor its notes of stone fruit and hints of minerality just as I savor the time outside.

Dinner is nearby at The Lark, a restaurant named for the Southern Pacific Railroad train that served the area in the early and mid 1900s. Set in a brick building amid other cafés and bars, it blends a patio and indoor space, with plenty of open doors and cozy vibes connecting it all. We find ourselves at an outdoor table under string lights, next to an old-school heater, which is much appreciated as the temperature continues to drop with the sun now down. After snacking on some dill pickle popcorn (highly recommend), we dig into a beet salad with ricotta and a sashimi starter. My main course is spice-rubbed lamb ribs, served with yogurt sauce and pomegranates. The combination of flavors is unexpected, and somehow just what I need at the close of a long, but beautiful, day.

Day Two: A Jurassic Park Afternoon and a Pizza Night

Still on East Coast time, we awake early and begin exploring Santa Barbara. After a coffee, we venture downtown, along its wide streets, to admire the city’s red clay tile roofs and the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture that makes up so many of the buildings. There’s some great vintage shopping and plenty of boutiques along the State Street main drag, which is pedestrian-only for much of it in this area. The city’s Public Market food hall sits toward the end of this zone and is a great stopping point for coffee or lunch. While we’re not quite ready for food, we leave the market and return to exploring before eventually landing at a gluten-free friendly bakery for lunch, Lilac Patisserie.

After eating, we move on to the city’s Urban Wine Trail and stop into Kunin Wines. Set inside a Spanish-style building, their industrial-designed yet inviting tasting room beckons from the street. They’ve been around since 1998, making great Syrah and specializing in Rhone and Loire Valley varieties. From an outdoor table, I make my way through their white tasting menu and find a standout in a “Jurassic Park” Chenin Blanc. Unsure whether the winemaker shares my obsession with dinosaurs, I ask about this wine and learn that its vines are indeed located in an area where prehistoric fossils have been discovered. No wonder I enjoyed it so much. Rawr!

A text from back home comes through, informing us of below-zero temperatures on the way, and it’s clear that we need to soak up as much of the sun and seventy-degree weather while we can. So, it’s time for a walk on the beach. From downtown, it’s a short drive to Shoreline Park, where we walk along its path, elevated from the ocean, admiring the greenery and the deep blue waters in the distance. Eventually, we come to a set of steep stairs and descend to the beach. The tide is low, revealing sharp, black rocks set back from the jagged hillside. Small waves come in at a steady pace, creating the soundtrack of our late, lazy afternoon. And I couldn’t ask for more.

Pizza on Friday nights is a tradition for my husband and me. Even though we’re on a short holiday, we decided to keep it up, and I’m glad we did. We head for the Lucky Penny, a few blocks from our hotel in the Funk Zone. Covered in actual pennies, the waft of pizza goodness comes from the window where orders are placed. A wood-fired oven inside is used to prepare the made-to-order artisanal pizzas, and they also have gluten-free crust. I opt for a classic, a margherita pizza, and it turns out to be one of my favorite meals of the trip.

As we finish dinner on the small patio, I suddenly notice everyone around us staring up at the sky. Much to my surprise, there’s a fireball just above. The Space Force base is not far away, and I quickly learn that a SpaceX rocket has launched a satellite. While I used to see their launches frequently when I lived in Florida, I’d never seen one illuminate the sky in the dark. Just a few moments later, a sonic boom rounds out the experience.

While that sky show wasn’t likely to be topped, we give it a try and head to Lama Dog, an industrial warehouse converted into a beer spot that also has decent wine options and a few cocktails. From there, it’s on to Test Pilot, a tiki bar with some legit cocktails.

Day Three: Desperately Seeking Sideways

Ever since the romantic comedy Sideways came out in 2004, its one-liners and memorable scenes have been burned into my brain. The California wine country that the movie explored is just beyond the hills from Santa Barbara, so it only made sense for us to set out and explore with our own tour inspired by the film.

Our DIY Sideways adventure begins with a drive along the windy and picture-perfect Foxen Canyon Road in the Santa Maria Valley. It’s early in the day, and it’s technically the off-season, but having spent time in Napa over the years, I’m still amazed to find no car traffic. Rolling, bright green hills greet a brilliant blue sky. We pass by pastures and cows before eventually reaching our first stop of the day, Foxen Vineyard & Winery. I selected this Foxen for its famed Pinot Noirs and its connection to Sideways. It was used as a location in the film, and apparently, one of their team members was the inspiration for Virginia Madsen’s character. We’re seated at a covered outdoor table set just back from the vines. I can’t help but feel that any of the stresses from back home leave my body as we settle into this scenery and into our tasting flights. We sample six Pinot Noirs, and while it’s difficult to choose a favorite, I land on the Riverbench, with its earthy notes and cherry flavors.

From there, it’s time to venture on to Buellton, one of the towns featured in the movie. Even though it’s been twenty-plus years since the film’s release, the place as it appeared in the movie still comes through in many locations. For one thing, the Hitching Post restaurant is still there, although it appears to have grown. An ostrich farm still sits off the road, reminding me of the vignettes featuring those animals. I understand you can stop and feed them, but with our own bellies empty, we continue.

Our next stop takes us to a place that wasn’t in the film, but one that I think the foodie characters would have appreciated: Industrial Eats. Covered in food-centric graffiti art, this hidden-away warehouse boasts a proper butcher counter, a wood-fired oven, and an impressive menu. We share a plate of salmon carpaccio that practically melts in my mouth. I followed that with a smoked duck salad, full of local goodies. While I’m not usually big on lunch, this meal turned out to be one of our favorites during the trip—a total find.

After eating entirely too much, we venture on to Solvang, another town that was in Sideways. This is the only point during our weekend when we encountered many tourists. They seem to be there to take in the Danish-inspired architecture, shops, and food spots, or perhaps they’re also looking for the Windmill Inn from the movie, like we are. We stop off for a quick coffee at a bakery before I’ve had enough time in the crowd. We venture back to Foxen Canyon Road, where we find a spot to pull off and enjoy the company of cows grazing in the distance before heading to our next tasting appointment.

We pull up the drive to Andrew Murray Vineyards for a mid-afternoon booking. The vine-covered grey building and its patio are set just up through trees that obscure the place from the road. I chose this spot for its well-known Syrahs and because one of their bottles appears in Sideways, as well. Seated outdoors at a table full of succulent plants, we dive into our Rhone-inspired wines, marveling at the Syrah.

We venture back to Santa Barbara and opt for one more quick tasting before dinner. After enjoying Kunin so much the day prior, we decide to try its sister winery, The Valley Project. The concept here is unique to this region, where you’re meant to taste and compare wines from all five Santa Barbara AVAs: The Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, Ballard Canyon, and Happy Canyon. A chalk-drawn mural on the tasting room’s back wall brings this home. At what must be two stories tall, the drawing encapsulates the region’s climate. It shows how it’s able to grow such incredible grapes, including that finicky Pinot Noir that we heard so much about in Sideways.

Day Four: A Winery Dog and a Good Lion

Our Sideways-inspired tour continues with a drive up the coast and through a tunnel on our way to the Sta. Rita Hills. With a little time to spare before our first booking, we take a detour to Nojoqui Falls for a short hike. As we leave the main road, road signs tell the story of historic, heavy rains and flooding that hit the region just a month prior. That rough weather is almost unimaginable today on what feels like another perfect weather day. We are reminded again of those conditions as the hike to the waterfall is covered in thick mud in places, but the walk is worth it for all the forest feels.

We arrive at Sanford just on time for our appointment. The “OG” of Pinot Noir in the area, this was a must-visit for us. It’s also another winery that made an appearance in the movie. We walk through the airy tasting room and head outside, where there’s only one other couple seated. We find a bench just next to rows and rows of grapes. A friendly winery dog is curious about us and joins us as we work our way through some truly standout Pinots, perhaps the best we’ve had so far on the trip (which is saying something).

We head out, driving up and down through the area’s valleys and on our way to the quirky yet charming small town of Los Olivos. While the town itself stretches only a few blocks, it’s a place that’s packed full of foodie delights. Located in the heart of it is the Los Olivos Merchant Café. This place fills up, but even though we didn’t have a reservation, we were able to grab a spot at the bar and fill up on some local food before exploring the town and grabbing coffee from an Airstream trailer set off the street.

Then it was time for our final stop on our tour, Story of Soil. While it didn’t exist at the time of Sideways, it’s another place that I could imagine the character, Miles, enjoying for its commitment to expressing the soil through the wine. This small producer’s tasting room sits in an old house, complete with a front porch and patio. I feel at home as we sit in comfy chairs on the porch, sipping more incredible Pinots and Syrah.

The sun is setting over the Pacific as we drive down the mountain and return to Santa Barbara. Our last dinner on this trip takes us to Opal, a spot popular with locals and tourists. We close out the evening with drinks at the craft cocktail bar, the Good Lion. Named after an Ernest Hemingway short story, this is a place that we had to visit. My husband raises a gin drink to toast the trip, and I raise a glass of red wine in return. And yes, I am drinking f$%&ing Merlot.