Small-Group Wine Tour to Private Locations in Santa Barbara
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Santa Barbara, USA
- 7 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Tour Santa Barbara wine country with a guide on this full-day small-group outing. Perfect for couples and small groups who appreciate exclusivity, this tour visits intimate, family-owned vineyards not typically open to the general public. Get the VIP treatment with tours of the cellars and vineyards, often with the owners themselves.
- Tour private wineries in Santa Barbara with VIP treatment
- Group size capped at seven for a more intimate experience
- Includes all wine tastings and an organic lunch
- Take it easy with hotel pickup and drop-off included
What's Included
- Pick up & drop off from your location in luxury Mercedes
- Small Production, Premium Wine Tasting in all seating tastings.
- Customized organic lunch of your choice (choose from large selection from our organic menu)
- Bottled water
- Gratuity is not automatically charged upon booking
- Must be 21+ (unfortunately we cannot accommodate children of any age for our shared tour)
- We cannot accommodate any pets (dogs, cats, pigs, ferrets, etc) on our wine tours.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We pick up directly from your location for our SHARED/ GROUP WINE TOUR which can include hotels or homes. If you are not saying at one of these hotels listed, we also pick up at residences (AirBnB, etc). If you are driving up from Los Angeles (or other cities out of the area) just for the day, we can arrange to meet at a central location in downtown Santa Barbara (easy off the freeway). This location is typically Hotel Californian. Please put this in your pick up location when driving up for the day and we'll reply with exact pick up time once tour is confirmed.
Operating hours.10:00 am
Itinerary
Santa Barbara (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Tour is not booked until you have received Confirmation. All tours are limited and subject to availability.
- Dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes it can be warm in the vineyards and cool in the barrel rooms.
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Deborah_S
Karina was our driver for the day, and she was absolutely fantastic. She made the experience both fun and informative—we learned so much along the way. We visited three incredible wineries, each one truly worth the trip. Highly recommended!
Reviews
5.0
based on 290 reviews
Deborah_S, Apr 2026
Karina was our driver for the day, and she was absolutely fantastic. She made the experience both fun and informative—we learned so much along the way. We visited three incredible wineries, each one truly worth the trip. Highly recommended!
Colette_T, Apr 2026
Fantastic tour! Karina was such a friendly and knowledgeable tour guide who explained so much information about the area and the wines, and drove us around the area in an extremely comfortable minibus. The small wine producers were all varied in size and style but we enjoyed experiencing their wines and their wonderful locations. The lunch was delicious and there were plenty of snacks and water throughout the tastings too. Would highly recommend this tour.
Michael_P, Mar 2026
Scott was a great host and treated us with care. This wine tour really differed from others we have been on around the world because we met with the actual winemakers rather than a commercial (bland) setting. One stop was in a production facility which may sound less exciting but the tasting experience and speaking with the owner made it our favorite experience. We enjoyed every single winery. Highly recommend the tour if in the area.
Sharon_N, Feb 2026
Absolutely fantastic- the van, the guide, the entire experience- sheer perfection! Learned so much about the Santa Barbara valley, and these sustainable vintners. Our guide Corrine was terrific
Heather_P, Feb 2026
This is not your ordinary wine tour! You will love the unique experience this tour provides you. Private wine makers with passion about their product. The wine was wonderful and the experience unforgettable! We will be back touring with Scott and company!!
Kristie_D, Feb 2026
Touring with Scott was truly special from start to finish. Every winery was hand-curated, thoughtfully chosen not just for exceptional wines, but for their commitment to sustainability and craft. The private nature of the tour gave us exclusive access you simply can’t get on standard wine routes—intimate tastings, behind-the-scenes stories, and real conversations with winery owners.
Scott’s owner-guided approach made the day feel personal, relaxed, and incredibly well paced. It wasn’t just a wine tour—it was a carefully designed experience that felt both luxurious and meaningful. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind day that combines conscious travel, outstanding wine, and insider access, this is it. 🍷🌿
Karen_M, Dec 2025
Great experience. All private tastings. Excellent wine and food. Beautiful locations and fun stories of each winery. Highly recommend
Abbie_M, Dec 2025
We had such a great day. Carlos was amazing and all the wineries and their stories were exceptional. Thank you so much! Highly recommend!
Christine_S, Oct 2025
Karina, our guide, was wonderful! She was knowledgeable about wine and the Santa Barbara area. She was genuine and kind
Michael_M, Jul 2025
This tour is something very different in the best possible way. My wife and I have been on several wine tours in the past that we’ve left 5 star reviews for (they were all very good with a guide we thought was great), but this one was a cut above all of those.
We had Scott, the owner, as our tour host. His communication from the time of booking and especially in the week leading up to the tour was absolutely incredible. He was extremely knowledgeable on the region and chimed in nicely to teach us all a bit about it without being overbearing. We very much enjoyed the intimacy of our tour; only four people total including my wife and I (although these tours can have up to 6, maybe 8 of it’s a larger group which would still be great) left plenty of time to chat up and learn from several incredibly friendly and knowledgeable wine experts, wine makers, and winery owners. The time you spend with your host at each winery and the depth of their stories and knowledge they share really enriched our experience.
Our transpiration was a very comfortable Mercedes Sprinter van. Plenty of room for everyone and Scott had waters on board that he was diligent in keeping filled so we all stayed hydrated. You’re probably going to get a lot more wine on this tour than you’re used to on most wine tours so staying hydrated is important.
Lunch was not only delicious but extremely convenient. Scott brought it at the tail end of our first winery visit, which was a longer one lasting nearly two hours which went by in a blink. He also brought plates, cloth napkins/real silverware and everything we could have needed to enjoy our meal. He really did a nice job with all of this.
Of course all wineries we stopped at had wine clubs that were optional to join. After tasting the wines and hearing the stories I could not help myself and happily joined all of them. It’s not a huge commitment or anything but a great way to let a very memorable piece of an amazing trip (celebrating my wife’s and my 20th anniversary) live on for years and years.
If you’re looking for a wine tour in Santa Barbara and this one fits your schedule book it and do not think twice. You will have an amazing day.
Lydia_V, May 2025
Scott was amazing! This was an intimate, unique tour where we got to meet the actual wine makers and learn and enjoy so much. The tour was tailored to the small group's preferences.
Stefan_C, Apr 2025
Probably the best wine tour I’ve ever been on, & I’ve been on many over the years in different countries. Scott was brilliant & took us to some amazing wineries. Highly recommended, such a great day!
Allyn_D, Apr 2025
What a great time we had. Scott is passionate and professional and incredibly attentive to making sure everyone enjoys the tour. Salute!
Hayley_G, Apr 2025
It was an ok tour— overpriced for what we got. Only one location was really nice. The other two I would have never gone to. The first was the ugliest location, just a production warehouse. The wine was decent but not a great atmosphere. I wouldn’t say up to par with what the tour cost. You don’t even have a tour of any of the facilities or wineries. Just go into a tasting room, have very small pours then get the sheet to buy the wines. I learned very little about each winery, and didn’t see anything other than one room at each place. In past tours of Santa Barbara I’ve gotten tours of the estate, or where they grow their wines, but with this tour nothing. Straight from van to tasting room back to van.
The tour was only like a 6.5 hour tour definitely not 8 hours. He was a little late picking us up and then having to pick up the other group and drop everyone off takes maybe an extra hour into it. We left at 1020 then took a bit getting the second group and got back at 5. Only three places on the schedule. Not the best wine tour I’ve been on in the area. I’ve been to SB four times before and this was my least favorite tour. 2/3 places had good wine, one of them literally no one on the tour liked at all but we bought a bottle because it felt awkward not to when they place the sheets in front of you to buy. There’s a lot of pressure to buy at each place. More than the other tours I’ve been on in the past.
But the worst was the pressure to tip by the owner of the company at the end, for himself. It was unacceptable. We all got sheets of paper of how much to tip, 18, 20 or 22 percent that he would add on a square device from a new card or we had to Venmo. It was not an optional thing the way tips are supposed to be. Usually at the end of a tour you give the guide a cash tip but not here, he was making sure he got the tip he wanted on our credit card or Venmo, it was very awkward. And something I’ve never experienced in many tours in both the US, and Europe. We tip normally, and are happy to. But we tipped what we felt was appropriate ($40 for 2 of us and my friend who came with us tipped an extra $30 since it was for my bday making it $70 for for driving 3 people around for 5 hours and give very little facts about the area, and he told us that was not enough for the two of us and had my mom completely uncomfortable and flustered and tip double that ($80 on top of the tour, $110 to drive 3 people around on top of the $750 ish we paid for the tour. Keep in mind there were another two couples also tipping him for this short time he had driving us around and he was completely absent to do whatever he wanted while we were inside the wineries)
After every winery we also had the option to tip for their service and were buying a bunch of wines from the three places, so having him tell us we didn’t tip enough was a huge, huge turn off when the tour was not that great or unique to be completely honest. And he didn’t have to do that much. It’s not like he did $110 worth of work on top of what we had already paid him, or that it was an employee making minimum wage who literally lives off tips. I left feeling really mad he guilted my mom into leaving more of a tip for himself, as the owner. That ruined the whole day for me. It was my birthday and I left feeling mad that he did that when my mom alone spent like $700+ on the tour and for the wine makers even when she only liked one place. He drove us, gave a couple facts of Santa Barbara, and the people at the wineries did the rest of the work and we also bought from them as we should have. Would not do again. And would not recommend. Love happy canyon wines though, recommend the visit there. It’s the only place on the tour I would recommend.
I had already had their wines before though, so it wasn’t a new experience.
morgan_a, Mar 2025
This tour was an absolute delight! Our small group of four—myself, another solo traveler, and a lovely couple—meshed perfectly, making the experience even more enjoyable.
Our guide, Karina, was fantastic! She was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, and made us feel welcome from start to finish.
We visited three family-owned vineyards, each prioritizing organic quality over quantity. The views on the way to each vineyard were simply breathtaking. The hosts at every stop were warm, welcoming, and eager to share their passion for their vineyards and wines.
If you're looking for a relaxed, intimate wine tour with great company and exceptional wines, I highly recommend this experience!
Dillan_F, Jan 2025
The wineries we visited were nice and the wine was good. The guide was kind and offered a lot of local knowledge. Our main complaint was that we felt a little rushed from one location to the next.
Noreen_C, Jan 2025
As advertised, we went to three amazing wineries we never would have found on our own. Scott is very knowledgeable and a wonderful host.
Nav_G, Jan 2025
Exclusive wineries. Friendly host Chris. Great wines and perfect hosts. Small tour group. Made good friends!
Jenny_G, Dec 2024
This was the best wine tasting I have done. It had a great variety of different wineries. The your was very intimate and exclusive. Carlos was amazing and very knowledgeable and friendly. I definitely recommend doing this tour!
sharon_G, Dec 2024
Such a fabulous day and a great way to celebrate our Anniversary. Scott and Sustainable Wine Tours made it the perfect day. There were 8 of us - so the small group size was perfect. We visited 3 amazing Family Vineyards, learned about the vineyard, wine making and conversed with some of the owners as well as the very knowledgeable staff.
Our lunch was delicious- served on plates instead of in a box. We also were kept hydrated with an abundance of water.
Thanks Scott and Sustainable Wine Tours for making our 45th Anniversary extra special.
Meghan_H, Dec 2024
Just wrapped up an amazing personalized wine tour. There were a ton of extras like cheese plates and chocolates with our tour. We had a lovely time with our other tour members and a memorable day. We went to much smaller vineyards that we clearly wouldn’t have gone to with any other tour. I’m grateful for this unique experience.
Nadia_S, Nov 2024
Had a wonderful time seeing and interacting with winemakers. Great wine, great social interactions with our group, and great learnings.
Maria_C, Oct 2024
We went with sustainable wine tours! Scott was wonderful. The tours were great! The wines were amazing. It was a great mix of different types of wineries.
shelley_j, Oct 2024
Corina our driver was fantastic. The van was very nice and comfortable. The three wineries were fantastic and Corina told us all about Santa Ynez valley and drive us all around. I would highly recommend.
ShellyFraga, Oct 2024
This tour was amazing and our guide Karina was fantastic. It was great to be able to meet the winemakers, learn about their process and taste amazing wines! I highly recommend taking a tour with Sustainable Wine Tours! We felt well taken care of and Karina provided us with great information about the area and she drove us through the scenic parts of the valley. We appreciated her keeping us well fed and hydrated throughout the day! We are especially grateful to her warm and friendly manner. Thank you to Karina and Sustainable Wine Tours for a great and memorable day!
Cindy_M, Oct 2024
Karina was a remarkable, informed, pleasant tour guide who taught us a lot about farming grapes and bringing them to completion at the winery. We received a wealth of information on the weather, geography and climate. Just fascinating! She was a helpful, gracious, kind host.
walter_m, Sep 2024
First time attending a wine tour. Glad to have chosen Scott’s outfit. We had an amazing experience. Small group gives it that very personalized feeling. The interaction with the winemakers makes it more of a unique experience. Clean and reliable transportation and a great selection for lunch was provided. Overall, I came out of this experience with more knowledge in the art and science of wine making. Highly recommended and very well invested money
Jonathan_B, Sep 2024
Nothing beats hearing the passion of the actual wine makers describe everything that goes into making their creations. A true behind-the-curtain experience that cannot be beat. Worth the premium price to have a hand-crafted, private tour of the Santa Ynez Valley.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
We are so grateful that you chose Sustainable Wine Tours for your day in Santa Barbara wine country. The winemakers that we visit on their private estates and wineries enjoy speaking with guests like yourselves that are interested in hearing their personal stories and learning more about this exciting industry!
Jacqueline_O, Jul 2024
It was an amazing experience. Scott was so friendly and paid great attention to detail. It was a small group, personable, "behind the scenes". Great experience.
Nelda_C, Jul 2024
Carina, the tour guide, was exceptional. She was knowledgeable, kind, friendly, and very professional. This was the best tour we have ever experienced.
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