The Sideways Wine Trail

Foxen Vineyards

This vineyard was featured in the movie "Sideways". If you loved the movie, you'll love the Santa Barbara wine country .... particularly the Santa Rita Hills.

One of my favorite range of Pinots comes from the Foxen Vineyards.

Tasting Room

Foxen Website

Bill Wathen and Dick Doré (also known as the “Foxen Boys”) have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded Foxen Winery & Vineyard at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County. Since that time, their dedication has remained the same—the creation of very small production, sustainably-farmed, vineyard-focused wines using a "minimalist" approach to winemaking.

The winery was named in memory of William Benjamin Foxen, an English sea captain and Dick's great-great grandfather, who came to Santa Barbara in the early 1800's. In 1837, this Santa Barbara County pioneer purchased the Rancho Tinaquaic, a Mexican Land Grant that originally totaled nearly 9000 acres and comprised most of what is now known as Foxen Canyon. Captain Foxen adopted the distinctive "anchor" as his ranch cattle brand, which has become a trademark of the winery.

With the completion of FOXEN’s new solar-powered winery and tasting room in 2009, the historic and beloved “tasting shack was renamed “foxen 7200”, where Bill and Dick now feature their Bordeaux and Cal-Ital-style wines, under a newly designed label. FOXEN Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Rhône-style wines are showcased in the new solar-powered tasting room at 7600 Foxen Canyon Road

Both tasting rooms are open daily, 11am to 4pm