Enter the wine caves of Sunstone Vineyards and Winery with its winemaker and create your own blend – to be barrelled, bottled, corked, labelled and sent to you.
Spend a day inside the elite world of California winemaking and create your own blend under the guidance of master winemaker Bion Rice of Sunstone Vineyards & Winery, just 35 minutes north of Santa Barbara. From Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, savour the vineyard scenery during your journey by luxury vehicle along the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Trail.
Arriving at the Sunstone estate, you’ll immediately see why the Rice family fell in love with the land they purchased in 1989. Its south-sloping exposure, sandy and rocky soil, and microclimate of early-morning fog, breezy warm afternoons and cool evenings create the perfect setting for grape-growing. The Rices transformed the former horse ranch into an organic vineyard producing Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvedre and Viognier grapes. Since then, Sunstone has become one of the region’s leading vineyards.
Bion, Sunstone’s CEO and winemaker, will lead you on a tour of the vineyards and the 8,500-square-foot villa, built with reclaimed limestone from France and surrounded by gardens full of rosemary and lavender. In the Provence-inspired tasting room and wine caves, he will be your host for a private wine tasting. He will then guide you in blending your own wine, which will be barrelled, bottled, corked, labelled and sent to you after your visit – an exclusive opportunity available only through the Resort.
After creating your blend, linger over a picnic lunch in the shade of olive and oak trees. Your meal will be prepared by The Lucky Hen Larder, a gourmet and specialty foods shop known for its use of organic, locally sourced farmers market ingredients. Its dishes pair perfectly with Sunstone wines to give you a distinctive taste of Santa Ynez’s terroir.