Sanford Winery has opened a new tasting room in La Arcada at 1114 State Street in Santa Barbara. Sanford chose the arts and entertainment district of upper downtown, with the art museum, the Granada Theatre, and the new public market at Alma Del Pueblo all within a block or two. La Arcada’s refined, cobblestone setting seemed the perfect fit for the winery’s first tasting room outside of its facilities in the Santa Rita Hills.

“We are thrilled to join a vibrant community of wine producers represented in Santa Barbara’s urban wine trail,” Sanford Winemaker and General Manager Steve Fennell said. “We love being part of the La Arcada business community and look forward to many years of success.”

Michael Martz of Hayes Commercial Group represented Sanford in leasing the 1,016 sf retail space. “While the rapid growth of wine tasting in the Funk Zone is exciting, the team at Sanford determined that La Arcada provides an elegant location that really spoke to their brand and their clientele,” Martz said.

Sanford planted the first Pinot Noir grapes in Santa Barbara County back in 1971, likening the climate and soil conditions in the Santa Rita Hills to those of France’s famed Burgundy province. The grape has thrived in the area ever since and helped put Santa Barbara County on the map of the world’s premier wine regions. Sanford has also had great success with Chardonnay on its estate vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills, a location that is now officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area. Sanford opened a state-of-the-art tasting room on its premises in 2007, and as the city of Santa Barbara has developed into a hub for wine enthusiasts, it is a logical place for the winery’s first off-site tasting room.

Being a recognizable and world-renowned name, Sanford’s tasting room in La Arcada hopes to be a hit with wine connoisseurs, locals, and tourists alike. Michael Martz assisted the Sanford team in their thorough search, viewing spaces in all different areas of Santa Barbara before ultimately deciding on the location in La Arcada.

“Sanford didn’t want to rush into opening a tasting room just anywhere,” Martz explained. “They wanted a refined and timeless space that reflects their legacy.”

The tasting room opened this week. Various tasting flights are available curtailed to the wine lover’s preference, in addition to private tastings and wine club opportunities. With Santa Barbara’s popular 1st Thursday events, combined with the buzz of new shops and restaurants opening nearby, Sanford’s new home in Santa Barbara is right where it wants to be.