Sanford Winery, Sta. Rita Hills: The Estate That Started It All
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Time to read 5 min
Sanford Winery
Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California
Few wineries can say they helped create an entire wine region. Sanford Winery is one of them.
In 1971, Richard Sanford and botanist Michael Benedict planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, the first vineyard in what would eventually become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Their goal was simple but radical at the time: prove that this cool, windswept corner of Santa Barbara County could produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Most growers believed the region was too cold to ripen grapes. Sanford believed the opposite.
Fifty years later, the Sta. Rita Hills is widely recognised as one of California’s greatest cool-climate wine regions, and Sanford remains one of its founding estates.
The History
Richard Sanford arrived in Santa Barbara County in the late 1960s after studying the region’s climate patterns in detail. What fascinated him was the unusual geography of the Santa Ynez Valley, which runs east-west rather than north-south.
This orientation allows cold Pacific air to flow directly inland, dramatically cooling the vineyards. Richard realised this could create conditions similar to Burgundy, perfect for slow-ripening Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Together with Michael Benedict, he planted the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971.
It was a bold move that would ultimately shape the entire region.
Their wines quickly gained recognition, proving the potential of the site and inspiring other growers to plant vineyards across the western Santa Ynez Valley.
In 2001, the region was officially recognised as the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with Sanford playing a central role in its development.
The Iconic Vineyards
At the heart of the estate are the historic Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada vineyards, where ocean breezes from the nearby Pacific create a long growing season and wines of remarkable freshness and precision. The style here is defined by balance rather than power, Chardonnay with mineral tension and Pinot Noir with perfume, structure and elegance. These are wines that capture the unique character of the Sta. Rita Hills, a place where California sunshine meets coastal cool and the result is something truly special.
Sanford & Benedict Vineyard
Planted in 1971, Sanford & Benedict is one of the most historic vineyards in California.
It is widely considered a grand cru site for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, producing fruit that many of the region’s top producers also seek out.
Key characteristics:
marine sediment and sandy soils
strong Pacific wind influence
extremely long growing season
some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara
The result is wines that are aromatic, structured and beautifully age-worthy.
Many of the region’s leading winemakers source fruit from this vineyard, confirming its legendary status.
La Rinconada Vineyard
Planted in 1997, La Rinconada sits directly beside Sanford & Benedict and surrounds the winery itself.
The vineyard shares similar marine soils and cooling coastal influence, but tends to produce wines that are:
slightly richer
more textured
darker fruited
Together, these two sites form the core of Sanford’s estate wines.
Why Sta.Rita Hills Is So Special
The Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest wine regions in California.
Thanks to the Pacific Ocean, vineyards experience:
constant cooling winds
morning fog
long, slow ripening seasons
naturally high acidity
These conditions produce wines that combine:
California fruit with Burgundian structure and freshness.
The region has become one of the world’s most respected places for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Sanford’s Style
Sanford’s wines are often described as California with a Burgundian mindset.
The philosophy focuses on:
single vineyard expression
minimal intervention winemaking
restrained use of oak
freshness and balance over power
Compared with many Californian wines, Sanford’s wines are often:
more elegant
more mineral
more structured
They are built to reflect the cool maritime influence of the Sta. Rita Hills.
Sanford Estate Wines
These two wines are an introduction to the Sanford style, drawing fruit from multiple parcels across the estate vineyards.
The 2022 Estate Pinot Noir, Sanford is made with fruit coming from young vines in La Rinconada and Sanford & Benedict. It was aged for 11 months in French oak, 25% new, which gives polish and subtle spice without losing the wine’s freshness. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has awarded the 2022 90 points, noting its composed red cherry, rhubarb and spice box character and its fresh, well-balanced finish.
The 2022 Estate Chardonnay is made with fruit drawn predominantly from La Rinconada and a smaller portion from Sanford & Benedict. It saw malolactic fermentation in barrel and around 11 months in French oak, giving the wine its creamy texture and subtle nutty depth without losing the mineral, coastal energy that defines Sanford’s style. This wine won Gold at the 2025 Sommelier Wine Awards.
Sanford Single Vineyard Chardonnay
Sanford’s single vineyard Chardonnays are where Sta. Rita Hills really shows its hand. Same grape, same coastal corridor, but three distinct expressions shaped by wind, soil and that long, slow ripening that gives the region its signature tension. These are wines less about loud oak and more about clarity, texture and a quietly thrilling mineral line, the kind of Chardonnays that change in the glass and reward a little patience.
2021 Chardonnay La Rinconada, “Power Meets Precision” brings nectarine, citrus oil, and baked apple, layered with roasted almond and refined French oak, textured, structured, and seriously age-worthy.
2020 Chardonnay La Rinconada, “The Golden Vintage” turns up the generosity, ripe peach, lemon cream and brioche richness, still held perfectly in place by coastal acidity.
The 2020 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict, “California Grand Cru” is pure precision, Meyer lemon, white peach and crushed shell minerality, linear, saline, long and quietly powerful.
Sanford Single Vineyard & Block Pinot Noir
Sanford’s single vineyard Pinot Noirs are where the Sta. Rita Hills heartbeat comes through loud and clear. This is Pinot shaped by ocean wind and long hang time, perfumes and savoury detail up front, then that cool-climate snap of acidity and fine tannin structure that keeps everything lifted and effortless. These are not big, jammy Pinots, they’re about purity, spice, tension and place, the kind of bottles that feel quietly serious and endlessly drinkable.
2022 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict comes from the vineyard that started it all, wild strawberry, black cherry and rose petal, layered with forest floor, dried herbs and spice. Silky tannins and vibrant acidity give it real structure and longevity, elegant, complex and unmistakably Sta. Rita Hills.
2016 Pinot Noir Founders Vine is the deeper, more contemplative side of the same story, a special cuvée from selected parcels within Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, showing black cherry, plum and violet with savoury spice and earthy complexity. Bottle age has softened the edges into something beautifully harmonious, a true tribute to the founders of the vineyard and the region.
Why Sanford Still Matters
Sanford is more than just another winery.
It is the estate that proved Sta. Rita Hills could produce world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Today, more than fifty years after the first vines were planted, Sanford remains one of the region’s defining producers.
These are wines that combine:
history
iconic vineyards
cool-climate precision
California sunshine
And that combination is what makes them so compelling.
How to Choose
Sanford, quick picks
If you love mineral Chardonnay: Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay
If you like richer, oak-framed Chardonnay: La Rinconada Chardonnay
If you want the best intro Pinot: 2022 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
If you want the icon: 2022 Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir
If you want maturity and depth: 2016 Founders Vine Pinot Noir
