Sanford Winery

“Sanford Winery in the Lompoc Valley was the highlight of our Santa Maria wine tasting trip and easily our favorite winery we visited. The setting alone is stunning—tucked privately between rolling hills with wide-open views and vineyards literally about 10 feet away (easy, AMAZING photo spot!). Sitting outside in comfy chairs by the fireplace while a light rain drizzled felt like something out of a movie. It was peaceful, cozy, and incredibly relaxing. Both the reds and whites were excellent—a rare win across the board. One of the older gentlemen in our group actually makes his own wine and was genuinely impressed by Sanford’s quality, which says a lot. The wines were reasonably priced, and we happily brought two bottles home—the first and last pours from the tasting menu. The hospitality really stood out. When some of us got cold, they offered us blankets without hesitation. We never felt rushed; they let us take our time and truly enjoy the experience. Even at the end of the day, when they had run out of charcuterie, they gave us a soft close and let us stay a bit late, which made the visit feel warm and unhurried. This was our first visit, but it definitely won’t be our last. Between the privacy, the views, the quality wine, and the thoughtful service, Sanford made our vacation feel extra special. We will absolutely be back.”

“We had the best time wine tasting with Kiana this past week. She guided us through all the different wines and provided very interesting info about Sanford, the area, the different types of wines, etc. She made our wine tasting experience so fun and informative! The wines were delicious, we loved them all and appreciated the variety. The property is also beautiful and fun to spend time at. It was our first time visiting this winery and we’ll definitely be back soon!”

“Beautiful winery with excellent hospitality. The tasting experience is highly recommended — the staff is knowledgeable and very welcoming. Gorgeous location, perfect for a day trip from Los Angeles. The wines were outstanding; we ended up purchasing a few bottles. We visited in January and had a fantastic time.”

“Sanford does Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and they do it right! We stopped in and sampled their wines enjoying both the vin and the lovely location in the Santa Rita Hills. Beautiful afternoon and tasting. Avoid the weekend crowds if you can and you'll have the place to yourself...the song of the wind and the pleasure of some of the finest wine the Central Coast produces.”

“Our guide didn't seem to have much knowledge of the wines. Sanford's operation has them bring the whole tasting out at once, which we thought was poor choice. All the wines got too warm in the sun and they all ended up tasting the same and not very good. The property is very pretty with nice views of the vineyard and mountains, but we wouldn't recommend it for the tasting experience.”