Hours: Year Round
Refugio Ranch is a 415 acre estate nestled into the north face of the Santa Ynez Mountains, and skirting the southern banks of the Santa Ynez River. For thousands of years this was the domain of the Chumash. The first Spaniards arrived in this land on foot in 1769 in an expedition led by Don Gaspar de Portolá. Among Portolá's men was a Sergeant named José Francisco de Ortega. When Ortega retired several years later, he petitioned the King of Spain for a land grant of a particularly stunning stretch of coastline west of Santa Barbara. This swath of land, 18 miles long and 4 miles wide, was named "Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio" or "Our Lady of Refuge." The original Refugio Ranch.
Over the following 2 centuries the original Rancho del Refugio was subdivided many times and hosted a variety of proprietors, including, in the early 20th Century, John J. Mitchell who was to later found United Airlines. Part of the Mitchell Estate was the 415 acres that we now call Refugio Ranch Vineyards. For hundreds of years this land was used for cattle grazing. The Gleason Family has turned a new chapter for Refugio Ranch, trading cattle for grapes. Although we know deep down that we are merely stewards of the land, and we promise to honor the spirit and legacy that is Refugio Ranch.
