Open Year Round
History:
1962 Pierre Lafond opens the fi rst winery in Santa Barbara County since prohibition.It would be more than ten years before a second winery opens, today, there are over 100.
1964 Santa Barbara Winery moves to its present location in downtown Santa Barbara at Yanonali and Anacapa streets two blocks from the beach.
1965 Demattei and Nielson plant the fi rst vineyard in the county since prohibition, 100Â acres. Today there are over 20,000 acres.
1971 Lafond Vineyards 65 acres are planted in the Santa Rita Hills at the western tip of the Santa Ynez Valley.
1981 Bruce McGuire becomes Winemaker.
1996 Lafond Vineyards purchases additional property accross the river and plants 30Â acres of Pinot Noir and Syrah.
1998 Construction begins of the new Lafond Winery. David Lafond is the General Contractor and Pierre Lafond the Architect.
2000 First harvest at the new Lafond Winery.
2001 Spring: The Lafond Winery is open to visitors.
2001 Summer: Santa Rita Hills at the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley is recognized by the BATF (part of the Treasury Department which controls appellations) as a separate and distinct viticultural area. Distinct in climate and geography permitting wines grown in this cool and unique growing area to be identifi ed as Santa Rita Hills.
2002 Spring: Lafond Winery releases its SRH wines made exclusively from grapes grown in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. These 3 wines, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay receive 10 medals between them.
2003 January: Lafond Winery and Vineyards sends its fi rst Wine Club shipment to almost 100 members.
2005 Winter: The release of the movie Sideways raises awareness of Pinot Noir and the Santa Ynez Valley.
2009 Spring: Lafond Vineyards leases 37 acres from Burning Creek Ranch, adjoining the Lafond Vineyard, and begins planting Pinot Noir from 8 selected clones.
2013 Spring: Santa Barbara Winery - a new Pinot Noir label is being readied from Burning Creek grapes to be released in the fall.
