A Very Good Day! A Santa Ynez Wine Country Tour

By Olaf G. Wolff
AllAboutBikes.com Sr. Staff Writer

Editor’s Note: This is the last installment in a three-part series of Wolff’s travels.

Davy Crockett’s Vineyard

The first vineyard that comes up on this stretch of Foxen is Fess Parker’s Winery and Vineyard, a must-do for me, not so much because I’m a fan of his wine – but it’s Davy Crockett for crying out loud.

Fess Parker was cast in the roll of Davy Crockett in the mid-1950s, and it changed his life forever. Fess and his son, Eli, originally set out in 1989 to plant a small vineyard and sell fruit to local producers. But, as Fess’ daughter, Ashley explains, “Fess is from Texas, so he can’t do anything small.”

The Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard now farms almost 700 acres on four vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County. Over the years his vineyards continually win highly respected awards every year and his winemaker was recently voted “Winemaker of the Year” at the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

I don’t know much about wine, and you don’t really have to; you’ll still thoroughly enjoy this stop. Sitting on Fess’s shaded porch, overlooking a vast manicured lawn and assorted flowers ignited with color and chatting with a couple riding their own version of the wine tour, felt good. Riding by myself is good. But, in that moment it occurred to me, that because of these particular moments over the past four decades of riding, I’ve very rarely ever felt alone.

After Fess’s place I rode for a spell, stopping only once. I was looking foreword to the road that I knew lay ahead. There’s another 18-mile section of leisurely rolling canyon motoring until the Tepusquet Road right turn. To access Tepusquet there’s several hundred yards of gravel wash to navigate over first. This water runoff area remains dry and passable most of the year and isn’t an issue. Once past that what you get is pure Tepusquet Road. At only 26 miles it is short – but it’s a gem. I’ve ridden exotic roads on several continents and few rivals this peewee chunk of motorcycling nirvana.
 
The Tepusquet Road Waltz

Tepusquet still has unusually light traffic, partly because it’s leads past only homes, no businesses, and it isn’t a short-cut to anywhere, and in part because those of us who do ride Tepusquet are protective and try to keep it light.

This segment of road is a perfect metaphor for wine – sip it slowly to properly savor. There’s a bunch of reasons why you shouldn’t ride fast here, but only three that require memorization – people live here, deer are visible, and there are deer on the sides of the road, in the meadows and in the shade. There’s plenty of visibility so at moderate speeds the deer have never been a concern or detracted from the ride – on the contrary.

The pavement of Tepusquet is seamless and smooth, no grooves or patched potholes, not even any painted lines; still it’s easily two lanes wide. I often relate riding with the music and rhythm it evokes in my head. Some roads are just plain hard driving southern rock and roll – but this one moves like a three-four beat waltz, and that’s how I roll when I ride it. Trees canopy the road and the sun toys with shadows that dance along as I ride and my pace is predetermined.

Tepusquet Road ends all too soon at Highway 166. I considered for a brief moment joining a group of riders headed west on 166 towards Santa Maria, but I thought better of it. Instead, I turned around and headed back the way I came – by myself – to grab that bottle of Merlot and ride on home. Play that waltz one more time I figured – it’s been a very good day.

Santa Ynez Wine Country: Part 1

Santa Ynez Wine Country: Part 2

Some Suggestions for Wine Country

Lake Cachuma campground has over 420 campsites and is a prime outdoor option when considering a wine country visit. There are also plenty of excellent hotels in Solvang and Buellton.

Regarding my buddy’s present, I went with a bottle of Merlot from the award winning Merlots at the Firestone Winery. Most of the vineyards and tasting rooms are open year round, but it’s always best to call ahead for reservations.

My total mileage for the day was 250 miles, but that included roughly 130 miles traveling back and forth from Ventura. During the course of a day or weekend the miles on a Santa Ynez wine tour can be spread out, as fast, or slow as your temperament determines.

Cachuma Lake Recreation Area
A Santa Barbara County Park
HC 59 - Highway 154
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Recorded Info: (805) 686-5054
Group Reservations: (805) 686-5050
Fax: (805) 686-5075
Voice/TDD: (805) 686-5055

Fess Parker Winery, 6200 Foxen Canyon Road, Los Olivos, CA 93441
Phone Toll Free: (800) 841-1104 or local phone (805) 688-1545
Tasting Room:
net@fessparker.com
Wine Club:
elaina@fessparker.com

Firestone Vineyard
Santa Ynez Valley Tasting Room
(805) 688-3940 ext. 31
TastingRoom@FirestoneWine.com