Sanford Winery

Where pioneering vision meets Pacific-cooled terroir, Sanford Winery stands as the foundational estate that defined Sta. Rita Hills as one of California's premier Pinot Noir regions. Since planting the legendary Sanford & Benedict vineyard in 1971—the first commercial vineyard in this now-celebrated AVA—Sanford has consistently produced wines that capture the essence of this unique coastal terroir with uncompromising precision.

Richard Sanford's revolutionary decision to plant Burgundian varietals in the windswept hills of Lompoc established the template for an entire region. Today, under the skilled guidance of winemaker Trey Fletcher, Sanford continues this legacy of innovation while honoring the estate's pioneering heritage. Fletcher's approach emphasizes minimal intervention winemaking, allowing the distinctive character of each vineyard block to express itself through wines of remarkable complexity and longevity.

Sanford's portfolio centers on their estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from two celebrated vineyards: the historic Sanford & Benedict and the younger La Rinconada, planted in the mid-1990s. The Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir represents the flagship expression, showcasing the vineyard's unique chert-gravel soils and 50-year-old vines in wines of extraordinary depth and ageability. Their Chardonnay program produces both barrel-fermented and stainless steel expressions, capturing the cool-climate precision that defines Sta. Rita Hills. These ultra-premium wines consistently earn critical acclaim for their authentic expression of place, with production deliberately limited to maintain quality and exclusivity.

The Sanford experience centers on their welcoming tasting room in Lompoc's wine ghetto, where visitors can explore the full range of estate wines while learning about the region's pioneering history. The intimate setting allows for personalized tastings that often include library wines and vineyard-designate bottlings not available elsewhere. Private vineyard tours showcase the historic Sanford & Benedict site, offering wine enthusiasts the rare opportunity to walk among the vines that launched an entire appellation. Advanced reservations are recommended, particularly for weekend visits and private experiences.

Discover the wines that established Sta. Rita Hills as a world-class Pinot Noir destination. Contact Sanford Winery to reserve your tasting experience and explore California's most historically significant cool-climate estate, where every bottle tells the story of a region's remarkable evolution.