The Valley Project

Love this place really good wine and you can bring your dog inside has a good atmosphere and if you just want to go to a place and sit and Read and drink wine this is it

Love love love the décor and the staff. Kinda like the wine. Nothing has ever stood out enough for me to buy a bottle, and yet I keep coming back to taste when I am in SB. So I guess I like the wine well enough. I think I keep hoping something will be interesting enough for me to purchase because I like the atmosphere so much.
I will say you should definitely make this a stop on your Funk Zone tastings… even if its just to study in awe the chalkboard mural on the main wall. Its educational and beautiful! I believe it was done by an artist who goes by Elkpen. GO check it out!
Warning: Bathrooms are not in the building, but outside in the complex.

Great place to taste and really learn about how WHERE and WHAT the grapes are planted in really affects the taste. The tasting is reasonable and the wines are good. This place is located in a really neat area of SB too!

I would give this winery two stars for their wine making skills — a couple of their wines could be considered passable after a day of wine tasting. They would get zero stars from me for customer service. If you happen to be in a good mood after a day of wine tasting and sign up for their wine club, you are locked into a contract which they will not let you out of even with advanced notice. You will be charged a minimum of $ 100 for a shipment of subpar wine, plus a $ 75 cancellation fee. They don’t email you with enough notice of a pending shipment to cancel, and they will remind you rather rudely of the contract you signed if you contact them directly. I had this exact experience with one of the staff who has no idea how to deal with customers. I have never had this much difficulty dealing with a winemaker, and I’ve belonged to both smaller and larger wineries. Bravo, AVA, you have found a business practice that guarantees revenue regardless of the quality of wine you produce.

Great Winery! We had great conversation and even better wines! The décor is beautiful and the everyone is so kind and knowledgeable! I was given a free tasting for my birthday! I absolutely loved my time spent at AVA!

We’ve been here twice. First time I remember being fine — not great, not bad. Second time, we walked in and saw that the tasting menu was more whites than reds (we prefer reds) but since the place was empty (Sunday noon), we didn’t feel right walking out. So we just shared a tasting. The person was really nice and informative. We sat by the window as we tasted and he even came out to pour for us which was really nice. (We usually just taste and go back to the counter for the next one.) It was a very nice experience. Too bad we didn’t particularly like either of the wines tasted. Maybe next time one will hit the spot. Either way, AVA is a nice place to visit.

The big chalk map on the wall will bring you in, but the friendly staff and good wine will make you stay.
AVA is unique in that they offer wines from all of the growing regions in Santa Barbara. These guys are super knowledgable about everything from local soil types that influence the wine to climates to aging — you name it. I feel like I learned so much about wine while I was there!
If you’re local you can buy wines on tap and then come back with your bottle and get it refilled at a discount! I highly recommend the rose!
My friend and I each did a $ 10 tasting and ended up buying 2 bottles so we got one tasting free. He also poured us a couple other wines not on the list which was really cool.
Overall, this place has great service and a really cool vibe. If you’re looking to learn about wine, this is a great place to check out as well.

I saw the chalkboard art in a magazine and since then I was curious about the place. I finally had a chance to visit and it was very cool. The building was new and modern, the layout was nice and spacious, had lots of sun light from the large windows (I know it’s not good for wine but they don’t hade bottles out so it’s ok) and they had a cool speaker system. I loved the wines and the man who took care of us was very nice. I would definitely like to come back when I visit SB in the future.

Good wine, good service and cool modern tasting room

Great service here!
Got two tastings here with my bf.
Wines are much better than Santa Barbara winery.
Tables inside and outside to sit at.
Love the chalk drawing on the wall that shows a map of the surrounding wineries
The guy serving us was top notch! More than willing to answer all my questions.
Super close too all the other wineries too!

Seriously anytime a winery has Viognier I’m always in but when it’s good… I’m sold! Such a cool place to have a glass, bottle or flight! The chalk art was cool and the service was great! The valley project wine was all good and even better we got a tour of the local wine in one stop! So great!!!

Viognier and Chardonnay from the Valley Project are my favorite wines to sip in summer. Space is unique and fabulous chalk drawing of Santa Barbara county covers the wall behind the bar providing a fun and interactive wine tasting experience. Sometimes there is live music too!

Great space. Great wine. Our favorite Chard by far. Loved our tasting and walked out with a few bottles. We were surprised by how much we loved this wine. There were a couple of pups walking around to keep the place unpretentious. Good job. Keep it up.

On the Urban Wine Trail. Nicer building and interior than many spots on the Trail. Super friendly staff.
Cool and informative map of the local wine region. Wish they could serve food, we’d have stayed all night.

Gave plenty of space, but lacks customer service. Not much detail shared while wine tasting. Wasn’t too impressed with wines.

Made a stop here on a wine and dine bachelorette party. We didn’t make a reservation, but the place was pretty vacant when we got there (around 11am). We got a table inside and did a tasting. Service was great — he was always ready to pour us our next taste and answer any questions we had. The vibe is totally fun. He even offered us some prepackages breadsticks.
It’s not as charmingly rustic as some other locations on the wine trail; it’s much more modern/​contemporary, but definitely still great. It’s bright and vibrant. I’d definitely go back the next time I go wine tasting in SB. It’s nice to switch it up as most of the places I’ve went for wine tastings in the area were definitely more on the older and rustic side!

Nice place to sip wine on a Saturday afternoon. We sat outside and chatted and the place was packed! I love the casual atmosphere and friendly service.

This place is great and the service is impeccable! They are very friendly and the wine is delicious! Very cute little storefront/​tasting room.

Sally Spork, local foodie, reviews AVA Winery
Atmosphere: In the funk zone «industrial» area of downtown SB. The space does feel utilitarian yet comfortable: a wonderful mural in chalk drawing out the wine area which is quite clever and informative. There is a large picnic like table and some seating.
Service: Wine pourer was knowledgeable and friendly, however it was Saturday afternoon and as the Angelenos ascended (as they do on the weekend) we were forgotten. He did come back to apologize, but what to do? I used to pour wine and when you get swamped you can only do so much. A woman finished up with us and asked, «is there one (wine) you want to revisit?» Two thumbs up for her! Ended on the best note for me (yes, the chardonnay) continuing reading below to find out why.
Food/​drink: No food is offered, but of course wine by the glass and tastings. We opted the first flight. The wine was good and I LOVED the chardonnay aged in neutral barrels, I forgot the name. If you do not like oaky chardonnays (and a lot of folks fit in this catagory) try this wine.
Summary: AVA like it’s neighbor next door (Pali) are relatively new kids on the wine block. The wine was good, space friendly and unpretentious and the pourers accommodating. Would I return? Yes, when they get on board with the AXXESS card which is a downside they are not (as of this writing) on the AXXESS card.

I really enjoyed my experience at Anacapa; as a true SB Wino, having tasted over 120 SB wineries /​Labels; Seth Kunin’s new Label Anacapa will keep me coming back.
The wine tells a great story; smaller batches, various appellations, this is not your Daddy’s Kunin… it’s a bit more daring, fun, variable, and worth a freaking look and taste. I haven’t joined the club yet, but will definitely visit a few more times and let them earn my business!
~David