United States · California

Sanford

Sanford Winery is a Santa Barbara County pioneer, co-founded in 1981 by Richard Sanford — who had previously established the landmark Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971 as part of Sanford & Benedict Winery, one of the first commercial Pinot Noir vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. After Richard Sanford departed the winery, it was acquired by the Terlato family, who continued producing wines from the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard and the adjacent La Rinconada. The Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir averages $45 across 16 lots with the 2012 vintage most traded. La Rinconada Pinot Noir averages $57 across 28 lots. The Dominio del Falcon (a proprietary vineyard designation) averages $40. Auction prices range from $12 to $246, with an overall average of $45 — modest by Burgundy comparison but competitive for Santa Barbara Pinot Noir of this pedigree. The Sanford & Benedict site is historically significant as one of the first demonstrations that the Santa Ynez Valley's fog-influenced marine climate could produce serious Pinot Noir, a discovery that shaped modern Santa Barbara viticulture. The 2012 vintage is the most traded, a year when central coast Pinot Noir showed excellent balance.