The lovely Californian coastal town of Lompoc is a popular tourist destination all year round. One of the major attractions are several vineyards in the hills surrounding town and their excellent wine tastings. These wines have got world-renowned awards and are made of first-quality grapes.
History
Two American men, Michael Benedict and Richard Sanford wanted to grow a vineyard somewhere in a cool climate where the grapes would ripen but never over ripes. They simply had the vision of growing first-class grapes so the end product in form of wine could compete with the best ones in Europe. Their ambitious goal led them to Santa Barbara County where they found the unique Santa Ynez Valley and the hills surrounding Lompoc.
In 1973 the first grapes were planted and soon the very first wine could be tasted. A Pinot Noir was the first to come out before others followed.
"It was the Sanford & Benedict Vineyard which would form the backbone of what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA and it was also this vineyard that supplied the cuttings for many of the surrounding vineyards." - sanfordwinery.com
The two friends eventually separated in 1980 and went their own ways but the Sanford Winery continued its existence. Today, Sanford Winery has a high reputation for being a pioneer in the wine industry in Santa Barbara County and for creating high-quality wines.
The Terlato Family became a partner of the Sanford Winery in 2002 and realized the vineyards and winery operations needed funding. Funding for additional investments which the family could offer. Therefore they became the majority owners and took over in 2005. The Terlatos combined later two vineyards when they purchased and finally created Sanford & Benedict vineyard.
The key to the success of the Tarlato family is being told to be rather simple. Put in quality first since quality endures. this principle is being used across the vineyards and in the wineries producing first-class wine.
The Sanford Winery
The Sanford Winery is located in the center of La Rinconada Vineyard and has been completed in 2001.
"It represents and strikes the perfect balance between a tribute to California mission architecture, green construction techniques and state of the art wine production." sanfordwinery.com
Adobe bricks are the solid walls of the winery and its tasting rooms. Adobe offers a high quality of insulation which makes it a great material for building wineries. The optimum temperature of 55°-65° can therefore be guaranteed inside the buildings. This is necessary to create wines in highest quality.
Vineyards
The Sanford & Benedict vineyard together with the Rinconada ranches are located just off the Pacific Ocean. They are about 10 miles inland and profit from the cool ocean breeze. The east-to-west leading Santa Ynez Valley is one of the main benefits of the vineyard. It provides the pathway for the maritime cooling air.
The Vineyards are split up into more than 40 blocks which are individually treated in sense of farming. The winemaking depends on the two vineyards which make differences in aroma and flavor possible.
 Reviews
The Sanford & Benedict vineyard and its wine tasting receive excellent reviews and have the best grades and rewards across the internet. Those recommendations are what pulls people to the Estate.
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Sources:
- tripadvisor.com (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32645-d283996-Reviews-Sanford_Winery_Vineyards-Lompoc_California.html)
- sanfordwinery.com (https://www.sanfordwinery.com/history)
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