In the 2004 movie Sideways, two rather appalling men take a trip from Los Angeles into Santa Barbara wine country.

The main character is a wine snob who is concerned only with Pinot Noir, and is a manifestation of the worst of his ilk.

I didn't like the movie, but the Santa Barbara wineries surely did. The movie put them on the map, and they are benefiting from increased sales and prices.

We hardly ever see Santa Barbara wines in Ontario, but a block of them was in last week's Vintages release.

Santa Barbara wine country sits northwest of Santa Barbara city. A series of valleys running east-west makes for a surprisingly cool climate in spots, as temperatures are moderated by the cold ocean winds and fog that blow directly inland. Grapes achieve ripeness and keep their fresh acidity.

Think Burgundy or Carneros. Chardonnay. Pinot Noir. Further inland, Syrah. Not exclusively, of course, but those are the stars, all planted on gently rolling hills.

They command some of the highest prices in California with $75 and $80 wines common, and introductory wines for $30 or $40 are not unusual.

Within Santa Barbara are three distinct American Viticultural Areas or official appellations. If a wine is made exclusively from fruit from that AVA, it can carry the more specific geographical name.

To the north is the Santa Maria Valley, to the east is the Santa Ynez Valley, and in between are the Santa Rita Hills, where some of the most elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are made.

(Interesting anecdote: when they first applied the name Santa Rita Hills in the early 2000s, there were protests of name infringement from the giant Vina Santa Rita in Chile. It never went to court, as the Chileans were satisfied that the Americans changed the name to Santa Rita Hills.)

The six Santa Barbara wines in the release offer a good cross-section of the key varieties, the various appellations, and price points in the region.

LINCOURT 2005 CHARDONNAY ($26.95, code 69195). Basic Santa Barbara appellation, but a classy wine. Initial butter and woodsmoke impressions open up to a complex fruit body, with pear, custard, pineapple, tangerine flavours, then closing with rich butterscotch and vanilla.

SANTA BARBARA WINERY 2005 SYRAH ($20.95, code 630616). Reasonably priced wine from the Santa Rita Hills. Refined and reminiscent of something from the northern Rhone, with clean, fresh and dried cherry and blueberry flavours and a subtle underpinning of ripe tannin and cracked black pepper.

LAFOND 2006 SRH PINOT NOIR ($23.95, code 998666). The cool climate of Santa Rita Hills is reflected in the wine, with soft tannin and sweet mulberry and raspberry flavours and vibrant acidity.

LUCAS & LEWELLEN 2004 HILLTOP PINOT NOIR ($24.95, code 67769). Fruit is drawn from all over Santa Barbara for this one, emphasizing varietal character rather than a specific terroir. A few years age helps as well. Bright fruit tastes of cherry pie, elderberries, a touch of chocolate and earthiness.

SANFORD 2006 PINOT NOIR ($34.95, code 709618). Santa Rita again, but more robust. I get a touch of smoked meat in the smell along with black raspberries and sweet cherries, a good deal of concentration and extract and a creamy finish.

BELLE GLOS 2006 CLARK & TELEPHONE VINEYARD PINOT NOIR ($47.95, code 652883). Unusual name (the vineyard is named for two roads where it is located) but good wine. This is Santa Maria Valley, and the flavours come across as damson plums, red raspberries, violets, hazelnuts, a little earthiness and fresh herbs.

Dan Kislenko visited Santa Barbara wineries as a guest of the Wine Institute of California.

dkislenko@thespec.com

905-526-3450