Taste at Pence, Spear or Dierberg on Highway 246, then take Drum Canyon Road over the hill to Los Alamos: 7.9 miles and about 19 minutes from Dierberg to Bell Street. It works the other way too. Book Pence and Spear ahead; Dierberg is open daily and takes walk-ins when it can.
This week
- Nov6–8Buellton Fall Festival · Visit Buellton
Avenue of the Flags; Fri 4-10pm, Sat-Sun 12-10pm; carnival rides, live music on two stages; Ales on the Avenue beer and wine tasting Sat (tickets) · Free · by City of Buellton
- FriNov 6NatureTrack Film Festival · Visit NatureTrack Foundation
8th annual; reception 6pm, program 6:45pm at the SYV Grange Hall · $25 · by NatureTrack Foundation
- SatNov 7Alma Rosa Fall Harvest Dinner · Visit Alma Rosa Winery
Winery event; check access on the listing · Not published · by Alma Rosa Winery
- SatNov 7Beaver Dam Analogs workshop at Jalama Canyon Ranch · Visit White Buffalo Land Trust, with SLO Beaver Brigade and Nature's Engineers
Aimed at landowners, restoration practitioners and students. The events list calls it two-day; the event page says one full day. · $175 (limited scholarships) · by White Buffalo Land Trust, with SLO Beaver Brigade and Nature's Engineers
Go for
- A patio: Spear Vineyards & Winery and Dierberg Vineyard
- Families: Melville Winery
- No reservation needed: Dierberg Vineyard and Babcock Winery & Vineyards
- Bringing the dog: Dierberg Vineyard, Babcock Winery & Vineyards and Melville Winery
- A picnic: Babcock Winery & Vineyards
Map
Map loads here. Each listing also has a Directions link.
Scroll the list and the map follows.
Make a day of it: which direction should you drive?
Either works. Go north if you want lunch and an afternoon on Bell Street; go south if you want breakfast in Los Alamos and an afternoon among the vines. Pick a Thursday to Monday: Spear is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Pence is closed Tuesday, and most Los Alamos kitchens rest early in the week. Drive times below are without traffic; on a two-lane road, treat them as the minimum.
Sta. Rita Hills to Los Alamos (lunch on Bell Street)
- 10am, Pence or Spear. Both open at 10am and both need a booking. Pence is 3.4 mi · 6 min from Highway 101 in Buellton; Spear is 3.3 mi · 6 min further west.
- Around noon, Dierberg. 4.1 mi · 8 min from Pence or 2.3 mi · 6 min from Spear. A $35 flight on the patio, walk-ins when there's room.
- Early afternoon, over the hill. Dierberg to Bell Street is 7.9 mi · 19 min. Lunch at Bell's (lunch 11am–3pm, Thursday to Monday), Charlie's (open daily) or a tri-tip sandwich from R&B Meats.
- Afternoon, Bell Street on foot. Bedford is open daily; the others keep shorter weeks. See which day to go.
- Dinner. Pico (from 3pm Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm Tuesday), Full of Life Flatbread (Thursday to Sunday) or Norman at Skyview (daily). Back to Buellton on Highway 101 is 14.5 mi · 18 min.
Los Alamos to the Sta. Rita Hills (breakfast first)
- Breakfast on Bell Street. Bob's Well Bread opens at 7am, Thursday to Monday; Plenty on Bell opens at 8am, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Mid-morning, Drum Canyon south. Bell Street to Spear is 10.2 mi · 25 min, to Pence 12.0 mi · 27 min. Book a 10:30 or 11am slot.
- Early afternoon, Dierberg. It's on the way back up the road from Spear (2.3 mi · 6 min), open until 5pm.
- Late afternoon, Babcock and Melville. 4.8 mi · 9 min west of Dierberg on Highway 246. Bring a picnic for Babcock's lawn; Babcock stays open until 5:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
- Evening. Keep going west to Lompoc (the Drum Canyon junction to the Wine Ghetto is 11.1 mi · 17 min) or head back east to Buellton (Dierberg to Buellton is 7.6 mi · 13 min).
Tony's tip, from tasting out here: once you've finished at Dierberg, Spear or Pence, cut through Drum Canyon to Los Alamos instead of backtracking to the freeway, and from Los Alamos you can drop straight into the Sta. Rita Hills the same way.
Which wineries are on the Drum Canyon route?
Dierberg is the tasting room on Drum Canyon Road itself. The rest are on Highway 246 near the turn: Pence toward Buellton, Spear just west of the junction, and Babcock and Melville next door to each other further west. In order from Buellton:
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Highway 246, Buellton end · $60–$200 · Sta. Rita Hills
Pence Vineyards & WineryBook
A 200-acre working ranch about 3 miles west of Buellton, with 45 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay. Every tasting is seated and led by an estate sommelier, and even the $60 Foundry includes time in the vineyard before you move into the reclaimed barn. Peacocks wander the ranch: our founder reports them, and the Santa Barbara Independent wrote about them in 2018, though Pence's own pages don't mention them. Book ahead, leave the dog at home and eat elsewhere, because there are no picnic areas.
- Open
- Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday; closed Tuesday. Daily 10am–4pm, closed Tuesdays; reservations required, drop-ins case by case (call 805-735-7000)
- Fee
- $60–$200
- Booking
- Reservations required
- Getting there
- On Highway 246 west of Buellton, about 5 min by car from Avenue of Flags
More details
Dogs: No dogs or pets
- The Foundry $60: estate wines, vineyard time, then the barn tasting room
- The Lincoln $100: library Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the private Heritage Room
- PerLage $100: traditional-method sparkling with caviar and small bites
- Vigneron $200: with the winemaker, barrel samples and charcuterie
- Peacocks on the ranch (owner firsthand, 2026-10-17)
- No dogs or other pets; no picnic areas; book on Tock, parties of 1–6
1909 West Highway 246, Buellton, CA 93427 · 805-735-7000
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Highway 246, by the Drum Canyon turn · $40; tour $80 · Sta. Rita Hills
Spear Vineyards & Winery
Six minutes' drive from Dierberg, just west of the Drum Canyon turn. The tasting room is new, built on the footprint and roofline of the ranch's 1920s dairy barn, and there's seated tasting on the patio among the vines too. The Signature tasting pours five wines, two Chardonnays, two Pinot Noirs and a Syrah, over about 90 minutes. The seasonal vineyard tour adds a private walk through the vineyard and winery. Adults only: Spear is 21 and over.
- Open
- Thu–Mon 10am–5pm by appointment; last start 3pm; closed Tue & Wed
- Fee
- $40; tour $80
- Booking
- By appointment
- Getting there
- Out on Highway 246, about 17 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
Go for Patio time
More details
- Signature tasting $40, paid on site; one fee waived per 3 bottles
- Vineyard tour & tasting $80 (includes the $40 tasting), seasonal, 1.5 hours
- Ages 21+ only; groups over 8 call 805-735-2190
- Book on Tock
6700 E Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-735-2190
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Drum Canyon Rd, 1.6 mi up · $35 · Sta. Rita Hills
Dierberg Vineyard (Drum Canyon tasting room)Book
The tasting room on Drum Canyon Road itself, 1.6 miles up from Highway 246, and the easiest stop on the route: it's open every day and takes walk-ins when there's room. The $35 estate tasting is five wines, seated, and introduces both family estates: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the hillside vineyard out front, plus wines from Star Lane in Happy Canyon. The patio is family and pet friendly. From here it's 19 minutes over the hill to Bell Street.
- Open
- Open every day. Open seven days, 11am to 5pm
- Fee
- $35
- Booking
- Walk-ins welcome when available
- Getting there
- Up Drum Canyon Rd, about 21 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
Go with The dog
More details
Dogs: Family and pet friendly
- Estate tasting $35: five wines, seated, from both family estates
- Private estate tasting by reservation, with a library pour and rare vineyard selections (price not published)
- Family and pet friendly
- Walk-ins welcome when available; reservations at reservations@dierbergvineyard.com or (805) 697-1452
1280 Drum Canyon Road, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-697-1452
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Editor's pickHighway 246, west of the turn · $24 or $34 · Sta. Rita Hills
Babcock Winery & Vineyards
95 pts JebDunnuck.com on the 2022 Ocean's Ghost Pinot Noir
Nine minutes west of Dierberg, and the stop for a picnic: bring your own food for the grass under the oaks (not inside, and no coolers, cooking gear or outside alcohol). Inside, Lisa Babcock's Soulstruck Vintage shop sells clothes and furniture while 70s and 80s songs play. There are two flights, $24 and $34, plus wine by the glass and bottle, and it's pet friendly.
Go if records and vintage finds go with your Pinot.
- Open
- Open every day. Sun–Thu 11am–5pm; Fri & Sat 11am–5:30pm
- Fee
- $24 or $34
- Booking
- No reservation needed for 7 or fewer
- Getting there
- Out on Highway 246, about 12 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
Go for A drop-in visit · A picnic
More details
Connections Bryan Babcock was one of three names on the 1998 petition that created the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with Richard Sanford and Wes Hagen. Source
Press Jeb Dunnuck gave its 2022 Ocean's Ghost Pinot Noir 95 points. JebDunnuck.com
Dogs: Pet friendly
- SB County Selections flight $24; Terroir Selections $34
- No reservations for 7 or fewer; groups of 8+ book
- Pet friendly; your own food OK outside, not in the tasting room
- Snacks and nonalcoholic drinks for sale
5175 East Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-736-1455
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Editor's pickHighway 246, next to Babcock · $35 · Sta. Rita Hills
Melville WineryBook
98 pts JebDunnuck.com on the 2021 Donna's Block Syrah
Next door to Babcock, so the two make one stop. Five pours of cold-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah for $35, and Melville calls itself proudly dog and kid friendly. Want more? Vineyard tours run by reservation, including a 90-minute Winegrower's Tour with Chad Melville.
Go if cool-climate wine is your thing and you want an estate visit.
- Open
- Open every day. Sun–Thu 11am–4pm; Fri & Sat 11am–5pm
- Fee
- $35
- Booking
- Book ahead or drop in
- Getting there
- Out on Highway 246, about 12 min by car from Old Town Lompoc
Go with The kids · The dog
More details
Connections Greg Brewer co-founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 and was Melville's winemaker from day one in 1997 through 2015. Diatom, his stripped-back Chardonnay label, is the side project. Source
Press Jeb Dunnuck gave its 2021 Donna's Block Syrah 98 points. JebDunnuck.com
Dogs: Dog and kid friendly
- Estate tasting flight $35, 5 pours
- Dog and kid friendly
- Vineyard Venture and Winegrower's tours by reservation
5185 E Highway 246, Lompoc, CA 93436 · 805-735-7030
Dierberg vs Spear vs Pence at a glance
| Stop | Where | Tasting | Booking | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pence Vineyards & Winery | Highway 246, Buellton end | $60–$200 | Reservations required | No dogs or pets |
| Spear Vineyards & Winery | Highway 246, by the Drum Canyon turn | $40; tour $80 | By appointment | |
| Dierberg Vineyard (Drum Canyon tasting room) | Drum Canyon Rd, 1.6 mi up | $35 | Walk-ins welcome when available | Family and pet friendly |
| Babcock Winery & Vineyards | Highway 246, west of the turn | $24 or $34 | No reservation needed for 7 or fewer | Pet friendly |
| Melville Winery | Highway 246, next to Babcock | $35 | Book ahead or drop in | Dog and kid friendly |
Go for: a walk-in and a patio, Dierberg. A seated tasting in a rebuilt dairy barn, Spear (adults only). A ranch visit with vineyard time and a private room, Pence. A picnic and a vintage shop, Babcock. Kids and dogs together, Melville.
What is Drum Canyon Road like to drive?
Narrow and quiet. Noozhawk describes it as "a narrow route with one lane in each direction" [1]. The Santa Ynez Valley News called its climb over the Purisima Hills steep and twisty, put the road at nine miles from Highway 246 to Los Alamos, and noted it isn't recommended for oversized vehicles [2]. Visit Solvang's cycling route describes the Los Alamos side as a 3.5-mile, 850-foot climb with lots of switchbacks, starting at the Centennial Street turn by the flagpole in town [3]. Cyclists also report a bumpy, broken surface on the steep section [4]. Take it slowly, leave the RV on Highway 101, and have a designated driver, because you'll be tasting at both ends.
Closures: the road closed from August 19 to 23, 2026, while crews fought the 40-acre Drum Fire southwest of the Los Alamos Cemetery [1]. On October 17, 2026, the county's road closures map listed nothing on Drum Canyon Road, and Caltrans reported no restrictions on Highway 246 or Highway 135 [5]. Check the map on the day.
How long is the drive from Highway 246 to Los Alamos?
| From | To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway 246 junction | Bell Street, Los Alamos | 9.4 mi | 23 min |
| Highway 246 junction | Dierberg | 1.6 mi | 4 min |
| Dierberg | Bell Street, Los Alamos | 7.9 mi | 19 min |
| Spear | Bell Street, via Drum Canyon | 10.2 mi | 25 min |
| Pence | Bell Street, via Drum Canyon | 12.0 mi | 27 min |
| Buellton (Highway 101 at 246) | Bell Street, via Highway 101 | 14.5 mi | 18 min |
| Dierberg | Babcock | 4.8 mi | 9 min |
All times are without traffic, and country roads run slower, so add a margin. The short version: from the Sta. Rita Hills, Drum Canyon saves the 14 or so miles of backtracking through Buellton but not much time.
What's special about visiting Pence?
It's a ranch visit as much as a tasting. Pence calls itself "a destination unto itself" on a 200-acre working ranch, and the Foundry, Lincoln and Vigneron tastings all include time in the 45-acre vineyard before you sit down, in the reclaimed barn or, for the bigger tastings, the private Heritage Room. Estate sommeliers lead most of them. Sparkling fans should ask about PerLage ($100), which comes with caviar and small bites; the $200 Vigneron is led by the winemaker with barrel samples and charcuterie. Our founder reports peacocks roaming the ranch. That isn't on Pence's own pages, but the Santa Barbara Independent mentioned the "pesky peacocks" in 2018, alongside about 40 horses at the ranch's equestrian center [6]. Pence allows no dogs and has no picnic areas.
What's at the Los Alamos end?
A quarter mile of tasting rooms and serious cooking, including Bell's, the Michelin-starred bistro. Our Los Alamos wine tasting guide has six Bell Street rooms with the days each one opens, and Los Alamos restaurants covers Bell's, Pico, Bob's Well Bread and the rest. For a picnic before the climb, Visit Solvang points to Los Alamos County Park, half a mile up Centennial Street, which is the start of Drum Canyon Road [3].
Don't miss
- Dierberg's $35 tasting introduces both family estates, so it pours wines from Star Lane in Happy Canyon, which otherwise takes visitors by appointment only. More in our Happy Canyon guide.
- Spear waives one $40 tasting fee for every three bottles you buy.
- Babcock's Soulstruck Vintage shop is inside the tasting barn: see unique wineries.
- Strange Family's vineyard is on Drum Canyon Road, but its own site lists only its Los Olivos tasting room, so don't plan a stop at the vineyard.
You might also like
- Santa Rosa Road wine route: the other half of the loop, south of the river, with The Hilt, Sanford, Lafond, Alma Rosa, Peake Ranch and Vega. Drive Highway 246 one way and Santa Rosa Road back: Peake Ranch is 13.1 mi · 26 min from Dierberg, via Buellton.
- Sta. Rita Hills wineries: every estate and Lompoc room in the AVA.
- Lompoc Wine Ghetto & route map: walk-in rooms and four loops, 17 minutes west of the Drum Canyon turn.
- Foxen Canyon Wine Trail: the other back road north, from Los Olivos.
- Priedite Barbecue: oak-smoked barbecue at Bodega on Bell Street, Thursday to Sunday.
Plan your day
- MorningBreakfast first: Best coffee in the Santa Ynez ValleyBy town, plus where to work
- MiddayGo tasting: Sta. Rita Hills wineriesCold-climate Pinot, 1971 vines
- EveningBook dinner: Buellton restaurantsHitching Post 2 to wild ales
- LateNight out: Solvang happy hoursSpritzes, Industry Night, 8pm deals
- OvernightFind a bed: Buellton hotelsA windmill check-in, pea soup lore
Good to know
Is Drum Canyon Road faster than Highway 101? Shorter, not much faster. From Dierberg to Bell Street in Los Alamos is 7.9 miles and about 19 minutes over Drum Canyon, against roughly 22 miles and 31 minutes back through Buellton and up Highway 101 (without traffic). The payoff is the empty country road and skipping the backtrack.
Which wineries are on Drum Canyon Road? Dierberg's tasting room is on the road itself, 1.6 miles up from Highway 246 and open daily. Spear is on Highway 246 just west of the turn, Pence is about 3 miles west of Buellton, and Babcock and Melville are about 9 minutes west of Dierberg. At the north end, Los Alamos has six tasting rooms on Bell Street.
Does Pence Vineyards have peacocks? Yes, according to our founder, who reports peacocks roaming the ranch (October 2026). The Santa Barbara Independent also wrote about them in 2018. Pence's own site doesn't mention them, so don't book just for the birds. It does describe a 200-acre working ranch with tastings that include time in the vineyard.
Do I need reservations for Dierberg, Spear and Pence? For two of them. Pence requires reservations (from $60) and Spear is by appointment, Thursday to Monday ($40). Dierberg takes walk-ins when there's room, every day from 11am ($35). Babcock needs no reservation for parties of seven or fewer.
Are the Drum Canyon wineries dog friendly? Some are. Dierberg has a family- and pet-friendly patio, Babcock is pet friendly and Melville is dog and kid friendly. Pence allows no dogs or other pets, and Spear is 21 and over and doesn't publish a dog policy.
Where can I eat on the Drum Canyon route? Not on the road itself: plan food in Los Alamos. Bob's Well Bread opens at 7am, Thursday to Monday, Charlie's is open every day, and Bell's does lunch Thursday to Monday. On the Highway 246 end, Babcock lets you picnic on its lawn and sells snacks. Pence pairs food only with its PerLage and Vigneron tastings.
Quick answers
Where is Drum Canyon Road?
It runs about nine miles from Highway 246, between Buellton and Lompoc, north over the Purisima Hills into Los Alamos, where it becomes Centennial Street and meets Bell Street. Routed, the Highway 246 junction to Bell Street is 9.4 miles and about 23 minutes.
Is Drum Canyon Road open?
Yes, as of October 17, 2026. It closed August 19 to 23, 2026, for the Drum Fire, and the county's road closures map listed no closure on it when we checked. It's a narrow road with one lane each way, so check the county map before you go.
Sources
tap to open
- Noozhawk: Drum Canyon Road Reopens as Fire 100% Surrounded (Aug 23, 2026) and fire closes Drum Canyon Road (Aug 2026).
- Santa Ynez Valley News: profile of the Purisima Hills and their two roads.
- Visit Solvang: Country Ride Alisos Canyon Loop.
- Epic Road Rides: Zaca, Foxen, Alisos and Drum Canyon loop.
- Santa Barbara County Public Works: Road Closures (checked Oct 17, 2026); Caltrans QuickMap road conditions for Highway 246 and SR 135.
- Santa Barbara Independent: Pence Vineyards Proves a Point (Jun 6, 2018).
- Each winery's own visit page and booking page (Tock for Pence and Spear), linked in its listing above. Drive times: OSRM (routing.openstreetmap.de).
- Founder's firsthand notes (Oct 17, 2026): the Drum Canyon shortcut in both directions, and the peacocks at Pence.
Last updated Oct 18, 2026. We list what each winery publishes and never copy reviews. Spot something out of date? Report a correction.
