The Garden of Eden Project

Marketing a Wine Region Without a Signature Cultivar

Santa Barbara Wine Country is a paradox in U.S.-made wine. We’re one of the most diverse grape-growing regions in the world. Nearly every vinifera cultivar you can think of—Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grüner Veltliner, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Grenache, Albariño, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Rousanne, and (literally) so much more—can and does grow here, and, importantly, they grow here well.

That diversity is our superpower. But I believe it’s also one of our biggest marketing challenges.

Unlike regions that have a clearly defined “thing”—

• Napa = Cabernet Sauvignon

• Willamette Valley = Pinot Noir

• Walla Walla = Syrah

• Virginia = “The birthplace of American wine”

• Sonoma = Chardonnay and Pinot

• Finger Lakes = Riesling

We have everything. So how do you market a region when the most defining characteristic is its lack of a singular focus?

Note: This post focuses largely on Santa Barbara Wine Country, because it’s the region I know and work in most, and the news here is relevant right now. But the marketing challenges—and opportunities—of regional identity are universal. If you’ve ever struggled to define what makes your corner of the world stand out, this conversation is for you, too.

My very first wine job was working in the tasting room and then production at Foxen Vineyard and Winery in Santa Barbara Wine Country. Though 50% of their production is Pinot Noir, they also grow and produce over twelve other varieties. It was a steep learning curve for me, a complete novice in the world of wine, which is why when I moved to the Willamette Valley for a time, I was a bit underwhelmed working with only a handful of varietes (Photo by me, Heather Daenitz of Craft & Cluster of harvest at FOXEN)

The Shelf Recognition Problem

When the average consumer stands in front of a wine aisle, they look for signposts they trust:

“I like Napa Cabs.”
“Willamette Pinot, I know that!”
“Paso Syrah is always solid.”

They reach for regions they’ve heard of with strong identities. Many of these regions have had decades of consistent messaging and investment, and they’ve built brand equity into a name alone. But Santa Barbara Wine Country too often gets overlooked. Though we have the third oldest officially recognized appelation in the country (Santa Maria Valley AVA, established in 1981), we were so disconnected in our messaging as a group for so long that we don’t have the built-in consumer confidence that a Napa or Sonoma label might offer.

Those other regions have trained the consumer to associate them with something specific. They’ve made their case over and over again, across wine shop shelves, tasting rooms, restaurant wine lists, and even pop culture.

Meanwhile, we’re over here waving our arms and shouting, “Well, we do everything well!” which is… true. But when you’re competing in a world of clear, category-defining brands, “everything” can feel like “nothing in particular,” and everything is awfully overwhelming.

What really chaps my ass about this is that we really do make everything so incredibly well. I mean, if you’re a believer in the points system, Sine Qua Non, a producer that routinely receives 100 points on their wines from multiple reviewers, receives its fruit from the Sta Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara Wine Country.

It’s clear that among the cult wine enthusiasts, we are known and have earned respect. Our challenge, though, is that we haven’t made it easy enough for the average consumer to know what to expect when they pick up a bottle from Santa Barbara County.

And that, old sport, is a marketing problem.

The Garden of Eden (and Its Marketing Dilemma)

Santa Barbara County is a viticultural Garden of Eden. Our transverse mountain range—one of only a handful in the world and something we just looooove to talk about constantly—creates a rare east-west orientation that funnels cool marine air deep into the valleys. That means we can grow Grüner Veltliner, Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay near the coast, and Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, and Cabernet Sauvignon just 30 miles inland. Drive from Lompoc to Santa Ynez, and you’ll see the temperature rise roughly 1°F every mile.

This is what makes Santa Barbara Wine Country such a playground to sommeliers, winemakers, and geeks. You can taste the entire spectrum of wine—Rhône, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and even German, Austrian, Spanish, and Italian cultivars—without ever leaving the county line. If you’re an explorer, Santa Barbara is paradise.

I don’t care who you are, that’s really fucking cool. It’s also marketable if we can only figure out how to tell that story clearly and concisely.

But that’s the challenge, isn’t it? A story built on diversity is harder to pin down. It doesn’t lend itself to a tidy tagline like “Napa Cab” or “Willamette Valley Pinot.” Those slogans work because they create instant recognition—cute lil’ mental shortcuts that help consumers make quick choices.

We have so much range in Santa Barbara Wine Country that it’s tough to reduce to a soundbite—and frankly, we shouldn’t try to.

Instead, I’d argue that we need to embrace the nuance and complexity. Tell the bigger story about site specificity, microclimates, and winemaker freedom. That kind of message takes time to land. It takes consistency and a shared vision.

And that’s why the launch of the Santa Barbara Wine BID is such a critical moment for our region. We finally have the funding and infrastructure to have that conversation consistently and at scale.

The Santa Barbara Wine BID: A Step Toward Clarity

For years, the Santa Barbara Vintners Association has been tasked with promoting a world-class wine region on what was a nonexistent budget. While other wine regions were investing millions annually into tourism campaigns, trade education, and digital marketing, we were scraping together funds from membership dues and seasonal fundraisers. It wasn’t sustainable, and it certainly wasn’t enough to tell a compelling, consistent story about who we are.

The Wine BID changes that.

Funded by a 1% direct-to-consumer fee on in-county wine sales, the BID will generate an estimated $1.5 million annually, creating a reliable, long-term marketing budget for Santa Barbara Wine Country.

More importantly, it helps level the playing field. Napa, Sonoma, Livermore, and Temecula have already adopted similar BIDs and are using them to great effect. Now, Santa Barbara can finally compete on the same stage—with funding to match our ambition.

Beyond money, though, the BID has created something equally valuable for our vintners: alignment.

Over 126 wineries across the county signed on to support the initiative. That represents nearly 60% of the county’s wine sales. For an industry as notoriously independent (some might say stubborn) as ours, that kind of buy-in is almost unheard of.

It signals a shared understanding that if we want to be recognized for the quality, range, and character of what we do here, we have to tell that story loudly and together.

What Sets Us Apart (and What Do We Talk About?)

So, if we can’t lean on one varietal, what can we market? I think we should try this:

• Diversity is a feature, not a bug.
  We should celebrate our depth. Talk about how visitors can taste the wine world: Spain, Italy, France— Rhône, Burgundy, and Bordeaux— Germany, and Austria, all in a single day.

• Climate and Geography.
  Our transverse valleys, ocean influence, and AVA structure are fascinating and different from most major regions.

• The People.
  Santa Barbara County has the highest concentration of women winemakers per capita of any U.S. wine region (possibly the world) at about 20%. Though this is a dubious honor to be sure (it would be cooler if it were 60% and the rest of the world was 50%, but here we are), it is still a stat worth sharing and pushing to grow.

• Hospitality + Access.
  You don’t need deep pockets or insider connections to experience wine country here. Tasting experiences are elevated but unpretentious; there is a wine experience for everyone. Beginners, intermediate wine drinkers, and nerds all have a place here.

• Artistry and Community.
  Winemakers in SBC take risks. They can experiment and innovate as well as lean on each other when they need help. This is a community that supports one another while also pushing each other forward.

A Region Worth the Work

Before the BID was passed, I was chatting with a winemaker/winery owner friend of mine (btw, I always feel a bit pretentious talking about my winemaker friends, I promise I’m not trying to name drop for clout) about how we can better market Santa Barbara Wine Country, especially given our immense diversity. She was the one that presented this idea of SBC being a Garden of Eden for wine.

That idea has been living rent-free in my head ever since, and it’s why, internally, I’ve been referring to this whole effort as The Garden of Eden Project.

Framing it that way makes the whole thing feel a little more romantic to me.

I know this project isn’t going to be easy. But nothing truly worth it ever is.

And anyways, we may not be known for one single “thing,” but we have something better: a compelling, complex, and inclusive story. And now, with the Wine BID, we finally have the tools to tell it.

Let’s go.

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