As California’s wine industry grapples with shrinking vineyard acreage, slowing tasting room traffic, and changing consumer habits, Santa Barbara County may be better positioned than some of the state’s marquee wine regions to navigate what lies ahead.
A new report found that while direct-to-consumer sales were critical for premium wineries, success increasingly depends on how wineries engage with customers rather than heavily relying on tasting room traffic.
Santa Barbara wineries occupy an interesting position, according to the 2026 Direct-to-Consumer Wine Report, released by Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division…