Press | The Rugged Cool of California's Santa Ynez Wine Country

The pure, unsullied California-ness of the Santa Ynez Valley, a tiny wine region inland from the Central Coast, has turned it into one of the state's most popular weekend getaways.

Excerpt from the Conde Nast Traveler, by David Amsden
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“New businesses have been springing up at a faster clip, most notably the Inn at Mattei's Tavern, a brand-new outpost from Auberge Resorts in Los Olivos. Built around Mattei's Tavern, a historic inn dating back to 1886, the property introduces a previously unimaginable level of luxury and global recognition to the Santa Ynez Valley. Did Stolpman, I wondered, view the glossy arrival as a threat to the scrappy spirit he was extolling? “Santa Barbara County does not make such developments easy,” he told me. “So it's not like we're about to be inundated with corporations.” Pausing to take in the epic sweep of land from his vineyard, he told me the recent changes are in keeping with the Valley's roots: “What I like is that it all started with wine in the purest sense. First you had the grape growers, people like my dad, and now you now have everything you want with world-class wine—great hotels, cool restaurants—coming of age alongside the wine industry.”

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By David Amsden, Conde Nast Traveler