Firestone Vineyard is steeped in history and tradition on the Central Coast. In fact, Firestone was the first estate winery in Santa Barbara County, started in 1972, and developed by the Firestone family which was best known originally for Firestone tires. Foley Family Wines purchased the winery in 2007 and has made continuous improvements to the historical brand. “We have a new winemaker, Paul Warson, who has been with us for two years and continues to put his signature on our light aromatic whites and our traditional Bordeaux reds,” says Tim Langfitt, Hospitality Manager.

They are one of the few wineries in the area that give complimentary public tours daily at 11:15 a.m., 1:15 and 3:15 p.m.. “Whether a neophyte or a connoisseur, everyone will have a memorable experience at Firestone Winery, where our staff is completely customer focused,” says Langfitt. The tasting room is large and airy, with soft wood tones and is located on a bucolic and quintessential wine country road with views that extend across a sea of vines.

Inside the tasting room, you can sample multiple wines with a variety of flavors. “We have our recently released 2008 Santa Barbara County Chardonnay with aromas of apple, pear and citrus with notes of vanilla cream and butterscotch,” Langfitt says. For those who aspire to something different for white wines, their 2008 Gewürztraminer and 2008 Riesling will reward you with bright, crisp varietally correct wines. “For red wine lovers we have our recently released 2007 Syrah Clone 174, which has aromas and palate hints of red cherries and ripe plums, and our 2007 Cabernet Franc with aromas of black currants and chocolate, cassis and mocha flavors,” he notes. Or, try the terrific 2007 Malbec or their new lineup called the Discovery Series: Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which are everyday drinkers priced at a mere $10.

“One of our truly unique selling propositions that sets us apart from other wineries in the area is our other two properties,” Langfitt says. He is referring to Foley Estates in  Lompoc, and the beautiful setting of Lincourt Winery in Solvang. At all three wineries, wine club members get full reciprocity of their wine club membership benefits, making their club truly unique. Kris Curran, formerly of the highly regarded Sea Smoke Winery, is their winemaker and has produced numerous award winning Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the prestigious Santa Rita Hills area. Coming up in November, Foley Family wines will be holding a trio of events at its three Santa Barbara County properties, specifically a cocktail reception at Foley Estates, a winemaker dinner at Firestone Winery, and a Sunday brunch at the historic and scenic Lincourt Winery.

Firestone Vineyard is located at 5000 Zaca Station Road in Los Olivos, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact Firestone at (805) 688-3940 or www.firestonewine.com.

Should you be in Paso Robles, their second tasting room is located at 2300 Airport Road right off of Highway 46. Contact them at (805) 591-8050.