Alta Maria wines (along with Native 9 wines and Autonom wines) have been around for almost a decade, but now that they’ve opened a tasting room along the main drag in Los Olivos – the tasting room town of Santa Barbara wine county – I’m even more inclined to make a run through town.

In a typical weekend rush of tourists from Orange & LA counties plus Santa Barbara wine tour companies, the Alta Maria Vineyards tasting room is a lovely and cool respite from any wine-tasting-bachelortte-or-birthday-partying on the street. It’s sophisticated and down-to-earth. It’s western and classy. It’s minimalist and Pottery Barn.

The wine on the tasting list also demonstrates such duality. In addition to the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Alta Maria is known for, the have a unique Sauvignon Blanc and solid Cabernet Sauvignon on the list, just created for the tasting room. The Chardonnay is half oak-fermented and half stainless steel to give us a lemon cream tart with lots of acidity. And the Alta Maria Pinot Noir is a perfect blend of fruit, wood and earth, a basic Pinot Noir that’s a steal at $28 a bottle.

But the list has more. Viticulturist James Ontiveros is pouring his baby here: Native 9 Pinot Noir. And this is the only place you can taste the 2009 Pinot Noir. This wine is from a vineyard on his multi-generational family’s property in Santa Maria valley, where he grows 8 different clones and blends different concoctions each year to create a fuller, exotic Pinot Noir.

And the winemaker of the duo, Paul Wilkins, got his love for Rhone varietals working for John Alban of Alban Vineyards. His Autonom SM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) is almost sold out because if its nose of bacon fat and pie crust (this sounds like heaven in a glass) and perfect balance, and his Autonom Syrah is a blend of cold-climate fruit and warm-climate fruit that manages to be vegetal, fruity and spicy.

Grown-up heaven.

It is internationally agreed that one of the best areas for growing Pinot Noir in the US is the Santa Rita Hills near Santa Ynez Valley. This is an east-west-running valley spreading from Buellton towards the coast, and not too surprisingly, one of the less-crowded spots around for wine tasting.

The owner – shhh! don’t tell anyone – is credited with being the father of Pinot Noir in this area and has given his name (and brand) to Sanford Winery down the road. But it’s here in a tin-roofed ramshackle hut that Richard Sanford is busy crafting his beloved wines like they were his own children.

You’ll find the charming Alma Rosa Winery hut down a dirt road entrance after passing through a small cactus forest. His organic and sustainable approach to grape growing pays off in the many Pinot Noirs offered on the Alma Rosa tasting list at any one time. Also on the list are a Vin Gris (rosé of Pinot Noir) Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and several (Pinot) Chardonnays. This guy loves his pinot.

And we do too. The last time I tasted, there were two tastings: an overall tasting (all the white varietals plus several pinots) or an entire Pinot Noir tasting. This list offers various pinot clones from various vineyards with prices ranging from $20 to $49 per bottle, about 5 at any one time. You’re pretty much guaranteed to find one you like. And one your mom will like, your dog-sitter, even your ex the wine snob. Another bonus is seeing Chris, the tasting room manager and mini-star of the film Sideways, pouring wine and manning the cash register.

Whether you’re just staring to become pinot-obsessed or have full-fledged pinot envy, Alma Rosa is the best place in California to satisfy the craving.