Yes, You Can Tour Santa Barbara Wineries In A Tesla

Sustainable Vine Wine Tours

Last month, I toured a selection of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic wineries in a Tesla X SUV. Yes, the cool one with falcon wings. The guide and driver was Scott Bull, co-owner of Sustainable Vine Wine Tours. Though the business was founded in 2007, we discussed how 2019 could finally, hopefully, be the year tourists start thinking how their travel affects the environment. To that end, Sustainable Vine Wine Tours helps offset some of the guilt associated with daylong winery tours through its programs, products and carefully selected wineries. In other words, a way to eat your cake and have it too.

I interviewed the original founder and co-owner Bryan Hope, a certified sommelier, on the concept behind the company. I asked why readers should spend hard-earned vacation days in beautiful Santa Barbara being chauffeured to tastings of delicious wines in a Tesla X. (In case that sentence doesn't answer the question.)

How and why did you get into the wine tourism business?

In early 2007, while brainstorming business ideas that combined personal passions with income generators, my now-wife and I thought of a surf camp in Mexico, and a wine tour business in Santa Barbara. Having worked as an adventure sports guide in the 90s, I figured I could combine my guiding experience with an interest in sustainable farming. At that point, the only formal wine education I had was a wine appreciation class taken at UCSB a decade earlier. Although at the time I could never foresee a career in the wine industry, that class taught me the singularity of wine’s history and nuance.

While mapping out these business ideas, we discussed how wine culture in the US had exploded, especially after the wildly popular, locally filmed debut of Sideways. That movie was one of the most impactful things to happen to Santa Barbara County wine, later reflected in the increased number of visitors seeking a parallel wine country experience. If I was going to be involved the industry, I wanted to highlight those that were farming lighter on the land and help them tell their unique stories, all while being a sustainable business. Within 3 months of having the idea, we secured the proper transportation permits and purchased a Mercedes Sprinter van, which ran on biodiesel. In the following year, favorable press about the tours and unfavorable conditions in Mexico due to drug violence, led us to pass on surf camp and run Santa Barbara wine tours full-time.

What sets your tour apart from the rest?

Sustainable Vine Wine Tours is a two-person operation. Scott Bull joined as a co-owner in 2013. We curate the tours ourselves from start to finish. We take seriously our responsibility to create a safe, enjoyable, authentic, and memorable experience that highlights our region’s most outstanding wines and tasting experiences. Through the long-term relationships we’ve developed, all of our appointment-only locations deliver seated tastings and property tours hosted by wine industry experts, whether the property manager, winemaker, or owner. We custom match guests’ preferences to the specific locations we visit and help producers facilitate the best experience from the information we gather. We also provide transportation in comfortable, luxury vehicles, including a Tesla all-electric SUV that is often running on power derived from the sun.

Did you start the company with an electric vehicle in mind?

Yes, Sustainable Vine was started with a vehicle like a Tesla in mind. However, in 2007, when Sustainable Vine began, Tesla wasn’t on the market. The best option available was a diesel Mercedes Sprinter, whose warranty was consciously voided when it was filled with biodiesel. It wasn’t until Tesla announced the Model X SUV that we found a large enough vehicle to perfectly combine luxury and sustainability. We would have to wait 2 years after our deposit to take delivery in 2016.

We’ve had an incredible guest response to the Tesla. When we first got the car, half of the tour would be spent talking about the vehicle and the other half about wine. Having one of the early Model X’s created quite a bit of buzz, especially pulling up for a pickup and opening the falcon wing doors. We love telling guests they are being driven by solar power from our home-installed panels.

Why does sustainability matter to you and how do you work that point of view into tours?

Sustainability is a core component to who we are, not just as a business but also as individuals. Initially we looked at like-minded customers as our core revenue generators. But we’ve learned that if we provide an exceptional tour experience, we increase our customer base and get the opportunity to educate groups that might not otherwise book a “sustainable” wine tour.

We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. From electric or fuel-efficient vehicles to reducing our plastic waste by offering re-usable glass water bottles, we constantly evaluate how we can become a more responsible business. Some of our current programs include:

o Educating the public about sustainable farming and small family farmers.

o Supporting/promoting local Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic Agriculture.

o Donating to local environmental organizations like the Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, Community Environmental Council, and Surfrider Foundation.

o Participating in the Adopt A Highway community service program.

o Supporting local environmentally friendly retailers.

Who are some of the wineries you visit and why do you like taking guests there?

Through personal relationships we’ve developed with wineries, we offer incredible access tour participants wouldn’t find on their own.

The locations we visit must meet high standard for sustainability, offer a unique tasting experience, come with knowledgeable and engaged hosts, and, of course, make good wine. We work with Spear Vineyards and Winery, Pence Vineyards, Dragonette Cellars, Larner Vineyard and Winery, Stolpman Vineyards, Carhartt Vineyard, Solminer Wine Co, Grimm’s Bluff, Grassini Family Vineyards, Folded Hills, Refugio Ranch Vineyards and Brave & Maiden Estate.

What are the wines of Santa Barbara like and why should readers spend time there?

Santa Barbara produces world class wine, with which top industry critics agree. We have a unique climate and geography that allows for a diversity of grape cultivars and wine styles not commonly found elsewhere. Within the roughly 35-mile-long growing area, we experience a 30 degree difference in high temperatures from one end of the valley to the other. Cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are growing 30 miles from hot climate Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, with multiple varietals in-between. In addition to a diversity of unique soils, one in particular known to no other wine region (diatomaceous earth), we have one of the longest growing seasons. This gives our winemakers the luxury of picking early for tart fruit flavors and higher acidity or later for riper fruit flavors and higher alcohol, or somewhere in-between.

What also makes Santa Barbara wine country so appealing is the scenic beauty and small-town feel. Oak woodlands, farms, horse ranches, and of course, vineyards provide the backdrop. People often claim the Santa Ynez Valley is like Napa in the 70’s. It’s a casual environment where you can still meet and taste with winemakers. It’s not stuffy or pretentious. Santa Ynez Valley is a peaceful place where scenic value and its preservation is highly regarded.
