THE TASTING ROOM
Hartley and Ostini strive to create flavorful handcrafted wines that possess poise and balance, putting a slice of Santa Barbara in each glass, and a piece of their soul in every bottle of Hitching Post.
Operating hours for Hitching Post Wines are Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
The Traditional Tasting at Hitching Post Wines priced at $15 per guest offers a flight of five Hitching Post Wines consisting of Pinks 2017; Hometown Pinot Noir 2016; Cork Dancer Pinot Noir 2015; Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2015; and Gen Red 2016.
A Reserve Tasting, priced at $20, includes five wines – Highliner Pinot Noir 2015; Perfect Set Pinot Noir 2015; Bien Nacido Pinot Noir 2015; Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir 2015; and Four Top 2012. The caveat of the Reserve Tasting will be its ever-changing menu featuring rare single-vineyard bottling and special older vintages of Hitching Post.
For those
seeking the ultimate experience, Hitching Post Wines offers customized
Private Winemaker Tastings with Gray Hartley or Frank Ostini for
$60 per guest and by appointment only.
Lunch+
Hitching Post Wines would not be complete without the added flavor of Hitching Post 2’s Santa Maria Style BBQ food pairings to enjoy while tasting. Classic crowd-pleasing favorites served from the restaurant include HP Burgers; Triple-Fried French Fries; Santa Maria BBQ Artichokes; and Grilled Corn Quesadillas. Coming soon, the public will experience an expanded lunch menu served from a refurbished 1970s Vintage Airstream trailer, relocated from Seaside, Florida, and converted into a first-class Santa Maria BBQ kitchen on wheels.
The Site
Hitching Post
Wines is set in a mid-century farmhouse off the
246 Highway with trailing walkways and outdoor seating areas banking a
view of the Santa Ynez Mountain landscape. The tasting room building
covers 2,000 square feet and sits on nearly twelve acres of land,
landscaped by red oak trees, including a 200-year-old tree greeting
passers-by in the front of the property. Rustic corral fencing frames
the building and main property and encloses a red bark-covered
landscape with decomposed granite and native plants scattered with
picnic tables and ample seating areas covered by shade screens.
The charming cottage has a gray exterior trimmed in white accents and
window shutters. Guests first view a cast iron Hitching Post brand
inlaid into the polished concrete floor when entering the front door.
To the west, the main tasting room boasts original oak floors and a
fireplace dating from before 1950. The color palette includes warm
stone grays with details of white, copper and bronze. To the east,
there is a private tasting room ensconced in gray wainscoting accented
by a distressed corrugated tin ceiling. Separating the two wings is a
secondary tasting room showcasing historical
photos of Frank Ostini and
Gray Hartley with a timeline of Hitching Post wines. The
tasting bars
are covered in burnished copper and composed of repurposed barn-wood
siding, copper piping footrests and illuminated by oil-rubbed bronzed
and copper farmhouse hanging fixtures.
Throughout the property
are walkways and casual picnic areas that
invite guests to linger over a bottle of wine while taking in the
dramatic Santa Ynez Mountains and river landscape. Dogs
with attending
families are welcome.
See the interesting history of the building ...
In the coming months, development of Hitching Post Wines will include the phase two restoration of the rear building into a public wine bar with an enclosed patio overlooking the river with mountain views and a natural stage, ideal for live performances. The classic Airstream trailer and Hitching Post Santa Maria grills will offer a broader menu, cooked onsite surrounding by casual seating. Also planned is a phase three restoration and remodel of the original barn that oversees the Santa Ynez Mountains specifically for private Hitching Post events.