Tasting Room
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Th - Mon 11am-5pm 
Tercero Wines
4.8
Limited Production
https://www.tercerowines.com/
Tercero wines, guided by Larry, crafts small-batch wonders in Santa Barbara County. Larry's winemaking journey, influenced by education and industry norms, shaped a unique philosophy. With a decade's experience, he embraced autonomy, avoiding new oak for reds and opting for extended barrel aging, some up to 48 months. A distinctive aspect is 100% stem inclusion, foot-stomped by Larry, enhancing the wine's character.
Partnering with premier Santa Barbara County vineyards across various AVAs, tercero wines, under Larry's guidance, showcases commitment through collaborations with Larner Vineyard and Camp 4.
Larry's educational pursuit, earning an MS from UC Davis, reflects his dedication to the craft. Established in Santa Barbara County since 2005, tercero wines, born from Larry's Fess Parker Winery experience, embodies his passion. Larry, not just a skilled winemaker but an effective communicator, welcomes visitors and engages on social media.
tercero wines focuses on handcrafted, small-lot wines sourced exclusively from top Santa Barbara County vineyards. While rhone varieties are central, Larry's curiosity extends to pinot noir, gewurztraminer, cabernet franc, and more, capturing the diverse beauty of Santa Barbara County.
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Reviews
Loved it! Stumbled in randomly and really enjoyed the wines. Also Becca is awesome!
They were closed, but the door was open. There were 5 people already tasting and it stayed that many visitors until I left an hour later. Owner and wine maker Larry Schaffer was there talking about his wine and educating the visitors. He has an amazing wealth of knowledge about the wine industry and he answers all the questions you can think of. I have known him for many years, and still learn something every visit. If the door is open, come in! Even if they are supposed to be closed. Thank you Larry!
Went there a year or so ago. Service was great but i was not a fan of the wines.
I've spent a lot of time up and down California's coast with the military and vacations and I've always come back here for some really incredible wines. Some of the best in my opinion and the owner is a very kind man who is a great pleasure to speak with. Highly recommend stopping by and getting a taster, I'm sure you'll leave with at least one bottle!
My girlfriend and I were on a wine tour through the Santa Ynez Valley and wanted to squeeze in one last tasting. It was a bit after hours but the owner, Larry, took us in without a second thought. His tasting style is very personal. With just a few simple questions he was able to read our minds (or our tongue's if you will haha). To avoid biases, the wine descriptions did not include tasting notes to look for. Instead Larry engaged us in a discussion about what we were actually tasting and where those tastes might have come from for each wine. In addition to making his wines and running the Los Olivos tasting room, Larry is a professor at a local University where he teaches winemaking. His passion for the subject really shows; we could have listened to him talk about wine for the rest of the day! Thanks again, Larry!
My family and I did a virtual wine tasting from Arizona for Mother's Day weekend and we had a great time. Larry was awesome. His presentation was casual, down-to-earth, and very enjoyable. Shipping was smooth and fast and the wines were really good. Even our non-wine drinkers enjoyed the wines. We will definitely be buying more wine from Tercero in the future. Thank you Larry for allowing us to have such a fun family activity during this pandemic!
First visit to this winery and were able to meet the wine maker who is extremely passionate about his wines and wines in general. You can taste very good wines and learn a great deal about wines and how they are made. Well worth a visit. We purchased wines here and will visit again in the future.
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