The Old Santa Barbara Wine Train
The old Santa Barbara Wine Train was a wine-themed excursion train experience associated with Santa Barbara's coastal rail route and the rise of Santa Barbara County wine tourism.
Our gang went for years until the larger railroads cancelled their agreemenet with The Wine Train. Conductor Bill took his cars to the east Coast and is still running them today and doing well! Thank you big business for doing in the little guy! You should be ashamed!!!
Unlike the Napa Valley Wine Train, it was not a long-running dedicated railroad through vineyards. Santa Barbara's main passenger rail line runs mostly along the Pacific coast, through places like Ventura, Carpinteria, Montecito, and Santa Barbara, while much of the famous wine country — Santa Ynez Valley, Los Olivos, Solvang, and Buellton — is inland.
So the Santa Barbara Wine Train was more of a special excursion or themed rail trip than a regular vineyard train.
What It Was Like
A typical Santa Barbara wine-train-style trip generally involved:
- Riding by train along the scenic Southern California coast
- Wine tastings either onboard or as part of the event
- Food or catered dining
- Vintage or private railcars on some excursions
- A stop in Santa Barbara, sometimes paired with local wine-country tours
- A leisure and tourism crowd rather than commuter passengers
The appeal was the combination of coastal rail scenery, romantic vintage-train atmosphere, and the growing reputation of Santa Barbara County wines.
Why Santa Barbara Was a Good Fit
Santa Barbara became increasingly known for wine in the late 20th century, especially after the growth of wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. The area already had a glamorous leisure image: beaches, resorts, Spanish Revival architecture, and easy access from Los Angeles by rail.
A wine train fit that image well, even if the tracks did not actually run deep into vineyard country.
Why It Faded Away
The old Santa Barbara Wine Train concept did not become a permanent institution mainly because of practical issues:
- The mainline tracks were controlled by larger railroads, not by a wine-tour company
- Scheduling special trains on an active passenger and freight route was complicated
- Insurance, alcohol service, staffing, and equipment costs were high
- Most wineries were not directly on the rail line
- Bus and van wine tours were simpler and more flexible
Over time, Santa Barbara wine tourism shifted more toward guided van tours, tasting-room shuttles, and later the Urban Wine Trail in downtown Santa Barbara and the Funk Zone.
Today
There is no classic, dedicated Santa Barbara Wine Train operating in the same way people think of the Napa Valley Wine Train. But you can still recreate part of the experience by taking the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to Santa Barbara or Goleta, then visiting:
- The Funk Zone tasting rooms
- Downtown Santa Barbara wineries
- Santa Ynez Valley wineries by shuttle, tour van, or rental car
- Los Olivos, Solvang, Buellton, and Ballard
The old Santa Barbara Wine Train is best remembered as a scenic, wine-themed excursion idea tied to the romance of coastal rail travel, rather than a permanent railroad through wine country.