Nielson by Byron Pinot Noir Monument

Byron/Nielson has its own little slice of history in the sense that their Byron Estate Vineyard is the first commercial vineyard in Santa Barbara, planted in 1964. The vineyard’s location in the Santa Maria valley gives it a number of features that make it ideal for growing pinot noir. The westward orientation pulls in cooling breezes and morning fog off the Pacific Ocean, which help cool and protect the grapes from overripening in the strong California sunlight. According to Byron’s …