Vega Vineyard & Farm

Vega Vineyard & Farm in Buellton, California, pairs winemaker Steve Clifton’s estate-focused wines with a working-farm outing in the Santa Ynez Valley. Owners Demetrios “Jimmy” and Karen Loizides bring a hospitality background to a property where a tasting can expand into lunch, animal feeding and a tractor ride. The ranch’s history reaches back to 1853, and its original 13-room adobe still stands—a more tangible connection to the past than a date on a label.

Clifton, the founder of Italian-variety specialist Palmina and co-founder of Brewer-Clifton, directs the winemaking. Vega produces red, white and sparkling wines, with Nebbiolo among Clifton’s featured bottlings. A four-wine tasting costs $25, with a premium flight available for $50. Executive chef Christopher Rossi oversees the restaurant, where seasonal cooking gives the wines a place at the table beyond the tasting flight.

Vega Vineyard & Farm makes particular sense for groups balancing wine interests with children’s attention spans. Pop’s Place has a dedicated play area, weekend food service and reservable cabanas, while the farm houses goats, pigs, sheep and emus. Tractor rides run Friday through Sunday and reach the upper vineyard, with Highland bull Tai a featured stop. The distinction matters: children have room for activity around the farm, but restaurant and tasting-area rules require them to remain seated.