On the eastern rim of the Santa Maria Valley, the landscape rolls into hill country and the wine flows.
Cottonwood Canyon Winery is a sprawling 70-acre property just west of the San Rafael Mountains, a few miles east of Orcutt off Clark Avenue. The venue offers multiple ceremony spaces, including a large amphitheater that can hold up to 500 people.
“We’ve also used other areas,” Hospitality Director Danielle Dally told the Sun. “One time we had a couple choose a spot right near the vines and the entire ceremony was shaded under oak trees. It was very romantic.”
Dally estimated that around 20 weddings had been held in the past two years at the winery, with the events varying in size and location on the property. One area in particular that is a draw for weddings and after-parties is unique to Cottonwood Canyon: a 6,000-square-foot complex of man-made caves.
“It’s the coolest thing, walking in there not knowing something like this is in our backyard,” Dally said. “It’s kind of a hidden gem for Santa Maria.”
The caves were originally built to store the myriad casks and barrels of wine processed onsite. The temperatures there are ideal for storing wine. The casks stay at roughly 62 degrees with 90 percent humidity year round. Dally said it was a more traditional style of aging wine dating back to the “old country” in Europe.
“It’s something that wouldn’t be out of place in Italy,” she added. “I don’t know if you’ll find anything like it locally. It’s a very rustic, unique, and romantic part of the winery. You wouldn’t expect to be in Santa Maria. You feel like you are someplace else.”
Founded by owner Norman Beko in 1988, Cottonwood was one of the first wineries in the Santa Maria Valley and Foxen Canyon. For years, the area has been a bucolic getaway offering sweeping views of the valley and nearby mountains. And while weddings have been held there in the past, it was only recently that the winery began focussing on becoming a full-fledged event venue.
“Right now we are only really advertising by word of mouth or a little bit on our website,” according to Dally, who added that Cottonwood may explore other avenues for advertising in the future. She said the chardonnay, pinot noir, and syrah grown and processed at the winery were enough of a draw for the moment, however.
“We do very small production—around 1,500 to 4,000 cases a year,” Dally said. “You are not going to find our wine anywhere else, like a grocery store, only in our tasting room.”
Cottonwood requires that all weddings and events held onsite must use Cottonwood wine. But the libations come with staff more than willing to pour generous glasses and explain the many intricacies of each wine.
“Being able to come and taste our wine and while also sharing a beautiful moment with friends and families is a nice feature,” Dally said. “It’s a great place for locals to come out and enjoy for weddings and events like that.”
Cottonwood Canyon Winery
Cottonwood Canyon’s Santa Maria tasting room is located at 3940 Dominion Road. They can be reached by phone at (805) 937-8463. For more information, visit their website at www.cottonwoodcanyon.com.
Contact Staff Writer Spencer Cole at scole@santamariasun.com.
MORE ARTICLES IN THE WEDDING ISSUE 2018:
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• Forever engaged: How long should you wait before tying the knot?
• Wedding planning is more fun when you don’t do any actual planning
This article appears in Feb 15-22, 2018.