The wine heritage of the Central Coast takes us back more than 200 years, when Franciscan monks planted the region's first vines in Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. By the middle of the 19th Century, the Central Coast was home to 11 of California's famed Spanish missions, and gold seekers from around the globe were settling in the valleys around Santa Barbara. The region's agricultural industry soon blossomed, as settlers planted cuttings from European vines throughout the Central Coast.

Today, the Central Coast encompasses four-million acres, with about 100,000 acres planted to vineyard. The vast region, which was officially recognized as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in 1985, produces 15% of California's winegrapes and boasts more than 350 wineries, including Bridlewood in Santa Ynez Valley.