Santa Barbara County was named wine region of the year by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, beating out top tier wine makers around the globe.
The area has joined the ranks of some of the most historic wine regions in the world, among the nominees were New Zealand, France, and South Africa.
What feels like a long time coming is just confirmation to Santa Barbara wine makers like Tim Snider, that their craft is top tier.
"This recognition is an honor, we've known what this wine region is about for a long time and now there is a chance for us to share it with the country and even abroad," said Snider, President of Fess Parker Winery.
This means Santa Barbara County will no longer be just a hidden gem in the wine community, but now a must see spot.
With this award, Santa Barbra County wineries are excited to welcome a new influx of people to the unique experience of South Coast wine.
"There is just such a diversity of wine that comes out of Santa Barbara that you're bound to find something that you like," said Snider.
"There is no homogeneous way of making wine here, I go out with friends and we go to other peoples wineries and I see the way they make wine and i'm like wow that’s crazy," said Douglas Margerum, the owner of Margerum wine company.
Margerum says one of the contributing factors to the great wine taste, is climate.
"It’s the coldest wine growing region in California, and cool is good. It means we get long hang times, more complex fruits and it has some of the best soil in the world to grow grapes in," he explained
That and the only east and west mountain ranges in North America, that are unique to Santa Barbara, provide the perfect conditions for grape growing.
Now that Santa Barbara County has gotten one of the highest awards in the wine world, could things go up from here?
According Snider, the best has yet to come.
