Two of Southern California’s crown gems—Santa Barbara and La Jolla—offer natural beauty, fine dining, and high style within a two-hour journey from L.A.

BY KORINA JOCHIM

Itinerary #1: Wine Tasting, Dining, and Soaking Up the Sunshine in Santa Barbara

Friday, noonish

Pack up a rumpled linen suit, some bathing shorts, and your most lived-in pair of jeans and head north. If you want to go entirely green for your vacation, eschew your car and hop on the Amtrak train (800/USA-RAIL; www.amtrakcalifornia.com) in Burbank or downtown’s Grand Central Station and enjoy a leisurely ride to Santa Barbara, catnapping in the sun or drowsing over a new novel (it drops you off in downtown Santa Barbara). If driving is what revs you up, stop along the way at Camarillo Premium Outlets (805/445-8520; www.premiumoutlets.com) to indulge in a little designer-discount retail therapy to soothe those frayed city nerves. Also check out Montecito, a luxe little town just south of Santa Barbara. Nip in to Village Cheese & Wine (485 East Valley Rd; 805/969-3815) for a couple of their famous sandwiches (and a bottle for later). Enjoy your picnic and a stroll along nearby Butterfly Beach. Sigh a lot as you soak up the gorgeous views.

3 p.m.

Check into the recently revamped and utterly charming downtown Canary Hotel (805/884-0300; www.canarysantabarbara.com). Lazily unpack, enjoying the serene beauty and maritime color palette of your room. Change into bathing attire and head to the rooftop pool area to soak up the sun and admire the incomparable views of mountains and sea. Luxuriate in the Jacuzzi and forget that Los Angeles ever existed.

7 p.m.

After a nap and long, hot shower, amble down to the hotel’s own Coast Restaurant & Bar. Savvy Angelenos will recognize this echo of Santa Monica’s famed Shutters on the Beach eatery and appreciate this transplanted taste of home. Have a glass of the local Brander chardonnay and start with plump, briny oysters, followed by perfectly grilled fish with fresh veggies. You would be doing yourselves a major disservice to not partake in the butterscotch pudding or chocolate lava cake for dessert. Really, you’ve earned it. Walk off dinner by strolling through the lovely, Spanish-style downtown area, perhaps catching a movie or concert at the redoubtable Arlington Theatre (805/963-4408; www.thearlingtontheatre.com).

Saturday, 8 a.m.

Get up early, slide into your jeans, and grab a quirky breakfast at the Cajun Kitchen right across from the Canary on Chapala Street (we love the Jim’s Special scramble). Meet your chosen wine tour operator in front of the Canary about 9-ish for a day of wine tasting. We strongly suggest working in the Lucas & Lewellen tasting room (888/777-6663; www.llwine.com, see sidebar on winemaker Megan McGrath), featured in the movie Sideways, and Sunstone Vineyards & Winery (800/313-9463; www.sunstonewinery.com), charming and French-inspired, into your itinerary. Make sure you eat a good, solid lunch—all those sunny local wines can go to your head! If dining out in Los Olivos is an option, may we suggest either the gourmet wine-pairing Los Olivos Cafe (888/WINES4U; www.losolivoscafe.com), the old-time charmer Mattei’s Tavern (805/688-4820; www.matteistavern.com), or the adorable Patrick’s Side Street Cafe (805/686-4004; www.patrickssidestreetcafe.com). Enjoy your excursion to the Santa Ynez valley for some stupendous wines and stunning scenery.

8 p.m.

After a nap or a quick swim in the hotel pool, walk to Mitchell Sjerven’s newly opened downtown restaurant Seagrass (805/963-1012; www.seagrassrestaurant.com). Enjoying great local renown for his excellent wine and food pairings, Sjerven’s new venture is seafood-themed and cozy. For a truly memorable evening go with the waiter’s suggested pairings and one of the nightly fish specials—the après dinner cheese plate is also superb. Stroll back to the Canary, but en route, enjoy the spectacle of Santa Barbara’s raucous weekend nightlife—lots of cute college boys to ogle.

Sunday, 10 a.m.

Pick up a fresh, buttery croissant and frothy Cappuccino at Andersen’s Danish Restaurant & Bakery (805/962-5085; www.andersenssantabarbara.com) and take some time to window shop on State Street. Though you can buy most of what’s on offer at home, you won’t find so many shops in one place in L.A. (and in such a lovely setting). Hit up the lovely Sunken Gardens at the Courthouse (1100 Anacapa St.) for the perfect vacation photo op. Pack up and say a fond adieu to the Canary.

1 p.m.

The Wine Cask (800/436-9463; www.winecask.com) is the perfect sendoff and perhaps the quintessential example of Santa Barbara Wine Country cuisine. Never heavy but always flavorful and artfully served, the Wine Cask’s offerings are nonpareil. Hit the road right after lunch to miss that tiresome Sunday traffic back to L.A., and don’t let the drive be a buzzkill—the expansive ocean views on the way to Ventura are a balm to your soul.

For more info and trip planning, see www.santabarbara.com.

Itinerary #2: Outdoor adventures, seaside dining, and scintillating style in La Jolla

Friday, 11-ish

Throw together some workout clothes and beach gear, your best L.A. casual wear, and a few evening duds, and hit the road. Trust us, you’ll want to maximize your time in La Jolla.

1 p.m.

Arrive in La Jolla, and stop in for an amazing buffet lunch at Azul La Jolla (858/454-9616; www.brigantine.com) on Prospect Street, just a mosey away from your hotel. Let yourself indulge in the gourmet array of tapas, breads and spreads (the chipotle cheese dip is phenomenal), fresh salads, and hot dishes, while taking in the best ocean view in town. After lunch, browse the cute boutiques along Prospect, and take a style detour to the famed Girard Avenue. Home to an impressive variety of high-style home design shops, such as Seaside Home (7509 Girard Ave.), you’re sure to pick up a trinket or two here—or perhaps some fresh design ideas.

3 p.m.

Check in to the adorably historic yet comfortably modern Grand Colonial Hotel (858/454-2181; www.thegrandcolonial.com). Request the newer Garden Terrace or Little Hotel by the Sea flats—they are ultramodern and brightly luxurious. Enjoy your ocean view, wash the city grime away, and spend some time in your lovely suite with complementary, delicious snacks (there are even Dove bars in the freezer). Perhaps grab a leisurely cocktail in the bar of the hotel’s well-known NINE-TEN restaurant, or walk 30 seconds down to the glittering Pacific below.

7 p.m.

Follow Prospect just a little ways up to George’s at the Cove California Modern restaurant (858/454-4244; www.georgesatthecove.com). With its smokey-hued, masculine modern design, sophisticated fare (the fish preparations really stand out here), inventive drinks, and comprehensive wine list, you’ll soon be forgetting about L.A. restaurants altogether. Don’t forget dessert! Wander back to your room, perhaps strolling along the shoreline, and get rested for an active weekend.

Saturday, 8 a.m.

Order one of the fluffy, build-it-yourself omelets from the hotel’s room service menu (be sure to hang your selection on your doorknob the night before). Sip your coffee and contentedly gaze out at the quiet morning.

9:30 a.m.

Get ready for your chance to work off some of that delicious dinner via the La Jolla Plunge Bike Tour via Hike, Bike & Kayak San Diego (858/551-9510; www.hikebikekayak.com). You’ll start from the top of Mt. Soledad and descend 3.5 miles. You can also add on the Coastal Bike Tour for more of a challenge, and take in more of that lapis splendor that is the Pacific.

Noon-ish

Return to the Grande Colonial to shower and change, and wend your way by car to lunch at A.R. Valentien in the Lodge at Torrey Pines (858/453-4420; www.lodgetorreypines.com). Enjoy the sights, especially the area’s signature Torrey pines (which Tori Amos christened herself after). A.R. Valentien has fantastic food and a knowledgeable staff, and the atmosphere makes us feel more pedigreed than we are! Soak it up. After lunch, explore the wild and lovely Torrey Pines State Reserve (858/755-2063; www.torreypine.org) on foot. There are some fine walking trails and, of course, all that unforgettable natural beauty.

4 p.m.

After all that exercise and fresh air, what you need to truly unwind from those city snarls is a service at La Jolla Spa MD (858/459-6868;
www.spa-md.com). We highly endorse a Swedish massage by the talented Sonia Fredrick, or perhaps a little laser treatment? (This is a medical spa after all.) Pamper yourself—you work hard!

8 p.m.

No stay in La Jolla is complete without an evening at The Marine Room (858/459-7222; www.marineroom.com). The main dining room is at eye level with the ocean, and at high tide the waves gently lap at the windows. As you might expect, given its proximity to the sea, the Marine Room features the freshest seafood prepared with traditional French panache—the lobster bisque is the best we’ve had anywhere. You’ll want to consult with the sommelier on wine pairings, and the level of service here is just impeccable. (L.A. has a thing or two to learn from La Jolla on that score.)

Sunday, 10 a.m.

Sleep in—you’ve earned it! Have a parting brunch at NINE-TEN and after you’ve packed up and checked out from the Grande Colonial (with many promises to return), pick up some unique gifts at the local boutiques. Though close to L.A., you’ll find that La Jolla has its own distinct style, and you’ll unearth items not to be found in our city. We strongly advise heading back north before noon to beat the traffic, as not to undo all that hard-earned relaxation!

For more info and trip planning see www.lajolla bythesea.com and www.sandiego.org.

Fresh Vintage

Everything we ever wanted to know about wine we learned from Lucas & Lewellen’s rising star, winemaker Megan McGrath

Winemakers are a curious lot. Many of those in the business today are legacies, descended from wine-making and grape-growing families (such as Louis Lucas, co-owner and operator of Lucas & Lewellen). But increasingly, winemakers are a more diverse lot, and though few are, like Megan McGrath, female, they come from all walks of life to embrace this earthy and artistic profession. McGrath, a soil scientist and native Californian, fell into winemaking at Flowers Vineyard & Winery in Sonoma. It became both her profession and her passion: “You get immersed,” she muses. “You become it, think like it, empathize with it.” McGrath monitors her batches with scientific precision and cutting-edge equipment, but notes that winemaking is also, truly, an art form ripe for New-World expressiveness. McGrath says that in Europe, tradition dictates how they make their wines, “but here, we can spread our wings.”

Lucas & Lewellen’s wines are noticeably smooth on the palate and low on those mouth-drying, astringent tannins, and McGrath and Lucas attribute this enviable quality to the weather in the Santa Ynez Valley. “The grape ripens perfectly in the warm weather, but it’s cool overnight with the ocean breezes that come in,” she says. Often, at other vineyards, grapes are picked before they’re ripe, which results in higher acidity. They don’t use chemical pesticides, but instead utilize a compound made of mushrooms, and the grapes are very well-tended. This meticulousness is clearly reflected in the wines, especially the excellent Hilltop Pinot Noir, for which they are renowned. (They also produce the bargain-label Queen of Hearts as well as the European-inspired Mandolina wines, both very drinkable.)

In order to make your wine tasting experience a little easier, we asked McGrath to do a little free-associating on the characteristics of the various varietals—feel free to use this as your “cheat sheet.”

Syrah: White pepper jamminess

Pinot Noir: Bright red fruit

Malbec: Herbs, pomegranate, blackberry

Merlot: Spicy, velvety, ancient

Cabernet Sauvignon: Cassis, blackberry, chocolate

Viognier: Crisp, peach, apricot

Sauvignon Blanc: Mineral, citrus, perfume

Chardonnay: Round, lemony-citrus, resin

Pinot Grigio: Zippy, lily-flower, jasmine-tea

Zinfandel: Juicy, old-vine, dark-red —K.J.

For more information visit www.llwine.com.

Touring With the Pros

Where to turn for expert guided tours of the Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez vineyards and wineries

When it comes to wine tasting tours, go with the pros. It’s a safer (especially as the Santa Ynez wine region is about half an hour away via windy mountain or coastal roads), more scenic, and ultra-informative way to check out the area’s excellent wine offerings. We suggest signing up with one of the tour companies below and making an entire day of it—you won’t regret it and you’ll likely return laden with wine gifts for many birthdays and holidays to come.

Cloud Climbers Jeep & Wine Tours

(805/646-3200; www.ccjeeps.com)

Features customized Jeep tours, tastings at four wineries (from a choice of 17), small groups, gourmet picnic lunch, local guide, hotel pick-up and return, and souvenir wine glass.

Santa Ynez Horse Farm and Winery Tours

(805/688-5984; www.wineandhorse tours.com)

An unusual and interesting tour ideal for animal lovers and wine enthusiasts alike. Operates Fri.-Sun. and weekdays by appointment, includes gourmet picnic lunch, refreshments, and tasting fees.

Wine Edventures

(805/965-9463; www.welovewines.com)

Picks up from both Santa Barbara and Solvang hotels in comfy mini-buses, and features four tastings, discounts at wineries, souvenir glass, and a great deal of wine education.

American International Transportation Services

(888/334-5466; www.aitslimo.com)

Offering customized wine tours tailored to individual tastes and interests, with luxury vehicles available.

Captain Jack’s Tours

(805/564-1819; www.captainjackstours.com)

Captain Jack’s offers a Santa Barbara-only wine tour cruising by Carr Vineyards, Whitcraft Winery, Cellar 205, and Santa Barbara Winery, with lunch at Bay Cafe & Fish Market. They also do a cool beer-tasting tour of Island Brewing Company, The Brew House, Downtown Brewing Company, and Hollister Brewing Company. —K.J.