“This week is not about me. It is about you. I’m gonna show you a good time. We’re gonna drink a lot of good wine. We’re gonna play some golf. We’re gonna eat some great food and enjoy the scenery and we are going to send you off in style, mon frere.” – Miles Raymond, Sideways

The Santa Ynez Valley, 125 miles northwest of Los Angeles, 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean and considered the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, can be viewed in two modern eras: pre-Sideways and post-Sideways.

Since the Valley’s starring role as the setting for the 2004 indie hit, the rolling, bucolic region has spent more than two decades building a bustling tourism scene that echoes Sideways’ sips, swings and sojourns.

Nominated for five Academy Awards (and winning for Best Adapted Screenplay), the buddy (if not debauchery) story of Miles and Jack romping through wine country has enjoyed a legacy that is both endearing and enduring. There are just some movies that hit the soul, the senses and the sweet spot in such a way that the characters, the journey and, very much in Sideways’ case, the Santa Ynez Valley setting all become timeless and synonymous with both people and place.

Just as the film’s adoration of pinot noir saw production of the varietal in California soar approximately 170 percent in the 15 years following the movie’s release, the Valley’s six core towns have witnessed a burgeoning of tasting rooms and oenophile opportunities.

Echoing the region’s agricultural roots (and a Sideways subplot), golf is very much a part of the Valley’s 100-plus-winery tapestry. While visitors, pound for pound, may be more prone to arrive with the palate of a sommelier in lieu of a sleeve of Srixons, the area plays host to some excellent options for a golf-and-grape getaway.

For those ready for a taste of what the Santa Ynez Valley has to offer, here’s a rather straight (and somewhat Sideways) scorecard, screenplay style.

Act I 

Cork One: The time-honored spread of Alisal Ranch, just outside of Solvang, proves a one-stop stay-and-play destination for myriad visitors.

Sporting the on-site, members-and-resort-guests-only Ranch Course and the public-access River Course, the twin layouts serve as an awesome accent to Alisal’s down-home menu of cowboy downtime.

“It’s a legacy type of property, with generation after generation visiting,” says Jeff Raymond, head golf and teaching professional at the River Course and an instructor with partner Bird Golf Academy. “So, it’s neat to have the tradition of things like wearing a blazer at dinner. And the property is still very much looked at as a way for guests to detach from their busy, everyday lives; there’s not all this emphasis on TV and the internet. It’s like a portal to be able to go back in time.”

The 10,000-acre property, with a taut 73 accommodations, matches horseback riding with fishing, twice-a-week golf clinics and a cache of other ranch-style amenities. Come summertime, weekly rodeos and Saturday night Grand BBQ dinner spreads highlight the family-style fun.

For golfers, the classic routing and mature flora of the Billy Bell Jr.-designed Ranch Course provide a scorecard of tight turns and ample quietude.

“A beautiful course, very traditional,” Raymond says of the Ranch. “The greens are fast, it’s tree-lined and there’s a barranca that runs through the property. So, there’s a good level of difficulty, and you have to be on your game to score.”

More gettable is the neighboring public-access River Course. Pairing pleasant undulations with elevated views of wine country, players will find a fun collection of wide landing areas and scoreable holes (e.g., the short par-4 eighth featured in Sideways).

“I love this design,” Raymond enthuses of the River. “It’s player-friendly and fair, though it does have some moments if you play from the tips at about 6,800 yards.”

Un-Cork: Post-round, for those either staying at Alisal or exploring downtown Solvang, all manner of Dutch-infused offerings await. Photo ops beside windmills fill the camera rolls of countless visitors, and those with a sweet tooth will find literal Danish on seemingly every corner.

For some full-bodied food and drink, the aptly named Whiskey N’ Rye Smokehouse proves a solid stop. With a hickory-smoked menu wafting from blocks away, the Western-style décor and patio pair well with a fine list of specialty Old Fashioneds and a full library of bourbon choices sure to assuage the day’s bogeys.

Act II    

Cork One: After the Alisal tune-up, players best be ready for a stout test at La Purisima Golf Club in neighboring Lompoc. Aptly recognized by several outlets as one of the toughest tracks in all of California, the grounds known to locals as “La Piranha” are certain to provide some venom for players of all levels.

Replete with mature oaks lining the routing, ongoing doglegs (including several right-to-lefts), rolling terrain and a penchant for afternoon winds, the 310-acre layout is sure to impress aesthetically but likely to tussle with scoring to par. To wit: La Purisima served as a longtime host for PGA Tour Q-Schools and is pegged as an annual stop for USGA local qualifying.

Un-Cork: Players undoubtedly ready for some quaffing after a “Piranha” bite will find plenty to explore among the region’s rolling run of tasting opportunities. Recommendations are like varietals in these parts, with no shortage of deserving stops for stellar wines and superb country-style settings.

Of note, Folded Hills Winery, Farmstead and Ranch in Gaviota is certain to please. Paired with a catalog of curated private-party experiences across the expansive grounds, the scene unfolds for all comers with a tasting room set in the property’s original farmhouse (featuring a rather incredible Lilly Rose’s), an awesome outdoor sipping space (including the April-October “Golden Hour” sessions on the final Friday of each month) and a property petting zoo with a camel, zebra, sheep, alpacas, goats, pigs and a full barn of other farm friends.

Post-petting (and, sure, a hand wash), get the bib ready for a memorable night at the iconic Hitching Post 2 in Buellton.

Rooted in 75 years of family restaurant history, and celebrating 40 years under its own name, Hitching Post proved a key Sideways co-star. Not that owner Frank Ostini was initially convinced the Valley would be well served by the film.

Yet, after being assured by director Alexander Payne that Sideways would honestly reflect his home terroir, and subsequently seeing audience reactions following the movie’s release, Ostini wasn’t about to debate his bustling reservation list.

“I can’t specifically measure what it (Sideways) did for the entire region, but I can measure what it did for us,” says Ostini, also a chef, co-owner and winemaker at the eponymous winery. “We were a busy restaurant already and a fairly successful winery, and (after the movie came out) our restaurant business grew five percent a month for eight months in a row.”

Regularly welcoming visitors from around the world, Ostini and cast don’t rest on the film’s laurels. Rather, Hitching Post has stuck to its Santa Maria-style BBQ roots, with a supper club-style spread of steaks, lamb, fowl and fish grilled over Coast Live Oak and best paired with a stellar, pinot-led wine list.

“A lot of our golf guests, they’re meat-and-potatoes people,” says Ostini, “and they like a classic American steakhouse.”

Looking back at Sideways’ recent 20th anniversary, Ostini cracks a laugh over its legacy.

“I remember saying at the time, ‘This movie will come and go. Our family has been in the restaurant business for 50 years and we wanna be here for another 50 years,’” he smiles. “But I know now that the movie will outlive all of us.”

Act III

Cork One: Players with some swings left in the bag can enjoy a third-day downshift with a visit to one of the region’s short courses.

Most notably, Zaca Creek GC in Buellton is sure to please with its close proximity to wine and wander, coupled with a game 9-hole, par-29 layout that plays a shade over 1,500 yards.

Course owner and operator Mike Brown has seen firsthand the game’s post-pandemic surge in short-course popularity.

“More and more,” says Brown. “Golf can be time-consuming, it can get expensive. For a lot of golfers, nine holes is enough. We have a lot of people who are out here to just scratch the itch, and then get on with the rest of the day.”

Featuring a pair of par 4s and four par 3s, with the shortest measuring 166 yards, it tracks that the course record at Zaca stands at a bigger tally than one might think.

“Certainly not a pushover, and I think the course record of 5-under 24 tells you that,” adds Brown. “Little push-up greens here, so everything slopes forward and, if you’re long, there are a number of these greens that will be tricky.”

As for rolling out of the L.A. din and into open-air Valley country, Brown is a major proponent.

“This is sort of the first area north of crazy,” he laughs. “Everything from Santa Barbara on down to Tijuana is very hectic. I’ve had the benefit of extensive travel, especially in the golf business. And this area — one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.”

Un-Cork: Think tank studies aside, the adjacent town of Los Olivos has undeniably been described as “cute” by 87.9 percent of first-time guests. And, heck, it really is cute.

Featuring 30 tasting rooms along and around its bohemian main strip, there’s no shortage of wine and unwind. Suggested stops include Nella Kitchen & Bar, Refugio Ranch, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard and the excellent Sauvignon Blanc found at Carhartt Family Wines, where an inviting backyard patio proves an ideal spot to chill, sip and visit.

For sustenance to back up those tastings, stroll across the street to Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café. Further famed by Sideways (those who know will recall Miles’ thoughts on merlot before entering the restaurant), the menu is highlighted by a host of localized farm-to-table options and further features one of the best regional wine lists on the Central Coast.

To wrap up the travel in winning (maybe) style, match some gamble with the golf and grape via a stop at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. Midsized in scope (320 rooms and 58 suites), the entertainment calendar is packed, and the gaming floor features 45 table games to pair with more than 2,300 slots.