I have traveled to wine areas all over the world — Australia, New Zealand, South America, Northern California, Oregon, Washington state, France, Italy, Germany, even Switzerland — but there are no more beautiful and carefree roads than those that meander through the unspoiled vineyards of Santa Barbara.

World-class wines ripen in the central California sun above the coastal city. Route 154 leads you up into the Santa Ynez Mountains and Santa Barbara wine country. Currently 114 vineyards produce 27 different varietals on the land that the 2004 film "Sideways" made famous.

The vineyards lie among working ranches, with horses and Black Angus cattle grazing on golden hillsides, cooling under the shade of wide-spreading oaks. There is little commercialism along the wine trails. During the week these restful, un-crowded country lanes reveal jaw-dropping views of mountain lakes and endless, unpopulated rolling hills. And it's only two hours by car north of Los Angeles.

Thirty-three-old vintner Megan McGrath had invited me on a personal tour of her favorite haunts, vineyards and restaurants in the Santa Barbara wine country. She recently took over the winemaking duties at Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards and her first vintage is now being tasted.

We began the day with coffee at the Los Olivos Grocery, a gourmet country store that dates to the 1930s. We grabbed some items to take with us into the vineyards and it was there that I found my favorite new condiment, their homemade green pepper jelly. It's especially nice on sharp cheeses, but would make tissue paper taste great. On weekends avail yourself of the delicious Santa Maria barbecue sandwiches sold at roadside stands for $10.

Los Olivos is an artist colony whose early 20th century downtown stretches about four blocks by two blocks. It is the hub of the Santa Maria wine country and within its boarders are 14 tasting rooms.

We visited Beckmen Vineyards, located off a dirt entry road, and Megan exchanged wines with Steve Beckmen, another thirty-something winemaker, who specializes in Rhone-style wines. We drank and chattered in front of the winery in the shade of a beautiful garden overlooking a duck pond.

About a quarter-mile up California Route 154 is the entrance to my favorite wine destination in the world, Foxen Canyon Road.

Along the way we had our own celebrity sighting: Bo Derek was waiting for cars to pass in front of her horse ranch so she could cross onto the riding trails. She sat magnificently atop a beautifully groomed chestnut stallion, holding the long leather rein on her equally stunning boxer who boldly nosed ahead. It is a photo I didn't get because we drove by too quickly. I could have hung around like a paparazzo, but we had some wines to explore.

Along Foxen Canyon Road, Megan stopped at Riverbench Vineyard & Winery, where we met up with Louis Lucas, the legendary figure who has planted numerous vineyards in the area, since he first arrived in 1968. His Croatian family was in the table grape growing business in Fresno, when he decided he wanted to drink his grapes. He is well known for planting the vines that made Cambria Vineyards Pinot Noir, which won best of show at the Los Angeles County Wine Festival two years ago.

Riverbench used to be a source of grapes for Meridian Vineyards, but now produces great pinot noirs and chardonnays under its own label.

Adjacent to Riverbench is one of three Lucas & Lewellen vineyards, Goodchild Vineyard. Plans are to open a tasting room at the winery to augment the two in Solvang.

Louis put the car into four-wheel drive and we headed straight up into his vineyard, where we ate our snacks from the Los Olivos Grocery overlooking the valley, sampled some grapes that would be harvested in days, and watched the hawks circling overhead, natural predators of some unwelcome grape lovers.

The tourist town of Solvang was settled by Danish exiles who brought a bit of the old country with them. They reconstructed something that looks vaguely like a Danish theme park, full of tacky souvenir shops, windmills and half-timbered houses.

But I have to admit, there are great bakeries and restaurants, and walking about can be amusing, especially after visiting and sampling at the six tasting rooms in town. Lucas & Lewellen and its Italian label Mandolina, are among those who host the 2 million visitors who pass through yearly.

We drove over to Rideau Winery to visit owner Iris Rideau, a transplanted New Orleans native who was in the real estate business before moving to wine country and becoming a vintner.

On Fridays it's a must to visit the tasting room inside her beautiful, 1884, historic landmark home, the Alamo Pintado Adobe. She prepares po-boy sandwiches to accompany her delicious Rhone style wines, served alfresco in her flower garden.

We left Solvang and headed north to Los Alamos for lunch at the Quackenbush Cafe, where we dined amid a gallery of local artists' landscape paintings. Megan drove me by the Lucas & Lewellen Los Alamos Vineyards, where they grow some Italian varietal grapes for the Mandolina label.

Later we were to enjoy a Dolcetto from the vineyard at Grappolo in the turn-of-the-century western-style town of Santa Ynez. The restaurant is spectacular and chef Leonardo Curti, originally from Calabria, Italy, by way of some top Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, is a local treasure.

Just up the street is the Santa Barbara Vintner's Association office and the restaurant abuts two Western-themed establishments, a breakfast place with hitching posts and the Maverick Saloon and dance hall, all connected by a wooden sidewalk. There's live music at night and lots of line dancing, but Megan prefers to head out of wine country for Goleta, where she belongs to a hip-hop dance group.

After dinner we hit a bucket of golf balls for $10 at the Alisal River Course and River Grille in Solvang. It's a public course, about $80 to play a round.

IF YOU GO

There are a number of farm stands and pick-your-own fruit orchards scattered throughout the wine country. Particularly good are the apples, walnuts and berries. You'll find horse and bike trails, ballooning and gliding and great hiking and fishing. You can tour a lavender, ostrich, miniature horse or alpaca farm; but most come for the grapes and follow the quiet lanes that wind gracefully through the most beautiful wine country in the world.

The Santa Barbara Visitors Bureau has information on accommodations from chain motels to country inns, spas, and bed and breakfasts. There are brochures on guided and self-guided tours of the wine country and lists of restaurants, festivals, and attractions, www.santabarbaraCA.com, 805-966-9222.

The Santa Barbara Vintner's Association offers maps to the wine country as well as information on monthly events and a variety of pamphlets, www.sbcountywines.com, 800-218-0881.

John Blanchette is a freelance travel writer. To find out more about John Blanchette and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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