Lincourt Vineyards is a winery built on early instinct and family. Bill Foley founded it in 1996, back when the Sta. Rita Hills was still largely unknown rather than the coveted cool-climate appellation it is today. He named it for his daughters, Lindsay and Courtney, and to this day Lincourt makes small bottlings of handcrafted Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, poured from a quaint 1926 Sears kit house surrounded by vineyards just outside Solvang.

Early to the Sta. Rita Hills

When Bill Foley started Lincourt in 1996, betting on cool-climate Santa Barbara fruit was still a gamble. The Sta. Rita Hills had not yet earned its reputation as one of California most prized AVAs for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and growers were still proving what the region could do. Lincourt planted its flag early and has spent nearly three decades refining the kind of bright, balanced wines this cold, wind-scoured country makes best.

The name is a small piece of family history. Lincourt blends the names of Bill and Carol Foley two daughters, Lindsay and Courtney. Many of the individual wines go a step further, named to honor the people who shaped Bill life, including his wife, mother, grandmother, and aunt. It is a label with names and stories woven all the way through it.

A 1926 kit house under the pepper trees

Part of Lincourt charm is how little it tries to be fancy. The tasting room sits just outside downtown Solvang and a few miles from Los Olivos, tucked under California pepper trees and overlooking the estate vineyards, and it keeps the rural simplicity of an earlier era.

The building itself is a piece of history: an original 1926 Sears Craftsman kit home, the kind once ordered from a catalog and shipped by rail in pieces. Tasting here, on a porch among old trees with vines rolling out in every direction, feels like a visit to a friend country place rather than a slick hospitality operation. That unhurried, welcoming spirit is the whole point.

The wines

Lincourt specializes in small lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that showcase the character of individual vineyard sites, farmed with sustainable methods across the vineyard, the cellar, and the business. The Pinots carry the red-fruited lift and fresh acidity that define cool-climate Santa Barbara, while the Chardonnays balance richness against brightness.

This is approachable, well-made, food-loving wine without pretense, the kind of bottle that rewards everyday drinking as much as a special occasion. After nearly thirty years, Lincourt has the ease of a winery that knows exactly what it is.

What to pour it with

Lincourt Pinot Noir is a classic table wine, all bright acidity and gentle tannin, which makes it a natural with duck, roast chicken, salmon, pork, and mushroom dishes. The acid cuts through fat and resets the palate while the wine savory side echoes anything earthy on the plate.

The Chardonnay is the move for richer fare: crab, scallops, lobster, and roast chicken in butter or cream, where its acidity keeps the richness lively. Keep the cooking simple and seasonal, salt the plate well to round the wine and lift its fruit, and serve the Pinot with a slight chill. These are wines built to make a weeknight dinner feel like an occasion.

Lincourt Vineyards: common questions