Best Solvang Wineries and Tasting Rooms

This article will provide you in-depth knowledge about the best Solvang wineries and tasting room.  In addition, I am providing you my best money saving tips!

In case you have not noticed, Solvang is located in wine country.  The Santa Ynez Valley has several American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) and, as a consequence, many wine tasting rooms are clustered in The Valley towns.

Solvang alone has about 15 tasting rooms.  That is more than enough to plan a day around this activity.  The best part is that you can walk from one place to another.  There is no need to involve a car.

Solvang Best Wine Tasting Rooms

The best tasting rooms in town are the following:

Lucas & Lewellen

This family-owned winery serves a wide variety of award-winning wines.  And, when I say, wide variety, I mean it.  Usually, tasting rooms have one or two tasting menus.  Lucas & Lewellen offers all white, all red, mix (white and red), vintage and sweet lovers’ menus.  You choose what appeals more to your palate.

Their tasting room is ample with several counters.  Wine club members have their exclusive area to taste.  One of my favorite things about this tasting room is how generous staff is with their knowledge.  They discuss topics such as grape origin (Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos Valley, and Santa Ynez Valley), producing methods and up and comings brands in the area.  Oh, and I mention they do this while attending several clients?  They are just amazing!

This spot is highly recommended if you want to get a feel of what the Santa Ynez Valley does best.  Remember this tasting room is kid and pet-friendly.

Tasting fees are $10 to $15 per guest.

Fact: This bran has a female winemaker, Megan McGrath Gates

Toccata

Toccata is the sister label of Lucas & Lewellen.

What makes this line different is the use of Italian grape varieties on the wines.  That means you are going to be tasting Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Barbera instead of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is a totally different and, in a way unique, experience in the Valley (since French grapes dominate).  I recommend this place for those looking for something outside the box but still on the super yummy scale.

Bring your Lucas & Lewellen receipt to receive a discount.  Let me not forget to mention that Toccata’s tasting room is completely charming and equipped with gourmet food, paintings, home decor and books for sale.

Tasting fees are $10 to $15 per guest.

Dascomb Cellars

Dascomb Cellars is a family-owned, boutique winery striving to produce wines of the highest quality through implementing the best practices at each step of the winemaking process.

The end result is wine adored by clients.  If you do not believe me, pay a visit to the tasting room located at the heart of Solvang.  I love this place since you can opt to pair the wine with cheese.  Therefore, the pleasure in the palate multiplies by two.  Tastings are usually ended with a vintage port paired with a chocolate truffle.

Staff is super friendly, and you will feel like you are at the living room of an old friend.  The tasting room can get packed during weekends.  If you want to avoid the crowds, try to stop from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Tasting fees are $15 per guest.

Carivintas

I have to admit I was attracted to this tasting room because of the wine bottle labels featuring adorable dogs, cats, and wildlife scenes.

Turns out the word Carivintas was coined from the mix of the Latin term Caritas (charity or philanthropy) and the French term Vin (wine).  So, literally, Carivintas expresses the owners desired to blend wine with philanthropy.

A portion of wine sales goes to non-profit groups such as shelters and wildlife recovery institutions.

But, hey, we have not discussed the wine.  Rest assured, it is very, very good.  You can take a look at the wildly positive reviews posted all over the Internet.

In summary, visiting this tasting room is a win-win situation for many: delicious wine, booming business, and benefits for animals in need. And, of course, a friendly canine or feline may come out while you are tasting.

Tasting fees are $15 per guest.

Lions Peak

Since my husband is a fan of red wines, he absolutely loves Lions Peak.  He cannot stop talking about their Bordeaux style wines.

Turns out Lions Peak estate vineyard is located in the Sant Miguel area (north of Paso Robles, 100 miles from the Santa Inez Valley). Therefore, the presence of this tasting room in Solvang allows the opportunity to try wines from a completely different terroir.

The quality of their wines is attributed to the maturity of the vines (planted in the early 70s), the altitude, type of soil and climate.  They produce different types of Cabernet Sauvignon and blend that grape with Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Tasting fee is $15.

Sanger Family of Wines

Sanger recently opened its tasting room in Solvang after years of being located in Los Olivos. As a consequence, be prepared to encounter a tasting room full of natural light, modern fixtures and long counters.  Plus, they are one of the few places staying opened till 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

This winery has three labels:

Marianello – these wines celebrate the Italian heritage of the owners.  The brand has been expanded to include olive oil an balsamic vinegar.  All products are available for sale at the tasting room

Consilience – the wines under this label are made from grapes typically grown on the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux, and Burgundy areas.

Tre Anelli – these labeled is focused on grapes varieties from Spain, Portugal, and Italy.

Tasting would include a mix of wines from the three labels.

Tasting fee is $15.

D. Volk Wines

D. Volk Wines is a newcomer to town.  Their tasting room features a mainly white palette (with some blue and cream accents) and a gorgeous counter peppered with colorful sea glass. In addition, it is possible to taste on their patio.

The staff member pouring swirls the wine by rolling the cup over the counter.  Yes, sounds strange but he is able to do it without losing any of the contents.

Tasting fee is $15.

Other Solvang Wine Tasting Rooms

In this section, I am including casual, relaxed and fun-loving tasting rooms.

 Cali Love
Cali Love has a space ideal for those who enjoy music, video games and quirky decoration (there are candles, bright signs and unicorn stickers around).  The vibe in here is way more relaxed than in nearby tasting rooms.  Expect a youthful crowd chilling out like they would in their living rooms.

As for the wines, I cannot say they are the most sophisticated in town.  The pourings are light bodied and sweet.  Occasionally, you will find sangria on the tasting menu.

I would say this place is popular because of its vibe.  You will need to find out by yourself.

Tasting fee is $15.

Lucky Dogg

The owner of this label managed his family’s vineyard operations (Melville, with tasting rooms in Santa Barbara and Lompoc) for many years.  Eventually, he started to manage his own vineyard and create his own wines (and sell grapes to other wineries).

He serves his bubbly, white and red wines on his Solvang tasting room.  I feel like this place is one of the more relaxed in the area.  If for some reason wine tasting seems intimidating to you, this is the place to break the ice.  Staff is very friendly and engaging.

Tasting fee is $15.

Sort This Out Cellar

This tasting room is one of a kind because of its gambling related decoration (straight out of Vegas!).  On top of that, most wine labels feature pin-up girls from the 50s and 60s.

Another thing that makes this place unique is its High Roller Tiki Lounge (located behind the tasting room).  They prepare all sorts of classic cocktails with wines instead than with spirits.

They stay open till 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (live music starts at 7:00 p.m.  This is probably the most fun spot in town!

Tasting fee and cocktails (each) are $12.

Other tasting rooms include Casa Cassara, Sevtap and Royal Oaks Winery.  I am not familiar with this places so, I am not going to attempt to describe them for you.  However, I am mentioning them in here for the sake of completeness.  You are welcome to explore these places and decide if they fit your palate.

Solvang Wineries

All the places I have described above are located in what is considered Downtown Solvang.  This means that you can walk from one place to another.

However, I realize some people want a wine tasting experience surrounded by vines, rolling hills, and rustic buildings.  If this is your case, I recommend visiting the wineries located in Alamo Pintado Road, approximately 3 miles from Downtown Solvang. Below you will find a list of some of the most charming Solvang wineries.

Buttonwood Farm Winery

This place features vineyards, orchards, and a garden.  Their beautiful tasting room is kid and pet-friendly.  Visitors are welcomed to have a picnic (or other food) at the garden.

Rideau Vineyards

The grounds of Rideau seem like they were taken straight from a storybook.  Tastings take place at the historic Alamo Pintado Adobe.  Well, that is something different.

On top of that, each tasting includes a tour of the vineyard.  Make sure to arrive before 12:30, 2:00 or 3:30 to secure the tour (these are the weekend times, only two tours are offered during the week).

Lincourt Vineyards

This is another place where the rural feeling is present in every corner.  The tasting room is located inside a farmhouse and there is a metals windmill located at the property.

Lincourt is part of the Foley Wines Family.  Therefore, you can taste wines from more than one label in here.

Solvang Wine Tasting Bars

Ok, so maybe not everybody at your party is a wine lover.  They may agree to accompany you to one or two tastings that it is.

Well, if more variety is needed, there are plenty of wine bars and tap rooms in town.  Check out some of the best.

Wandering Dog Wine Bar

This wonderful place offers more than two dozen craft beers, wine flights ($12 to $30, depending on the type of flight) and cheese pairings.

The Good Life

Serves draft, canned and bottled beer plus wine.  Opens till 11:00 p.m. on weekends.

Sante Wine Bar

Same as the other two bars mentioned above: craft beer, Central Coast wines and sparkling wines.

Money Saving Tips

The first stop on any wine tasting day or weekend is the Solvang Visitors Center.  Why? Because they have flyers offering 2 for 1 tastings.  Two or three of these flyers will help you to save big.  In addition, you can ask if any wineries are offering savings.  Sometimes, wineries will give you a 2 for 1 tasting if you mention you saw their ad at the visitor’s center.

You can also save by sharing a tasting.  Do not feel obligated to get a tasting for each member of your party.

Search for deals and coupons on websites such as Groupon.

Ask staff what are their favorite places to taste in the town.  First of all, you can count on their suggestions since they know the area well.  Second, they may give you a 2 for 1 tasting flyer for one of their partners.  I have lost count of the times I have been given discounts just for talking and showing interest for the industry.

The Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association offers wine tasting passes at different times throughout the year.  A $55 pass will give you the opportunity to visit 15 wineries in a 4-month period (one tasting per winery).  This is an extremely good value since tasting rooms are charging a $15 fee nowadays.  So, if you visit them all, you are saving about $70.  This is still a deal if you are visiting 6-8 wineries over the weekend.

The pass can be purchased at Casa Cassara (Solvang), Alexander & Wayne (Los Olivos) and Imagine Wine (Buellton). You can save $5 by buying the pass online.

Wine Tasting Considerations

As I have mentioned, a car is not necessary if you are interested in tasting wine in Downtown Solvang.  But, if you are tasting or staying at another town, have a designated driver or use a ride-sharing service. This is serious business.  Please, do not drive under the influence.

If you are not familiar with wine, take things slow and easy.  In my opinion, two tastings would be more than enough.  Do not sub estimate the strength of wine.

It is perfectly fine to spit wine while tasting.  Use the designed containers for this purpose.  This will allow you to visit more tasting rooms.

Keep yourself hydrated and eat your meals at proper times.  It is not advisable to start tasting on an empty stomach.

More About Solvang

If you are spending some time in Solvang or visiting for a day, I recommend you take a look at my detailed article on Things to Do in Solvang.

Keep exploring by checking out the following posts:

Solvang Pictures: The Danish Village of my Dreams

Solvang Images: A Piece of Denmark Close to Home

Solvang Bakeries and Sweet Treats

Location

Solvang is located 35 miles from Santa Barbara, 70 miles from San Luis Obispo and 128 miles from Los Angeles.

By car, the town can be accessed through US-101 or CA-154. Both routes are scenic.

The closest airport and train station are located in Santa Barbara.  If you arrive in the area by one of those methods, you will need to reach the Santa Inez Valley by rental car, public transportation or guided tours.

Parking

In Downtown Solvang, there are two big parking lots along Mission Drive.  There is another lot on Oak Street. Street parking is widely available.  All parking is free.

Solvang wineries along Alamo Pintado Road provide ample parking to guests.

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