Los Olivos (Spanish for olive trees) is a small town full of wine-tasting rooms between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is the perfect stop for wine lovers on a California road trip or a Central California itinerary. Some of the best wineries in Los Olivos offer inexpensive wine tastings and delicious wines.
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History of Los Olivos
The first house in Los Olivos was built in 1880 by Aiden March Boyd. He also planted five thousand olive trees around the property. Throughout the 1880s, the Pacific Coast Railway expanded to the area and the town of El Olivar was founded.
It later became renamed Los Olivos as it transformed from a ranch town to the wine-tasting town it is today. Los Olivos became popular especially after the movie Sideways. Also nearby is Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.
How to Get to Los Olivos
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the closest major airport to Los Olivos. This airport gets in flights from all over the world and the United States. You will typically find the best deals if you fly into LAX. Santa Barbara also has a smaller airport if you are traveling domestically, but flights are typically more expensive.
To get to Los Olivos from the airport, you will need to hire a driver or rent a car. I recommend renting through Autoslash. From LAX and Santa Barbara, you will get on the 101 North until you get on the 154 North. After that, there will be signs for Los Olivos as you pass through the town. There is plenty of parking all over the place.
You could also book this shuttle from Santa Barbara to the Santa Ynez Valley.
Where to Stay Near Los Olivos
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Los Olivos hotels here!
There are a few smaller boutique hotels in Los Olivos, but they are not very budget-friendly. I recommend staying nearby in Buellton or Lompoc. Hotels there are usually pretty reasonable especially when booked in advance. The following are some of my favorite hotels in the area.
- Pea Soup Anderson’s Inn
- Santa Ynez Valley Marriott
- Embassy Suites Lompoc
- O’Cairns Inn and Suites
- Hilton Garden Inn Lompoc
Best Wineries in Los Olivos
Blair Fox Cellars
Cost: $25
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 12pm-5pm, Fri-Sat: 12pm-6pm
Best Wine: Foxy Bubbles
This boutique winery is owned by Blair and Sara Fox and was established in 2001. In 2008, the winery won its first award. They make a lot of Syrahs, but also have several other types of wines. It is a small and organic vineyard, so you will not find their wines anywhere else. A tasting here is $25 for 5 wines or 3 sparkling wines.
Coquelicot Estate Vineyard Tasting Room
Cost: $15
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11am-5pm, Fri-Sat: 11am-6pm
Best Wine: Carbonic Sangiovese
Coquelicot is an organic vineyard that was planted in 1997. They do not use any harsh chemicals in their wine-making process and pride themselves on their natural wine. A tasting here only costs $15 a person and there are a couple of different flights you can choose from or sometimes they let you build your own. No matter what, there are a ton of fun wines to try.
Dragonette Cellars
Cost: $25
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir
Dragonette is one of the higher-end best wineries in Los Olivos. While they have a tasting room in Los Olivos, you can also visit their winery in Buellton. They have a wide variety of Pinot Noirs, all of which are delicious. With a tasting here, you get to try 5 different wines (and sometimes with a bonus pour or two).
Dreamcôte Wine Co.
Cost: $20
Hours: Thus-Mon: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Carbonic Pinot Noir
Dreamcôte is a small producer of low-sulfur carbonic wines (this usually means you will not get headaches drinking the wine). It started in 2012 and has since then created many fun varietals. Many of these wines are the perfect summer wines. A tasting here will get you a sample of 5 wines and sometimes a cider (if they have it).
Holus Bolus & The Joy Fantastic
Cost: $20
Hours:Fri-Wed: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: The Joy Fantastic Pinot Noir Swan Clone
Holus Bolus is owned by Amy and Peter who started Holus Bolus in 2005. They produce many small batches of wines for very reasonable prices. A tasting here gets you 5 samples which rotate depending on what they have open that day. Their small-batch wines make it one of the best wineries in Los Olivos to stop at.
Solminer
Cost: $15
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Carbonic Syrah and Red Blend
Solminer, established in 2012 is one of the best wineries in Los Olivos. This biodynamic and organic winery incorporates animals and native plants into the growing environment to make the wines more natural. Solminer had so many delicious and unique wines, that will leave you wanting more. A tasting costs $15 for 5 tastes which I found a very reasonable price.
Stolpman Vineyards
Cost: $20
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: La Cuadrilla Red Blend
Stolpman is another one of the best wineries in Los Olivos. It has been around for over 20 years. I recommend making a reservation online as their adorable patio gets busy. Tastings cost $20 a person and you get to taste 6 different wines. They do some regular wines as well as some carbonic wines.
Tensley
Cost: $10
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Syrah and Fundamental Chardonnay
Tensley, established in 1998, has now grown to a 5,000-case production. It is one of the best wineries in Los Olivos as they produce a variety of wines. They are mostly known for their “fundamental line.” This line is priced at $18 a bottle and is so delicious. A tasting runs at a reasonable $10 for 5 tastes.
Liquid Farm, Tercero Wines, Future Perfect Wine, and Kaena Wine Co are other best wineries in Los Olivos that have been recommended to me, but I have not yet had the chance to try them.
Where to Eat in Los Olivos
Los Olivos does not have a ton of places to eat, so I recommend bringing a picnic lunch with you. Most of the tasting rooms do not mind if you bring your own food to enjoy during the wine tasting.
If you do not bring food with you, Panino is a cute sandwich shop where you can pre-order online. For seafood lovers, Bar Le Cote is a popular option. Nella Kitchen and Bar has also been recommended to me multiple times. Their menu changes seasonally and serves a variety of pizzas and other dishes.
Final Thoughts on the Best Wineries in Los Olivos
Los Olivos should be a part of any Central Coast itinerary. If you have more time, make sure to check out the other wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Maria. Paso Robles is also not too far and has some fabulous wineries as well.
