The Santa Ynez Valley is located just north of Santa Barbara, California. The towns of Los Olivos, Solvang, Buellton, Ballard, and Santa Ynez make up the region. Next to the Santa Ynez Valley lies the Sta. Rita Hills. The Sta. Rita Hills is a small area located between Lompoc and Buellton and is considered part of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA. This smaller wine region produces tons of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills makes for the perfect central coast escape.
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How to Get to the Santa Ynez Valley
The closest airport to the Santa Ynez Valley is in Santa Barbara. It takes 40 minutes to get to the Santa Ynez Valley from Santa Barbara. However, that airport is small and flights there can be expensive. Although it is a longer drive, to save money, I recommend flying into Los Angeles International Airport. It takes about 2 hours 15 minutes to get from Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez Valley.
You could also book this shuttle from Santa Barbara to the Santa Ynez Valley or check out this Santa Ynez Sidecar Wine Tour.
When to Visit the Santa Ynez Valley
There is no wrong time to visit the Santa Ynez Valley. Depending on which season you visit, you will get a totally different experience. Summertime may be hot and slightly more crowded, but it offers the fullest and greenest vineyards. Fall brings fall colors and the harvest season. During wintertime, it will be much colder and the vines will be bare. Spring is always a great time to visit, as the summertime crowds will not have hit yet and the weather will be gorgeous.
Where to Stay in the Santa Ynez Valley
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Santa Ynez Valley hotels here!
There are many places to stay in the Santa Ynez Valley. If you want to be close to wineries and not have to drive too far, opt to stay in the small town of Los Olivos. Here, the downtown area has over 25 tasting rooms. You could also opt to stay in Solvang or Buellton. If you plan on focusing more on the Sta. Rita Hills wine area, opt to stay in Lompoc.
Transportation around the Santa Ynez Valley
To get around when wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley, you will need a car. I recommend using Autoslash to get your rental car as they usually have the best prices. When in Los Olivos, you can park the car for the day and walk around to the wineries there.
Best Wineries to Go Wine Tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley
Brewer-Clifton
Location: Sta. Rita Hills (Lompoc)
Cost: $25
Hours: 10am-3pm
Best Wine: Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Brewer-Clifton is a cute little winery in the Sta. Rita Hills area. Their tasting room is in an industrial complex but you can get up close and personal with the wine-making process. They started in the 1990s and continue to produce a lot of different Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Here you can get a tasting of 5 wines for $25. Make sure to reserve a spot ahead of time as space is limited. We were lucky enough to visit right after harvest and got to see the grapes being crushed in their vats.
Fess Parker Winery
Location: Santa Ynez Valley
Cost: $15-$25
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Bien Nacido Syrah
Fess Parker Winery is one of the most popular wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley. The 714-acre ranch was bought in 1988 by Fess Parker, a popular actor at the time. Present-day, the family continues to run it as a successful winery and inn. A tasting costs $15 or $25 depending on which flight of 5 wines you would like. They are most popular for the Chardonnays.
Sanford Winery
Location: Sta. Rita Hills (Lompoc)
Cost: $30
Hours: 10am-4pm
Best Wine: La Rinconada Pinot Noir
Sanford Winery is one of the most popular wineries in the Sta. Rita Hills. Here you can get 6 tastings for $30/person. A tasting typically takes about 60 minutes. They have a gorgeous tasting room and vineyard area to walk around in. This is a great place to bring a picnic lunch and chill for a while.
Spear Vineyards and Winery
Location: Sta. Rita Hills (Lompoc)
Cost: $25
Hours: Wed-Thurs: 11am-5pm, Fri-Sun: 10am-5pm and Mon: 10am – 3pm, Closed Tuesdays
Best Wine: Estate Pinot Noir
Spear Winery is one of my favorite places to go wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. This gorgeous winery is a small family owned and sustainable winery. They only produce 3 varietals: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah. All of their wines are amazing and I have not had a bad wine from them. Their tasting experience lasts 45 minutes. If you buy 3 bottles, the tasting fee is waived.
Solminer
Location: Santa Ynez Valley (Los Olivos)
Cost: $15
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Carbonic Syrah and Red Blend
Solminer is a newer winery to visit when wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley. It was established in 2012. What makes them unique is that they are a biodynamic and organic winery. This means that they incorporate animals and native plants into the growing environment to make the wines more natural. Solminer had so many delicious and unique wines, it was hard to choose a favorite. A tasting costs $15 for 5 tastes which I found very reasonable.
Stolpman Vineyards
Location: Santa Ynez Valley (Los Olivos)
Cost: $20
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: La Cuadrilla Red Blend
Stolpman is another great winery with a tasting room located 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.
Tensley
Location: Santa Ynez Valley (Los Olivos)
Cost: $10
Hours: 11am-5pm
Best Wine: Syrah and Fundamental Chardonnay
Tensley was established in 1998 and has now grown to a 5,000 case production. They produce a variety of wines, but are well 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, especially when wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Tips for Saving Money When Wine Tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley
Do your research on wineries. There are some awesome wineries out there that you do not need to pay lots of money to taste at and some are even free! Many wineries even let you split tastings.
Go to Costco to get some bottles of wine. They usually have tons of local wines and you do not need a membership to buy wine there. Albertsons and Stater Brothers usually have a good price as well.
Buy wine in bulk from the wineries to get a case discount and split with friends and family (or stock up for presents). Also, many wineries waive your tasting fee if you buy a bottle or two.
Other Wineries to visit in the Santa Ynez Valley
There are so many places to go wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Sta. Rita Hills. Sandhi and Mellville, are other popular wineries in the area. Also, make sure to check out the cute Dutch town of Solvang.
Interested in other California wine regions? Near the Santa Ynez Valley is Paso Robles, which is the perfect place for a weekend getaway. You could also pair this with a trip to Los Angeles where there are many cheap things to do. No matter what, California has a ton of wine tasting and road trip options.
