Over one year ago now we met up with friends from the Bay Area for a weekend trip. We had heard good things about the wine country in Santa Barbara County - and decided to give it a shot. We had a little bit of advice from friends about wineries to check out, but in general we were flying blind.
Saturday (Los Olivos & Solvang)
Road Music: DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
Epiphany Cellars
Right on the main drag in Los Olivos. It's the place with a big "E" sculpture out front. Nice tasting room cat. We thought the wine was okay - but did not experience any epiphanies while we were there. Experience: B- / Wine: C+.
Tensley Wines
Just around the corner from Epiphany. Tensley shares their room with Carina and it can be crowded. Lea, one of the owners was pouring. She was very helpful and friendly. The wine was tasty - especially the Pinot Noir.
Experience: B- / Wine: B+.
Dragonette Cellars
Further down street from Tensley. Luckily we were the only ones here, and John Dragonette was working behind the counter. He took great pride in sharing the wine, which was all awesome.
Experience: A- / Wine: A-.
Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards
The Lucas & Lewellen experience was the exact opposite of Dragonette. The place was packed with people, the tasting room attendees were more about getting people out as quickly as possible. The wine was subpar.
Experience: D+ / Wine: D+.
D'Alfonso-Curran Wines
Modern space right on the main road in Solvang. Tasting room attendants were nice and enthusiastic about the wine. Wine was very good. We really enjoyed the Gewurztraminer.
Experience: B+ / Wine: B+.
(April 2012 update - D'Alfonso-Curran have closed their Solvang tasting room, and are now hosting tastings at their winery on Santa Rosa Rd.)
Sunday (Highway 246)
Road Music: TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Melville Vineyards
On our way back home we decided to swing by one more place. After spending the previous day at in-town tasting rooms, it was nice to experience a tasting room located in a vineyard. Parking is right next to grape trellises. The tasting room is in a beautiful building. Though the overall space is sterile. The tasting room attendant was knowledgeable. All of the wine was top-notch.
Experience: B- / Wine: A-
Overall an excellent first trip. We were very happy with almost all of the wineries that we visited - which may explain why we are now committed visitors to this area. I'd recommend checking out the La Purisima Mission if you're up there. Its a huge complex and it is well-curated.
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