Wine tour suggestions for Santa Ynez

December 5, 2019 7:53 AM

Partner and I are staying at the Chumash Resort for a little alone time while visiting CA for Christmas. We are inundated with Wine Tours! and are looking for some suggestions to cut through it all.

It will be just the two of us, so tours catering to large groups are out. We don't have specific wineries we want to visit but generally enjoy the activity and are open to quirky or weird ones. Bonus points for ones that offer great dining experiences as well. Any providers we should check out? We'll have a car, but given how we generally engage with this sort of activity, we would prefer to avoid using it.

posted by undercoverhuwaaah to Food & Drink (3 answers total)

It might sound cliché, but the Hitching Post is a must, for wine and dining (the wine-marinated mushrooms are the stuff of my dreams; also, I'm vegan, and they are happy to throw one of every vegetable on their hickory grill to make me a special veg platter and the end result is amazing). They make some of the best wine I've ever had, and it goes so well with food that it's a sin to pass through and not stop in.

I'm a fan of Bridlewood, too.

If you've experienced the high end crush of Napa and Sonoma, Santa Ynez is gonna feel like a relaxing breath of fresh air. It's all a little weird and funky. And stop in for a Danish and kitsch in Solvang while you're in the neighborhood.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 12:37 PM on December 5, 2019

Seconding Hitching Post, I love recommending their wines. This is a fun article for some winemakers in that region who are a little different and worth a visit.
posted by twentyfeetof tacos at 2:00 PM on December 5, 2019

I like Carhartt winery in Los Olivos-just down the road from the casino-for the relaxed atmosphere/gorgeous patio and the wine as well.

You could drive to Los Alamos and check out some of their tasting rooms-ive especially been interested in checking out Lo-fi, heard great things...and then you can walk down the street to Bob’s Well Bread for incredible pastries/sandwiches/etc. while you work on sobering up.

Feel free to DM me with more specific questions, I’m a local :)
posted by sparringnarwhal at 12:50 AM on December 6, 2019