Santa Ynez Valley
Explore a cluster of picturesque small towns and vineyards, complete with high-quality restaurants and popular tasting rooms. Here are three of the best destinations in the area.
Sunstone Winery
You don’t need to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy a wine tasting at Sunstone. Here, you’ll find scenic spots to enjoy a picnic in Sunstone’s Provençal French-style courtyards. This Santa Ynez Valley vineyard is 100% sustainably grown and organic.
My favorite wine at the moment is Sunstone’s 2019 Grenache Rosé; to me, the wine captures the essence of a strawberry without being sticky-sweet.
Grand Ave, Los Olivos
For an excellent local farm-to-table meal (and more wine), look no further than Los Olivos Wine Merchant Cafe on Grand Ave. From there, it’s easy to explore the rustic four-block-long strip of boutiques and over 30 wine tasting rooms. Lounge on wooden porches while sipping wine in this ranch town; check out Saarloos and Sons for a particularly laid-back experience.
Bob’s Well Bread
I’d read a lot of hype about Bob’s Well Bread, so we went early Thursday morning to avoid weekend crowds. Brunch is indeed worth the drive, as is the fresh-baked artisan bread and French-style pastries. The town of Los Alamos is a chill escape with Old West vibes and plenty of great food and antique shopping to explore.
The Adventure Continues
Something fascinating about Santa Ynez Valley is that the area’s ambience can go from Old Western to Victorian to French within minutes. There’s plenty of interesting history in the area, including tales of local bandits, Hollywood stars, and olive farmers. So California, eh? I haven’t even mentioned the Danish town yet – coming up in my next post.
Love wineries! I think it would be cool if you might one day cover a local hand-crafted bourbon distillery, that is, if one exists in your region of the country.
Hi David! Your comment brings back fond memories of when I lived near the border of Tennessee and Kentucky. I’m sure I’ll pass through there again someday; in the meantime, if bourbon is your thing, then the Kentucky Bourbon Trail is definitely worth checking out! <https://kybourbontrail.com/>. You can even get a “passport” booklet – if you collect stamps from all distilleries, you receive an Official Kentucky Bourbon Trail Tasting Glass!
Wow ! This place looks so cute and beautiful with diverse activities to explore, I like it !! Do you have some great adresses to stay ( not to expensive !! 🙂 )
I will definitively go to the Bob’s Well Bread to discover those French pastries !
Thanks !
Hi Luana! If you want to stay in Los Alamos, I’d recommend The Alamo Motel <http://www.rememberthealamomotel.com/>. You might also be able to snag a good weekday deal at Skyview Los Alamos <https://www.skyviewlosalamos.com/>. If you’re looking to stay outside of Los Alamos to explore more of the Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang also has tons of accommodation options.