Interact and dine with the Santa Ynez Valley’s broad culinary community of local and guest chefs and winemakers
October 6th – (SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif.) — The Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is set to return, Nov. 3-6, after a two-year hiatus. A four-day, six-town celebration of the region’s bounty, Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is an immersive experience designed to serve as an introductory course to the region’s food and wine — and the people behind it.
More than 100 restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, breweries, distilleries, and entertainment venues will come together for nearly two dozen main and ancillary events set in and around the distinct communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley — Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Solvang, and Santa Ynez.
New this year, though, Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is the product of a partnership between Visit the Santa Ynez Valley and Sunset Magazine, bringing together two respected travel and lifestyle brands for one unique event. In addition, Feed the Valley, a local nonprofit fighting food insecurity, will be a beneficiary of the event.
“Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley celebrates everything that has made this region among the world’s most beloved wine country and food destinations and partnering with the West’s premier authority on travel and lifestyle will only make it better,” said Shelby Sim, President/CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, which is overseeing the event’s production. “The Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley offers something for everyone to enjoy, both visitors and locals alike. After two long years, we couldn’t be happier to be able to throw this celebration once again.”
Each day of the Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley will focus on specific communities in the region, beginning with a day in the charming Old West town and foodie haven of Los Alamos on Thursday, Nov. 3. The celebration ends on Nov. 6, with a celebration of the best of Solvang. The events will include wine tastings, special chef-driven dinners, vineyard experiences, horseback riding, charcuterie pairings, and much more.
The four-day celebration concludes with a performance by award-winning, platinum-selling country band, LANCO and Solvang tasting event at the, 700-seat, open-air, Solvang Festival Theater.
Importantly, 5% of all ticket sales for every Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley event will benefit Feed the Valley.
“We wanted to bring back Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley with a bang, and I think we’ve done it,” Sim said. “This will be an experience worth remembering for anyone who comes. And with Feed the Valley as a beneficiary, a good time will help do some good, too.”
The event includes an array of single- and multi-day ticket packages to fit a wide range of budgets. For more information on ticket packages and a full list of Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley events, dates, and times, visit www.tastesyv.com.
About the Santa Ynez Valley
Barely two hours from Los Angeles and a scenic four-hour drive from San Francisco, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with its own culture, vibe, and menu of experiences. Blanketed with fruitful farms and vineyards, the California Central Coast wine region’s temperate weather allows for year-round activities of all sorts, spread throughout the historical communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Destination dining and world-class wines await, accompanied by lodging at every level, all painted into atmospheric backdrops that colorfully mesh Old World and Old West. Visit more than 100 wineries, feast on chef-driven cuisine, and enjoy festive events and design details from Victorian-era to mid-century to modern Danish. For more information, including a listing of wedding venues, restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, and events, go to VisitSYV.com.
TASTE OF THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY
Thursday, Nov. 3
- Los Alamos Wine Tasting Reception at Ferrini Park, featuring Plenty on Bell, Maker’s Son, Dim Sama, Casa Dumetz, DoveCote, Foxen, Storm, Sweetzer Cellars, Lumen, and many more: 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
- Los Alamos Dinner Featuring Full of Life Flatbread, Bell’s, Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, PICO, Plenty, and Los Alamos Cookie Company: 6-8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5
- Breakfast Haywagon or Horseback Ride at Alisal Ranch: 7:15-10:30 a.m.
- Vineyard Hike and Tour with Winemaker Sonja Magdevski 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Vino Vaqueros Horseback Riding: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Ballard Canyon Wine and Food Pairing at the Ballard Inn: Noon-3 p.m.
- Los Olivos Wine Tasting Reception at the Coquelicot Tasting Room Courtyard, featuring Barbieri, Carhartt, Fess Parker, Gainey, Kaena, Luna Hart, Piazza, Refugio Ranch, Roblar, Rusack, Samsara, Stolpman, Tercero, Larner, with local bites: 4-5:30 p.m.
- Los Olivos Dinner Featuring Bar Le Cote, Nella Kitchen, Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café, First & Oak, and Enjoy Cupcakes: 6-8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 6
- Yoga in the Vineyard followed by wine tasting at Brave & Maiden: 10 a.m.-noon.
- Build Your Own Charcuterie Class and Demo by Community Clayworks and The Lucky Hen Larder at Brick Barn Wine Estate: 1-3 p.m.
- Buellton Tasting Reception at the Mendenhall Museum, featuring Barden, Buscador, Brick Barn, Folded Hills, Dorwood Distillery, Firestone Brewery, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Samsara, Zaca Creek Tavern, and many more: 4-5:30 p.m.
- Buellton Dinner at the Mendenhall Museum, featuring Industrial Eats, Hitching Post 2, Giorgio’s on the Parkway, and Pattibakes: 6-8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 7
- Guided E-bike Tour with Dr. J’s: 9:15 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
- Guided Hike on the Midland School Trail System: 8-10 a.m.
- Stolpman Hike with Wine Tasting: 9-11 a.m.
- Eat This, Shoot That: noon-2 p.m.
- LANCO Concert and Tasting at Solvang Festival Theater, featuring Peasants FEAST, Coast Range, Campo del Sol, Alma Rosa, Buttonwood, Dana V, Kalyra, Kaena, Lion’s Peak, Lucas & Lewellen, Margerum, Royal Oaks, Toccata, Clean Slate Wine Bar, and more: Local bites and wine tasting at 6 p.m., concert begins at 8 p.m.
