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You probably know Santa Ynez Valley because of Solvang, the kitschy, Danish SoCal town outside of Santa Barbara. For many years, that — and a vague memory of stopping for beers at an 1800s saloon — was about the extent of my knowledge too. So when it started coming up more in conversation with travel industry friends, especially in tandem with ‘great food’ or ‘luxury hotel’ or ‘boutique wineries’ (all things I love), I started to pay attention. As expected, it its such a good place for a mini road trip. The valley is home to a cluster of small towns about 10-20 mins apart. Yes, Solvang, but also Los Olivos (the posh one), Santa Ynez (the cowgirl one), Los Alamos (the artsy up-and-coming one), Ballard (the tiny one), and Buellton (the industrial one). I love that each has their own vibe, it’s part of the fun. The region has also quietly been building a reputation as a creative, laidback region for wine, food, and great hospitality, which we set out to try. Near Los Alamos, we joined owner-winemaker Sonja Magdevski of Clementine Carter for a tasting of delicately balanced, Rhône-driven wines. Plus, her downtown tasting room is so fun and has great energy. I was equally blown away by the wines from Lumen. Winemaker Will Henry gave us a behind-the-scenes tour of his creative, minimal-intervention wines. I’m still thinking about the “Hey Ginger” (ginger? in a wine? it works!). Then, there’s the food. Before arriving I was most excited to try one-Michelin star, French bistro Bell’s. It was a lovely meal, but I ended our trip more excited to tell friends about Bar Le Côte, a seafood spot in Los Olivos, Highway Tacos, a taco truck outside Santa Ynez with the best tacos, and Priedite, a spot in Los Alamos doing Cali-style BBQ. Throw in a stay at the recently remodeled, retro motel Skyview (fun pool, beautiful garden, and vibey restaurant—It’s an impressive turnaround by the Nomada group) or the Victorian-inspired mansion, The Genevieve, and you’ve got a recipe for a great weekend away. I’m already plotting to go back.
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