Solvang & Santa Ynez Valley Wine Tour: Small Group, 3 Wineries

Three artisan wineries in one morning, with lunch built in and a guide who knows the makers.

A guided wine tour through Santa Ynez Valley visiting three small, appointment-only wineries with barrel room tastings, chocolate and olive oil pairings, and a picnic lunch included. Groups stay under eight people, with pickup from Solvang, Buellton or Santa Ynez Valley hotels and rental homes. The tour runs about five hours, starting around 10:30am and returning by 4pm. Minimum age is 21 to taste wine.

Step-by-step itinerary

Small Group Wine Tour in Santa Ynez Valley

• Pick up in Buellton/Solvang area
• Visit first artisan winery
• Enjoy special barrel room tasting
• Chocolate pairing tasting
• Visit second artisan winery
• Olive oil tasting
• Picnic lunch with bottled water and snacks
• Visit third boutique winery
• One-on-one private wine tasting
• Receive 10% off wine purchase
• Return to pick up location

The experience

The tour picks you up from your hotel or rental home in the Solvang, Buellton or Santa Ynez Valley area around 10:30am and heads straight into the valley's three wine trails. Each stop is a small, artisan winery (the kind that does not advertise heavily and keeps appointments only), so you spend roughly an hour at each place without feeling rushed. The guide handles the route and the introductions. You taste what the winemakers pour and learn how they work.

Lunch arrives at one of the wineries: a picnic spread with bottled water and light snacks, eaten where you are tasting. Along the way, you get access to a special barrel room tasting at one stop, plus chocolate and olive oil pairings that change how the wine tastes. The last winery gives you 10% off any bottles you want to take home. The tour is built around the idea that you will find something worth buying and carrying back with you.

The vehicle is air-conditioned and holds a maximum of eight people, so the group stays small enough that the guide can answer questions without shouting over a crowd. Tasting fees are covered. You only pay for wine you choose to buy. Gratuities for the driver are cash at the end of the tour.

What’s included

• Tour guide leading the route and introductions at each winery.
• wine tasting fees at all three stops.
• a special barrel room tasting experience.
• chocolate and olive oil pairings.
• picnic lunch with bottled water and light snacks served at one of the wineries.
• hotel or rental home pickup and drop-off in the Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez Valley or Los Olivos areas.
• air-conditioned vehicle for the group.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 10:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (21 and older) · Under 21: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 29 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Artisan Excursion Wine Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you are traveling with a small group and want to spend real time at each winery instead of hitting a long list of stops. The five-hour window and the one-hour stay at each place mean you actually talk to the winemakers and taste deliberately, rather than rushing through a tasting room.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What kind of wineries do you visit on this Santa Ynez Valley tour?

The tour visits three small, artisan wineries that operate by appointment only and are not the large, well-known estates. Each specializes in a different style, and the guide introduces you to the winemakers or their staff at each stop.

Is lunch included in the Santa Ynez wine tour?

Yes, a picnic lunch with bottled water and light snacks is included and served at one of the wineries during your tasting time there.

How many people go on this wine tour at once?

Groups are capped at eight people per booking, keeping the experience small and allowing the guide to give attention to everyone.

Where does the tour pick you up?

Pickup happens in the Solvang, Buellton, Santa Ynez Valley or Los Olivos areas only, from your hotel or rental home around 10:30am.

What is the minimum age to join this wine tasting tour?

You must be at least 21 years old to taste wine on this tour.

Do you have to buy wine at the wineries?

The tour is designed for people looking to find artisan wine to take home, and the operator asks that you buy at least one bottle at each stop to support the local winemakers. The final winery offers 10% off purchases.