Veni, Vidi, Vino in Santa Barbara Wine Country
When you work from home, sometimes a change in scenery is welcome. Away from Home is Home-Werk’s semi-regular column exploring travel and Getaways. This mid-week, we explored the Santa Ynez Valley from our basecamp in Solvang. Read on for our guide on where to stay, eat and tipple.
Since Sideways came out in 2004, Santa Barbara wine country has been elevated from “California’s third wine region,” languishing in the shadows of Napa and Sonoma, to become its own distinctive destination and one of the most celebrated wine regions in North America, boasting over 300 wineries and a six different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Just two hours north of Los Angeles, and about four hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to six distinct towns each with their own character. Yes, the Pinot is wonderful. But there’s so much more to see and experience.
Where to Stay
Solvang was established in 1911, when a group of Danish-Americans arrived in the Santa Ynez Valley from the Midwest to set up a colony in sunny California. It was only in the 1940s, however, that the idea of making Solvang look like a Danish village took shape. Known for as the “Danish Capital of America,” Solvang makes the perfect basecamp for day tripping around the Santa Ynez Valley, being centrally located between Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, and Los Alamos. While it feels a bit like an Epcot version of Denmark, Solvang is irresistibly charming if you know where to look.
The Winston Hotel
The Winston Hotel is the newest property from Highway West Vacations (who also own the famous windmill hotel in Buellton now known as the Sideways Inn). The14-room hotel, which opened in August 2020, is located in Solvang’s Old Mill Clock Tower and occupies a prime location across from Solvang Park. Just off the main drag, it’s walking distance to all of the town’s main attractions. Carved out of an antique mall, it features a warren of unique rooms arranged around a main lobby and a guest lounge (which includes an honor bar). The rooms and public spaces are outfit with pieces curated from around the world, giving the spaces an eclectic, bohemian vibe. With invisible touch service, guests check directly into their rooms via customized numeric codes. Text your preferred breakfast time to your personal concierge and it’s dropped off at your door, complete with fresh croissants baked in-house. We stayed in the Clocktower Suite. Creatively-appointed and generously-sized, it’s unique clock tower windows have deep sills, perfect for a quick conference call. We were tempted to try the Goop clay masks in the bathroom’s array of upscale skincare, beauty and bath products but our schedule was so packed we forgot. Parking is located downstairs, in the building’s courtyard.
The Vinland Hotel and Lounge
Down the street, on the way to Buellton, is the Vinland Hotel and Lounge, The Winston’s modern sister property. Designed in muted gray with pops of red, the rooms have a certain continental flair. The 82-room hotel opened its doors in late May 2020 with a clean, modern design, elevating the traditional Solvang hotel experience. Hotel amenities include a heated pool and hot tub, a cold brew coffee bar, and partnerships with local wineries, providing guests who book the hotel’s top suites with exclusive perks and experiences at nearby vineyards. The on-site restaurant V Lounge delivers fresh and delicious California fare. The wines are local, the beers are craft, and the cocktails are intriguingly innovative. Order up a cocktail and some Danish meatballs and sit by the pool while you catch up on emails between tastings.
The Landsby
Don’t miss The Landsby which was remodeled and re-imagined in 2015 by Venice-based designers Studio Collective. Taking up residence in the former Petersen Village Inn, the Landsby (which means ‘the village’) was part of an initial wave of new developments in Solvang. Studio Collective plays up the 41-room property’s original Scandinavian roots mixing warm blonde wood with white oak flooring and brushed satin finishes. The Mad + Vin on-site bar and restaurant serves up delectable craft shrub cocktails and wine-country inspired fare by Chef Beto Huizar.
Where to eat
The Santa Ynez Valley looks like we imagine Napa must’ve been like a few decades ago. The rolling countryside, dotted with wineries and little wine boroughs, offers a sense of discovery minus the industrial vibes of its northern cousins. And with the ever-increasing number of groundbreaking vintners comes a wave of culinary adventurers. All we can say is: wear loose clothing and get ready to indulge in the best of farm-to-table, nose-to-tail cuisine. Not coincidentally, all of these featured eateries are run by husband-and-wife teams.
The cheesy polenta at Peasant’s Feast gets it depth from a broth made from cheese rinds.
Peasant’s FEAST
Let’s start in Solvang. Once you land at The Winston, just nip over to Peasant’s FEAST, a new nose-to-tail eatery opened by husband-and-wife team Michael and Sarah Cherney in March 2020, the week before the lockdown was announced. Located in a charming glass greenhouse on Atterdag Road that used to be a florist’s shop, Peasant’s FEAST reminded us of Torvehallerne, the upscale glass market in the center of Copenhagen. At the time of this story, the generous exterior patio has been reopened. It’s a great spot for people watching. Chef Michael Cherney, originally from LA, came to Solvang by way of Ortolan, under a tenure with the legendary Joel Robuchon at L’Atelier in Las Vegas. He also helped to open Mesa Burger for Iron Chef Cat Cora. Peasant’s FEAST was originally a catering company which allowed Chef to forge connection to the local community. Now, with their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, the Cherneys celebrate the bounty that The Santa Ynez Valley has to offer. The menu, which changes seasonally and features wild game, elevates simple ingredients to soaring new heights. The mushroom cappuccino is served in a mug topped with a mushroom foam. Use a spoon to get a complete bite of meaty roasted mushrooms, a perfectly poached duck egg, and creamy parsley puree. It’s a textural symphony that hits all the right notes. The rabbit tacos are enrobed in a mole courtesy of the sous-chef, who shared his secret family recipe; the braised tongue torta is a masterful play on the simple sandwich. Served on a bolillo roll, the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender. Even if you think you don’t like tongue, this will make you a convert. And don’t get us started on the polenta. In a word, it’s life-changing. Seriously. The secret, we think, is in the broth, which uses cheese rinds to give it depth. What’s offered as a side dish becomes the main show; an unctuous, creamy celebration of corn. Take us back to that polenta, please!
Pico Restaurant
A quick drive up a bucolic101, which looks nothing like the freeway that barrels through LA, brings you to Los Alamos; the hundred year old town is quickly becoming a culinary destination. Dinner at Pico suggested why. Founded by winemaker Will Henry of Lumen Winery and his wife and restauranteur, Kali Kopley, it’s carved out of the town’s former general store building and named for Solomon Pico, cousin to Pio Pico, the last governor of Mexican California and, it’s rumored, the inspiration for the legendary Zorro. To complete the setting’s story of the Old West as seen through the eyes of Hollywood, the chef’s name is John Wayne. His wife, Liz Formica, serves as head sommelier. We’ll go into more detail of our unforgettable dinner over at Grain of Salt, but for now just know that the Stuffed Avocado Crudo was one of the best dishes we’ve eaten in a long time. The seemingly simple dish, consisting of a perfectly ripe avocado sliced no fewer than thirteen times, a stuffing of freshly minced spicy ahi tuna and a yuzu ponzu dashi broth, sent us straight to heaven. Damn.
Bell’s
Also located in Los Alamos, Bell’s is the family-run, French-inspired bistro from Food & Wine “Best New Chef” Daisy Ryan. Ryan and her husband Greg, who cut their teeth at a slew of NYC restaurants settled into an historic former bank building. Their classic French bistro cooking, paired with an eclectic award-winning wine list, quickly earned a devoted following. They were one of only twelve Southern California eateries to be Michelin-designated as “Discoveries” in 2020. Like French Laundry up in Napa, you’ll need to reserve your table in advance. Get on it now for July!
Good Seed Coffee and Bakery
Back in Solvang, don’t miss coffee at Good Seed. Located on the main street, it’s the perfect place to post up and get some work done while you people-watch and caffeinate. The shop's menu offers specially crafted brew and clean-eating treats. The coffee is small-batch roasted and the baked goods are all organic with vegan and gluten-free options. Founded by yet another power couple, Good Seed was founded, conceived and designed by locals Brad and Leyla Williams who wanted to elevate the coffee experience. Brad, a Q-Grader (similar to a wine sommelier) and a local coffee roaster, focuses on small-batch roasting with rare coffee seeds. Leyla spearheads their specialty baking shop (including three-day sourdough loaves that need to be pre-ordered). The Williams are in the process of finishing up a new industrial kitchen and workshop space, in a building inspired by the shape of honeycombs (see below), where master baker Leyla will offer classes in collaboration with other local artisans. From bread to candles, fermentation to cooking, the Williams’ share their passion for community, connection and craftsmanship. More on that later this summer!
Sear Steakhouse
Before leaving Solvang, be sure to stop for dinner at Sear Steakhouse, a new player in what is arguably becoming an increasingly crowded culinary scene in the Santa Ynez Valley. Housed in a 100+ year old building, this new farm-to-table restaurant is the brainchild of Demetrios Loizides and his wife Karen who were captivated by the Santa Ynez Valley which holds such similarities to Demetrios’ parents’ childhood village in Paphos, Cyprus. When they met a well-traveled chef-turned-mixologist, Alberto Battaglini, a partnership formed that would bring their steakhouse dream to fruition. The pandemic also turned out to have a silver lining, allowing them to fully renovate and build out their dream restaurant. At the time of our visit, only the Sear Farm Salad was totally sourced from the Loizides farm, but the ultimate goal is to have as much of the produce as possible sourced from their farm. All meats are sourced from the local area. Top picks on the menu have to be the Spicy Margarita (which might seem mundane until you taste the sublime chili ice) and the crab cakes. Indulge your inner caveman with the monster Tomahawk.
Where to Taste
With over 300 wineries throughout the Santa Ynez Valley, wine tasting is an Olympic sport here. Here’s a small selection of the wineries we were able to try during our whirlwind 72 hour trip. Our tastes tend to lean biodynamic but forge your own path when you go!
Liquid Farm
We whiled away one lovely afternoon in Los Olivos sitting on the back patio at Liquid Farm. While Liquid Farm does not have its own terroir or vineyards, they liken themselves to painters who use the Valley’s varied palette of grapes to mix the perfect bottles for discerning palates that favor Old World-inspired wines. These alchemists consistently create liquid gold. Their wines are clean, crisp, and nimble. We’ll go into greater detail over on Grain of Salt but for now, our favorite was definitely the rose created from Mourvédre with a sprinkling of Grenache. It’s a bright and happy wine, perfect for playing midweek hooky from work.
Carhartt Family Wines
Down the street, Carhartt Family Wines offers direct-to-consumer wines on a lovely, covered outdoor patio. Their tasting room is the only place to taste and purchase their wines. About 50% of the fruit comes from the estate, with the other half sourced from local vineyards throughout the Santa Ynez Valley. Mike Carhartt is head wine grape grower, with mother/son team, Brooke and Chase Carhartt, making the wine.
Solminer
Founded by husband-wife team Anna and David De Laski, Solminer is one of the few tasting rooms to pour natural wines in Los Olivos. They focus on Austrian wines like Gruner Veltliner and the lesser known Blaufränkisch. We also couldn’t resist picking up a bottle of their skin-contact orange Gruner Veltliner. The De Laskis founded their vineyard and farmhouse in 2012 and named it “deLanda”. A bustling melange of chickens, donkeys, sheep, bees, fruit trees, native plants, biodynamic compost, preparations and herb teas support the microorganisms in the dirt, ensuring the health of the vineyard. Certified organic in 2014 and Biodynamic® in 2018, deLanda reflects the family’s beliefs, their evolution as farmers and their desire to produce natural wines using varietals related to their Austrian heritage.