Los Olivos Promenade: Wine Tasting Made Easy

In the Santa Barbara Wine Country, Los Olivos makes wine tasting easy and fun at the Los Olivos Promenade. Here you can savor an array of Santa Barbara County Wine in one place!

The town of Los Olivos is small, charming, and historic which only adds to this lively experience.

Los Olivos: Small Town, Big HIstory

Los Olivos was originally a stop on the old-west stagecoach route. You can still see this history at Mattei’s Tavern. This historic landmark was built to offer passers-by a place to relax with a cold drink and a snack.

In the late 1880s, Rancho de Los Olivos was named for the 5,000 olive trees planted there and Los Olivos eventually became the town’s name when the railroad came through.

The best way to get the feel of the old-west experience is take a horseback ride with one of the many ranches in the area.

A Profusion of Santa Barbara Wine

The Los Olivos Promenade is one of the nine routes of Santa Barbara Wine Country. The Promenade has more than 30 wine tasting rooms within a five-block area. You can try just about any Santa Barbara Country wine you desire without traveling all nine trails.

The easiest way to get started on your tasting room adventure is to download the town map.

**view of the old barn at Coquelicot**

You might start at Coquelicot Estate Vineyard so you can choose among 13 different varieties of wines, all organically farmed. Bring along a sandwich from local favorite Panino and enjoy the balmy weather.

After lunch, wander over to Dragonette Cellars to taste small lot wines from vineyards in Happy Canyon. A stop at Stolpman Vineyards allows you to taste the limestone-based wines from Ballard Canyon. 

The Fess Parker Wine Country Inn treats you to Texas-sized hospitality and the Inn’s restaurant, called The Bear and Star, serves fresh food directly from the Fess Parker Home Ranch.

**Entrance to Fess Parker’s Tasting Room**

Up in the Air, With Wine

Consider starting your day high in the sky with a hot air balloon ride, taking in the gorgeous landscape of ranches and vineyards. Once you're on the ground, visit a few of the art galleries and specialty shops in town to see what gems you can uncover.

Taste at Bien Nacido & Solomon Hills Estate Wines to compare wines from two different vineyards. This is great way to learn how specific sites can produce different wines.

**view of Bien Nacido and Solomon Estate Vines**

For lunch, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café has local certified organic produce, a rustic ambiance, and, of course, Santa Barbara County wine. Two other tasting rooms to consider are Barbieri Wine Company for wines from a master sommelier and Brewer-Clifton which serves up wines from the Santa Rita Hills.

Stay at the Ballard Inn & Gathering Place in nearby Ballard for a country-style B&B experience and a gourmet foodie restaurant.

One Stop Wine Tasting

Spend some time on the Los Olivos Promenade where it’s convenient to try all that Santa Barbara County Wines have to offer.

**Winery directions along Los Olivos Promenade**