One Day For Wine Tasting in Los Olivos --- where do you go?

Oddly, not any recent threads on this topic — at least none with “Los Olivos” in the title.

Ashley and I will be visiting with four friends in a few weeks. We’ll have one day (a Friday) for wine tasting. Tercero is a given (Larry, I know you’re reading this — you will be getting a PM from me), but beyond that I don’t know. The group is largely wine-enthusiastic, but not obsessed/geeky like the average Berserker. Also, we will have our two young kids in tow, so that should be considered as I know some places frown on that.

No preference on varieties. Stylistic preference would lean more towards AFWE, relatively speaking.

Not “downtown” Los Olivos but Lompoc Wine Ghetto.
Especially, Arcadian and Joe Davis. A bunch of others in the same immediate area.

Palmina, Loring. Is Alma Rosa nearby?

Loring’s tasting room is on Hwy 246 next to the Hitching Post in Buellton. Alma Rosa’s tasting room is on Industrial Way in Buellton next to Eats. Beckman is outside Los Olivos. They used to have small picnic structures next to their pond. A nice place for lunch and the kids can play with the ducks.

Dragonette, Stolpman, Tensley

My ears were burning, my friend! :slight_smile: there are lots of choices in town, offering all kinds of things. One of the newest tasting rooms is Solminer - well worth checking out for something different. Then there are the other Usual Suspects as others have mentioned. Within a five minute drive of Los Olivos would be brander for sauvignon blanc especially and Beckman. You would need to drive further to hit any other place.

Awaiting that p.m., my friend.

I walked away from my computer earlier as I was typing 1) that I’d go to Tercero and then probably wherever Larry suggests, 2) that some of what I’ve read about Solminer has piqued my interest, and 3) that other options which come to mind would be to check in on Beckmen or Stolpman (or Fig Mountain for beer).

Seems like my post has become mostly redundant in the interim [cheers.gif]

Crawford Family and Dragonette. (Haven’t been to Tercero personally but have heard great things.)

Lompoc Wine Ghetto is happening the following day. Already have arrangements with Joe. [cheers.gif]

Surprise surprise!!! :wink:

I know … Astonishing!! [wow.gif] Riiiight? [wink.gif] [rofl.gif]

Solminer is interesting too, that’s cool that they have a tasting room now!

In Los Olivos, other than Tercero, I would go to Crawford Family and Samsara; if time permits, then of course go down to 246 and go to Loring! Then, if lots of time, go north to Andrew Murray (the Foxen Trail location).

Thinking the OP meant “downtown” tasting rooms in Los Olivos, all walking distance? The surprise of my last trip is how much I enjoyed the syrah from Tensley, especially the Colson canyon vineyard. I believe Andrew Murray has a tasting room in Los Olivos focused on the chard/pinot varietals. I think the vineyard itself focuses on the rhones. Do yourself a favor and pick up some hot deli sandwiches from the Los Olivos Grocery on the drive into the tasting rooms.

If you can drive a little outside of town, Beckman has some nice scenery and all, in addition to a pretty good mid priced lineup of wines. It might round out the wine ghetto and downtown wine tasting sites on your itinerary.

If we’re talking about the town of Los Olivos, in addition to seconding Tercero and Tensley, I’ll throw Blair Fox and Larner into the mix. Then again, I really like Syrah.

Larner is always a good visit, especially if you can meet Michael Larner - great guy who has a geology background so you can geek out with him if you’d like.

One more note - Brewer Clifton has taken over the old Byron/Nielsen spot so there is more pinot to be had in town, which is a nice thing indeed.

Cheers

I was going to suggest the Byron tasting room…very nice…but heard they were no longer there. So B-C is in Los Olivos? I’d second the A Murray tasting room north of town in the old Curtis Winery. They did a nice remodel job and were pouring some good wines the last time I was there. I was a big Murray fan back in the day, but got discouraged after many flawed bottles.

In downtown, I like Stolpman, some of my favorite wines. Along 246, Loring of course, but it is easy to get spread too thin if you go west of Buellton. Last trip I ran out of time on a Sunday afternoon. Foley is a nice facility, ditto the new Sanford. Lompoc seems like a day in itself.

If you go to Tercero, Larry will talk your ear off for hours and you won’t have time to visit anywhere else blahblah

James,

Since KJ owns BC now, and less and less folks seem to be making their way out to the Lompoc Ghetto in general, they felt it was a great way to spotlight the brand. I’m sure it’ll be successful. You can still taste the Byron/Nielsen wines in town - the Community Craft tasting room, which took over the old Fig Mtn space next to Samsara and the hot dog place, has become their ‘unofficial tasting room’ and offers tasting IIRC.

I would agree with the Andrew Murray tasting room in Los Olivos, outside of town. Andrew and Kristen have done a great job and Andrew’s making some killer wines - not for the AFWE at all, but really fun, well balanced wines IMHO, and Andrew is a wealth of knowledge if you can catch him.

Stolpman is also a great place to visit - and they always have some interesting wines. I’ve been a fan of their L’Avion for quite some time - though it needs a few years in bottle to ‘shed’ it’s oak prominence (at least to me).

Lots of other choices if you are going to go outside of Los Olivos for sure - if you hit Buellton, there are lots and lots of choices - Loring, Alma Rosa, Ken Brown, the new Brick Barn facility, Pence . . .

Cheers.