Santa Barbara is the perfect place to spend a romantic day and explore the hidden gems in the hills as well as the downtown and coastal areas.
Book an all-day winery tour with Wine Edventures. They offer several tours, but the Grapes ‘N’ Hops Tour is a great way to see (and sample) three wineries plus a stop at a local brewery. For $105 + gratuity (per person), our tour included:
Brander Vineyard
- Tastings at three wineries (over 15 different wines for the day) – our tour included the Koehler Winery, Buttonwood Farm Winery, and The Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley of California
- Tasting and tour at the Figueroa Mountain Brewery in nearby Solvang, California
- Fresh, made-to-order picnic lunch (choice of freshly made sandwich or wrap, side salad, kettle chips, homemade cookie and bottled water)
- 19 oz. souvenir logo wine tasting glass for each of us
- Knowledgeable, friendly tour guide
- Door-to-door service from local Santa Barbara or Solvang hotels (Ventura pick-ups also available upon request) in a comfortable Sprinter van
Figueroa Mountain Brewery
Following our tour, we made our way to downtown Santa Barbara for a stroll through the shopping district before a spectacular dinner at Bouchon.
The restaurant was filled to capacity, but not overwhelmingly noisy. Dinner service was impeccable, servers attentive and engaging. Bouchon’s entire menu is sourced with local ingredients whenever possible. I was smitten with the maple-glazed California duck breast and confit of thigh served with a succotash of sweet corn, fava beans, applewood-smoked bacon, Windrose Farms butternut squash, and a port-thyme demiglace.
Bouchon’s wine list includes some of the finest locally-produced Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Our sommelier was happy to provide recommendations for our dinner selections.
If you have more than a day to spend, Santa Barbara has many special offers available: free museum admissions, package deals, two-for-one wine tastings, tour offers, and many more complimentary perks – these are just some of the offers that will help you experience The American Riviera® first-hand. Be sure to check here for details.
Thyme to Travel 