My husband and I are visiting the Santa Barbara wine country next weekend (staying in Solvang). Does anyone have any favorite wineries they would recommend? We're not wine experts so we're not particular. I do love dessert wines so if anyone has any good recommendation for that I'd appreciate it as well. Thanks so much!

Fess Parker - was in the movie Sideways
Cambria
Au Bon Climate
Zaca Mesa

I know there are several more out there but these are the ones that come to mind.

Gainey for the Triada and Arthur Earl for the Syrah. I've heard great things about Sunstone. Maybe Moneygirl will see this and respond. She helped me with our visit last December. Cheers! Check out the Los Olivos Cafe for nice dinner. Really yummy lamb shanks here. ***kim***

http://www.latimes.com/features/food...headlines-food

Recent story in the LA Times,Food Section, touring this area.

Agree on Gainey, and we also enjoyed Firestone.

I'll play! Lucas Lewellen, Sanford, Zaca Mesa, look for wines that talk about grapes grown at Bien Nacido... those are the best grown around here. Bridlewood has a beautiful property and tasting room not far from Gainey. Go to santamariawine trail.com and santaynezwine trail.com for maps and descriptions and addresses. try to have lunch or dinner at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos... an old stagecoach stop. Everything on the menu is worth a taste! Enjoy!

If you get to Zaca Mesa and can spend a little time and energy hiking one of the short trails at the winery up the hill, you will have a agreat look-out of the valley!

I will second the recommendation of Arthur Earl. Their tasting room is in the village of Los Olivos on the main street - basically opposite the Fess Parker's Wine Country Inn.

For some reason I enjoyed Fess Parker's Winery more than Firestone, but they were both good, too.

Oh, and if you care for sweet dessert wines, there is a tasting room right outside the door of Arthur Earl's, the name of which escapes me right now, but they did have some good stuff (even some Port I seem to recall that was up to par with what I had tasted earlier in Lisbon's Portwine Institute)!