This past weekend saw the opening of our much-heralded wine bar - "Tastes of the Valleys (a Sideways Wine Bar) " in Solvang. Solvang is the epicenter of Santa Barbara County's wine country, bordered on the West by the famed Santa Rita Hills appelation, on the North by Santa Maria Valley appellation (including the Bien Nacido Vineyard) and on the East by Santa Ynez Valley. "We had a great...

Though traveling the wine road is a great way to make a living, it does not always offer luxury accommodations - I’ve warmed the sheets of every Hwy 101 flop house from Ventura to Mendocino.  Perhaps my most notable is the one pictured at left - the last motel I stayed in before haunting the guest room of my gracious Solvang business partner, Dorothy Brunton.  This Motel Six is in Buellton...

Forum: Wine Talk Posted By: Jeff Lander Post Time: 12-03-2007 at 07:34 PM

Forum: Wine Talk Posted By: Amy Otto Post Time: 01-20-2008 at 08:26 PM

Forum: Wine Talk Posted By: Shawn Salkeld Post Time: 07-21-2008 at 11:21 PM

Posted by Ken Zinns: Thanks for the tip - I'll have to be sure to stop next time I'm in the area. Where in Solvang is it located...

Forum: Food....and Wine Posted By: Denis von Banck Post Time: 06-11-2007 at 05:03 PM

It had to happen. The Academy Award winning wine related film, SIDEWAYS, has spun off an actual wine bar opening late January in Santa Barbara County. Called Tastes of the Valleys, a SIDEWAYS wine bar, this new Solvang based spot will begin by featuring wines from 15 Central Coast producers, pouring over 55 wines...

... hmmmmm - hadn't heard that - they have a tasting room in Orcutt and when I was there last they had plans to expand it. If there's something on tap for Solvang it's news to me. There's no mention of it on their website. It also appears I was mist...

Posted by Ken Zinns: Just saw that Stage 5 of this year's Tour of California cycling event will be a time trial starting in Solvang, heading north through Ballard and Los Olivos, then back south through Ballard Canyon to Solvang. It's this Friday 2/22. Anyone in the area going...