Santa Ynez Valley prepares for four-day culinary celebration
Participants enjoy the Los Alamos Wine Tasting Reception and Dinner in 2019. It’s part of the “Taste of Santa Ynez Valley,” which returns this Thursday for the first time since 2019.
After a hiatus since 2019, the “Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley” is set to return from Thursday through Nov. 6.
A four-day, six-town celebration of the region’s bounty, “Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley” is designed to serve as an introductory course to the region’s food and wine and the people behind it.
More than 100 restaurants, wineries, tasting rooms, breweries, distilleries and entertainment venues will come together for nearly two dozen main and ancillary events set in and around the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley — Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Solvang and Santa Ynez.
New this year, though, is a collaboration. “Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley” is the product of a partnership between Visit the Santa Ynez Valley and Sunset Magazine, bringing together two respected travel and lifestyle brands for one unique event.
Among the activities will be a breakfast hay wagon or horseback ride at Alisal Ranch, yoga in the vineyard followed by wine tasting at Brave and Maiden, build your own charcuterie class and demo by Community Clayworks and The Lucky Hen Larder at Brick Barn Wine Estate and a guided hike on the Midland School Trail System.
In addition, Feed the Valley, a local nonprofit fighting food insecurity, will be a beneficiary of the event. Five percent of all ticket sales will benefit Feed the Valley.
“ ‘Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley’ celebrates everything that has made this region among the world’s most beloved wine country and food destinations, and partnering with the west’s premier authority on travel and lifestyle will only make it better,” said Shelby Sim, president/CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley, which is overseeing the event’s production. “The ‘Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley’ offers something for everyone to enjoy, both visitors and locals alike. After two long years, we couldn’t be happier to be able to throw this celebration once again.”
Each day of the celebration will focus on specific communities in the region, beginning with a day in the charming Old West town and foodie haven of Los Alamos on Thursday. The celebration ends Nov. 6 with a celebration of the best of Solvang.
The events, which will include wine tastings, special chef-driven dinners, vineyard experiences, horseback riding, charcuterie pairings and much more, will conclude with a performance by award-winning, platinum-selling country band, LANCO, and tasting at the 700-seat, open-air, Solvang Festival Theater.
“We wanted to bring back ‘Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley’ with a bang, and I think we’ve done it,” Mr. Sim said. “This will be an experience worth remembering for anyone who comes. And with Feed the Valley as a beneficiary, a good time will help do some good, too.”
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
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For more information on ticket packages and a full list of “Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley” events, dates, and times, visit www.tastesyv.com.
