Iconic winery opens new tasting room in Solvang

Alma Rosa Winery has a new tasting room in Solvang.
Wine aficionados who are looking forward to spending some time during the Thanksgiving weekend wine tasting in Santa Ynez Valley will be happy to learn there’s a new tasting room in Solvang.
Alma Rosa Winery, a leading wine producer from Santa Barbara County’s Sta. Rita Hills, has opened a new location at 1623 Mission Drive, Suite M, in downtown Solvang.

“We are thrilled to welcome guests to our new space, which features expansive outdoor seating, which is perfect for enjoying our year-round gorgeous weather while tasting our small production, vineyard-designate wines,” said Debra Eagle, general manager.
“The area around us is emerging as a new culinary and hospitality epicenter in the Santa Ynez Valley, with several other winery tasting rooms, distilleries, excellent restaurants and boutique hotels opening within a few blocks of us, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

The tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tasting fees are $25 per person and include a selection of five wines, including winemaker Samra Morris’s debut vintage of Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
The new location shares its courtyard with like-minded businesses including Cailloux Cheese Shop, other wineries, a gelateria and a clothing boutique. Cheese plates from Cailloux Cheese Shop are available for purchase.

The iconic winery was founded in 2005 by Richard Sanford, who was the first to plant Pinot Noir in the Sta. Rita Hills in 1971. Today, the winery is owned by Bob and Barb Zorich, who purchased it in 1971.
“Alma Rosa Winery is dedicated to making Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines that express the terroir of its unique appellation, the Sta. Hills. Alma Rosa’s wines are layered, vibrant and balanced, reflecting the cool climate impact of the Pacific Ocean breezes which funnel through the unique east-west transverse mountain range of the region,” said Ms. Eagle.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
Alma Rosa Winery’s new tasting room is at 1623 Mission Drive, Suite M, in Solvang. Reservations are suggested, but walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call 805-691-9395 or visit www.almarosawinery.com.