Solvang, a delightful city in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, is chock full of fun and exciting things happening every day. It has fantastic hotels, restaurants, wine and beer tasting, and a host of unusual things to do, like trotting through town in a horse-drawn trolley, soaring in a glider over spectacular vineyards or braving a challenging escape room.
Recently, one of the many fine tasting rooms impressed us while exploring places for Keys 2 the Coast to brag about. Sanger Family of Wines, owned by Jane and Bill Sanger and partner Brett Escalera at 1584 Mission Drive, is worth visiting for a tasting you won’t want to miss.
The portfolio includes three fantastic wines: Consilience, Marianello and last, but certainly not least, Tre Anelli. They will all delight the most discriminating taster.
Mediterranean-Inspired Wines
Since 1999, which was the year of Consilience’s release, the Sanger Family’s fine wines have been inspired by the Mediterranean approach to food and life. In order to share the bounty and pleasure of the Central Coast’s wine tradition, Jan and Bill brought the three wineries together and they all evoke an Old World wine experience.
The Sanger Family of Wines produce wine from 20 locally grown grape varieties. They make an Albarino, which is a medium-bodied grape that pairs well with seafood and poultry. Their Barbera is known for its smoothness, enabling it to stand up well to grilled food or pasta with red sauce.
For the ultimate spicy food or steak wine, they have a Cabernet Sauvignon, which is probably the best recognized grape variety in the United States.
The Perfect Pairing
Other varietals include a Dolcetto, which goes well with pizza or pasta dishes. Nebbiolo always pairs perfectly with mushrooms and other savory and hearty dishes.
Sanger Family of Wines makes an excellent Petite Sirah, perhaps one of my personal favorites. It is scrumptious with lamb, ribs or steak, right off the barbecue.
While there is no shortage of great wines on the California’s Central Coast, this family-owned winery sets itself apart as a quintessential American small business. From quality control to customer service, Sanger Family of Wines takes great pride in every aspect of its industrious enterprise.
The charming and modern tasting room in Solvang is one of the newest in town, but it’s also one of the most attractive. Spacious, clean and well-lit with tastefully punctuated, comfortable furniture, the room is a must-visit if you’re going to spend a day wine tasting in the Valley.
Olive Oil Tasting
To add to this already high-value experience, visitors also can enjoy a quality olive oil tasting, thanks to the company’s 11-acre olive grove.
I’ve taken advantage of this opportunity more than a few times and can confidently say it is some of the best tasting olive oil I’ve ever had. When you dip a piece of freshly baked bread in a dish of their exquisite Marianella Lucca olive oil, your taste buds will be singing.
It is also excellent drizzled over grilled chicken and beef. Their delightful staff is happy to suggest their favorites to try before you buy.
People Power
Brett Escalera, who is also Sanger’s winemaker, is a friendly host, a great conversationalist and a consummate professional in his own right. Having grown up on the Central Coast, he graduated from Carpinteria High School and began making wine in 1985, which led to the creation of Consilience and Tre Anelli wines.
Since then, he has expanded his winemaking portfolio to include an impressive array of locally grown wines from Rhone, Burgundian, Italian and Spanish varieties, all of which are labels under the Sanger Family of Wines.
So, be sure to put them on your list of must-visit tasting rooms. The setting is delightful, the staff is awesome, the wines are superb and you will definitely want to come back.
My guess is that you will head home from Solvang with a few extra bottles of wine and a bag full of delicious pastries or Solvang’s world famous butter cookies.
— Donna Polizzi is a travel writer and founder of Keys 2 the Coast, a trusted travel resource for the Central Coast and beyond, including sharing favorite places to “Wine, Dine and Explore.” She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Connect with Keys 2 the Coast on Facebook. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.