Tickets remain available for the annual Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley, which is set to take place across six small towns Oct. 2-5.
The four-day celebration offers a culinary exploration of the region’s food, wine and more — and the people behind it all — in what has morphed into a favorite celebration.
Organized by Visit the Santa Ynez Valley and Sunset Magazine, the festival highlights each of the region’s six communities — Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez and Solvang — with curated experiences that bring out the unique character of each.
From communal dinners to outdoor adventures and one-of-a-kind wine tastings, more than a dozen main and additional events showcase what makes the Santa Ynez Valley such a popular culinary and wine destination.
Tickets are available by clicking here.
New this year will be a dinner in Solvang, home to several of the Santa Ynez Valley’s top eateries.
Served on a grand, long communal table on Copenhagen Drive, each course of the exclusive, family-style dinner on Oct. 4 will be prepared by chefs from three Michelin-recognized restaurants — Peasants FEAST, Coast Range and Whiskey & Rye — as well as the newer Gathering Table.
“This is our fifth year of Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley, and we could not be prouder of its growing success,” said Shelby Sim, president/CEO of Visit the Santa Ynez Valley.
“The collaborative region-specific dinners have become the stars of the fall festival,” and he expects the dinners will sell out.
“This year, we will host a dinner at the rarely open historic Union Hotel in Los Alamos on Thursday, Oct. 2,” he said.
Also new this year will be Sunday morning brunch at the Brick Barn Wine Estate that will feature Sta. Rita Hills wines and Buellton bites from the Hitching Post 2 and Giorgio’s at Parkway, among other restaurants.
This year’s event will close with a collaborative dinner on a long table outside the new Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center on Oct. 5.
Set against the backdrop of the 14,000-square-foot museum, Sunday’s dinner will feature cuisine from top Santa Ynez restaurants — among them Lucky Hen Larder, Willows at the Chumash Casino Resort and Ellie’s Catering Co. A welcome wing tasting and reception will precede the dinner.
“Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley is not just about world-class food and wine — though there’s plenty of that. It’s about the character of our towns, the warmth of our people and the deep cultural history that runs through everything we do,” Sim said.
In addition to the dinners will be wine tastings, vineyard experiences, zipline adventures, horseback riding, a ceramics class and more.
All official Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley events are ticketed and must be purchased in advance. Prices range from $35 for a walk and wine-tasting experience through the rolling Zaca Mesa Vineyard to $180 for the communal dinners in Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Solvang and at the Chumash Museum.
In addition, 5% of all ticket sales for every Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley event will benefit local charities.
Alma Rosa’s “Peace of Mind” Walk Raises Record $256,285
Alma Rosa Winery, a Sta. Rita Hills’ producer of pinot noir, chardonnay and various Rhône grape varietals, has announced that its sixth annual “Peace of Mind: 10,000 Steps in the Right Direction” fundraising walk raised $256,285.
The May 17 event surpassed previous years’ walks in both attendance, with approximately 275 participants, and money raised, bringing the to-date total to more than $1.2 million, according to a publicist for Alma Rosa.
All proceeds raised benefit both Napa-based One Mind and Santa Barbara County’s Mental Wellness Center.
In 2020, Alma Rosa owners Bob and Barb Zorich launched the annual “Peace of Mind” fundraising walk to support community services for mental health, as well as research on the causes, treatment and potential cures for mental health diseases.
The 2025 walk encompassed 10,000 steps, or roughly 4.5 miles, up and down Alma Rosa’s hillside vineyards.