The rolling hills and perfect climate of Santa Ynez Valley isn’t just perfect for growing grapes. It’s a perfect hotspot for enjoying outdoor activities year-round. The best Solvang wine tasting tour combines both with a leisurely e-bike ride through wine country!
Sure, you could opt out of the beautiful sunshine and take a tour in a van like most wine tours in Solvang, but you’d be missing out on a profound sense of connection with the land and the people who have been tending the vineyards for hundreds of years.
At first, I didn’t know how wine tasting and bike riding would mix, but it turns out the e-bike tour was first and was followed by the two wine tastings, olive oil tasting, charcuterie plate, and homemade picnic lunch prepared by none other than our awesome guide William. Even though I’m a local to the Santa Barbara area, I was surprised by how much I learned from William along our ride, and how he went out of his way to ensure we all had a fun and safe time.
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My Solvang Wine Tasting Tour Experience
I had this Solvang wine tasting tour on my to-do list for two years...
I had I Bike Santa Barbara’s e-bike tour on my to-do list for years, mostly because I didn’t know if I was ready to commit to a 16-mile bike ride as someone who never bikes apart from one downhill mountain bike day every couple years. I’m embarrassingly bad at pedaling up any sort of incline, but this tour looked SO COOL so I finally went for it and invited my friend Mithra along for moral support.
However, it was actually surprisingly easy! I barely broke a sweat in July, and never even used the highest assist level on the bike. There’s even a throttle if you’re feeling extra averse to physical effort. Honestly, the hills are minor and I probably could have struggled up them on a regular bike in my poor biking shape. Luckily, the e-bike did the work for me.
Let me also mention that I don’t really know how to use an e-bike, but William was very thorough in explaining how to operate it. He explained everything from changing the gears to operating the assist to how to safely get on and off the bike, and made sure we did a test ride in a safe area before beginning the tour. He even gave us water bottles to use on the ride.
Exploring Solvang via E-Bike
Once we were set up and good to go, our 16-mile Solvang wine tasting tour had begun! It was a beautiful sunny July day, and every mile or two we would get to rest as William stopped to tell us all about the history of specific vineyards we were passing, the varieties of wines produced, and overall wine culture in the Santa Ynez Valley.
After a few stops, we arrived in downtown Solvang where we were met with a really cute Danish vibe and lots of shops and bakeries.
Solvang is very touristy, but in a fun way. Almost every shop had free samples of cheese or honey or olive oil, and you know I had to try them all! I ended up purchasing a really good pineapple cheese Danish from The Solvang Bakery and tried a half dozen cheese samples during our half hour in Solvang before continuing on our bike ride.
My favorite part of this Solvang wine tasting tour wasn't the wine tasting...
While riding through Solvang, I was glad we were on e-bikes. On a Saturday morning in July, the parking situation was horrendous in town.
After leaving Solvang, we began riding through Ballard Canyon. Ironically, my favorite part of this Solvang wine tasting tour wasn’t the wine tasting, it was riding the e-bikes through Ballard Canyon up to this beautiful lookout across the valley of vineyards below! I felt totally immersed in the beauty of California wine country and felt so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
Don’t get me wrong, the wine tasting itself was really good too.
Los Olivos
After winding our way out of Ballard Canyon, we rode through the town of Los Olivos which was named after the historic olive orchards on a nearby ranch. Only a couple miles later, we completed the loop and arrived back where we started.
After just having passed through Los Olivos, it was fitting that the first activity was balsamic vinegar and oil tasting at Rancho Olivos. The olive oil was actually made from their estate-grown olives!
I LOVE bread with balsamic vinegar and oil. I ask for it at every Italian restaurant and snack on it at home way too often. I was honestly really looking forward to this small part of the day, and it didn’t disappoint! My personal favorites were the rosemary and Meyer lemon olive oils and fig vinegar.
It was finally the wine tasting part of our Solvang wine tasting tour!
After our complimentary olive oil tasting, it was finally Solvang wine tasting time! We got the chance to enjoy tastings at two different local wineries. At this point we traveled in our van between tastings for safety reasons. E-bike operation doesn’t mix well with alcohol.
A major highlight of this Solvang wine tasting tour was that we got to drink wine sourced from grapes in the vineyards surrounding us. I highly recommend walking around and exploring the vineyards between tastings!
In addition to the tastings, at the first winery, William created these BEAUTIFUL charcuterie plates for us and paid special attention to our individual dietary requirements. At the second winery, he created these really good sandwiches for our lunch. We each got two small sandwiches: one was turkey pesto and sun dried tomato and the other caprese.
All of the food was top notch and complemented the wines and ambiance perfectly. It was probably better than anything I could have bought in town, and it was prepared on the spot and all included in the tour.
By the end of our long day in Solvang, our bellies were full, we were a bit tipsy (9 wines later!), and we felt like we had been completely immersed in the culture of Santa Barbara wine country. While saying our goodbyes to new friends, we all agreed that we were so happy we chose this Solvang wine tasting tour because it offered a much more intimate experience.
The e-bike portion was a huge highlight for everyone and left us all with a greater appreciation of the Santa Ynez Valley than we could ever get by traveling in a van from the inside of one tasting room to the next.
I personally highly recommend this tour for anyone who can ride a bike. It’s way easier than I expected and was really peaceful rolling through the hills of Solvang. The wines were great, the vineyards were beautiful, and our guide made the experience unforgettable with his culinary creations and depth of local knowledge.
How to Book this Solvang Wine Tasting Tour
The easiest way to book is by using the link below. This will take you directly to the booking page where you can check for availability and book your Solvang wine tasting adventure.
I’ve also included the best non-biking option for those of you that might be injured or cannot e-bike for whatever reason. Although I much prefer e-biking through Solvang, just exploring Solvang in any capacity is worth the trip. Check out more things to do in Solvang here!
Best Time to Go on Wine Tours in Solvang
Any time of year can be a great time to go on a Solvang wine tasting tour. The weather is generally pretty mild year-round. Winter generally averages in the 60s and summer in the 80s.
I got super lucky in mid-July with a 75 degree day, but it could have been much hotter. William does his best to source out shady spots to stop, but you’ll still be exposed in the sun for a large portion of the day.
If you’re adverse to hot weather, I’d recommend spring or fall as good alternatives. There is a higher chance of rain in the spring, but the hills turn green and it’s so beautiful during that time of year.
During the winter, I’d recommend bringing a jacket, but you probably won’t need it for most of the bike riding. Usually, December is the best winter month since it’s the most likely to have nice weather. Honestly, I think December is a great time to visit the Santa Barbara area, wine country included.
More Adventures near Santa Barbara
For more information and recommendations for planning an adventure in Santa Barbara, check out these helpful articles: