The annual Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival Weekend attracts wine lovers from near and far for an opportunity to meet member vintners, taste their wines, and enjoy great food and music over a long spring weekend.
The highlight of the weekend is the Festival itself, where every one of our 100+ member wineries gather to present their wines, often poured by the winemakers themselves. The Festival also presents some of the best local food from restaurants, catering companies and gourmet food creators.
Mission Accomplished:
After 30 Years Vintners’ Festival Returns to Historic Mission Santa Ines
In 1983, seventeen Santa Barbara County wineries organized by Bob Lindquist and Deborah Brown held their first wine tasting festival on the lawn in front of historic Mission Santa Ines. Thirty years and over one hundred new wineries and vineyards later, the Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival returns to the city of Solvang and the beautiful grounds of the mission in an annual rite of spring designed to heighten public awareness by showcasing the award winning wines which are grown, produced and bottled locally.
What started as a small food and wine event targeting the local population in order to raise enough funds to print a map showing where visitors could locate the wineries has developed over the years into an attraction that draws thousands into the area not only to attend the festival but also the wineries themselves.
Silent Auction
A favorite event at the Celebration of Harvest is the Silent Auction – your chance to bid on large-format bottles and special releases of wine. Proceeds benefit the Allan Hancock Viticulture/Enology Scholarship Program.
Complimentary Massages
Tracey and Sally from Massage Therapy in Old Town Orcutt will treat festival attendees to complimentary hand and arm massages.
Live Music
And while you are enjoying some of the best of Santa Barbara County’s wines and food, we have two great bands to get your toes tapping.
Donna Greene & the Roadhouse Daddies
Lady Blue has been compared to a wide range of vocalists… Billie Holiday to Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee to Etta James to Eva Cassidy to Bonnie Raitt…but her style is her own and her voice is unlike anyone else’s. She takes classic songs you may have heard a million times and shows you something about them that makes you realize that, until then, you hadn’t really “heard” them. Joining her on stage are the Roadhouse Daddies led by Greg ‘Snoots Noodlemyer’ Loeb, whose bio is a mile long. He’s traveled the world and played with some amazing and well-known musicians. Snoots and Lady Blue are joined by some of the top veterans in the music world.
The Rock ‘n’ Blues Band
There’s a new Band in town – Festivals – Corporate Events – private parties – Wine Country events – We are here to Just Have fun.
Local Food
In addition to the amazing variety of wines available for you to taste, the following local restaurants, caterers and gourmet food companies will be offering samples of their delicious wares.