Santa Ynez Wine Country

Visited a few wineries in Santa Barbara County recently. Thought Rideau and Lafond were nice settings with very good wine. Thought Buttonwood was pretty weak wine. Tasting fees were $15, $5, and $7.50, respectively. Bought a bottle of Rusack pinot at a store since the tastings closed. Was good as well. Lafond was my favorite tasting as they specialize in deep reds such as Pinot and Syrah. Didn't like their SRH Pinot, but liked the clone 113. Liked both their Syrah and Syrah/Grenache blend. Liked the Rideau pinot, but $69 a bottle is a bit pricey for me.

Had lunch in Los Olivos at Panino. Sandwich #15 was salami, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and one or two things I'm forgetting. Excellent. Had dinner at the Firestone Brewery. Was OK. Not bad, but not great. Good beer. Stayed at the Marriott in Buellton. Rooms were fine, but what was great was that the outdoor hot tub was really hot, like 103. I wish more hotels were like this.

Not a bad trip. Still a little rustic in Los Olivos and outside Buellton, with short drives to everywhere. Solvang is a strange little town that is essentially a Danish tourist trap that causes traffic to back up on weekends. Odd. I didn't eat at any of the higher-end restaurants, but would have liked to have tried some of the wine from estates with no tasting rooms, like Sea Smoke or Bonaccorsi.