Solminer Wines tasting room was one of the first downtown Los Olivos wine tasting rooms I visited on my maiden trip to Santa Barbara wine country, and for that reason, it holds a special place in my heart.
This tasting room has a comfortable (and air-conditioned!) indoor space to sip their fabulous selection of red, white, and orange, acid-driven, light-bodied wines. But if wine tasting under big, shady oak trees in California’s Santa Ynez Valley is your idea of heaven, then you’re going to love this winery too!
Why Solminer Wines is the Perfect Los Olivos Tasting Room
The low-intervention, natural wine scene is thriving in Los Olivos, and the husband and wife team of Anna and David Delaski at Solminer Wines are leading the way. Solminer is a certified biodynamic and organic winery, which means they use no chemicals or pesticides in their farming.
Wild yeasts and native bacteria, rather than commercial yeasts, are used to ferment their wines, and natural methods like compost, herb teas, and farm animals like sheep and donkeys are used to maintain healthy soils with tons of beneficial microorganisms.
The portfolio of wines includes Austrian varieties from Anna and David’s home country (Riesling, Gruner Veltliner, and Blaufränkisch, but also Syrah, Muscat, and Pinot Noir. They also make a tasty hard cider – yum!
A reasonably priced tasting with vibrant wines
The Solminer tasting includes five pours for $20 per person (take that Napa Valley), and they offer inside and outside seating. The vibe inside is pretty fun. Old school tunes are playing on the radio, the tasting room attendants are great, and they are very knowledgeable about the wines and the winemaking practices.
2022 Gruner Veltliner
Gruner is a foundation grape for the Delaski’s, and one steeped in nostalgia because it hails from their native Austria. A lovely organic wine with a fuller body than you might expect from this grape. Citrus, crunchy green apple, honey, and juicy nectarines on the palate.
This is a single vineyard Gruner with fruit sourced from Spear Vineyard.
2022 Sunhoney
Sunhoney is one of Solminer’s most popular wines. This orange wine is a blend of 50% Riesling, 35% Grüner Veltliner, 15% Viognier, and it’s a sensory-filled bomb of goodness. At just 12% alcohol, it’s also light on the palate.
The floral aromatics on this skin-contact wine are like breathing in a spring meadow after a summer rain. Combine that with zippy ginger and ripe peach, and, well, you get the idea. It’s a joy to sip.
Linus Rosé
The Solminer rosé is my favorite in their line-up of organic wines. This dry, crisp style of rosé is exactly the profile I like on my pink wines, and I know you will love it too. Syrah, Grenache, Malbec, and a touch of Blaufrankisch make up the blend. A chorus of bright red fruit will have your palate singing.
If you take home one bottle from your tasting, let it be this one.
Carbonic Syrah
Okay, I know I said the Linus Rosé was the best Solminer wine, but the Carbonic Syrah is a really (really!) close second. First, if you’re still looking for a few Thanksgiving wines to serve on Turkey Day, Carbonic Syrah is an unexpectedly fun addition to the holiday festivities.
This chillable red wine is alive with flavor. Strawberry-watermelon, bright cranberry, and a hint of rose petal. Meet one California’s best glou glou wines!
2021 Rubellite Red Blend
A Syrah-dominant, medium-bodied red that is savory and bright, with fresh blackberry notes, vanilla, and concentrated notes of figs. This is a good wine, but tasting the Rubellite after the razzle-dazzle of the Carbonic Syrah was kind of a let down for my palate when it was honed in on the gorgeous acidity of the previous wine.
There Were Extra Pours!
Wineries sometimes have extra bottles open that may not be listed on the day’s tasting menu, so if you’re really into the wines it does hurt to say something like, “do you have anything else open that we could try?”.
You can use this handy tip at any winery and tasting room, and you will almost always to be treated to a little something extra!
2022 Skin-fermented Gruner Veltliner
If you’ve explored this wine copywriter’s blog, then you know I love this skin-contact Gruner bottle. I’m happy to report that the 2022 vintage is just as quaffable as the 2020. This orange wine is unfiltered, unfined, and the grapes were foot tread. Cider-like apples, bright citrus, and a pleasant minerality create a glowing palate.
Blaufränkisch
This is the only bottle that I didn’t connect with. Then again, it’s not the wine’s fault, I’m just not a fan of this grape’s blue fruit qualities.
Tips
- Solminer recommends making an appointment, but full disclosure, I was able to do a walk-in tasting twice, so if you’re feeling spontaneous, just go for it.
- Summer in Los Olivos can get really hot. Don’t feel like you need to roll out the full “Instagrammable, “I’m going wine tasting outfit”. The tasting rooms in downtown Los Olivos are on the casual side. You will be just as comfortable in a tank top and shorts (or jeans) as you would be in a summer dress. Just come as you are.
- Book a tour of the farm and vineyard. The best way to learn about Solminer’s Biodynamic farm and vineyard (and meet some of their cute barnyard animals!) is with a walking tour of their farm. This is a tremendous learning opportunity for wine lovers who want to dig deeper into regenerative farming and how it applies to grape growing. It’s great for kids too!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of wine does Solminer make?
Solminer makes low-intervention, natural wine with native yeast fermentation. The vineyards are certified biodynamic and organic, and filled with German, Austrian and French varieties like Gruner Veltliner, Riesling, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Blaufränkisch.
Do I need an appointment to taste?
This winery accepts walk-ins, but if you have a group of 8 or more guests, reservations are required. Afterall, large parties require a lot of stemware to set-up!
What is the tasting fee?
The tasting fee is $20 per person, and the fee is waived if you purchase 3 bottles.