Los Olivos, CA — Visitor Guide
Los Olivos is the Santa Ynez Valley at its most wine-focused: Grand Avenue packed with tasting rooms, the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail winding north through ranch country, and a small-town pace that resists being hurried.
At a Glance
5 miles
From Solvang
40 miles
From Santa Barbara
150 miles
From LA
12+ downtown
Tasting rooms
What to Do in Los Olivos
Grand Avenue Tasting Rooms
A dozen wine tasting rooms sit within two blocks of each other on Grand Avenue — the most walkable wine strip in the Santa Ynez Valley. Los Olivos Wine Merchant, Mandolina, Carhartt Family Wines, and others pour Rhône, Italian, and Burgundian varieties.
Wine tasting guide →Foxen Canyon Wine Trail
North of Los Olivos, Foxen Canyon Road winds through oak-studded hills to estate wineries including Foxen Vineyard & Winery (in its iconic tin-roofed shack), Zaca Mesa, and Demetria Estate. A half-day drive through the most scenic wine country in Santa Barbara County.
Wineries guide →Restaurants & Cafes
Los Olivos has a handful of restaurants well above its size. Sides Hardware and Shoes is the standout destination restaurant. Panino offers Italian sandwiches on the patio. Mattei's Tavern (a historic 1886 stagecoach inn) is worth the short drive.
Restaurants guide →Art Galleries
Los Olivos has a disproportionately strong gallery scene for a town of 1,000. Judith Hale Gallery and the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature are the anchors. The Wildling focuses on American wilderness art — worth an hour regardless of your usual relationship to galleries.
One-Day Los Olivos Itinerary
Coffee and pastry at one of the café patios on Grand Avenue. The pace here is slower than Solvang — plan to linger.
First tasting room: Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café or Carhartt Family Wines. Both offer educational, relaxed pours.
Lunch at Sides Hardware and Shoes — James Beard-recognized seasonal California cuisine. Book ahead on weekends.
Browse Grand Avenue galleries: Judith Hale Gallery, the Wildling Museum. No rushing required.
Second round of tasting rooms — Mandolina (Italian varieties: Sangiovese, Nebbiolo) or Dragonette Cellars (Pinot-focused, often the most sought-after producer in the area).
Optional: drive north on Foxen Canyon Road for the Foxen shack — the tin-roofed barn winery that appeared in Sideways. Last pours typically at 4:30 or 5.
Drive south 10 minutes to Solvang for dinner — or continue into Santa Barbara (45 minutes south on US-101).
Los Olivos in Sideways
The 2004 film Sideways put the Santa Ynez Valley on the map for wine tourism and featured several Los Olivos locations. The Hitching Post II (actually in Buellton) was the most famous — but in the valley, Foxen Vineyard's tin-roofed shack has become something of a pilgrimage site for Pinot lovers. The film brought Pinot Noir sales across the country to new highs and made this region synonymous with serious wine. Our full Sideways tour covers the exact filming locations.
Sideways film locations tour →