Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards Tasting Room

Alma Rosa Winery is nothing short of exceptional. It is a true gem in Santa Rita Hills and a must-visit for anyone who appreciates world-class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. What sets Alma Rosa apart begins with its legendary founder. Richard Sanford is widely regarded as the pioneer who brought Pinot Noir to Santa Rita Hills. Sanford is not only a visionary; he belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Pinot Noir winemakers. His influence shaped the region into one of the world’s most respected Pinot Noir appellations, and his legacy is deeply woven into the DNA of Alma Rosa. You are not simply tasting wine here. You are tasting history, innovation, and mastery in every glass. The wines themselves are elegant, expressive, and beautifully balanced, showcasing the terroir of Santa Rita Hills with precision and restraint. Each pour reflects thoughtful craftsmanship and a deep respect for the vineyard. The tasting courtyard is equally unforgettable. Serene, beautifully designed, and incredibly relaxing. It creates the perfect environment to slow down, savor the wines, and truly appreciate the experience. Most impressive was the staff. Warm, welcoming, highly knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate. She elevated the tasting with thoughtful insights, approachable explanations, and sincere hospitality that never felt scripted or rushed. Alma Rosa is not just a winery. It is a pilgrimage site for Pinot Noir lovers. Whether you are a casual wine enthusiast or a serious collector, this experience will stay with you long after the last sip.

We may have missed something here... but were sorely disappointed. There was barely a mouthful of each wine and they used the same glass for every wine - red and white throughout in the same glass. At $35 per person we would have been better to have gone elsewhere and just had one decent glass of wine each. We also ordered an additional glass of champagne which came in a wine glass and not a champagne glass. Crude...

Sam was a wonderful host! So knowledgeable and a genuine delight to spend an hour with. Not only was the service great but the setting was magical. While we enjoyed our wine tasting we had a few deer sneak up behind us and graze. The seating areas under the large cool oak trees made for a beautiful setting. By far my favorite place to visit in Sta. Rita Hills. Woman winemaker, delicious wine and a great charcuterie. Highly recommend, don’t sleep on this GEM!

Visited Solvang over the summer and this was by far our favorite tasting room! We arrived too late on a Saturday and they were no longer doing tastings for the day. I was sad but we planned to come back the next day based on so many rave reviews. The staff welcomed us to stay while they cleaned up, sat us and our dog inside and gave her water and treats. Alistair brought us all his favorite wines to taste and we ended up with a unique personalized tasting that was the highlight of the weekend. Of course we returned the next day for the set tasting. Alistair once again made it such a special experience, telling us about the winery and all the different wines on the menu. We learned a lot and really appreciated him spending so much time during a busy weekend. Will absolutely be back!

Outstanding wines! Lovely tasting room (love the olive tree). Huge thanks to Johnny for making us feel so welcome! It was also a very pleasant surprise (and an honor) to talk to Richard Sanford (the winemaker and a Pinot Noir pioneer in Santa Ynez).

Fantastic tasting experience at the vineyard! We went up on a Friday afternoon and had the place to ourselves, well truthfully it was us plus a flock of wild turkeys roaming the hills a mere 50ft away. Our host, Ethan, was very knowledgeable and great to talk to. It was so serene sitting out under the majestic oak trees tasting some delicious wines with the generous cheese platter. Truly probably the best wine tasting experience my wife and I have ever had. I cannot recommend it enough.

We have been to the tasting room in Solvang several times and held our Welcome Party there the night before our wedding. It was absolutely perfect. The space was great for our large group and everyone loved the fire pits. We were able to bring in our own food. The staff was amazing and super helpful leading up the event as well. Cannot recommend it more.

Wine was surprising(in a great way). Challenging if you want it to be but so accessible at the same time. Very true to the grapes, pinots were smoky not ripe but keep the garnet fruit in play, sparkling was crisp with small bubbles and great finish without being simple, rosés were dry and decent minerality while still preserving the fruit and mouthfeel. All around great experience. Crystal was helpful and knowledgeable having grown up in the industry with her father. She knows the region so well. They have something for everyone. Brut rose, grenache rose, north slope pinot 2020 barrel select pinot, and radian pinot were the standouts. Also they have snacks and theres a cheese shop next door that you can grab pairing from and they will even help you pair them if you ask reslly nicely ;). Best way to try it all is to do one of each tasting. For a valley already steeped in pinot exellence alma rose is a standout with the convenience of a property and a downtown tasting room that hasnt quite figured out that it could be charging way more so get in there now!

I really enjoyed our weekday visit to Alma Rosa. Our server, Crystal, immediately greeted us and made recommendations on what to order for our tasting. She brought the tasting in two batches, which I liked as it felt like we could take our time and weren't rushed. The shop is quite large with plenty of seating inside and outside on the shared courtyard. I especially appreciated that we could order food from the neighboring vendors to enjoy with our wine. Definitely a must visit on your next trip to Solvang or Los Olivos.

Walking around Solvang and stopped by here for a quick taste of their sparkling. Fun environment inside and out. Friendly service. Wasn't too busy when we came on a Sunday afternoon. I'd definitely come back! I enjoyed their wine.

This winery is cute and small but amazing delicious wine. I would highly recommend this place again. The service was good but a bit slow. We are already planning our next trip here. I am truly captivated by their impressive wealth of knowledge regarding wine and the rich history that envelops this remarkable winery. Additionally, the fact that it is welcoming to families with children was an invaluable bonus, enhancing the overall experience.

Stumbled upon this winery on one of our trips to Solvang. It's a really cute spot surrounded by other wineries, a few different boutiques/shops. There's plenty of seating between their indoor/outdoor seating. It was really nice for us. My mother in law got to enjoy a nice tasting flight while my husband was able to watch our little one enjoy the outdoors. We went right when they were open so it was just us for awhile. Wines were all very good. Everyone there was very sweet. Can't wait to be able to go back when we are in the area.

We signed up for the estate tour on the golf cart. Robert was our guide. He was amazing! He took pictures of me and my girlfriends, shared the history of Alma Rosa with us, and took us on a special scenic route so we could soak in the views. The wine was delicious, the views were too! We would definitely come back! Highly recommend!

Excellent customer service and great location, which is just off the main strip. It is very close to our hotel. Dog friendly.

Back in the day I was a big fan of Richard Sanford's wines but when he sold the Sanford label and started his Alma Rosa brand I found he had changed the wine stylistically. It became less about bigger flavors but more about finesse and austerity. I didn't seek out Alma Rosa as much after that. Recently though, discussing the brand with a winemaker at another winery he suggested I give them another try. In the intervening years it appears that Sanford has sold the winery/brand again and it now has new(ish) proprietors as well as a new winemaker Samra Morris. The wines now are more full flavored yet still elegant and refined. Recent professional scores will bear this out. Wines are priced accordingly The staff both times we've been in were fabulous, we interacted with several of the tasting room staff both times and they never missed a beat, always knew their stuff and were wonderfully friendly. They've got a great outdoor patio and a fair amount of indoor seating as well. Located right nextdoor to Draughtsmen Aleworks in Solvang ( just for reference) as the Alma Rosa tasting room is not easily visible from the main drag in Solvang though there is a good amount of parking on the side/rear of the complex. 1623 Mission sr. Solvang. Easier access from Fir Ave behind the complex.

Heather was wonderful, had great recommendations we ended up purchasing. Nice outdoor seating, dog friendly patio tucked away in a small shopping center.

Positives: central location and a clean modern tasting room. Unfortunately we had a less than great experience here. First thing to note, they will NOT wave a tasting fee with ANY purchase amount. It is customary throughout all of California to wave one tasting fee for every 2 or 3 bottles purchased. We were considering buying 2 bottles after completing our tasting, but there is absolutely no incentive to make a purchase here. Additionally, we were initially shorted one tasting. When we brought it to our servers attention she was defensive at first and insisted we had 5. When we started going through what we tasted she realized that she did indeed skip one. We were served one final tasting but by that point we were pretty uncomfortable and just threw it back and closed out our bill. Not planning to return.

This is one of my absolute favorite tasting rooms in Solvang. It is located on the main drag, has some amazing wines, and top notch service. The courtyard and indoor seating areas are open despite the small footprint and they seem to always have room for folks to pop in despite how busy they can sometimes be. We were lucky to come on a quiet weekend; they were able to take our large, last-minute party without complaint we we appreciated. They have a couple of food stales in the same courtyard and allow you to bring food from their neighbors into their seating area (the cheese store is a fantastic companion). Their wine selection has something for everyone and they always do their best to work with guests' preferences. I am rather partial to the Rose Grenache and will usually stock up on a few bottles as gifts. One of our servers, Krystal (Crystal?), was incredibly kind and accommodating. She made our visit that much more special. There was a second server working but I can't recall his name. Both of them were very knowledgeable and welcoming. This was my fourth visit over the last three years and it has never let me down. Definitely a must.

I am downgrading my previous review of 5 stars to 3. First off, this isn't because of the quality of wine. Alma Rosa is among the top 3 quality wines in Santa Barbara County, and I'd list them among the top 10 in California as a whole. Amazing deep, rich, balanced and structured wines. The complaints I have are with their tasting experience. A wine tasting should be geared toward learning about the wine and determining if it is worth purchasing, or ultimately joining their club and receiving continued supply. Alma Rosa is one of the far, far too many wineries that have abandoned this concept in favor of being a drinking room and tourist destination. Extremely overpriced tasting fees, lack of a knowledgeable staff that understands their wines and just wine in general, and a long drawn out "experience" that is more like a reality show lunch for the girls than seriously focused on wine education. I am a club member and regularly buy their wines, again, because the quality is superior. However, in today's format I would have walked right past them and never had that opportunity to learn how good they were as I look for tasting rooms on my wine trips, not expensive social "experiences".

Alma Rosa is tucked away in a courtyard off of the main road in Solvang. They have lots of covered patio seating and bar top tables inside. The indoor stools remind me of junior high art class seating which was not too comfortable, but they had a some leather chairs as well. They have fun, upbeat music playing inside. Outside food is not allowed but they do have some small bites for purchase. It looks like they're dog and kid friendly. Tasting are $30 and the wine is good, but pricey and nothing special in my opinion, except for the sparkling rosê at the end! Glad we tried it but not my favorite place in town.

I looked it up on Google and I don't regret it. We decided on the $50 flight and don't regret. Wendy was amazing to us during our wine tasting. She showed us pictures of the wines that we tasted and even had experimented chips with white wine. She gave us phenomenal service. We sat inside because of the smoke but the outside looks amazing as well and they have a fire place.

Absolutely loved the tasting experience here!! You get a designated liaison to provide a detailed description and entirely immersive tasting. Would highly recommend coming here and picking up a flight of cheese next door to enjoy their wines.

An experience! Some how me and my wife got a personal tour with Wendy. She was amazing. We learned a lot, had great views, and she made it a memory.

Have been to Alma Rosa several times and usually get Pinot there. Recently took friends here and the service did not disappoint. We switched it up and got a couple of bottles of sparkling rose which was very refreshing. They allowed us to have both snacks and a dog in their outdoor seating.

The tasting room was delightful. Their wines were delicious and Rebecca gave the best service! So glad to find this winery!! Highly recommend- definitely get a cheese cone from the shop across the alley to go with your tasting as well! Will definitely return next time

We first found Alma Rosa back in 2018 when the tasting room was on Industrial Way in Buellton. They have since relocated their space to a stunning complex in Downton Solvang. Their indoor space and patio are fantastic. They do not allow outside food, but they have some nibbles available and also recommend getting a cheese plate from across the courtyard from the cheese shop. We got one and it was magnificent and paired amazing with the wines. Kim served us and she was such a delight! We did some side by side pairings and were educated on what happens when you rinse your glass with water and the ph balance. It was fascinating and so much fun. We cannot wait to head back to Alma Rosa on our next visit.

Went out to "the ranch" today for estate tasting- a must do! Dave was our guide -his knowledge of the history of Richard Sandford, Alma Rosa and the description of the wines was informative and entertaining. Had a nice cheese plate that comes with the tasting. The atmosphere was serene (doe went walking along the hill, beautiful). Please go out for a tasting and say Hi to Dave for us!!

Made a reservation for a tasting. Clean, modern, & cute shop. Very good wine tasting. Great service.

Why not? Why not update my previous five star review of Alma Rosa? A couple years ago the tasting room was in a nice spot on Industrial Way in Buellton next to Industrial Eats (still exceptional) and I commented on the Olive Tree which actually never really loved growing indoors. Now they have relocated their space to a very awesome complex in Downton Solvang. Their patio is fantastic, it is also spacious. My initial concern was could I park and would it be too busy? It has never been too busy and their parking lot has always had a few empty spaces for me, even in the summer. Of course their wines continue to be amazing! The best of the best at prices that are often much lower than the "less than best of the best". Samra completely rocks it, her Pinots are second to none. Adriana is always serving us in the tasting room and she is wonderful! Far and away my favorite California wines!!

Unfortunately, I was ignored by the woman working the counter when I arrived for my 3:30 reservation on 11/9/24.  I stood there for a few minutes waiting for her to at least acknowledge me. The only other customers at the counter were a couple that she was trying to convince to sign up for the wine club. She could have simply let me know she'd be right with me or checked to see what I needed. I tried to make eye contact with the man that seemed to be pouring for a few select customers in the tasting room. Although he saw me, he never once acknowledged me either.  So, I went out to the patio and waited at a table my friends were waiting at. After what seemed like 7-10 minutes, I returned to the counter to try again.  The same employee working the counter proceeded to ignore me. Unless she has some extremely rare peripheral eye condition, there is no way she did not see me. The man on staff looked right at me, as he was walking towards the counter but then his cell phone rang, he answered his phone and disappeared into a back room.  During my two times standing at the counter, I witnessed many tasters waiting and waiting for him to get to them.  The customers that were on the patio near us were getting upset that no one had checked on them in a while midflight.  We left and went next door.   As a previous wine tasting room associate in the area, it was concerning to see such inability to multitask, and work the room to keep things going effectively, especially on a weekend day when it was NOT that busy. The room at the time was only half full, and the patio only had three tables with customers including our party. I have seen AR three times busier than it was during this visit, this room was nowhere near slammed at the time. You can greet customers while finishing other tasks. Although, I think Alma Rosa has some decent wines, the service was awfully non-existent.

Just love these wines! Delicious Pinot, Syrah and Chardonnay, super friendly staff. Love that they have a woman winemaker!

I enjoyed the wine so much! The wine spoke for itself. You can taste the richness and the true art of it. The tasting experience is what I and my sister chose to do. With that being said we did end up purchasing a few bottles. One down side was the service. Not sure why we were treated so unwelcomingly because as we entered the store and the tone of the folks working were definitely not too excited to help us with our reservation. A little after we arrived, another couple came and we definitely noticed the huge difference of how they were greeted so nicely. Other than that, I would give this place another chance but hope the next time visiting will be at the winery itself as I really fell in love with their wines!

When researching Pinot Noir, Alma Rosa came up as the place to go. The tasting did not disappoint. 5 wines to sample with 3 Pinot Noirs. Each one was delightful. We happened upon Jeff who was a great entertainer making the experience even better. Great location and ambience.

We had the pleasure of indulging to their wine tasting recommendations and it did not disappoint We came in group of 4 with my buddies and from the get go Rebekah and Jennifer were so welcoming and delightful. We tried their wine flight and got the cheese platter and truly enjoyed it Rebekah was truly great with all of her recommendations with wine pairing and club membership etc She was also knowledgeable and was patient with all of our novice questions regarding our wine tasting experience...And Jennifer too was always smiling and courteous. Thank you so much Ladies! You both were great that we are already planning to come back!

We had a very good experience and enjoyed the wine. Our sommelier was very knowledgeable and interesting to talk with and the location is great. I wish we remembered her name.

We attended a tasting at the Ranch House today for my 29 year old son's birthday. Dave was amazing !!! His knowledge and history of the wines and the property were outstanding and entertaining .His explanations of the grapes, soil and climate and how they come together to make the wonderful wine we were tasting were very informative.It was a lovely, peaceful, relaxing afternoon among the trees. So much fun!!! Dave is an excellent host and sommelier .

My party went to the solvang tasting room this past weekend and had a wonderful time due to Rebecca! She was very nice and accommodating of our big party and was very knowledgeable about the wines. She made our experience a 10/10, was definitely the best tasting room experience we had in town.

Boyfriend and I came out to Solvang for Memorial Day weekend as a last minute day trip from LA and SD respectively. I don't know that much about wine other than some kind of idea on what to expect from the different varietals and what kind of food to typically pair them with. That being said, this was our first time in a tasting room! I'm not sure if it's my nervousness and inexperience talking, but I don't seem to understand why this place has received some 1 star reviews? The server was polite, informational, friendly. The atmosphere was casual, relaxing, trendy. I loved that our server mentioned that Richard Sanford was just in the store and explained who he was. Being a total wine noob, I love learning about this stuff! Pinot Noir is my usual go-to varietal to sip on anyways! So this was definitely an interesting first tasting room experience! We bought ourselves a bottle of their Pinot Noir from Bentrock to take home.

Wow. I can't wait to return! This place blew my expectations out of the water- and they were already high from industry recommendations! Came for a midweek tasting and stayed for nearly 3 hours chatting with the pourer and geeking out on the wines. We loved the 2018 Pinot Noir from Transverse Valley (ended up leaving with a few bottles) and the 2017 Blanc de Blanc from the Santa Rita Hills (because we were feeling celebratory)! Would definitely recommend stopping by for a tasting if you are in the area! **Big thanks to Monica for being an exceptional human and making our experience a celebration!**

Excellent wines at Alma Rosa - Smanra you produce beautiful Pinot s. Rebekah you and your team at the Solvang tasting room create a classy atmosphere and comfortable drink experience to enjoy your wines. We're members and it's a must stop for us.

Such a beautiful little tasting room in the heart of Solvang! There's many more in this area, but we only went to Alma Rosa, because of their reputation... And boy did they live up to it! First of all, Rebekah! What a doll and so hospitable. We can't thank her enough...so down to earth and I know we'd be friends if I lived there! The wine was just incredible... All of their Pinot's were outstanding! We sat in these beautiful, comfortable chairs by the fireplace, and Rebekah just catered to our every need! So awesome... Thank you, thank you, thank you! If it couldn't get any better... It sure did! We then went to the Vineyards with the winemaker, Samra! I think she might be the first woman Bosnian winemaker in America! You might have to check on that but, how cool is that?? She was so knowledgeable and friendly. And just made us eat a ton of grapes off the vines! Sooo fun!! I will post a few pictures of the tasting room and the Vineyards. Can't say enough good about this winery!

My girlfriends and I visited Alma Rosa this past weekend and we were blown away! The staff was very welcoming, the tasting location in Buellton was picturesque and the wines paired with a lovely cheese board were delicious! Dave was a very knowledgeable, approachable and entertaining host that made the whole experience extra special! With that, I happily joined the wine club!

Great service. wonderful pinot noir. The wines are elegant and incredibly labor intensive, as every step in their process is manually performed, including pressing the grapes. You are purchasing wine that is art in a bottle here.

Thanks Alistair and everyone else at Alma Rosa tasting room. Great wines, beautiful outdoor seating with plenty of tables and heaters for the cooling fall temps. It was great hearing not only about the wines they serve but also about the surrounding area. A great way to relax after a day out in Solvang

We came here with friends to celebrate a birthday. When we entered we were not greeted in the most friendly manner by this woman and actually contemplated leaving. She came over to us and dropped the menus and walked away. We had to flag her down to get glasses of water. As we started to discuss whether we should leave, someone else came to help us and we are glad he did. I believe his name was Kevin and he really took the time to tell us about the history of the winery, each of the wines we were tasting, and patiently answered all of our questions. He was outgoing, extremely knowledgeable, and personable. Everything you want when you visit a winery. We paired our wines with a cheese platter which came from a shop next door. It was delicious and included a small honeycomb which was a wonderful compliment to the variety of cheese we tried. The winery is intimate and tastefully decorated. Their specialty is Pinot Noir however I enjoyed the sparkling wine. Thanks to Kevin we had a great time and learned a lot.

Cute little winery in solvang! Wasn't super packed on a Saturday evening. We did a little wine tasting and everything was pretty good. The girl helping us was very informative! Def recommend this place. All the wines were very tasty.

Very elegant winery. We didn't have reservations but were still able to do tastings. $25 per tasting but if you join it is free and every visit is 4 free tastings. I happened to join because the chardonnay was amazing. The workers wee very attentive and gave us samples that were not on the sampling list which we loved. I will definitely be back.

I was spoiled & tried this winery first of the day so I didn't realize how great it was until I tried another. I love the vibe of the tasting room (the skylight is so cool), our waitress was amazing and very knowledgeable, and the wine was great. Our favorite wines were the pino blanco, the rose with the "wet stones" aroma (first one in the tasting menu but forgot the name), and the transverse valley pino. Water was free and bathroom was available, unlike the next one we went to! Would definitely come here again!

Cute little winery next to Industrial Eats in the charming little town of Buellton not far from Solvang. My husband and I did the wine tasting, I had a mix of the red and white and he had all white since he doesn't like reds. He liked their chardonnay so much he bought a bottle of that. They also gave him a complimentary glass of bubbly for his birthday which was really nice of them. I love their doors which are the huge floor to ceiling kind that open up so it feels like you're outside. They're a little pushier to have you buy a bottle or join their wine club, but it is part of their job. It's nice to have Industrial Eats right next door since we worked up quite an appetite from wine tasting all day.

Just visited solvang for the first time and on an easy Sunday morning before heading out, we are so glad we found this place to relax and enjoy a glass of wine at! The location is gorgeous and makes for perfect environment to relax and it is away from the busy main streets and car and pedestrian traffic. The wine was delicious. I had to go back for a second glass. Rebecka helped us choose a wine and we tasted a couple prior. She had extensive knowledge of the town and was also so kind and friendly to help suggest things I was curious of in the area! It's located near a few other wineries and also a store they're partnered with to get charcuterie right there in the courtyard.

Located in Buellton off a picturesque country road, the Alma Rosa winery and vineyard is a lovely place to spend an hour or two for a tasting. The original house on the property was built over a hundred years ago and in 1971 Richard Sanford grew the first Pinot Noir grapes in area on this estate. Channing and Teresa are excellent hosts and also run the Alma Rosa tasting room in Solvang. Great people and you are in for a wonderful experience on a gorgeous estate if you book your tasting here. Perfect for elevating bridal showers, anniversary parties and other special occasions to VERY special occasions. Highly recommended.

This is a review of the Attente Hike at the Ranch House. We got off to a bit of a dubious start -- we received email directions for entering the property, which is gated. Through some mix-up, we received incorrect directions, which resulted in us sitting at the gate for about 20 minutes with no cell phone reception and no way to get into the property. An employee was leaving and let us in, also letting us know that we were entering in the wrong place (although it was definitely the place we were told to go in the emailed directions). In any case, the hike itself was scenic and interesting, and our guide was funny, knowledgeable and gracious. We hiked up to the top of the hill, which had sweeping views of the area. The tasting was at the top of the hill and consisted of six wines, which were very good; we especially enjoyed the vin gris. The entire experience, once we were in the right place, was unrushed and very pleasant. We would recommend for someone looking for something a little different in Santa Barbara wine country!

Nice place to sit & have wine. This location is not the vineyard- it's more in the towns area. Great Chardonnay & Pinot as expected. Service was friendly

Don't bother the hostess doesn't pay attention to you unless you are doing the tasting. This is my first review, this place left a bitter taste in my mouth. We should have gone to Dascomb in the first place.

We've always enjoyed Alma Rosa, so when friends came to town we decided to take them to this tasting room. There were six of us, and the tasting room was quiet. We were told that they didn't allow tastings for 6 and that our only option was to buy a bottle. No explanation. The attendant was pretty unfriendly and dismissive. We went to another tasting room in the square, had 5 tastings and left with several bottles of wine. Very disappointed and cannot recommend. Gave 2 stars because the wine is pretty good, but management's policy and staff ... not so much.

Stopped in with some friends we met at Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards in Buellton. We tried several Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Rhone varietals and sparkling wines in an absolutely beautiful tasting room. The service was fantastic and the wines were delicious. Nothing really grabbed us to buy at the time but next time we are in Buellton, we will stop by Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards for another tasting and see what they have at that time. We do recommend checking them out if you enjoy these styles of wines and are in Solvang/Buellton.

I am sorry but this winery has the most undrinkable wines...pure vinegar. The tasting room is nice but my partner and I found the entire tasting a joke. There are many other wineries we enjoyed in Solvang and Los Olivos...just not Alama Rosa.