Rooted Vine Wine Tours

We had an amazing experience with Rooted Vines Wine Tour! Iaon, the owner, was incredibly knowledgeable while also being super friendly and accommodating. He made sure we got to each winery promptly and kept the tour fun and engaging the entire time. We visited three different wineries in Santa Ynez, each offering a private tour. The staff at every stop were just as welcoming and knowledgeable, sharing the history of their wineries while giving us plenty of time to enjoy the wines. The whole experience felt personal, relaxed, and well-organized. If you’re looking for a fantastic wine tour with great company, plenty of laughs, and excellent wine, Iaon and Rooted Vines Wine Tour are the way to go! Highly recommend!

What a great time we had on this wine tour. Our guide Yune was the best! We got picked up and dropped off at our hotel. She was informative and helpful with recommendations of things in the area, restaurants and even helping us figure out when to leave for the airport. We went to 3 wineries, different from wineries we have experienced in other parts of the US. We had a terrific group of people too. The scenery was beautiful and we got a lovely lunch too! Highly recommend this tour! Don’t do it on your own.

We went on the Rooted Vines wine tour this past Saturday from Santa Barbara, and had an absolutely wonderful time! Yunee was our host and guide, and she did an amazing job….she’s kind, knowledgeable, helpful, and really enhanced the entire experience, just a super nice person. We enjoyed all the wineries we visited, and our lunch was delicious. I would highly recommend Rooted Vines, and would take the tour again next time I’m visiting Santa Barbara. 5+ stars for sure!

Don’t even bother doing more research and book with Rooted Vine immediately. We did a shared group tour and had a wonderful time. Yunee was knowledgeable, attentive and so much fun. Everything was perfect from start to finish. We experienced wine from places that were super unique and special. Would book again in a heartbeat.

A wonderful way to spend our 17th anniversary, Iaon was our guide on our wine tour and made the entire day a magnificent experience. My wife and I were picked up in a Suburban from our hotel in Santa Barbara and taken to the Santa Yzes / Los Olives area. We were taken to 3 wonderful wineries and got to sample some of the best wines of the region and came home with a few bottles. Iaon was very knowledgable about wine making and the region, and we feel that we are more educated wine tasters after this experience. Iaon made our anniversary very special. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a full day wine tasting experience!!!!

Rooted Vine took us to three independent wineries where we tasted at least 20 different wines. The wines were delicious and we enjoyed meeting with two of the winemakers and learning about the winemaking process and the business of wine. The small group of seven made it a very social day and our tour guide Yunni educated us before each visit about the area and the background of the winery. It was a great, full day and I highly recommend it if you are in Santa Barbara and want to visit the Santa Ynez valley.

We had the best time on our tour! Yunee was fabulous, knowledgeable, and kind! We had 3 different tasting experiences and learned so much. Would absolutely recommend this tour and would not hesitate to do again!

We had a great time on our wine tour! Our tour guide Yunee was very knowledgeable about wine and the area. She also took tons of photos of us! Would definitely do it again.

We had a great time with Rooted Vine Tours yesterday! Iaon was fantastic. He is knowledgeable about the land and wine. He did everything he could to make it a great experience for us. In our group we had three people. There was one more group that also went on the wine tour with us and they were very sweet. Iaon took us to fantastic wineries and we had great treatment at each winery. We were also provided a delicious lunch that was so fresh and tasty. The wine was so good! We will definitely book this tour again! We had such a good time.

We had a wonderful experience with Rooted Vine Tours. The wine tours were small, intimate, informative and we really enjoyed all the different wines we got to try and unique vineyards we were able to visit. Overall, a great experience!

Booked another tour and was just as pleased as the first time. Best part of our vacation, looking forward to another trip soon.

This is our second tour with Ioan and his wine tour, we liked the first one so much we decided to do it again. Even though we went to 2 of the same places as 4 months ago, the experience was different thanks to the chocolate truffle pairing at one, and the new spring offerings at the other. Ioan is so accommodating and knowledgeable and we had a lot of fun.

Please stay away. This company does not care about you or your safety. The only thing they care about is money. We have a tour scheduled on Sat 9/30, on wed 9/27 we tested positive for Covid. We are all symptomatic and very ill, on the verge of hospitalization. Called on wed, spoke with Ian? About canceling our reservation due to medical reason and offered to provide medical documentation and he refused. When asked does he want us to show up ill and expose others to potentially life threatening illness, he said he doesn't care and hung up. So make sure you don't get ill or no emergencies happen otherwise you will lose all of your money. No understanding or compassion from this unprofessional and unethical company. We would never intentionally endanger others just for the sake of money. Shame on you.

My girlfriend and I had an amazing time! The wine tastings were great, everyone was very knowledgeable and welcoming.

Our party of 3 enjoyed a beautiful summer day with Iaon and Evan as our guides. Our stops included Koehler, Tercero, & Pence. Well thought out winery tour that provided a wide variety of unique and special tastings. Wine owner Larry at Tercero was particularly entertaining and the passion in his wine making showed. Lunch was delicious sandwich & salad combos at Pence's Club Member area which felt like the perfect summer picnic. Pick up and drop off from out hotel was seamless. Iaon & Evan were a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the regional wineries and what makes these hills of Santa Barbara super special. Highly recommend. Would book again.

I booked a tour with Rooted Vine for my wife's birthday so we could spend a day up in the valley with her parents and some friends. The owner, Ioan ended up being our driver and was a delight. He was very knowledgeable and even though we at are locals to Santa Barbara, he took us to some great places that we hadn't been before. We all had a great time and I can't recommend his tours highly enough!

This was my first time going wine tasting and our group definitely had the best tour guy in town! His name is Ian but he can also be Nacho, Pancho, or Sancho lol I 100% recommend this tour not only is this guy funny and fun, but he definitely knows about wine. The food is amazing I will definitely come back on this tour.

My sister and I were looking for a last minute wine tour when we came across Rooted Vine Tours on Viator! We decided to go for it and got the confirmation right away! :) A few minutes after we booked it we got a phone call from Ian confirming we would be attending this tour the very next day and we said yes! I told him I was a local so instead of picking us up from our hotel it would be from my house. He said no problem and was very accommodating to us! The next morning we were picked up first. They were right on time and the van was nice with great AC! We then went to pick up two other ladies who joined us on the tour. It ended up being only the four of us on the tour, which was so nice! It felt like we pretty much had a private tour. We had Austin as our guide for the day who took us to 4 different wonderful tasting rooms on our tour. While on the tour we stopped at Brander which happens to be one of my favorite wineries! I love their rose! We had such a great day tasting wine and making new friends with the other two ladies on our tour. We had a beautiful picnic lunch at one of the wineries with delicious food from Pannio. While on the our, Austin told us information about each winery we went too while we were on our way to that winery. When we arrived at each winery, we then were able to taste with someone and ask questions at each winery so we could learn more information! I loved tour! It was a perfect way to celebrate my sister's birthday! :) Thanks Austin and Ian for the incredible experience wine tasting.

What a cool experience! My Mom and I loved the tour today, led by Austin. We especially liked the smaller wineries, and the exclusive tastings they set up just for us. Austin is full of energy, and is very passionate and knowledgeable about the Santa Barbara area, the wineries, and the wines themselves. He also ordered our lunches and had them all ready for us at the third winery. They were so delicious! It is not easy to please this vegan with a veggie sandwich, so way to go Rooted Vine! I felt that the wineries they chose gave us a great variety of different experiences and settings. I also loved that Austin drove us through the little Danish town of Solvang, and stopped us by a family-run olive farm for some olive oil tasting. My Mom and I feel like we couldn't have chosen a better company for our first tour of Santa Barbara. I will absolutely go through Rooted Vine when we come back to visit. Thank you Austin!

Ian was amazing! I booked Ian for my wife's bday surprise. Ian was able to line up a helicopter landing at a wine vineyard that blew my wife's mind! Every place he took us was better then the last and was just an amazing trip. I will defiantly be using Rooted vine tours again! Thanks again Ian for making the trip amazing!

Michael was awesome! He was very personable and knowledgeable of the locations he took us to. The lunch we had was also very good. My friend and I came for a girls day and it was a success. Would definitely do it again

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the private wine tour with Rooted Vine. They offered the convenience of being picked up and dropped off at our Santa Barbara hotel in a comfortable SUV. Along the gorgeous drive into Santa Ynez Valley, Iaon shared his extensive knowledge of everything from the topography of the area to the winemakers. His passion for wine and the bounty of offerings in this area shone through our entire experience. Iaon crafted the perfect tour for our preferences and curiosity, and truly curated a one-of-a-kind experience for us. On top of all this, he was fun to spend the day with! The winery and vineyards we visited provided personalized, friendly service as well as excellent wine! We appreciated the educational component and touring of the grounds, all of which heightened our appreciation of the wine we were tasting. There are not many tours we would repeat, but this is the exception! We would absolutely do another tour with Iaon and crew, knowing each experience would be unique and memorable.

We went on a private tour for six people and had a fantastic time. The tour that the owner Iaon created showcased great wines, beautiful locations and very friendly people. But more than that, the tour also gave us an excellent insight into both the winemaking process and the winemaking industry in the Central Coast. It was a great day for everyone; and whether you're a wine enthusiast or just someone who just likes opening a bottle with friends, I'm confident you'll have a great time.

We've been out with Rooted Vine Tours 3 times now. They are amazing. Always on time, lunch is always great and they always take us to the best spots. Today we came back from the tour with 8 bottles of wine to celebrate 8 years together. The last 2 times we went out we were with Ioan and today we met Travis. Both are very nice, helpful and fun to spend the day with. I highly recommend this company.

First time wine tasting. Went with a group of my closest girlfriends. We all had such a great time! Recommend 10/10. Tour guide was very knowledgeable about wine and yet had a great sense of humor. Thinking about booking this wine tour do it! You won't regret it

The tour was great! Iaon was very accommodating and knowledgeable throughout the day. Everything on the menu for the picnic lunch sounded amazing but Iaon recommended a few of his favorites that were great. Ya'll should check it out!

My husband and I wanted to experience Santa Ynez wine tasting on our recent getaway to Santa Barbara. We are so thankful to have used Rooted Vines tours. Eyton was a wonderful guide and driver, super personable, helpful, and fun to talk with. He took us to three very different winery experiences which made the day all the more enjoyable. The picnic lunch was delish as well!! :-) Shout out to our new wine tasting buddies in our van!! We made some new friends on this trip which was such a cool bonus!

I booked this as a private tour and included the cheese board and charcuterie board. Booking on line night before was quick to accept full payment by cc. However, I received an email which was ambiguous about pick up time. Not knowing the process and system, we were not sure what to expect except a a pickup at 10:30 am. At 10:50 when nobody showed I called the number. Ian Pohlit answered the phone. After asking politely what to expect about pick up, his interrogatory answer was" you received an email which said 11 am pick up!" I politely asked for more information, and he got very defensive and argumentative. I said that I expect some communication given that I paid $645 for this unknown tour and other such businesses follow their Email with a telephone call. He the got very insulting and angry. When asked if I could get a refund and use another company, he said that he had a 72 hour cancel policy and hung up on me. This is a terrible and very poor business and customer service. If it wasn't for Austin who showed up at 11 am we would have been totally angered. Austin took us to three vineyards and the folks working there were wonderful. They expressed and concurred that Ian Pohlit was a jerk and that the saving grace was Austin. We paid $30 a piece for a cheese board and an charcuterie board which we did not receive. The tour companies get kick backs from the vineyards based on the wines you purchase. So he is indeed double dipping here. I purchased $2k of wines today. Given that booking on line and paying a lot of money is in securing enough in this day of fraudulent companies, this poor customer service ranks Ian Pohlit and his company as a do not use. The are many other companies as competitors and can be recommended by the hotel. Use those instead. I think that the other reviews of five stars were written by the owner himself. Do not risk your money with this company

I called Rooted Vine and spoke with Ian. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and he suggested the private tour, which would work perfect with our evening dinner reservation. We took comfort in the fact that our reservation would not impact others. Austin picked us up in front of our hotel and our adventure began. They planned a great itinerary for us and Austin was an outstanding guide. We met some great people, drank excellent wines, and even stopped to enjoy some fantastic olive oil! I will definitely book again, Thank you for making our day special.

What an arrogant ass@&$! The Owner is. Pot knowledge of wine and the local. The vineyards we went to confided to us the next day, when we went back alone, that he squeezes them for kick back in wine purchased by the clients. He doesn't provide any customer service and over charges but 25-30% compared with the other tours. A definite must avoid. He should be reported to the consumer council

Had a wonderful day-wine tasting with our friendly and knowledgeable guide Iaon. This is my second experience with Rooted Vine Tours. Talk about top-notch, door to door service. Iaon provides for an enjoyable and relaxing experience-that includes an itinerary of the best Santa Ynez has to offer. Thank you Iaon... Hope to return soon!

First time visiting the SB vineyards, and this was the perfect tour! We called Ian on Saturday inquiring about a Sunday tour and he was happy to accommodate. They were more than willing to pick us up from the dinner restaurant that we had reservations at in the evening and it ended up being only us on the tour. When we signed up online we stated that we were interested in seeing some of the sparkling wines in the area, so Ian selected wineries that offered those as some of their primary options. Austin was our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the land as he also has worked as a volunteer naturalist for many years. He took us to the Sevtap tasting room, Brander vineyard, Khoeler vineyard, and Moseby vineyard. It came up along the way that we were olive oil snobs and so he also took us to stop at an olive oil production vineyard where we had a tasting and a tour as well! They have lunch catered and we had a delicious curried chicken salad sandwich with a Stilton and pear salad. Overall absolutely fantastic experience, I 100% recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fun informative tour.

My wife took me here for a birthday gift and not knowing what to expect from wine tasting our guide Camille was excellent. Took us to 4 differ wineries that she chose based on our taste and made this an amazing experience. Camille's courteous professionalism and knowledgeable approach made this tour something to remember. I will definitely recommend them.

Austin was a wonderful tour guide. Nice and knowledgeable. The vineyards were gorgeous, wine was fantastic. Highly recommend. I would definitely give this tour 10 stars if I could. And I would definitely go again when I come back to the Santa Bárbara area. Only downside was my jacket I left in the tour van by mistake. Lol other than that no complaints.

Eyton was the man!! We had such a great time on our tour. Looking forward to booking with Rooted Vine again.

Great experience would recommend to. All. Very personal and safe. I don't no if we learnt more in the care or at the vineyards. Ok

Took this tour as part of a Bachelorette party weekend. We had a BLAST!! Iaon is a true local and was very happy to share his knowledge of the area and took us to some absolutely incredible wineries. He accommodated all our crazy requests and seemed to really enjoy sharing his experience and passion with us. I will DEFINITELY be booking future tours with this company. The price per person was very reasonable for the service provided as well. If I could give more stars I would.

Had such an amazing time with Eyton!! Super friendly and made sure everything went smoothly. Even became our photographer for the day with the best photos!! Thank you Rooted Wine!

"Woohoo! As good as it gets!" - Yelp's description of a 5 star rating are the exact words to describe this tour. My boyfriend and I were going to reschedule considering it was one of the few days it would be raining in SB but I am SO GLAD we did not. Iaon picked us up promptly outside of our hotel and the vineyards we visited were all great and deserve a 5 star rating as well. On our way to the vineyards Iaon was informative and knowledgeable on all things "wine." Everything about our experience was superb and I would highly recommend keeping reservations on rainy days- the experience is amazing. We will be visiting Rooted Vine tours again, thank you for making our first experience a memorable one. :)

Visit Date June 2015 My um up word: Harmonious Average star rating: 5* Full summary: I arranged a private wine tour with Rooted Vine Tours for my husband and I starting at 10.30am to 4.30pm. Ian, the owner picked us up from our hotel on time and in a very nice white sudan. He opened the door for me and even offered to open the door for my husband. Ian gave us a lunch menu so that we could choose our lunch and then asked us about the type of wines we like. Based on our wine preference and my request to visit romantic vineyards, Ian took us to three vineyards and one olive oil tasting site. There really isn't anything to critique. Every vineyard and tasting room we visited was welcoming friendly. My over all opinion of Ian at Rooted Vine Tours is very good. I feel Ian would be able to please all types of people from lively chatty people, to a more reserved quieter person. When Ian pick us up, he was very respectful and ask questions to gage what type of people we were. He built up good raport with us throughout the day but also left us alone to enjoy the wine tasting at each tasting room. Ian was not just a tour provider; he understood the wine industry from the ground up, (Pun intended,) and was able to answer any questions we had. Customer Experience 5* Customer Service 5* Average * rating - 5* Complaints - None Complaint Outcome - N/A see more reviews here: http://servemereviews.blogspot.com/

Camille was amazing!!! My boyfriend and I signed up for a group wine tour assuming other people would join us, but I guess we went on a slow day because we ended up with a private tour! Camille asked us what kinds of wines we liked and tailored the trip to that. She also set up lunch for us outside at the Koehler winery which was amazing. She was so sweet, knowledgeable about the area and a really good driver. I tend to get a little car sick going through all the mountains, but it was a very smooth ride. She also knows EVERYONE who works at the wineries so she'll get you a good spot at the tasting counter :) I love the fact that it's her and her husband's business. I don't have enough good things to say about our experience. Definitely check them out if you're headed to Santa Barbara and want an incredible wine tour.

Had a great time. Dude was really knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend this tour. Will definitely be back.

We met Iaon 6 years ago when he was working with a different company and enjoyed his tour so much that we kept his information and contacted him again 6 years later! Let me tell you, he is the most personable guide you will ever meet, and your experience will be one like no other. He is super friendly and VERY knowledgeable. One of a kind, and we'll be sure to tour with him again in the future!!

If you want a great, intimate winery tour, go with Rooted Vine! Ian is a friendly tour guide and very knowledgeable about wine. He gets to know you and caters the tour to what he thinks you'll like. I will definitely be using Root Vine Tours again. Thanks, Ian for a great experience!

We went with a large party. No problems at all. The day was such a blast! I will definitely recommend to my friends.

We had such a great time today! The drive was beautiful the company entertaining. We made friends, drank and bought great wine and would recommend to anyone. Well done!

Long overdue review! My BF and I used rooted vine tours last year to tour Santa Ynez wine country. We thoroughly enjoyed our day from pick up to drop off. We also did a little olive oil tasting in the middle of the wine tasting. Iaon was friendly and accommodating. He not only educated us about the wines we were tasting but the beautiful region we were in...we stopped for pics and overall had a laid back lovely day. Definitely worth it!

Booked this wine tour as a Christmas present for my boyfriend and it was AWESOME! Iaon was easy to work with, very professional yet laidback at the same time. He really went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful time. He listened to the kind of wine we liked and took us to the perfect places. The lunch provided was also delicious. I would definitely do this again!

This was such a pleasant surprise! My boyfriend and I went on Valentine's Day and it was such a great experience. They were very knowledgeable and friendly. the car was clean, comfortable, and on time. They had a huge menu to choose from for the lunch and it was AMAZING! We went to more wineries than the other tours and even got to stop at an olive oil tasting place. We went to tasting rooms as well as vineyards and really got the whole experience. the company is owned by the cutest couple - I would DEFINITELY recommend Rooted Vines!

Very pleasant and professional couple, Camille and her husband took us on a great tour of SB wine country visiting tasting rooms, vineyards, olive oil farms, etc. Their vehicles are top notch as well, making the whole trip very comfortable. Highly recommended!

Our group of 11 not only had a super fun time with Iaon and Camille on our tour, but Iaon is also super knowledgeable about the boutique wineries he specializes in, and we got to have the owners at Saarloos and at Sevtap tasting rooms run out tastings, which was a great experience. We all want to come back to the Santa Ynez valley many more times thanks to Rooted Vine Tours!

My wife and I found this company when we wanted a day trip into wine country from Santa Barbara. It had good reviews online and it was half of the price of the company that the hotel recommended, so we gave it a try. Camille showed up a few minutes before the scheduled time for pickup in a clean suburban. She then gave us a nice overview of wine in the area on the drive out to the first of 4 wineries. We got to see many different types of wineries that day and had a tasty lunch at the 3rd stop. Camille was polite, friendly, and most importantly a safe driver. She offered water to rehydrate on the ride home which was a nice touch. Would highly recommend this tour.

Very easy to book and I appreciated the confirmation email with our time and pickup location. Iaon was right on time and picked us up in front of our hotel. The whole day was incredibly fun with great conversation and amazing wine. Our stops included Sevtap, Sarloos, Brander and Epiphany...we were impressed with all the wine and Iaons ability to pinpoint winerys specilaizing in our style preference. He even made some great dinner suggestions! All in all it was an amazing day and I cannot wait to visit Santa Barbara again and go on another tour!

We did a tour with Ian. He was knowledgable, friendly, and professional. He arranged for special tastings for us - we were even able to sit down with a wine maker for a private tasting. He was understanding and flexible to our schedule which made our wine tasting experience very enjoyable. We would highly recommend Rooted Vine Tours to everyone!

By far one of the BEST and most fun leisure activity I have ever had the pleasure of taking part in. Our tour guide was on time and very helpful as well as superbly knowledgable. His choice of wineries was simply exquisite! The wine on this trip was TO DIE FOR, and the drive was breathtaking! I can't wait to do this again. If you are thinking of taking a wine tour, look no further. You are in good hands here!

Rooted Vine Tours was a great experience. I have been on four of the main wine tasting tours in the Santa Barbara wine country area, and I would have to say that Rooted Vine was by far the best. Not only were our drivers Iaon & Camille extremely friendly & fun, but they knew all of the "behind the scenes" with the wineries and which wineries had the best of what type of wine. It was an awesome day and we are already booked our next trip . Thank you so much and looking forward to seeing you again. BEST WINE TOUR ! WISH WE COULD GO EVERY WEEK!

Iaon knocked it out of the park again. We had a fabulous private tour, an all around enjoyable and memorable experience. I really appreciate Iaon's in-depth knowledge of the region and the wines. You can't go wrong with Rooted Vine Tours.