Solminer Wine Company

Great afternoon enjoying some nice but windy weather. The wine was great too. It was a little busy when we got there and only one person working the tasting room but he managed it really well. We ended up getting a few bottles.

Wonderful wine, phenomenal staff, great tasting room, and a really nice wine club with flexibility in shipments, variety, and bonus tastings! The owners are lovely and the winery is biodynamic - which is a nice sustainability bonus! Very dog friendly, so bring the pup and taste away. The wines are Austrian varietals that you won’t find elsewhere so it’s truly a unique tasting experience. If you like unique bubbles try their amazing Pet Nats!!

Fantastic little tasting room that felt super safe and clean. We left with bottles of the Dry Riesling and Syrah. Loved it here and will definitely be back.

Wines are interesting, delicious, and crafted with true care and thoughtfulness. Steven showed us a lovely time and we left with a couple bottles 😉 Can’t wait to make the trip again!

Incredible and unique wines. Became a member of the wine club and they do not disappoint. Definitely a favourite vineyard of mine and David and Anna are incredibly talented and passionate. Highly recommended!

Ignore the 1 star review, some folks are bitter. Great service, and great wines. Lots of Austrian varietals grown biodynamically, a nice changeup amongst all the Burgundian varietals in town. Especially loved the St. Laurent, would definitely recommend you fit Solminer into your visit to Los Olivos

Even during Covid, I was thoroughly impressed with the Solminer experience. Stopping in to grab some wine on our roadtrip, Emmy went above and beyond. Not only do we love the wine, but she took the time to write an extensive personal email describing each wine, recapping our conversation. I was so impressed I bought another 6 bottles for my inlaws. I sent them the notes as well, so they could really get a feel for the incredible experience that is Solminer. Look forward to staying at the ranch house soon! Thanks Emmy and the Solminer team!

Maybe just a bad experience, but the service was rushed and not helpful. The server left us twice half way between our orders to talk to other people. We were left with 1 glass of wine for 5 of us for a whole 10 minutes until we finally had to walk inside to order the rest of our order. Also, the pour was about a half a glass of wine. Good luck to a successful business with that service and rude comments to your customers.

Strolled in with 30 minutes before closing and am soooo happy we made it in because we had the best time tasting wines served by Jill who was just the loveliest human and host. We ended up buying three bottles of wine( could have bought a bottle of each wine we tasted because they were all soo good) and a memory we will never forget

Excellent wines and atmosphere! Our server was so attentive and friendly and even poured us a few special wines he happened to have open which was nice. We ended up buying a bottle and taking it to Bar Le Cote for dinner that night and it went great with the food. Would recommend this place if you like natural wine :)

This place is 12/10. The customer service is unmatched. Zevan was the most gracious host and made us feel so welcome. Can't wait to visit him again!!!

Organic, biodynamic, natural wine. Solminor wine company offers all three of these very crucial specifications for natural wine geeks in the form of pet nat rosé, sparkling wine, reds and whites. Solminer offers some very cool Austrian Varieties like Grüner Vetliner, Blaufrankish, and Riesling, along with some classic French varieties like Syrah and Grenache. Solminor wine company tasting room is not the place I go for ambience or a trendy playlist to listen to. It's the place I go for a really good natural wine. That being said, I do appreciate the clean minimalist design space, and the walk up bar that I usually stand at so that I can hear all about the wines and how they're made. Everybody who works there is friendly and helpful. The tasting room is located in downtown Los Olivos, a short walk from any other tasting room you might want to visit on a winetasting weekend trip. It is open daily from 11 AM to 5 PM and reservations are recommended, although I've had luck walking in without a reservation on several occasions. For those who like to get really geeky, ask about what they are doing in terms of regenerative farming using sheep at their winery. One thing to note, like most places in Los Olivos, wi-fi can be hit or miss. With that in mind, Solminor wine company is a great place to relax and not do any work while sipping on a cool glass of wine. Ps: Did anybody else laugh out loud when reading the review from "experienced wine tasters" who complained about being disgusted by pigéage à pied (foot stomping) during winemaking? Someone accustomed to drinking only mass produced, low quality conventional wines which have become commonplace in modern times may think it strange, but low intervention winemaking is as ancestral as it gets- and has been done this way in practice for centuries. While everyone's palate is unique, any "experienced taster " should have no problem identifying the artisanal quality of the small production natural wine found out Solminer wine company. For context, I'm educated as Sommelier and currently work as wine writer.

Stopped by at 3pm on Sunday and were lucky enough to be greeted by the owner/vintner, David. He was very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with him about his wines. Many have an Austrian influence thanks to his wife. It was a busy afternoon and Solminer's tasting room is right in the middle of Los Olivos. We enjoyed almost all the wines we sampled. The tasting fee is $20 but waived with the purchase of 3 bottles. The bottle prices are mid range and affordable for most. They focus on conscious farming and one of the wines (Syrah) is produced using carbonic maceration. It doesn't need aging & is produced more quickly than the traditional wines. We did enjoy it but don't personally feel it has the same flavor and taste profile you expect from a Syrah. Regardless, we enjoyed the wines. We took a few bottles home and will definitely visit again.

"Wine brings to light the hidden secrets of the soul, gives being to our hopes, bids the coward flight, drives dull care away, and teaches new means for the accomplishment of our wishes." --- Horace And wine just tastes flipping good ;-) Ending our road trip with the Beautiful One, we stopped at Solminer on the way home after recs from Artiste, Dreamcote and Torreti. It may have been our favorite stop... Solminer was created from the love of David deLaski and his Austrian wife, Anna deLaski. Awesome meet cute story too: "Anna left her homeland 15 years ago to work as a sustainability-minded timber engineer in Canada. Living in cold Calgary, she came to Southern California every summer to thaw out and groove under the stars to trance music, like the kind cultivated by David's Ball of Waxx label. They met in 2009 at a full-moon gathering in the Mojave Desert and decided to ride bicycles in Solvang on one of their first dates. When Anna crashed, the bike trip turned into a wine-tasting one, and, as she put it, "We were scarred for life."" Ironically, at least for me because I love the Gruner Veltliner from Zocker, they tasted that wine and: ""The light switch went on," said David. Same for Anna, who'd grown up on grüner living near Austria's Wachau region but didn't think California was cold enough for the racy, crisp, and texturally grippy white wine grape. "I was so surprised that it worked," she said." (The above lifted from an SB Independent article but also partially shared by Anna in the tasting room). I believe it was Paul Rudd look alike Jake we tasted with and my friend thinks he'd be perfect for her daughter ;-) We went through the lineup and then some. Loved everything especially the Gruner, Riverbench Vineyard Riesling and the Blaukenfrisch (we purchased all three and joined the wine club). They "produce Austrian and Rhone varietal wines from their CCOF certified organically farmed vineyard in Los Olivos as well as a few very select sites throughout the Santa Ynez Valley." Hey, I have a meeting soon so I have to use other sources besides my own writing...a Trance music producer would understand ;-) BTW, we opened the Gruner Veltliner the other night with grilled Lemon Pepper Halibut and it was fabulous. So I just bought some more plus a Pinot and Sparkling red. So yeah, get some soul, get some Solminer. You will be glad you did. Forget the Pinots that taste like Syrah or Syrah that pushes 16-17% alcohol and tastes like terrible cough syrup. Those are not wines, they are abominations. Have some taste and grace in this insane world...have a soul ;-) Highly recommended!

We have been wanting to come here to try their Blaufrankish and other Austrian wines, and finally got the chance. Very nice shady patio overlooking a casual grassy lawn. We had tasting of 5 wines - 2 whites, 1 cider, 2 reds, for $15/tasting. We weren't a huge fans of the wine, and the tasting was a bit on the slow side - about 45 minutes. Worth a visit, but not sure I'd come back next time.

Ah, well here we go again! Re-entering a review, as yelp took it down as there was not enough "detail." I'm guessing the business complained about it. I'm providing my original review, plus MORE detail. Original review -- OMG the worst wines EVERRRRRRRR. Just think kombucha (as in the nasty tasting ones, not the "commercial" ones.) I'm surprised they are allowed by the health department to serve this stuff! MORE DETALS, you're welcome Yelp and Solminer! 1. We visited last month. 2. The wines taste NASTY. Both our opinions. We are a couple. We are experienced wine drinkers! 3. YES, it tastes like Kombucha, our opinion. Most of the wines. Maybe one was drinkable. Sour, moldy-smelling/tasting, bitter, etc. 4. How disgusting that their "orange wine" (which we tried in the tasting) is STOMPED ON BY BARE FEET (according to their description). Disgusting. Also, according to the (super nice, by the way!) guy who was serving us, that wine was fermented by spontaneous fermentation. So that got me thinking! ... Do the math... S.F. plus BARE FOOT STOMPED by somebody who could have had foot fungus... could lead to nasty / funky / "spoiled" wine. What else do you want to know? This is the worst winery we have EVER been to. The grounds are beautiful though. Albeit confusing. You'll be asked to sit under certain colored umbrellas and not umbrellas in the other part of the yard. Not sure if it's a neighboring business or what, but it's the same yard. The guy who served us was super super nice, and was the only redeeming part of this visit. Oh, and the wine glasses are super nice too! I got a picture of one. IS THIIS ENOUGH, YELP AND SOLMINER? Let's hope so. And for the extra detail, please keep in mind that THIS WAS THE WORST WINE WE HAVE EVER EVER HAD. Oh, and YES, I truly am surprised that it's allowed to be sold. I'm curious what the microbiological content is. I know my microbiology and have a medical background, by the way... so I'm not trying to slander anybody, but I truly am curious how they get away with selling such nasty stuff. THIS IS MY OPINION. So, go ahead and try this place if you want, but YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. I hope this gives enough detail. worst wine EVER. WORRRRRST WINE EVERRRRR. Most of it, I can't even consider wine. Oh, I'm attaching some pics.

My boyfriend and I were visiting Santa Barbara last weekend and wanted to stop by Los Olivos before heading to Presquile (about 30 minutes north). We both love the idea of organic, biodynamic wine and the tasting was extremely affordable ($15 for 4). We took a spot right out front and had the sweetest server. I'm bummed we didn't get his name but he had a great demeanor. We both loved all the wines and were shocked at how good they were. Dare I say better than Presquile but that's for another review. I wasn't able to buy any wines as I was flying back to NYC the next day but I love the option to order online and have it shipped. Genius! Highly recommend checking it out.

Perhaps my favorite winemaker in the region! These all natural, organic and biodynamic Wines are unique, incredibly balanced and lively! They are producing more esoteric varietals such as; Blaufrankish, Gruner Veltliner, dry resiling and sparkling dry Resiling and Syrah! David DeLaski is a fountain of wine knowledge and he puts it all to use in his meticulous process! The brand new tasting room is gorgeous and spacious, a must for any Los Olivos trip!

What's better then a winery with a beautiful outdoor area? A winery with the cutest dog. We were greeted by Honey, who just happens to be the cutest dog ever (we were obsessed to say the least). Everyone was great, the outdoor area is beyond beautiful with all the trees and shade. We were on a tour for a bachelorette party so they brought out the chambong. The only down side was that you can't do a tasting outside and the seating inside was very limited. Also on the wine tasting menu it had a sparkling red and the guy serving us had to up and go so fast (like in the middle of the tasting) that he didn't even bring us that one. When we asked about it, he said they would have to open a new bottle and asked if we would be up to buying a bottle in exchange. Kinda odd since it was on the menu, but we bought one anyways just because some of the girls really wanted to try it.

What a fun place to spend an afternoon! I came here last weekend for a wedding and didn't want to leave. I joined the club so I could have this wine year round! The owner David is easy to talk with. I learned so much about wine making and the vineyard business. Great location with a cute patio. Don't miss this spot while in Los Olivos!

Wouldn't even rate it a one star Wry ride, more focused on closing time , not very confident about there quality of red wines , They risked us out because they were close to closing So rude

Favorite place on this girls trip thus far! Ask for Jake cause he's a stud and absolutely They have a great white selection and an absolutely excellent dry Riesling, I had to get a bottle!

Amazing wine tasting!! Never had I had a better white wine! Rose is beautiful and the Syrah was as smooth as silk! Thank you Emmy!! Love Solminer and happy we joined the wine club!!

Love this spot! David and his staff are so friendly, and we absolutely love their selection of wines. Will definitely be back soon!

Really enjoyed the sparkling red, and Jake even showed us how to open the bottle under water...cute little back porch sitting area and Honey the wine dog to keep us company.

After we first tried one of Solminer's pet-nats at a local bar, we knew we had to make the trip to the tasting room. Lucky us, David was there! We loved being able to talk with him about their values and processes. Rest assured, although they are exploring biodynamic wine making, the end result is still enjoyable (rather than some pretty off-putting bitter or funky wines I've had at other places). I especially love that they are planting varietals not usually seen around Santa Ynez - one in particular was a revelation, but out of selfishness I'm avoiding mentioning it so it can hopefully last a little longer while I save up for more of it! (Go to their tasting room and see if you can figure it out yourself!) We'd been leaning toward a membership, but the visit convinced us. Can't wait to see what we can discover with future releases!

Solminer is one of those wineries that I'm glad moved into the area and just want to see stick around for a long time. Where else in the area can you try a Blaufränkisch; Grüner Veltiliner is rare enough, and they've got a couple of different ones. All of the wines were excellent, making this easily one of my favorite wineries in Los Olivos. It's also nice to see another winery that is using biodynamic methods to grow its grapes. In a sea of pinot noir and chardonnay, I'm glad to see Austrian varietals being represented in a delicious way.

Even during Covid, I was thoroughly impressed with the Solminer experience. Stopping in to grab some wine on our roadtrip, Emmy went above and beyond. Not only do we love the wine, but she took the time to write an extensive personal email describing each wine, recapping our conversation. I was so impressed I bought another 6 bottles for my inlaws. I sent them the notes as well, so they could really get a feel for the incredible experience that is Solminer. Look forward to staying at the ranch house soon! Thanks Emmy and the Solminer team!

We were directed to this winery today by a nice local who runs Neighbors Coffee. We were super excited to see a Natural Winery. Our server was kind, nice and knowledgeable. We ended up enjoying the rose, Syrah and Orange variety. We will definitely be back when we are in town.

Wines were great and different from any others we've tried. Even though they were busy, it did not feel rushed at all! Took some sparkling red wine home!

The server Sunshine and her husband Nate were great. The wine however did not work for us at all. Beware

David and his wife are so hospitable. Their wines are flavorful,aromatic, unique and available only in limited numbers. Feel special and join this wine club ASAP!

Had the pleasure of tasting with Chase and David! Both of them were very passionate and knowledgeable about the wine they poured and even more so about wine in general. David is a self-admitted mad-scientist in the wine industry and his experiments keep on impressing me! My friend signed up for the wine club and I am seriously considering doing the same! Great wine David and even better staff!

David and Anna of Solminer, are not only wonderful people but they also make amazing wine. I wish I could keep this delicious wine all to myself, but I also want everyone to taste it so they will love it too. I first met David and Anna at the "Raw Wine Fair " and I am so happy they have opened a Solminer tasting room in Los Olivos. Their sparkling wines are so yummy and they also have other lovely wines that stray from the norm. Anna is from Austria, and their Blaufrankisch is so good! If you like white, definitely try to Gruner Veltliner. Their Syrah (especially the sparkling and carbonic) and Pinot Noir are also very good and easy to drink with or without food. Not only is their wine delicious, but most (if not all?) of it is made with biodynamic or organic grapes. The wine is also made using low intervention and usually unfiltered so you are tasting the wine without the unnatural processing and fillers that you usually get with high production corporate winemakers. David and Anna really care about what is in their wine as well as how it tastes.

Happy to see more interesting varietals not common to California, farmed biodynamically, made beautifully in the old world style, and with less alcohol, allowing expression of its terroir. These are food friendly wines, not the usual over the top high alcohol levels that unfortunately had overtaken the Ca wine industry. That is now changing, thankfully. I bought their Blaufrankish, to add something different to my collection.

UNBELIEVABLE! the wine was so different than the typical local wines, and absolutely delicious. Jake took us through the flight and was full of facts and absolutely charming. If I could give this 10 stars I would.

Great experience and the wines were completely different from all the others! Great job Guys on the concept and overall experience of this great little place that definitely left an impression!