Feliz Noche Cellars — Attraction in Solvang

Feliz Noche is a small batch vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley with a tasting room in Solvang. Most all of the wines are produced in very small numbers between three different vineyards owned by Don Felipe.

The tasting room offers seating both inside and outside. The server we had was quite friendly and knowledgeable, explaining both the composition and characteristics of each wine but also production.

This would be a five star place were it not for two things: 1.) The wine server shouldn't be drinking on the job. While I get that it was really quiet and slow (we were the only customers he had that day till that point), it isn't a good look and can lead to mistakes in several areas including hygiene. 2.) There should be cheese or crackers...something...to clear the palate between tastings. My guess is this has become a common cost cutting measure across the majority of the tasting rooms in the area, but it muddles the experience for the customer (the tongue becomes muddy without something to clear the previous tasting) and deprived the owner of the ability to cross sell something, like cheese...

Membership is available and offers discounts on wine purchases and free tastings when...

Really loved the wine tasting experience when we happened to make a stop at Solvang on Thanksgiving morning. The best part was that the guide wasn't trying to show off his knowledge but still managed to tell us interesting facts about growing or choosing a good wine. They offer a mix of red, white and rose, if you don't know your favorite. And my friend, who was a beginner, had a pretty good (drunk) time finding his wine of choice. It's a local winery, so most of the wines are not produced in bulk - so better grab a bottle if you love one! That's...

Wandered in here on a weekday afternoon, and so had the luxury of plenty of time to talk with the manager while tasting, and learned lots of interesting things about their wines. Really liked their Chardonnay, which was smooth like a steel chard but still had a hint of spice from the oak, but what really hit me was their Tempranillo, which is a variety I love and theirs was excellent. There are a lot of good tasting rooms in Solvang but I don't know if there are any others where you'll find a Spanish...