Wine Edventures

I totally agree with other reviewers that this wine tour is 5 stars! My husband and I were given a gift certificate for our anniversary from our wonderful daughters. It was really the most perfect day. Our guide, Tonio, was the best! The wineries he took us to were great (Lincourt was our favorite)! Highly recommend Wine Edventures!

I went on a wine tour last year in April and had an amazing experience! I had contacted a few different wine touring companies to compare pricing, wine tastings, lunch options, etc., but ultimately decided to book with Wine Edventures because it had the best value. Mary Beth and Shawn were both great with answering my questions, emailing me back promptly and just simply provided good customer service. We signed up for the large group tour, but to our surprise, a tour guide just so happened to become available last minute and ended up taking us in a private van! It worked out perfectly because the van seated exactly 9 passengers and it was definitely a treat to have our own «private» tour. Our tour guide was Tonio (Antonio) and he was awesome! He was super friendly, easy going, and had a good sense of humor. He was also informative while being upbeat and engaging. This was overall an awesome experience and I would recommend for any group of friends or family to sign up for this wine tour! This was totally worth not having to plan which wineries to go to or not having to worry about drinking and driving. Lunch being provided was also a big plus! We pretty much just hopped in the van stress free and had an incredible day together!

This was our first trip into Santa Barbara… Used this website to find a fun/​informative wine tasting tour… This was also our first wine tasting… Joel was our guide and he was, hands down, the best this company could have provided !! Very informative, funny and showed us how it should be done… We took the grapes and hops tour, three wineries and one brewery… Great scenery and great «grape juice»… Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co was great and had quite a few options… The Danish Red was a favorite, however all of the IPA’s and pale ales were outstanding… Definitely give these guys a try, you won’t be disappointed !! Thank you to Joel and Mary Beth for an outstanding day, tour and all around great time !!

My husband and I had a great time with this company. Our tour guide, Joel, was knowledgeable and very personable and obviously enjoys conducting the tours. Informative and a great way to spend a day.

What an amazing day. This was part of an excursion from our cruise and it could not have been a more perfect day. Joel was our guide, not only was he an excellent driver, he provided us with the history and background about the region and the grapes. Having gone to several wineries across the world, I’ve learned more on this trip than ever before. We visited 2 wineries, each of which I have joined the wine club for. Yes, they are that good! An added plus, you get a stemless wine glass as a keepsake. I highly recommend this tour and Joel as a guide.

My daughter and I booked a day of wine tasting. Joel was our tour guide for the day. We ended up being the only two people on the tour and had an amazing time. The wineries were a nice mix and Joel explained the ins and outs of wine tasting. Joel made it a truly enjoyable day

We had a wonderful time on our tour yesterday. Beautiful weather, beautiful views and an amazing tour guide. Antonio was so knowledgeable, funny and helpful. Since we were the only 4 on the tour it was like a private tour. He took very good care of us. So pleased!
We went to 4 very different destinations on our tour with a nice lunch at the second stop. We not only tasted wine along the way but we were educated at each stop. We were able to see the beginning stages of grape growing as one of the vineyards had just begun the grafting process. We also learned how grapes become wine at another stop. It is all much more complicated than I had thought.
I would absolutely recommend this to people visiting from out of town and for Santa Barbara natives who would like more of an education of the area.

I was planning a trip for a group of 6 friends for a weekend in Santa Barbara. We had decided we all wanted to go wine tasting and I spent some time researching a tour we could attend. I looked at several different websites, along with reading different Unilocal reviews.
The one thing I noticed about Wine Edventures is the consistency of all of the reviews, all of which were so positive!
I reached out to them and received a response very quickly. They explained everything to me that they could pick us up from our hotel, we had the option to visit four wineries or three wineries and a brewery, the tastings were included at each, and lunch would be included. Needless to say, I decided to book with them. A few days before I received a confirmation e-​mail to confirm the pick-​up time.
Shawn picked us up right on time on the day of! He was so friendly and had a great energy and personality. He was very informative and shared a lot with the group, but was also very considerate and balanced the education piece with ensuring everyone had a great time.
The wineries and brewery were awesome and the owners were all very friendly. The wineries had about 6 tastings at each and the brewery had 4. The lunch was also pretty good (sandwiches/​salads)!
Overall, we had a GREAT time and Shawn was awesome. Wine Edventures lives up to all of their great Unilocal reviews and I would highly recommend them. We will be back for another tour with them in the future! :)

My entire experience with Wine Edventures was perfect! I have never done a vineyard tour through a company before, so I didn’t know what to expect, but the bar has been set very high!
Arranging the tour: I called Shawn the day before our trip asking for availability. Luckily it was a Tuesday and they had openings. He was very friendly and helpful over the phone.
Day of:
10:15am pick-​up time — Shawn was early and we were able to get started with our day. He took our lunch orders: Turkey, Roast Beef, or Veggie sandwiches. On our drive to the vineyard he gave us the history of the wine country and how it came to be.
–First vineyard: Sogno Del Fiore. This vineyard belongs to a wine grower, not producer and it is also a wine membership club. It’s not generally accessible to the public but Shawn has the hook-​ups! Jerry, the owner, walked us through multiple tastings of his favorites this season. He was extremely knowledgable and even had handouts to help teach us! (I even started taking notes) Although he offers a membership, he just lightly informed us about it without being pushy at all. I really appreciated that!
–Second vineyard: Brander Vineyard — I’m really glad Jerry at the previous vineyard taught us about the wines because we knew how to enjoy this one. Shawn set up a little picnic lunch for us here with our lunch orders.
–Third vineyard: Lincort Vineyard — Shawn walked us through the vineyard and explained the process of growing wine grapes. The woman who served our tasting was very knowledgable and answered all our questions!
–Fourth vineyard: Kayla Vineyard — Shawn walked us through the back so we could see the wine making process while he taught us all about fermentation and aging! This place also offered a DESSERT WINE tasting! It was a nice way to end the day!
We got to keep our tasting glass at the end — a stemless wine glass saying «Santa Barbara Wine Edventures» and we got a bottle of wine for our group! (From all the knowledge we gained during the day, we can tell this bottle was going to be tasty!)
I highly highly recommend this tour for your group! You’ll have a great time!

We went to four wineries and we got a free wine bottle at the end and wine glasses. Can’t be mad at that! Our tour guide was super knowledgable too and had great sarcastic humor.

When I saw these reviews I thought how can a company have 5 stars??? Let me tell you after a day of wine tasting with Tonio I now understand. The day started off with a pickup at our hotel and was the perfect mix of wine education and fun. Tonio was informative and professional all the while creating an atmosphere of fun. Thank you to Tonio and Wine Edventures for the best day of our trip!

Funny and knowledgable tour guide Shawn. This tour switches wineries and breweries so you won’t always go to the same ones. Lots of tasting though six varietals at each of the three wineries and 4 at the brewery so full by the second beer. Overall though very good and enjoyable!

We had such a great experience with Wine Edventures!
I’ve been wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma, but never been around the Santa Barbara County and we weren’t sure what to expect, so we booked a guided group tour.
Being that it was Halloween weekend, we luckily had a fairly small, intimate group, only filling one of the smaller Mercedes vans (12 people total) and we enjoyed our company.
Anotnio, our tour guide, picked us up in Solvang right on time and we hit the road immediately. He is extremely knowledgable about the area, and although I’ve been out tasting before, I learned a lot of knew things from him that I felt made my tasting experience so much better.
We were provided with plenty of bottled water throughout the entire day and a hearty sandwich lunch at our second stop.
The tour let us explore a variety of different places. We first stopped at a wine club Sogno Del Fiore, where we did a very high end and highly rated tasting in a beautiful yard. Then we went to the famous Kalyra (where sideways was shot) which has a super laid back vibe. We ate lunch at Kalyra and afterwards headed off to Shoestring. Shoestring also had a very fun experience with some delicious Reds. Finally we made our way to Standing Sun which is a different type of tasting room I’ve ever been to — very laid back with a music venue inside and a cool art gallery next door.
We got a little bit of everything on this tour and had such a great time. Thanks Antonio and Wine Edventures!

We decided to take this tour at the last minute. They were very accommodating. We had so much fun and learned some along the way. Lunch was delicious and the wineries were each different in their own way. Great driver and great fun. Go if you can.

I’ve done several tours in the Napa/​Sonoma area and was excited to try something similar here in Santa Barbara. Wine Edventures was hands down, the best wine tour I’ve done in California! I called very last minute (night before) and initially was told they didn’t have openings for my group — no biggie, my lack of planning BUT then 5 minutes later, Mary Beth calls to tell me she found us a spot if we were still interested– hell yes! She was incredibly friendly, prompt and even arranged a pickup for me in Ventura. Her passion and commitment to customer service had me sold– but the best was still to come.
Next morning, we were greeted by Antonio and bottled water. He was friendly, polite and extremely knowledgeable– not just about the wine but the area in general. He truly made us feel like guests in his house (van). We did the grapes n hops tour, including 3 boutique wineries and a brewery. All of the wineries had something different and unique to offer. Antonio was a phenomenal guide– giving us tasting tips and some behind the scenes tours of the individual wineries. The last stop was the brewery where we got to choose a tasting flight of 4 beers. Antonio went above and beyond to get my fiancé an IPA only tasting flight (his beer of choice).
Overall, very educational– beautiful views-​awesome tastings and a truly outstanding tour guide. I can’t wait for an opportunity to go again!

The concept of this is great. A bus picks you up. You caravan to wineries with strangers. You have a host or hostess to educate and keep you informed and on a time schedule. You drink, you learn, you see some amazing countryside, you have a nice little lunch from Nielsens.
Our bus driver was Shawn. Seemed nice. But you could tell it’s his zillionth tour. I personally have only wine tasted once. I like the idea of a tour where you can experience a few other wineries and not have to worry about a designated driver. I am thankful we had Shawn as our DBD (designated bus driver) but he lacks a smidge in the hospitality department. Extremely short. His way or the highway. We were a small group for a bridal shower. We were not a crazy rowdy bunch nor did we have a list of things for Shaun to do. He seemed put out any time we had to interact with him. Which made you not want to engage him or ask a question if you had one. The only time he seemed to be nice or put on a little charm was on the way back when he expected a 15% gratuity. The tip from me would have been «be kinder and a little less rough around the edges and people might be more generous.»
The price of a tour is pricey. But when you factor in all of the tasting fees, fuel, lunch and a safe ride and back it’s worth it. Would I ever request Shawn? NO. A tour with another Wine Edventurer might be the best thing to do.
The bus we were on had NO air conditioning. Sadly we toured on a day where it was 100 degrees. Wine Edventures should consider getting the a/​c fixed or using buses with air conditioning.
They provide water bottles. It was room temp. Finally the waters were iced down but we ran out at the last winery. On hotter days they should consider icing down more than one case of water. Especially if the bus has 22 guests.
The lunch was ½ sandwich, 1 cup of Greek salad, bag of potato chips and a cookie. It was a nice size but I would definitely pack a small bag of wine appropriate snacks. Nuts, cheese, crackers, grapes, strawberries… While trying the wines I really wanted to pair it with a little food. Our group did bring some snacks but I would definitely recommend bringing some small bites.
You do do a bit of walking and the tour was basically 10 – 5. You definitely need a little more body fuel especially if you are going to be drinking! So bring snacks and water!
Out of four stops I really only liked two. We don’t have control of where we go. It is nice to try new things. Now I can eliminate two from my list shall I ever go again.
Wine Edventures I gave you a five eventhough with Sean I would have liked to give you a three star. But why ruin a 5 star rating with a sour grape tour guide. Thank you Wine Edventures for a fun day with the girls.

This was our first time with Wine Edventures, but it will definitely not be the last! Everything they describe on the website is absolutely true: they build relationships with small, boutique wineries and winegrowers, and the visits to each location involve far more than just a wine-​tasting. You will walk through the vineyards, taste the grapes right off the vine, mix wine in the fermentation phase, and get a tour of a bottling facility! Shawn is a fantastic tour guide, weaving fun facts about the local geography with information about each winery.

Shawn was a great host and full of stories of the local area. Love the Private winery’s. Shawn is very knowledgeable about grapes and the wine making process. A must go when in Santa Barbara.

Shawn took us on our tour and made it extremely memorable for my wife and I. He made the drive up the mountains tolerable with his vast knowledge of the area and the history that associates with different areas. Once we got to the first winey he gave us our beautiful tasting glasses which look amazing and set us free to drink and taste and enjoy. The drives between the vineyards were filled with Shawn pointing out nice spots that are hidden gems in the area. With out him as our tour guide I feel it would have been a completely different experience. They provided lunch for us mid day which was a nice little sandwich, chips, Greek salad and a cookie. For the last stop on the tour he gave us the chance to go to a brew house or taste more wine so that was a nice little change. Wine tasting all day does kind of numb your taste buds, so I would recommend the beer tasting for last just to change it up. Once Shawn dropped us off at our hotel he gave us a nice bottle of wine as a gift and we parted ways.
This tour is a must if you want great views, great wine and want to meet new people. Go enjoy a great time in the mountains!

We went on an all day tour of 4 wineries and picnic lunch through our cruise. It was well planned and Shaun was the perfect guide. He had great knowledge of the area, wines, and keep us entertained with jokes and tests. It could be a long day but he kept it interesting. He picked 4 very diverse wineries. Some we liked and some we didn’t, but we got an overview of the styles in this area.
They do large and small and can be set up yourself. We had a great time!