Tom was an amazing guide and knew the area well. He was able to explain the vineyards and tell us why he thought the ones we did were best. He even took us to an additional stop along the way, so we had an awesome experience. His rescue pup, Winston, was also very cute and relaxed. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Transportation Near Me

Tom was awesome and very knowledgeable about the area! Definitely recommend him for Solvang Los olivos area!

Phenomenal experience. Tom knows his stuff. A full day, all inclusive tour that's unforgettable. read more

Tom was great, nice van to take us to vineyards, food was good, wine was amazing. All in all a good time read more

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Our wine tour experience was extraordinary. Tom was customer focused from the beginning where he picked us up from our hotel through the time he dropped us off. His knowledge of the Valley and wine was educational, and he listened to our interests to make our wine tour as customized as possible. The wineries selected were amazing, especially at Tomi Cellars where the wines were delicious and high quality. Tom made sure he picked up lunch for us and was very attentive throughout the day. Highly recommend Artisan Excursion Wine Tours if you are in the Valley. Tom is so wonderful, so try to join a tour with him. Thanks to Tom for an awesome day of wine tasting and exploring the Valley. read more

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What an absolute delight! My sister and I signed up for a tour of some of Solvang's more intimate wineries and the experience was amazing! Not only was the wine superb, but meeting the winemakers and seeing their passion was intoxicating in itself! I could not recommend this tour more. At the last winery we sat at a table sipping various reds and whites overlooking the most gorgeous hills while the winery cats and dog visited us. Now I know what heaven is! And the picnic lunch was delicious!!!! read more

If you are looking for off the beat winetasting this is the tour for you. Tom is going to take you to the smaller "farm to table" places in the area. The first place we visited was in a family home and we sat in their backyard as they described to us all of the local wine makers in the Santa Ynez Valley that are associated with the wine collective they have created. Gabe jr was knowledgeable and personable and we enjoyed learning about his family history -- as well as the local region. The second place we went to wasn't that impressive at first sight because it is in an industrial park, but once we went inside and learn more about this local family's history we were immediately enchanted. The wine was delicious, the pours were generous, and we got to taste local wine direct from the barrel. Such a special treat! The final destination was a lovely farm/ranch where we got to feed baby carrots to a cute horse, and sip a lovely glass of Chardonnay while overlooking a lush vineyard, enjoying the slight summer breeze. The sandwiches and salads were delicious and Tom was an exceptional host, albeit a little quiet at times. Not the most gregarious of characters but lovely all the same. We ended up buying a few bottles of wine at the various wineries and wrapped up our day with absolute delight. Highly recommend this tour for those looking for an intimate wine tasting experience with a local flavor. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Santa Ynez valley wine collective - Transportation Near Me

Booked a tour with my fiancé and we had an amazing time. Good wine, a fun time and Tom really knows what's up . 10/10 would recommend read more

We just took the wine tour with Tom from Artisan Excursion and let me tell you, we had the best time! Such a wonderful experience. First of all, we were picked up right on time, which scored points with me right away. The Transit van we rode in was clean and comfortable, nice subtle music and cold a/c. As we drove from winery to winery, Tom literally gave us a "tour" of every area in between too, letting us know history and facts from the area. While at the different wineries, we never felt rushed or in a hurry at any time. Very personal experience, Tom even knows the names of the pests at the different wineries! Haha! If you're looking for a nice pleasant experience here in touring a few local wineries, give Artisan Excursions a try, it's a must for us if we ever go again. Thanks Tom! read more

My partner and I had a great time on this tour. We were slightly concerned about touring, because of Covid restrictions and safety, but the tour was small (6 people total on mine) and every winemaker we visited was outdoors w/ hand sanitizer, masks required, etc. Tom took great care of us. I had to call and reschedule a couple times due to changes in plans, and he was super helpful and made the whole process easy and uncomplicated. The wineries and vintners we visited were varied and tasty, from larger, beautiful vineyards (LaFond) to small-batch winemakers like Esfuerzo where sometimes we were trying wines that only had 900 bottles in existence. And we got to drink out of the barrel as well, which was a unique experience. On top of all this, Tom picked us up and dropped us off directly in front of our hotel. Really worth every penny. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - LaFond winery - Transportation Near Me

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Booked this wine tour as a date day for my husband and I on the small group tour. We went during "off season" so when we met our tour driver we were pleasantly surprised to find out it was just the two of us for the day! We have been going to Solvang for years and this was the first time we had gone on a tour. Our driver was so nice and knowledgeable. We went to 3 wineries, all very different. First one was at the home of a wine maker in their beautiful back yard, the second was in Buellton (which was our favorite, we even bought a wine club), and the third was at a bigger winery. We had ample time at each destination and the lunch was delicous. We cannot wait to come back and do this again with a group of friends. If you are considering taking this tour, DO NOT HESITATE! read more

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We had the best experience today! The van picked us up at our hotel and off we went on our adventure. We visited 3 different wineries for wine tasting and had a preordered lunch. The all inclusive fee is worth it! Tom is a great host and shared many stories about the region, recommended places to see and eat. The van is very roomy and comfortable. I can't wait to bring friends and go again. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Wine tasting - Transportation Near Me

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours has amazing service! I used Expedia and it was very easy to book. All the information was provided to make to sure we were prepared for everything. Tom, was very personable and warm, yet professional. He opened the Van doors for us, placed a stepping stool and provided excellent customer service. Tom was also an awesome tour guide and provided a very fun wine tasting experience! Our experience at each of the wineries (3) was very pleasant and Tom knew exactly the right places for us. His driving was very smooth and comfortable. We felt safe and I had no anxiety like I usually do when I'm in a car not driving. Oh and not to forget that I accidentally forgot my Oakley sunglasses in the Van and didn't realize it until 2 days later (I blame the WINE) lol. I text messaged Tom and he checked for me. Thankfully my sunglasses were in the back seat and Tom recovered them for me. He offered to mail them back to me via UPS. Now that's what you call GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! Artisan Excursion Wine Tours has 5 star service and I HIGHLY recommend them. See you again soon Tom! read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - A very happy and joyful experience at all 3 Wineries! - Transportation Near Me

This was THE BEST wine tour my fiancé and i have ever been on! Tom was beyond knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. It's definitely worth it because of the simple fact that we weren't familiar with the area so Tom was about to recommend different restaurants and activities that we wouldn't have been able to find on yelp. He picked us up from our hotel in Solvang, took us to three amazing wineries that were very private and comforting, then he dropped us back off at our hotel. Worth every penny, we actually would've paid more. Thank you for the great experience Tom! read more

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This tour was amazing... we were a small group of 2. The 3 locations were amazing... we learned so much about wine, the science behind it and the type of grapes grown in the area!! The lunch was soooo yummy!! Thank you Tom for an amazing time and would definitely return when in the area again!! Highly recommend Tom's Artisan Excursion Wine Tours... read more

Booked this wine tour based on a recommendation from a friend and it didn't disappoint. We had a group of 6 and got our own private tour. Tom is a great host and curated 3 distinctly different wineries for us to tour. Each of the wineries were smaller and unique in their own ways and the tastings were much more personal. We learned about the region, got to do some tastings from a barrel and walked one with a beautiful backdrop where we were able to pet some friendly animals on the property. This is a welcome change from the bigger wineries in the area. Tom provides all the driving in his van which makes for a worry free and responsible experience for everyone after sampling so many great wines. read more

I don't usually leave reviews anymore since everyone is saying the same general things. However, Tom should know that he did a great job with the 3 wineries he chose to take us to on the tour and it was great to be able to do the tastings without feeling rushed. Great unique wineries that I probably wouldn't have found in my own. We also got to feed goats and horses! read more

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This wine tour was fantastic and Tom was excellent. We were a small group and it made the experience very personal. Tom took us to three wineries where we got a firsthand education on the wine making business, tasted exquisite wines, and then got to stroll the grounds. The first winery was our favorite because it was a small estate and we got to meet the owner and sit in his backyard. Talk about an intimate tour. On our second stop we had lunch. The sandwiches were so delicious and Tom provided everything we needed to complete the meal. The best thing about Artisan Excursion is that it wasn't a big commercial tour of the huge wineries, with a huge crowd of rowdy people. Since my husband and I were celebrating our anniversary, we were looking for something special and that is exactly what we got with Tom and Artisan Excursion. I highly recommend this tour. We will definitely be back. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Transportation Near Me

We didn't know which vineyards to visit for our weekend getaway, but so happy that we chose Artisan Excursions!! Tom was so warm and welcoming and our tour group was so fun! We had a blast! The best part of this tour was that we got to go to small wineries that don't have any large distribution yet. It was so great to support local wine growers and we learned so much about each! I highly recommend this tour if you are in the Solvang area! read more

Tom is great! I have used his tour 2x now and it is worth every penny! No need to worry about driving and got to try some new smaller wineries and a fantastic little olive oil company! read more

We enjoyed our day wine tour with Tom. He took us to two distinct small wineries and a private tasting in the backyard of a very knowledgeable person who markets extremely small wineries. Tom was a safe and friendly driver. We learned so much about wine making and fruit growing on this trip. If in Solvang area and looking for a great wine tour, Artisan is the one. read more

Tom was very knowledgeable about the local area and brought us to three nice wineries we maybe would not have found by ourselves online. His driving was good and he set up a very nice lunch where it was evident he thought out the smaller details to ensure a nice time for his guests. Overall, we would recommend the tour for anyone looking to avoid the planning, scheduling and driving and instead wants to relax while tasting and learning about the wines and wineries. read more

We had such a great day! Let's start with the booking process. I had questions. Tom always got back to me promptly and kindly to answer them. I also appreciated the text in the morning as a reminder of what time to be downstairs. Being picked up at the hotel is such a convenience! Tom was attentive and kind to us throughout our tour. We stopped at three different small wineries. We were given an hour at each stop. The information was interesting and the pours plenty. Lots of time for questions and conversation. Lunch was yummy. We had a very great experience today with this wine tour ! read more

Reasons why you should use Artisan Excursion Wine Tours if you are considering a trip up to Santa Ynez Wine Country: Booking with a Groupon was super simple, email a copy of your voucher with the date of your visit, your lunch selections and pickup location and that's it. Tom picks you up on time at any hotel in the area (We were staying in Buellton. The bus is clean, with good air conditioning and comfortable. You will visit 3 locations, which I understand vary. Our first location was in the middle of a vineyard, our second was Andrew Murray and our third was Lafond. Lunch was very good and on the lighter side. You select from a list of sandwiches and salads on the Artisan Excursion website. Tom sets up a tablecloth, utensils, condiments and accouterments at a nice shady spot. We got Turkey and the Italian, but ended up with a roast beef instead of our turkey. It was still delicious and fresh, nonetheless. The icy cold bottle of water is a welcome accompaniment when you've been hitting the wineries pretty hard. DUIs are no joke, and they are very strict here. If you're going out tasting, let someone else do the driving. Finally and most importantly, Tom was friendly, patient and knowledgeable throughout the booking process and during our entire tour, which fully booked. Tom had no problem ensuring that all 10 of us felt like we were getting enough attention. There's a lot of options for transportation on the Central Coast wine trail but if you're not seriously considering Artisan Excursion as one of them then you are missing out on a great wine tasting experience. read more

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Our wine tour was excellent! My wife and I were celebrating our 23rd wedding anniversary and decided to get out of the house a bit. We took a drive from LA up to Solvang and that's where we met Tom. He was very professional, courteous, and respectful of all the new COVID-19 guidelines. We felt very safe and were around very few, masked people during our trip. Tom took us to some small, private vineyards and wineries. We learned a lot, got some great wines, and helped to support a small community that really depends on tourism. I can't wait to go back again and will surely give Artisan a call next time I'm out. Thanks! read more

100% recommend this wine tour. Tom, our driver and guide, was the best. We enjoyed learning more about wine making and tasting wines at three boutique wineries. It was a perfect way to spend our anniversary. read more

Our wine tour was excellent. Every part of the experience was thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable. We found Artisan Excursion here on Yelp and were encouraged by the reviews. Yelp for the win again! Start with the booking process. The online reservation system was very easy to use and my wife and I were booked within a few minutes. The price was reasonable, especially looking back and considering the service we got for the price. Within moments we had our tour dates locked and our lunch that day ordered. On the day of, Tom arrived at our hotel early in a very clean, very comfortable passenger van for us and one other couple. It didn't take long at all before we were on our way to our first destination. Tom struck me as very knowledgeable about the Santa Ynez Valley, and the unique properties of this wine region that make it a great place for growing certain grape varietals. Our first stop was a dandy. You wouldn't know it from the location, but Flores Family Vineyards and their Esfuerzo label is excellent. They're a small batch operation, but the wine they poured for us was fantastic. The tasting was in their barrel room, and the host, Fidencio Flores (yes, one of the owners), made us feel like family. We came away with several bottles of wine, a bottle of their olive oil (OMG), and a new appreciation for the effort (Spanish: Esfuerzo) it takes to put together a good bottle of wine. It was a great start to our excursion, and easily wound up being our favorite stop of the day. Our next stop was Andrew Murray Vineyards, a more traditional tasting room. Its hard to compare to our first stop, but the wine was very good and lunch was laid out and ready following our wine flight. Tom orders lunch via deli in downtown Los Olivos, coincidently also our favorite sandwich shop in that area. We sipped on a glass of our favorites from Andrew Murray while we ate, getting to know our tour-mates. Our final stop was Dierberg & Star Lane, another more traditional tasting room. Again, the wine was pretty good, and the relaxed atmosphere fostered some great conversation with the other couple, who we were fast becoming friends with. Sadly, after our time at Dierberg it was time for our tour to come to an end, but we had wine from three great wineries, a bottle of some very tasty olive oil, new friends, a nice little buzz, and a great experience. Thank you, Tom! We'll see you again soon! read more

Had a great wine tour with Tom! He pick smaller more intimate wine makers so it was definitely a more personal experience! Took all precautions during covid, had friendly conversation and good music in a clean shuttle while traveling. Would recommend! read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Transportation Near Me

I took my office team on this wine tour as a year-end Thank you to celebrate the Holidays. Tom was a great host. He set us up with great tasting experiences from a diverse group of wine makers. The lunches were simple & delicious; timed perfectly with the outing. He was very responsive before the day of the tour, the morning of before pickup and all during the day. I will certainly use his services again to book a tour when visiting the Solvang area. read more

I'm honestly baffled by reading these reviews and wondering how people had such drastically different experiences than we did. I've done wine tours before, and this was the most unprofessional and poorly organized tour I've ever had. Are there two Toms employed here, and we got the bad one? Was Tom possessed by an evil spirit just before our tour? Should I pray for him and for exorcism? Did he wake up the morning of our tour and think, "You know what, fuck this, I don't like this job anymore." We will never know. More and more of my lady friends are married and with kids, and time off is harder to come by with age/responsibilities, so we don't get together often and wanted to make it special. We decided to book a winery tour ($100 each) and a 5-course vineyard dinner with a private chef ($200 pp). My friend booked this company based on the great reviews and it also happened to be the cheapest (never again). There would be a 20% gratuity added to the dinner, which was fine. We were all looking forward to it. As we arrived to our Airbnb on the day of the dinner, we received a call from Tom. He told us that the chef had recently had a heart attack, so he instead wanted to offer us a dinner at a barrel tasting event for members of that winery (he "didn't know" when we asked which winery) where we could make our own tacos. Never an apology.... apologies or accountability don't seem to be his thing. He also never offered a discount, and when we asked, he called back to say it would be $115 per person with gratuity. Although we felt badly for what happened, doesn't he have a backup? Hadn't servers been hired and food already purchased, if this was the day of? After discussing, we told Tom that we were looking forward to a nice, private dinner, and making our own tacos wasn't quite the same. We are mostly from Los Angeles too (so we know we didn't need to pay $138 for good tacos at a mystery winery) and many of us were already in wine clubs with free events like this. Instead of refunding us $1,200, Tom dragged it out for as long as he could.... He called the next morning to say that he was trying to get a chef for that night instead. He told my friend that he still wanted to find a way to make it happen because he "still wanted the gratuity." Classy. At lunch time that day, he still said he was "working on" that night's dinner, so we told him we were making reservations elsewhere and would like a refund. His reply was "That's going to hurt." Throughout this ordeal, we were still nice and professional about the whole thing, mostly because we had to deal with this guy as our winery tour driver the whole next day. The tour was an absolute disaster. - He had oversold his van, forcing 4 people to squeeze into the back seat without enough space. - He hadn't cleaned out the back, so there wasn't enough space for our purchases. - Although the website mentioned that the tour offered being able to play our own music in the van, he refused to let us do so because he needed the auxiliary cable for directions. Um. If you give this same tour to the same wineries every weekend, you need directions? - My friend had asked that we visit smaller, boutique wineries, but he took us to the large, commonly known ones without making reservations. He also only took us to 3 wineries because he "wanted to go home," and the tour was cut short and over by 3:30. With how much he expressed wanting to make as much money as he could, we think he was trying to pocket as much as he could without having to pay another round of tasting fees. - When we asked him to take photos of our group, his response was "I don't want to take a lot of photos, I want to go home." - On two different occasions, we overheard him complaining about us to other drivers, during the winery visits. "I have 6 ladies and 2 couples, it's been a long day," was one of the statements we heard. - At the second winery, Tom set a table with a wrapped sandwich with a number on it for each setting. We had pre-ordered them, and some people had allergies. We asked which sandwich was which, if he had the list of orders, or at least had a menu. He didn't seem to care at all and gave us an attitude of "just eat what's in front of you." A few of us had to Google the menu and open the sandwiches, trading after we figured out what was what, and he had ordered the wrong sandwiches for some. No apology or offer to make it right or to pick up another sandwich; he just walked away. It was absolutely shocking how rude, apathetic, and unprofessional this guy was. Throughout the day, other drivers chatted with us, ran over to offer to take photos of our group, and didn't seem like they hated their tour groups or saw them as dollar signs... we looked longingly at those groups and wished we could join them instead. I still can't believe what a bad experience this was, and I hope Tom strongly considers changing professions because it's obvious he doesn't like this one or his clients. read more

Just wanted to start of by saying Tom was an amazing tour guide and super friendly! He was very personable and provided an amazing experience we would surely come back to. If you're in Solvang take this wine tour because you will learn so much about wine and enjoy beautiful locations! read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Winery scenery - Transportation Near Me

We just had a tour with Tom and he made the day wonderful for our girl's wine tasting trip. He was several minutes early and picked us up at our hotel in Solvang then took us to 3 beautiful wineries. The van was clean and air conditioned for the warm Solvang summer day. Tom even set up a beautiful and delicious picnic lunch for us at the 2nd winery! I would highly recommend and use this service again, as Tom was a friendly and safe driver and made our experience very memorable. Thank you for a great trip! read more

This weekend was my gf 30th birthday so she wanted to do something more "classy". We booked a dinner in the vine for us 2 and her family (who can be a little rowdy). I was honestly a little nervous but it was amazing. Our driver was nice and put up with us being a bit of a louder open crowd. Chad, who initially started the wine tasting was very hospitable and we all really got along with him! Fidencio, the wine maker was amazing! He explained his background, his families history with wine and all the things none of us really understood about wine. The dinner was fabulous and everyone who was drinking LOVED the wine- we left with a bottle of each! If you get a chance to do this experience with Esfuerzo Wines you gotta do it! read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - Vineyard - Transportation Near Me

The tour operator owner has zero personality, is a little aloof, and was less than hospitable, but took us to two great wineries and one mainstream so-so one. As he dropped us off at our hotel, he completely lost track of who had ordered which wine, which was frustrating, given he took responsibility for packing our wines. I still enjoyed the day very much and met some amazing winemakers but the tour guide was unengaged and eager to end the day. I would not take another tour with him. read more

My wife and I are wine novices and had never been to the Solvang area before. We wanted a good experience where we could learn about wines and winemaking and to see a bit of the area. We decided to book with Artisan Excursions. No regrets! Tom was an excellent host and guide as we visited three local wineries. Two of them were smaller operations, but they had excellent wines and were very accommodating of our questions and desire to learn. The third stop was a more "institutional" winery and we had very little conversation with the host there. A simple but very nice lunch was included. read more

Great day...great wine tour. Tom specializes in taking you to small boutique wineries and collectives. At each stop we were treated to ...one...great wines. Two...great insights of the wineries and their stories. Lunch is provided at stop two and goes great with the wine served. This is a beautiful region with a great tour. You may be paired with some other guests but that makes the experience that much better. You won't be disappointed if you do this tour. It's a fun time in a great place with great wine with a great guide. read more

A few days back from a great weekend spent in Solvang with a wine tour. Tom did a great job! Prompt service when we were picked up from our home. There were 6 ladies in our group and he did a great job corralling us and keeping us on schedule. I would have to say our first stop was my favorite at the Doll Pond where we sampled several wines from different small vineyards. Jen was extremely knowledgeable and patient. Not being a wine drinker I appreciated learning more about the process then just the name of the wine. The middle winery was a little more pretentious that I like but the location was stunning and our lunch with the large half sandwich, snacks and water were perfect. The last was good as well, great gift shop and the ladies were very nice. Overall I would give it a 4.5 and would do it again. read more

This is totally the way to go if you're wine tasting. So nice to not have to worry about driving. Tom was very nice and super knowledgeable. Loved the wineries we visited. would definitely use his company again. Thank you! read more

This is the first time we take a wine tour in Santa Ynez/Solvang, I called a week before we were going to take the tour to make sure there was availability, Tom booked it for me an ask if I wanted to add a 20% gratuity to my card, I said no because sometimes I like to tip a little more....the add 20% gratuity is on the website so people know upfront, it's not hidden anywhere. The first winery was a private vineyard which was amazing, very intimate wine tour and setting. Then we went to the second winery and had picnic sandwich lunch, which was OK nothing to write home about. Off to the third winery we go with Beautiful weather, by now my wife is just a little tipsy. We had a great time in this tour, I would totally recommend it. Just remember this is a wine tour not a party bus. read more

I am sure the owner is probably a nice guy and the tour may be great, but I had a very bad customer experience with this company today. I recently did a search for a wine tour in Solvang and came across http://www.805winetourswix.com. They were closed at the time so I called the following morning and spoke with the owner. I asked him about the services, rates, etc. and I felt like I had to lay out details to even get some pricing. Finally, he told me it was $240 for 5 hours. I asked if that was per person and he say no it's for a minivan group. I then asked about the private tours since it would only be 2 people. Again, I had to clarify what I meant. In the back of my mind I am thinking this is a new business and he doesn't know what to say to consumers. However, they've been in business since 2008. Hmmmm. I then asked about his services, specifically where it reads, "$40 EA Fun Tasting Tours." He had no clue was this was.He asked what web site I was looking at and I told him it's yours I guess. It has the phone number I just called and the line we are speaking on. I was blown away that he didn't know his own web site. He finally says, "Oh I think that means $40 each." I said, "Great, that's the tour I want." He then said, "Well, that's not really the pricing." I of course asked why it's on his site. Again, he didn't really know. I was hoping, like most business that want to be honorable and keep a new customer, he would honor the price that was posted on the site. But he said no. This has permanently turned me off to this company. I feel like a company or person that does not honor an advertised price is probably shady. Again, I don't know for sure but that is the impression he left with me. Sad. I was looking forward to the tour. Make sure you get absolute clarity on every detail of the tour before you pay and execute the contract. I will create my own tour experience. read more

Artisan Excursion Wine Tours - They posted a tour for $40 EA (Fun Tasting Tour) but they did not honor the advertised price. See the last bullet point under Specialties. - Transportation Near Me