The Santa Ynez Valley presents a soothing and intriguing blend of Arabian horses standing beside pristine vineyards, rolling pastures dotted with spreading oaks, graceful Victorian farmhouses and barns beside cutting-edge wineries, all surrounded by imposing mountains. This is beautiful country, where the clear blue sky achieves a brilliance rarely seen in the smog-clogged cities to the south. In the Santa Ynez Valley, the pace is slower and the locals friendlier, but don't expect to find yokels gnawing on hay -- this is gentleman-farmer country, where some of the nicest ranches are gated and have video surveillance, and even Disney's Davy Crockett is a respected winemaker. This balance of old-fashioned living and modern amenities is what makes the area so enjoyable: You can read in the shade of an oak tree one day and go on a wine tasting adventure the next. Just minutes away from one another, Los Olivos, Ballard, and Solvang each make an excellent base for touring the wineries of this fertile area.
