Riverbench Vineyard & Winery  What we love about Riverbench is the fact that you can purchase a bottle of chilled Chardonnay, bring a picnic and hold an impromptu bocce ball tournament with your friends. It does get busy in the summer, so we recommend making reservations. 
Recommend making reservations at 11am 

A-RU Sushi   We discovered this local's sushi restaurant a few years ago while doing some scouting for some Pinot Noirs to add to our cellar. Now every time we drive through this area, this is a "must stop" as it has to be the best sushi we've had- anywhere.
225 McMurray Road, Buellton, CA (805) 686-9001

D'Alfonso-Curran Wines  Kris Curran produces vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, while their other brands produce great odes to the Spanish varietals such as their trilogy of Grenaches along with Syrah and Gewürztraminer. We love the downtown Solvang location as it gives you a chance to taste some wines and then stretch legs while doing some shopping in town.
Recommend making reservations at 1pm    

Arcadian Winery  At Arcadian, they strive to create wine that fully expresses the distinct characteristics of each vineyard and California's Central Coast region. We love it because Joe harvests fruit with much more modest sugar levels and much higher natural acidity than many of his fellow growers which achieves their mission of producing a much more intense and interesting wine than most.
Recommend making reservations at 4pm 

Hadsten House  Head back into Solvang and absorb the European architecture and no other better way to end the day than a romantic dinner at Hadsten House. The service is very friendly and we have to give a big thumbs up to the Scallops on the "Half Shell Stuffed with Bacon and Bread Crumbs"- more than a mouthful. This is perfectly paired with a Chardonnay, so bring a bottle from one of your stops earlier in the day, sit back and reflect on a what a wonderful day you had in wine country.
1450 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA  800-457-5373