John always goes out of his way to help people feel comfortable and to enjoy the wine and tacos

Love this winery. Great music, relaxed vibe, excellent wines. Love all the Flocking Fabulous whites. The owner John is a warm host. The artwork and sculptures are really beautiful--would love to buy one some day for my property! I could hang out here forever. read more

Good luck figuring out when this place is open. The website says Thursday - Monday from 11am until about 5:00 pm but their Facebook and Google page have different hours. We tried to to visit on a Saturday around noon and none of the stores on the area were open including this one. Their storefront hours also showed that they were supposed to be open. Would have loved to visit but wish I hadn't wasted my time. read more

Our family recently took a road trip along the coast, staying a few days in different little cities, and Buellton, a small city in Santa Barbara county, was one of them. We checked into our hotel and quickly looked online hunting through lots of hotel brochures and local magazines to see what winery options were available. The Standing Sun Wines had a large color ad in the local magazine with horse sculptures, so I just knew that it'd be the perfect place for us to go and enjoy some good wine while our daughter marveled over their horse sculptures and paintings. It's hard to keep a four-year-old entertained while doing wine tastings, so anything that made a winery stand out in a different way surely helped. Sure enough my daughter was very excited as soon as we drove up seeing their large bronze horse sculpture out front. There seemed to be a little construction going on inside, but that didn't stop her from excitedly entering this little winery. My husband and I did the wine tasting and ended up purchasing a couple bottles and some lovely gifts to take home for friends like their homemade lavender soaps, and dark chocolate chili MexiCali Design Tile chocolates. They didn't have any on display, so I opened up one of our boxes when we got home (just to peek) before giving them away, and was amazed at how intricate and colorful the designs on the chocolate were. Sadly some of them cracked during our travels, but hopefully the recipients still enjoyed the beauty of them. I hope that they tasted as amazing as they were presenting themselves. The wine pourer was very friendly offering a cookie and some water to our daughter to help keep her entertained then taking her to show off the horse gallery just next door. She also gave us a map and highlighted all the different neat things in the area that she felt we should see before leaving the area. We got a cute small town feel to this place and would definitely return the next time we're in the area. #62 / 100 Yelp 100 Review Challenge 2014 read more

Standing Sun Wines - Wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Buellton, California

I love Standing Sun. This review is 3 years overdue, but you'll see why if you keep reading... My boyfriend at the time and I first met John, the owner and winemaker, when he was with his dad serving wine at a local event in Buellton. We immediately connected with him, and he shared with us his vision for bringing more music to the area by creating a venue for bands traveling between LA and SF. We began going to shows after he launched his series "Live at the Winery" and we were quickly hooked (traveling about an hour each way, from the Pismo Beach / Five Cities area). I moved here after spending years in Chicago and New York, and this is the first place I found where the quality of musicians compared to what I was used to, and the experience overall was amazing (low-key, casual but special, family-friendly, and so much fun!). The caterers he gets are always cooking up something delicious, so we never eat before we go to a show. His wines have only gotten better every year--I love the LIVE Blanc for a nice, easy drinking cold white on a warm day. The Syrah Rose is the perfect "um, I'm not sure if I'm feeling white or red today..."--easy to drink, but not so light that you forget it's wine. And the GSM, wow. That's the perfect full body red to me. His prices are so reasonable for the quality of the wine it's hard to believe. We've been going down somewhat regularly for so long now that we've met a number of local "regulars" and always have a great time. But wait! There's more! ... We loved going here so much over the past 3 years, that when we got married last month (yep, same guy from the beginning of the story), we had our wedding here! (see for yourself: https://vimeo.com/163177098) After looking at some of the more typical venues, I am so glad we chose Standing Sun. We had a blast. Our guests told us how different and FUN our wedding was. And working with John and the Standing Sun crew was just amazing. They're the nicest, most accommodating, easiest group of people. We hired The Steven Roth Band who we first discovered at a Standing Sun show years ago, and Valle Fresh Catering (a frequent vendor for the concert series). It was the most meaningful, memorable, wonderful day of our lives. And extra special because of the long standing relationship we've built here. Thank you, John & Standing Sun Family! read more

Standing Sun Wines - Our wedding at Standing Sun with The Steven Roth Band - Wineries Near Me - Buellton, California

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A perfect way to end a great day in the valley! Here you'll be greeted by the owner, John, who's as authentic as they come. John pours his heart and soul into Standing Sun to create some fantastic wine, and complements it with a fun and memorable music and art experience. The crowd is usually a mix of locals and a few tourists. The vibe is friendly, welcoming, respectful and upbeat. If you love wine, food, music and art... put this on your must-do list! If your a local, stop by. If you're touring, check the website for upcoming shows, then make Standing Sun your last stop on your Santa Barbara wine country tour. Enjoy wines made on the spot, local food trucks with tasty eats, live music. You never know what great talent will wind up here... You may see the next greatest artists on stage in this quaint and intimate winery venue in Buellton! But wait - there's more! Take a quiet moment to check out the adjoined art gallery. Hand-selected pieces by some incredibly talented artists grace the walls of this small, but well curated collection. With an art history background - I'm difficult to impress, but this little gallery boasts some inspiring work. From sculpture to painting and multi-media, there are some true gems. Again, you never know what talent you may discover here. Cheers to Standing Sun! read more

Looking forward to checking out a show next time but until then we will drink the wine.

Great spot! If I were a local , I would surely come here frequently. The owner was nice and very skilled. No wonder his wines were awsome, especially the rose wine and the dry riesling. The place has concerts in the weekends, and probably is packed then. We ended up buying a rose wine, but also coffee and tea, as he sells that as well. The winter tea had a terrific scent, and I am looking forward to drinking it. Will recommend to my LA friends and surely come back when in the area. The quality of the wine is excellent and the prices reasonable. Win win for the customer. read more

I love this place Christine was awesome wanna come back again and watch a band play next time and I love the little extras that they sell there as well super cute!! read more

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Don't let a disorderly patron impact your opinion of a great winery and LIVE music program. John Wright works very hard to make incredible wine and bring LIVE music to the Santa Ynez Valley. Come back again, enjoy the wine and the music, we look forward to seeing you. It takes a village to build and support the awesome program that John Wright has created. His vision and knack for finding talent and showcasing it in a unique venue has made the SYV a richer place. The LIVE in the Winery series is cherished and appreciated by all that it has touched. Take a moment to experience some hometown magic created by John Wright. read more

Standing Sun Wines - a group of people on stage - Wineries Near Me - Buellton, California

Very impromptu decision, got there and they had a concert with an acoustic guitar player whom had a great voice, nice guitar skills & great relaxed stage manner... The place had wine VERY nicely priced and had a pizza vendor making them on the spot which was very tasty! Recommended it to our daughter in Sta Barbara! read more

Altho I haven't yet made it up to the winery, I've been a Cellar Club member for over a year now. Every bottle of wine that I have ordered from John has been amazing. My favorite so far is the pinot noir, as it is quite flavorful. I would also like to say that John Wright is terrific when it comes to customer service. When I first started ordering wines, he went out of his way to assist me via e-mail. I took several of the wines to a family anniversary in June of this year, and they were enjoyed by all. You have a life long fan!! read more

Standing Sun Wines (part of the Summer Pass) was worth a stop. The wine tasting area (with a server who looked 12) is just one cozy part of a spacious warehouse-type spot that doubles as a slightly bohemian music venue with an adjoining art gallery. read more

The seating here tonight is free unless you pay $5.00 for premium seating. We were supposed to arrive at 7:30 but we instead arrived at 7:48. Our seats were taken by someone else and the winery simply seated us in the back with 2 chairs. What the hell did I pay for? I will not come back here nor would I recommend that anyone else come here. I paid dammit! I'm so pissed off right now, that I can't even enjoy the evening. I will not be coming back. read more

Just pure awesomeness. We were staying at the nearby Flying Flags RV Resort and happened upon this shining diamond of a place. It was a quiet afternoon and the spot was still sleepy after a rocking Sunday night event. Sam Foxen came right out and walked us through some amazing wines. Her presence, knowledge, and honest really came right through and we (my girlfriend and I) had a wonderful, casual, meandering conversation with her. We walked out, two happy campers, with a couple of wines and big smiles on our faces. Hands down, I would recommend this place with no reservations. Can't wait to come back for an event!! read more

Standing Sun Winery is a little Gem nestled in the town of Buellton California that makes wonderful wines (especially John's Grenache). This winery is also an amazing music venue which showcases great musicians in an up close and personal setting. Think acoustic unplugged/story teller style. They often have food trucks and sometimes wood fired pizza catered by " fire and wine catering" which is amazing! Also, they do a regular event called "Song To Table" where there is a limited seating private dinner before the main show and the headlining act joins the dinner to sing and play music and talk story. A really cool and intimate way to meet the artist and enjoy great food. I highly recommend it! Just ask for John. He's the Man. read more

Standing Sun Wines - Standing Sun Grenache. So good!!! - Wineries Near Me - Buellton, California

Last night we had the pleasure of attending the Uncle Lucius performance at Standing Sun. Great place for music and wine. Very nice people. The food provided by Taco Amigos was fantastic!! I do not like wine but I tried their rose' and it was excellent. We will return to this venue and buy more wine next time. We highly recommend Standing Sun and Taco Amigos their caterer. read more

This spot, oh what a gem!!! You MUST go here. Wines are all awesome!!!! John Wright the owner, is a very cool dude to boot. He is passionate about his wines and explained some things to us on our visit/tour. Mimi was awesome, she poured our wines. We will be back here- every visit!!!!! read more

This place is a hidden gem!!! They make the most amazing Rhone varietals!! Mimi the pourer is worth the visit!!! Try it out, you won't be disappointed, read more

I am so glad we made it to this tasting room! We had the pleasure of being served by Natalie who is an absolute gem!! We had the best time talking to her and getting to know more about the wines that it was hard to leave. Also, there is the sweetest dog there that will greet and love on you as you enter making it feel even warmer. As we were there there was a band setting up to play which looked like it was going to be a blast. When we go back because there is no way I would miss out on this place again, we are definitely going to enjoy the entertainment as well. read more

We enjoyed very much tasting at Standing Sun. We like reds, and that's what the winemaker excels in. We ended up buying the GSM (Grenache, syrah, morvedre). Enjoyed talking with the winemaker, who is also the pourer. read more

Not reviewing the wine - only reviewing service. Called at about 12pm to make sure the tasting room would be open that day, the employee who answered the phone said they were open until 5 with the last tasting at 4:30. Arrived at 3:45 and they were locking up - the attendant said that they close at 4 on Mondays if they haven't had any tasters in a few hours. She never said that on the phone, and My guess is that she wanted to go home early so she turned us away. read more

I can't tell you how great this place is. You just have to go there and see for yourself. John the owner is the man. The whole staff are wonderful people. They also have a live music series called "Live In The Winery". Every artist billed is top-notch. I don't live anywhere near this place (I'm in LA) but I would bet that Standing Sun is doing a service to the community by providing real music, and great wine. read more

This is an incredible venue in an Industrial area! They totally get the ambiance of a vineyard and music venue! Food and drink is incredible ! This is a very unique setting by some incredible talent from California and beyond! Had one of our most incredible experiences of my Central Coast visit!!! read more

Wonderful place and Mimi was very helpful. She even gave us a 2 for 1 tasting at another establishment which was a few blocks away.

We absolutely loved this winery. Definitely coming back when there is a live performance. John, the owner was friendly, knowledgable, and accommodating. The atmosphere was perfect and the wine was delicious! read more

Standing Sun LIVE is an amazing music venue right in the winery owned by winemaker John Wright. The wine is of course fabulous but the venue is also amazing! John's devoted and enthusiastic efforts bring some of the most incredible talent right here to the Valley. You can sit in the winery, beautifully lit, enjoy delicious wine, gourmet catered food, and experience first class musical talent right in front of you. Truly some of our now favorite bands we learned of and experienced first at Standing Sun. The Revivalists, Hollis Brown, the Silent Comedy, Travis Meadows....I could go on and on. Meet the owner John and you will see why the wine and the music experience is so authentic and special. It's like being invited to someone's lovely home for a special evening. Meet his parents, connect with the local regulars, you will see why it's one of the best opportunities in the Valley. read more

Let me tell you, on our wine your, this was the last stop. At first, I thought it was the wine. However, the atmosphere, and great tasting wine became evident as time went on. Mimi was our wine pourer, super knowledgeable and fun to talk to. She definitely added to the ambiance. Thanks for the great time and wine! read more

On our way home from vacation, Just in time , 15 minutes before closing time 5:00 and they were great! Did wine tasting and it was the best, loved it. We will be back. read more

Well I have to say the music was great food great but the owners wife so she says ? was a drunk raving idiot. Talked through most of the 2nd act, a really good singer and guitar player gentleman I might add. When asked to please keep it down she replied" he's not even that good " she may not have been owners wife ? ( hope to god not for him ) anyway overall nice. But few drunk loud idiots of course ruin it for us trying to have a good time. Of course my wife being a class act walked away but the drunk broad was still trying to put a sentence together was we left. Total disgrace and ownership I'm sure you know whom I'm talking about. If so she needs to go,a real sloppy drunk. Was going to join and refer few friends but no way in hell. Net net great place really loved acts, food owner and staff. Seemed like real nice gentleman, the owner I'm referring to. To bad his wife or close friend was such a drunk idiot. I recommend the place and if there is a talker or obnoxious person notify staff I'm sure they will assist. Ciao all Peter read more

The best experience as far as wine tasting. The Standing Sun is definitely our favorite. We travel 3 hrs to get great wine and sit in an amazing atmosphere. Our first time was February 14th, 2015. I've got to say that it was a GREAT day for us meeting Laura and John. They made us feel as if we knew eachother forever. Thanks for such a fantabulous experience. The music was magical, we felt as we were in the underground jazz/blues clubs...I especially long for. Thanks to Standing Sun Wines and their fusion of great music and atmosphere, I no longer have to miss New York!!!!! read more

Jewel of the valley! Don't miss......we have seen so many amazing talents in such a fun and authentic venue. A big plus, always great wine and food:). Love! read more

Loved Standing Sun! Great space, great people, great wine. I could drink the GSM every day. We joined the wine club and are looking forward to having a little Sun at home. read more

Stopped by on the way home from a camping trip with the guys. Picked up some outstanding wine.

Standing Sun Winery is a fabulous place to enjoy some exceptional music. John greets you with a smile and Standing Sun wines are great. We have enjoyed several of the concert dinners and loved getting to know more about the musicians and there pasts. Standing Sun is a welcome addition to The Santa Ynez Valley. Best place for a great glass of wine and some special heartfelt music. John Wright has tapped into what has been needed in the Valley for a long time. Keep it up John, we are with you! read more

Found this place through the Santa Ynez winter pass and they were beyond amazing!!! Their wines whites and red wines were perfect! Customer service was stellar! I cannot wait to come back! read more

Best winery in the valley! The GSM and the S & M are my favorites. The singer songwriter series has been wonderful. The sound is perfect in the winery. My favorite winemaker! Thanks for many wonderful evenings, Mom read more

I have lived in this valley for almost a year now and standing sun wines, the winery and the people are truly wonderful! John the owner and winemaker is the fire behind it all and has an awesome staff! There is no other place I'd rather be than at the small ,intimate concerts that John puts together with an amazing list of songwriters and artists! This is truly a gem and one of the best venues in the valley. There is someone who has written a bad review that was at a concert last weekend. To you sir you may have been annoyed by a couple that had too much to drink, but you do not have your information right. That woman was NOT johns wife, I think this calls for an apology? I also was annoyed with this couple but I can assure you and everyone else that reads this, this is not the norm for these concerts ! I have been to almost every concert in the 11 months and never has this ever happened! Standing sun winery has become a place that we as locals hold dear, and John has provided a place to come together , drink his fantastic wine, meet people and enjoy the music! Never have I attended concerts where you get to know the artists, sometimes sit down for a meal with them and enjoy their stories! Here's to John and standing sun and all of the people that work there!!!!!Thank you read more

Stopped in our coast trip. The wine was great and wonderful coffee, we took home a bag, as well as a few bottles of wine. We now have to go back to get more. John was a terrific host. The art gallery next door was also a pleasant surprise. read more

Came here from LA for a spontaneous show at Standing Sun since I was in the area. Had some amazing tacos outside before going in and paying a $15 entrance fee then ordering two $5 glasses of a wonderful white wine. The place was decorated nicely and had many cute little tables and chairs set up - very homey and relaxing. Once we started looking for a place to sit since we were some of the first people there we realized that all the tables were reserved and we figured the Standing Suns name must be derived from the fact that you have to stand unless you wanted to pay $15 more dollars to have a place to sit. We were incredibly bummed by that fact but decided to pop a squat at an empty reserved table for the sake of our feet. No one seemed to mind or come to the table and after a few songs, John the owner came up to us and offered us seats at a closer table where no one had claimed the reservation. The music was alright, the wine was good and overall I enjoyed myself other than the cover fee and no "free" place to sit. read more