It’s a rarity that I walk into a wine bar and instantly feel welcomed like I did at Saarloos & Sons while venturing out to Los Olivos – Not far from Solvang. Keith Saarloos was both welcoming, witty, comedic and unabashedly sarcastic in every sense of the word.
Let’s start from the beginning:
I opened the door and found a room full of mirror-framed walls, delicate grey interior walls, family photos lining the shelves, chartreuse stenciled vintage wallpaper…and a very entertaining set of wine-os.
After some deliberation over which wine tasting option we would start with, we decided to let Keith make the call. Not only did we try some really great wines, we were told the stories behind each. “Brielle,” “Son,” “Mother,” “Extended Family,” (one of my favorites) and 194VII “Man and Wife” (another one of my favorites) were the tasting options. The quality of the wine and the stories behind each really evoked a sense of emotionality and pride- not only for their amazing wines, but for their family establishment and the mission behind it.
After lingering, and enjoying a bit more wine, we headed out to lunch.
We ended up going home with an unmarked bottle of a seriously delicious Rose wine to take home and enjoy. Jordan and I drank the whole bottle in one night without even blinking… and we didn’t want it to end.
As the group of us headed back home later that day, we knew we’d have to make it back up to Saarloos and Sons for some more wine- and we will. Our next trip is planned for early November! I guarantee We’ll be taking home more than one bottle this time!
The Location:
The Keith
The Favorite
I really like that it shows you the year that the wine will be at its best!