The Santa Ynez Valley is excellent wine country, made famous to a global audience by the 2004 film Sideways, which was filmed largely in and around Solvang and the neighbouring town of Los Olivos. The valley grows excellent Pinot Noir (the film's favourite), Chardonnay, Rhône varieties, and increasingly interesting Bordeaux blends.
Tasting rooms line the main streets of Solvang itself, and the nearby town of Los Olivos — ten minutes east by car — is almost entirely given over to wine tasting. The wine here is genuinely good and the setting, with the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north, is beautiful. You don't need to plan far ahead: just show up and walk from tasting room to tasting room. Most charge a fee of $15–25 per tasting, often waived with a purchase.
For a more organised approach, several operators run wine tours from Solvang and Santa Barbara. The distance between Solvang and Santa Barbara is about 45 minutes by car, making the valley easily accessible as a day trip from the coast.