This place is great. Nice wine selection. Prices are fair for the area. The customer service was great! The gentleman behind the bar recommended a couple of different options for me to try and I was very satisfied with them all. They also have these really tasty and cool little chocolates that go great with whatever your drinking. Will stop by when in Solvang again!
Review Source:If you want to enjoy excellent wine at a sophisticated establishment, Wandering Dog is the place to be.
CT, Jody, Ian and Russ will lead you down the path to wine (or beer) bliss...
Cellar envy and staff favorites wine flights are highly recommended ... while you're at it, join the wine club for seasonal deliveries of some of the best wines SYV has to offer!
Wandering Dog is my absolute favorite place to grab a pre- (or post) dinner drink!
Thursday is "Blind Tasting" night where you can test your pallet with four 1/2 glasses of red wine for $15. Â Its always fun to see if I can match any of the varietals...
Keep up the good work guys!
Though they describe themselves as a wine bar, my interest was piqued more by their excellent selection of about 30 bottled craft beers, mostly international. Â (For California micros, see The Good Life, a few blocks up the street.) Â I ran into seven brews that were new to me. Â Everything is available either by the bottle (served in appropriate style glassware) or in 4-ounce samplers, priced from $2.25 to $4.25. Â Four-beer sampler flights on various themes also available. Â Staff seemed to be well-informed and enthusiastic about the beer end of the operation.
Dog-friendly, as might be expected. Â (And, yes, there really is a dog wandering around the premises, a good-natured black Labrador, though according to the chatty information sheet on the bar she's not the dog from which the place took its name.)
Definitely a place I'll be back to on future visits to Solvang, and I might even make a special detour if passing through the area on US 101, a few miles out of town.
I LOVE this place!! So much so that it's the only wine club membership that I own. The wine bar is a fun place to hang out. The patrons are usually pretty laid back and are interested in learning about wine in a non-fussy way. They also serve interesting and tasty beers from around the world. Also, the bar stays open later than most of the tasting rooms in Solvang. The staff and owners are really knowledgable and love to interact with their customers.
The owners, CT and Jody, have great relationships with local wine makers and therefore have an 'in' with them. You can meet allot of winery owners at their special events and you get the opportunity to try really amazing wines at a discounted price.
If you're visiting Solvang then this place is a must for a visit!!!
This was our first stop in Solvang after we arrived into town. We were trying to decide on where to eat dinner, and while contemplating, we decided to have some wine and beer. I had the sweet tooth flight and my father-in-law had some glasses of wine and a beer flight. We really enjoyed both the wine and beer here. The gal serving us also was really friendly and very helpful. She even offered calling a restaurant for us to see if they were dog friendly.
We were there on a Sunday night, so it wasn't too crowded, but I think there was only one person working, so it took a little while to get my flight. But, I really enjoyed the wines offered and it's great that this a dog friendly wine bar.
Super place. Â Very relaxed and fun! Â Trying the different flights was a great way to sample a lot of different wines, from relatively inexpensive to fairly high end. Â The small bit food pairings were perfect. Â Dog friendly, so we were entertained by some very well behaved dogs. Â
If you're in the Solvang area, make sure you stop by and sample some of the very unique and interesting wines that you might not find in other wine bars.
I had my first wine tasting experience here, this weekend. The woman helping us was friendly and informative. The notorious man (from the previous reviews) was either never to be seen, or was the quiet man that served us our cheese and crackers. Didn't say much, aside from the typical "Enjoy" type of comment that comes with serving food.
The wine was good, prices awesome, and dog and staff inviting. At one point, the people I was with wanted a picture with the dog, and the woman working showed us how to get him to do tricks for better photos. haha.
Love this place, and will go again the next time I'm in the area.
I love this place. Â It was located literally one block away from my favorite hotel in Solvang, and they allowed dogs (duh!), so it was a perfect fit for my visiting family. Â I love wine, and so after wine tasting in the area all day, why not finish it off just drinking more wine?
What's great about WDB is that there menu features a extensive list of wines not usually carried in stores or in the surrounding area. Â So, you're likely to find something here that you've never had before. Â And everything is GREAT. Â The atmosphere is casual, the staff is super-friendly and informative, and their prices are reasonable.
Our group ordered a couple of wine flights, some beer, and cupcakes. Â While the cupcakes were good, what really surprised me were the WDB label wines. Â The "Luscious Lucy" was extremely smooth and yummy, so of course I had to buy a bottle while we were there.
Next time we visit, I'd like to try their food options, as everything sounded good. Â Open late. Â They allow dogs. Â Yayayayay!
First stop on our wine tasting tour, it was pretty empty in the afternoon. We essentially went in because we originally were going to go to another wine tasting place with a dog and that place was closed. The wines were very good and the woman was nice enough. We also briefly saw Lucy the black lab who disappeared into the backroom after we got in. We were the only ones there and it wasn't busy at all. It was pretty pricey for wines, it's been a few months but I remember each bottle was around $44. Overall, just about average.
Review Source:If you are looking for a great spot to taste quality wine in a relaxed atmosphere... This is your place! The wine list is extensive and refreshingly original for wine country. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.
You can do a flight (larger pours of fewer wines than a tasting room) or buy the glass. Beer tasting is fun and the snacks are paired well (watch out for the truffles! They are addictive!)
As this is a bar, no one under 21 is allowed. They had a duet singing last time I was in there and the ambiance was great. It was refreshing to enjoy a glass of wine and not feel hurried to vacate the table. Upon the owners recommendation, I tried a few wines out of my normal comfort zone and I was pleasantly surprised.
If you want a great selection and unique experience, The Wandering Dog is for you.
"Not all who wander are lost!" -Tolkien
Worst service ever.
Reason: you know how people say "don't judge a book by it's cover"... Well this place did. I went here with my boyfriend because it got amazing reviews. We went in and I wanted to get something sweet and my man ask for something strong to get a buzz because he doesn't like wine tasting but I do. He was trying to get the assistant to understand that but he had already judge us from the time we walked in. We were dressed casual from so cal and I'm guessing it wasn't his style because the words that came out of his mouth was ... If you want to get buzz then go next door because this is not your thing....
Here's a business perceptive: it doesn't matter if you like the people or not.. Business is business! Â To the guy who was there helping us... If you judged us and didn't liked us you should have said...." ummm if you wanted something strong you need the whole bottle.. But this one should be in your alley"
That's how you sell your product ASSHOLE!!!!!!
Great location, interesting concept, comfy seating, tons of wine options, open late!
My only complaint was I thought the prices were high for flights, considering you get about the same amount of wine for half the price at winery's tasting room.
But, it's a decent spot to hang out, considering most of Solvang shuts down early.
great staff.. horrible owners.. 1st time we came in to check it out and it was our last. Lady who took care of us was great and agreed with us on how the owner was abrasive to his customer. We were just enjoying our afternoon and when one of our phones rang (with a normal ringer and only 3 rings) he came over and rudely told us to turn the phone off or leave. welcome to 2012 Wandering Dog Wine Bar.
Review Source:I'm really quite surprised at the comments here regarding customer service and its owners. Â My husband and I visited this establishment the other day and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. Â The two servers behind the bar were the owners (husband and wife) and they were engaging these two other patrons in a lively conversation. Â We chimed in the conversation here and there, but my husband and I prefer to be served and kinda left alone unless we need something else. Â When we did have a question or needed something, we received good customer service from the husband, who was our server.
We brought our two mini aussies in the bar without a problem. The black lab, Lucy, is super friendly and super calm even when my two pups were whining like crazy when she approached them and they were both tied to our bar stools.
We did a 10 beer flight and also got the Bentley platter (cheese, crackers, nuts, and dried fruit). Â We loved the tasting and platter. Â Although we didn't like every beer we tasted, there's a reason why it's a tasting... you get to try different types of beer that you normally wouldn't try and you get to figure out what you like and don't like. Â My husband and I ended up loving the white ale, pilsner, and IPA, while the stout and brown ale we barely could swallow and didn't finish.
We did learn one thing when we were at this bar, there were a few families/couples with little children (from babies to toddlers) that wanted to come in. Â They were politely told no. Â Apparently, they are given a serious monetary fine and 3 days where the authorities can mandate them to close down at the authorities discretion just for having underaged persons in the bar, regardless if they were drinking or not - just the mere fact that they were in the place itself. Â So if you have kids in tow, no, this place won't be good for you. Â The reason why some wine tasting bars allow children is that apparently they are considered "agricultural products" IF and only IF they just serve wine... so wine tasting bars are not really considered a bar and that's why it's ok to have kids there.
Although I enjoyed my experience here, I would've given it more of a solid 4 stars, but the fact that they are dog friendly bumps it up to a 5 star for me! Â We'll be back next time we're in Solvang :)
Hello fellow yelpers!!
I really wanted to check this place out 1) because they offered beer tasting, 2) it was dog friendly & 3) i liked the decor from the pictures i seen online. I did a lot of research for wine tasting rooms that were pet friendly since i had my lil pooch with me. As much as I wanted to come here i was VERY hesitant only because of the low reviews I have seen on here regarding the personality of the owners etc etc. I decided to go to Carivintas Winery and I asked the young lady that helped us recommend other dog friendly wine tasting rooms to us and she actually mentioned The Wandering Dog. I mentioned to her how i actually wanted to come here but told her my concerns i had. She assured me that it would be ok and that I should stop in anyways and that her best friend happened to be working there right now. So i would be taken care of. So that is exactly what we did. I am so GLAD i came. I had SUCH a GREAT time here. As soon as i walked in a young brunette (sorry i forgot her name) was there working with another female with curly short strawberry blond hair. the brunette greeted us and said "Hey did you just come from Carivintas? I just got a text from my friend saying some of her customers were headed my way." and yes of course that was us. I totally felt VERY welcomed here. Some locals were in and out and were very much friendly as well :) The wine, cheese, chocolate, & fruit all tasted amazing!! We also did the beer tasting of all 10 beers that were offered. My dog lounged on the couch pillow that was there and she was very much comfortable. Also a couple just got engaged outside while we were there! How awesome is that?!?! And of course the black lab that every one talks about. SUPER friendly dog. I loved her!! The lab also was very friendly to my 5lb doggie :) I didn't meet the owners since they were on vacation but all and all i had a great time here with the staff that was on hand. I would definitely be coming back here and i will also recommend that you stop in and check this place out for yourself! I will be upload some pics too!
Came here with friends on a Saturday afternoon. Â We had a Groupon that I purchased and it was for wine or beer tasting for four, plus two cheese and cracker platters. Â
The service was great! Â We were taken care of right away and the two ladies that were helping us, were very nice and attentive. Â
My husband and our friend did the beer tasting and they each sampled 6 different beers! Â It seemed like a lot, because each one looked to be about 4 or 5 ounces of beer! Â My girlfriend and I sampled the wine, and we each got 3 tastings, but you get at least 4 or 5 ounces in each tasting also, so you don't feel slighted. Â
The atmosphere was really nice, they have a bar and they also have tables around the place to sit. Â It's decorated cute with lots of different wine bottles on the walls.
We had a great time and will go back again!
Found some really good wines here. Â I love their choices of wine flights - dividing them between local and global and then red and whites. Â My husband and I tried two flights: local whites and beauties & beasties (local wines that are bold and elegant - according to the description). Â Each flight comes with three different wines in three neat little beakers. Â Each beaker I believe is at least 2 ounces - so quite generous. Â But then again, they charge you for it. Â
I think that is my only complaint - things are a bit on the overly expensive side. Â For example, Â you can add cheese & crackers for $6 with each flight. Â Though the cheeses they provide goes perfectly with the wine, the portions were stingy. Â Three little pieces of cheeses that are smaller than the cork and three sticks of crackers, yeah. Â But then again, maybe they are super high end cheeses....
Also, there were no bottles below $20.  Which is a bit of a red flag for me since I've had some truly awesome wine that are cheaper than that, and I have a rule about not buying anything over $30.  But I broke that rule and  still I bought a couple of bottles since they truly had a unique taste. And I understand that there is a tourist tax in places like these.
So overall, a fun experience as long as you don't mind the price.
We came here for wine tasting and were happy to find out they have 10+ wine tasting flights. We chose to try the sweet wine compilation, which includes 2.5oz samples of 3 wines for $12. After that, we tried beer tasting -- 8 4oz beers for $18.
The bartender was very attentive, as she was constantly checking up on us to see how we were doing. No upselling to buy their beer and wine -- I like that.
My favorite part of this place is that they allow dogs inside and outside. It's hard to find that where I'm from (Santa Clarita/San Fernando), so my boyfriend and I were saddened every time we saw a dog because we didn't bring ours. Live and learn.. The next time we go to Solvang, our French Bulldog will go with us!
Lastly, this is not a place to go for food. They have cheese and olive platters, but nothing more than just a light snack. If you're hungry, go next door to the Succulent Cafe. :)
I came here at the invitation of a friend, who knew that we LOVE port. Our friend actually studied abroad with one of the owners, Jodie, in college. That said, this review might be a little biased because Jodie and her husband took the time to sit and chat with us and tell us about the wine pairings, and with Lucy dozing by our feet, it was really a lovely afternoon. The shop itself is warm and inviting, the service, sometimes brusque is efficient, AND they serve awesome beers and do beer tastings as well!
For the tasting itself...: There were three ports: a white, a tawny, and a ruby, and then a dry wine from Porto. The first three had cheeses, and then the last three also had chocolates. They were all really lovely. I was completely surprised with the white port, which I enjoyed immensely. Normally not a fan of tawny ports, but hers was so delicious. And the ruby was just stunning. The cheeses were divine, and may have been my favorite part.
In any case, apparently they have a facebook page where you can be notified of similar special tastings, and this is definitely a good idea. Loved it! All in all, the tasting itself is fun, and the atmosphere is such that it would be a great place to come and hang out with friends when in the area.
I ended up there because of a coupon that we couldn't use after all.
This bar is really well located in Solvang, you can walk there from any hotel in the area.
They have good variety of wines and beers, local and foreign, and a nice cool environment.
The bartender is knowledgeable and attentive, and the best part attitude free! that's sooooo important.
The owners dog is super cute and friendly and gives more character to the place.
We ended up in Solvang on a whim and POOF! the electricty in the entire town went out as we were checking into our hotel. Â (Let the adventure begin!) Â So we grabbed a couple of flashlights out of the car (cause I happen to be a Girl Scout...) and headed around town on foot to see if we could find any place open since the sun was going down and it was starting to get dark. Â And creepy. Â I didn't realize how an entirely dark Swedish village could give you chills... Â Has anyone seen "The Village" by M. Night Shyamalan??
We found the Wandering Dog Wine Bar (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/-UXoBOVWB-a_XqWTqLrkig?select=A1k3HwjhOF9iHU91tBcglg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>) open with candles on the bar.  Perfect!  We were greeted by Lucy, THEE wandering dog <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/-UXoBOVWB-a_XqWTqLrkig?select=xbLQQwBAURHM1NzLob5Qfw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>.  She gave us a great welcome and it sort of went down hill from there.  LOL
I'm pretty sure Lucy would like to fire the guy who was pouring wine on her behalf that evening because he was the antithesis of lil' Lucy. Â She was happy and gracious. Â He was snobby and I had to keep looking around to make sure I hadn't accidentally wandered into his private home. Â I'm with Celia C. on this one too because I felt like I had walked into a private party with no social interaction. Â Awkward!
The wine was pricey. Â Trying once again to break the ice, I tried a $16 glass of Wandering Dog Pinot Noir - Laila. Â It was just good. Â I expected it to be richer in flavor. Â Honey tried a German Reisling for $8.50 a glass that was excellent! Â I wish I would have ordered that. Â Damn me for trying to break that snobby shell. Â LOL
We received limited conversation about the wines they offered, or anything else for that matter. Â Service is important to me so I actually was down to zero stars when I remembered Lucy - add one star. Â Woof, woof! Â And the fact they were open in a dark town - add another star. Â But if they had been nicer, we would have bought a T-shirt and spent even more on wine. Â We won't be revisiting the Wandering Dog Wine Bar, but I'll send good thoughts to Lucy.
Smaller wine bar, knowledgable wine-tenders, and good pairings to go with wine. Everything was cute about this place including their dog mascot except for the people that went there. Maybe I was looking for a more social crowd and interaction, but I think everyone there was in their own little groups and left my friend and I having our own good time. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I was hoping to share some of my passion with others and receive advice on what they were enjoying.
What we ordered: white wine flight (1 oz x 3 wines) and local selection flight (1 oz x 3 wines) at $28 total.
My husband and I were excited to check out the Wandering dog, and stopped in Wednesday for a tasting. 3 other people were in the tasting room and 2 people were pouring. We were greeted by a sweet lab and it went down hill from there.
The lady who was to pour our wine (Judy or something like that) Â was rude from the time we sat down. This is the first place I have experienced this kind of treatment in Solvang....maybe anyplace.
My husband and I had bought tickets to do a wine walk through town and when we gave her our ticket she said we could pick 2 wines to taste and ask how it was going. I answered back (causally) that I was surprised that a few of the tasting rooms on our list had closed early. Her remark back was, WELL, I DON"T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU, NOT MY PROBLEM! So much for causal friendly conversation.
I decided to stick to the wine and hoped for some information about what we were tasting. She offered no info and acted put off when I asked a question. The only time she warmed up was when I ask about a wine on the list to purchase. It was out of stock and I would not have bought here anyway since she was so nasty. She was friendly to the others in the room. I have to believe she was annoyed since we were not coming to hang out and pay for a full tasting, I will assume the others in the room were doing a full taste.
This place may be great as so many others rave, I don't think I will go back to find out.
My husband and I happened upon the Wandering Dog while crusing the stores on a road trip that involved a stop in Solvang. Â This was a midweek weekday. Â They had JUST opened and we were the only customers. Â We pulled up a seat and enjoyed samples of some delicious wine. Â I ended up buying a few bottles of the Syrah. Â The woman was knowledgable but could have been a little more enthusiastic... she seemed bored.
It was a nice small location and it seemed like a great atmosphere. Â Perhaps it would have been more "fun" if there had been more people.
Wine Good.
Service Ok.
We came here while we were in Solvang for the Labor day weekend and I was rather disappointed with the service. The wine wasn't bad, to be honest with you, but it was expensive and we didn't leave with any bottles because of the service.
The place is a little outdated, they try to give it some what of a Danish feel to match Solvang but they really failed on that part.
We stopped by the Wandering Dog winebar after a beautiful drive on the 154 from Santa Barbara to Solvang, and had a GREAT time on a Friday evening.
The staff and the customers are friendly, and the bar set up encourages conversation with others while enjoying your wine.
The four of us shared a bottle of Prosecco and a bottle of Pinot Noir, both recommended by Jody, who was behind the bar, and both excellent.
We will definitely be back!
After spending a couple of days wine tasting a wine bar is actually a cool place to go.
For one, the people who own the bar and locals and understand wine and the area. If there is something you like, more than likely they will be able to match your tastes with another brand also.
The other thing I like about wine bars is that most vinyards have a similar taste in all of their wines.. That isn't bad, but you don't get as much diversity as you would from a place that offers several (or in this case many) different vendors.
So on to the facility.
If you go on a Friday or Saturday night, it will be packed. Any other night you will have a choice of seat and an earful of information from the owner and his wife.
They offer a VERY impressive tasting menu with several pages of tasting menu's (im guessing 15?) with a different flair and motif to each one. There are even two champagne tasting lists, which I found fun, even though Im not a champagne drinker. Â
Additionally, the tasting menu has several affordable side's like a cheese and fruit platter, chocolate and various other things.
Lastly, it is great if you are staying at the Hadsten House (across the street) or the Holiday Inn (a couple doors down) since it makes a quick walk.
A bit pretentious and overpriced, IMO, and it was here that I paid for a little something called the Grenache- it was in 2 of my tastings... awful... it had a strong smoky, GAMEY taste. It taste like rotting deer blood dotted with grapes splashed with a bit of rubbing alcohol.
The lady kept repeating the same words when describing the wines in comparison to each other, and she was a looker, but she seemed kinda robotic and it didn't seem like she put those cards to memory just yet. I didn't appreciate how she described all the wines as delicious, I only tasted one brand that I can describe as good. I mentioned to my boyfriend that I tasted notes of raisins in one of the wines and she nodded and repeated the same two words, I nodded in agreement to get her off my back.
Then she gave me my next tasting and stood there and stared as I sampled some and asked me quizzingly how I felt about this one? It was strange (maybe I was buzzed at this point) because I was at a total loss for words. It just tasted like wine. Hey, I'm a newbie. :)
Dogs are allowed in this tasting bar... so Lola got loads of cheese and other stuff we accidentally dropped into our laps.
My husband and I always have a great time at Wandering Dog and C.T., the owner. Â Last time we were in Solvang for a quick vacation, we stopped over there, of course, and ended up meeting another couple from San Diego, and stayed a lot longer than we probably anticipated!!
Wine, and now beer, flights that cover an array of palates for reasonable prices. Â C.T. is knowledgeable, generous and helpful and makes the experience as enjoyable as it is. Â Thanks!
We always find something on the menu that we end up loving and have never tried before - this time was a Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France - yum!
FYI - not only is it an awesome place to sit down, relax, enjoy a glass - or two - of wine and chat with C.T. or whomever sits next to you - it's the only place in town that's open past 6pm - literally. Â So put it on our itinerary at the end of the day, and you'll go home happy!
Quite possibly one of the worst experiences I ever had at a small business (in terms of service)since I've been yelping...I was terribly disappointed after visiting the Wandering Dog. Â I'm tempted to print out my review and mail it to the owner, although I'm not sure it would help matters.
John H. and I arrived here in the early afternoon, it was our first stop after arriving in Solvang. Â Tasting some wine seemed like a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Â So we each took a seat at the empty quiet counter and were presented menus by the owner. John and I each selected a different tasting flight and were eager to begin.
Our first wine was poured. (all the wines we sampled were fine, by the way) Â Something didn't feel right though, it was deathly quiet. Â The usual friendly banter that takes place over wine was completely missing. Â I asked the owner about his business and how long he had been open. His response was a brief two word answer.....no story, no detail, no smile, NOTHING! Â As John and I sampled each wine and put our empty glass on the counter it was quickly refilled with the next wine on the flight.
It felt as though we were being rushed through our tasting and this guy just wanted us to leave as soon as possible.
I can't remember ever feeling so unwelcomed or unwanted at a business before. Â Even John tried to engage the owner in conversation and received the same flat, brief response. John is one funny, friendly guy....he could charm his way out of any situation. Yet nothing..... Â I wanted to buy this guy a glass of wine because he needed to relax.
There actually is a wandering dog here, a friendly adorable black lab who had just returned from his walk while we were tasting. Â The dog greeted me, at least he licked my hand and let me pet him!!!! Â Perhaps the dog should be trained to serve wine, business might improve!!!
Afterwards John and I tried to speculate as to why we were treated so coldly. Â We thought it was perhaps because we didn't buy any bottles, but we were unwelcomed before we were even asked if we wanted to purchase anything.
I won't make any unfounded accusations as to why we were not wanted, that would be unfair. Â I will just choose to never return here again.
This spot was unplanned during our trek from LA to SF (this is popular, I see). The BFF and I stopped in here before enjoying our pastries from Olsen's and we were pleasantly surprised with the selections and the atmosphere. I had never been wine tasting before (yes, I know this is tragic considering my close proximity to Napa and all that...) and I enjoyed tasting the different white wines on the tasting list.
The staff was super helpful and our tasting was 10.00 a person.
Stop in here if you want to relax and enjoy some down time from the road.
We stopped by the Wandering Dog on our way from LA to San Francisco. Met the owners, Susan and Jack, along with their son Charles. Charles writes the best tasting notes.
They have an amazing selection of local wines and really great wines from small producers that you can't get anywhere else.
The atmosphere is warm and friendly, not pretentious at all.
Try their private label wines named after their dogs. The "Leila" Pinot is my favorite!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
