Falling in Love with Rideau Once Again

There truly is something in the air in the Santa Ynez Valley. Between the big blue sky, the hawks and turkey vultures that you’ll see gliding overhead, and the majestic coastal live oaks that shade the hillsides, the valley’s peacefulness makes me find it impossible not to breathe a little deeper.

And, boy, do I need it these days. Due to recent circumstances with a family member’s health, my stress and anxiety have taken on the “unstoppable force” half of the paradox, barreling toward the immovable object that is the tranquility and beauty of Rideau Vineyard. But in this case, the immovable object won the battle.

For the second year in a row, I had the pleasure of celebrating National Relaxation Day at Rideau, and I couldn’t say yes fast enough. I asked my friend Leila, who accompanied me last year, if she’d like to be my plus-one again, and she was just as enthusiastic as I was. An art teacher at Dos Pueblos, Leila wanted to make the most of her time before the school year started up again. Between both of our stressed-out mental states, Rideau had its work cut out for it. But the beautiful estate, the kind staff, and the incredible wines were more than up to the challenge.

Estate Manager Steve Russell greeted us with hugs and immediately set the good vibes rolling with the first wine, Rideau’s show-stopping blanc de blancs. A sparkling wine made from 50 percent chardonnay as well as pinot noir and pinot meunier, this beauty is sunshine in a glass. I was expecting a dry wine based on Russell’s description, but it’s amazingly juicy and fruit-forward, perfect for a hot summer day.

With such an incredible first wine, we were starting off strong, but Rideau’s lineup has nothing but stars. One unique standout was their grenache blanc — the first bottling, from 2025. These grapes come from the newer Rideau North property, which the winery acquired in 2019 with the aim of branching out into other types of grapes. And now, having tasted the first rendition of the grenache blanc, I’d say it’s extremely promising. With a nearly undetectable color and a very light scent, this wine is deceptive — but once you taste it, the sweet flavor bursts through.

Of course, it just wouldn’t be a summer day’s wine tasting without a rosé, and Rideau’s is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The blend of syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, and carignan all comes together in a beautifully rosy color and a fruit-forward taste. Russell explained that while most rosés are made using the direct press method, Rideau opts for the much rarer saignée method, which produces a much more robust and red-leaning rosé, versus one that leans closer to a white wine. As someone who much prefers the juicier, stronger-tasting rosés such as Rideau’s, I’ll be looking for more saignée-method rosés in the future!

My other favorite wine of the day was one of Rideau’s famous viogniers, though I surprised myself; last year, while I thoroughly enjoyed both of them, I found myself preferring the light, crisp stainless-steel-aged viognier over the one aged in French oak. This year, however, the French oak viognier, which features a lovely creaminess and fuller taste that especially complemented the cheeses we were munching on, won out over her crisper sister.

Last year, Leila and tried the deliciously snackable vegan platter, so this time, we opted for the regular charcuterie platter, which features a few of the same delights: seasonal fruit, dried figs, pickles, house-made olive tapenade, and that gorgeous white wine jam. However, the regular charcuterie platter also features three heavenly cheeses — a savory smoked gouda, a tart goat cheese, and a swoon-worthy brie — as well as spiced salame and delicate prosciutto, plus toasted bread to enjoy it all on.

Chef Matthieu Hervouet, also the vineyard’s tasting room manager, answered all our questions and kept us laughing with stories, as well as sharing tidbits about the different foods (the tasty apples on the charcuterie plate came from a few trees right there on the estate!) and generously sharing the olive tapenade recipe, which I will definitely be attempting.

For lunch, Leila decided to try the lobster roll, which comes on baguette bread instead of the classic brioche bun, adding more of a delectable chew and earthy contrast to the herb-seasoned, lemony lobster. For myself, the vegan burger (new to the menu!) did sound incredibly delicious, and I will almost certainly be trying that next time. But this time, I was craving simpler comfort food, so I opted for the classic margherita pizza, and the creamy cheese, earthy tomatoes, and nip of basil not only satisfied the comfort vibe but paired very well with the wines.

With the amazing wines, satisfying food, and gorgeous setting outside under the oak trees, I was already feeling much more relaxed and happy than I had been all week, but Rideau always has more wonders in store. Russell took Leila and me around the property on a tour, even letting us sample a few of the wine grapes right off the sun-warmed vines. With harvest just around the corner, we got a peek at the process — the stainless-steel vats standing ready and the French oak barrels stacked high overhead, just waiting for the grapes, many of which are ripening just outside the warehouse.

We soaked up as much of the setting as we could, sipping our wine, admiring other visitors’ adorable dogs, and swinging on the swing hanging in one of the oaks. Musician Jacob Cole kept the vibe soothing with his lovely guitar covers, including a gorgeous version of Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.” I had to laugh, because it felt so accurate — it’d be almost impossible not to fall in love with such a beautiful place.

Rideau Vineyard is located at 1562 Alamo Pintado Road, Solvang. See rideauvineyard.com.