Santa Barbara Wine & Picnic

Rusack Winery near Solvang offers its visitors a picnic area with a view of the vineyard. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Sept. 16, 2014 3:20 AM PT

An herbed bean salad (foreground) and cucumber salad with mint and dill. See the Food pages of latimes.com for the recipes. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Chilled roasted heirloom tomato soup is a great starter for a wine country picnic. The recipe is available at latimes.com’s Food pages. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Leg of lamb with figs and olives. The recipe is available on latimes.com’s Food pages. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Ripe peaches are great sliced into a glass -- just add red wine. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Lafond Winery and Vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills offers a picnic setting with a view of wildflowers and the vineyards beyond. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

A pretty setting at Lafond Winery and Vineyards in the Santa Rita Hills. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

A couple drink a toast in the garden of Lafond Winery and Vineyards. (Stephen Osman / LAT)

Buttonwood Farm in the Santa Ynez Valley offers wine tastings and has a gorgeous, rustic picnic area. (Carlos Chavez / LAT)

A peach pie from Buttonwood Farm in the Santa Ynez Valley. (Carlos Chavez / LAT)

At Beckmen Vineyards in Los Olivos, netting covers the vines to protect the fruit from birds. Overlooking the vineyards and next to a pond, Beckmen has three gazebos that can be reserved for picnicking, plus umbrella-shaded tables that are first-come, first-seated. (Stephen Osman / LAT)