Luckily, Jeremy and I have friends who live in Buellton, and we usually stay the night, making it much easier to drink a lot of wine and not worry about driving back to Los Angeles. However, with moderation - it can be done quite delightfully in one day.
If you are going to pack the 2 hour and 30 minute one way drive there and back (from LA) into one day, it helps to have some planning. Aim for 2 to 3 wineries, and look at a map to make sure they're near each other. That will eliminate a lot of hassle.
Leave early in the morning - maybe before 9am, and drive up PCH to the 101 N if you can - it's a much prettier drive and you don't have to deal with driving the 405/101 through the valley.
Get lunch in Buellton or Solvang, and then head out to wherever you want to go. Give yourself enough time to get dinner in Santa Barbara on the way back.
Also note - winter hours for wineries usually mean they close at 4pm. Make sure you get where you want to go by then.
If you're with a group of people, I'd also recommend buying a bottle of whatever tasting you liked the most, and enjoying it outside at the winery. If it's just two people - maybe take that bottle home. Driving buzzed all the way back to LA is not recommended.
Winery recommendations include:
Alma Rosa Winery - we're wine club members!
Sanford Winery
Melville Winery
Foxen Winery
Buttonwood Farm Winery
Brander Vineyard
It's also probably best to avoid wineries with signs outside that say you can see them in the movie Sideways. Not only do I not like that movie, but it's really just name dropping and not necessarily a sign of quality.
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