We managed to visit during "a taste of Solvang," in March. Organized by the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau we visited many of the nooks and crannies of Solvang that we’ve missed on previous trips. We loved the walking portion of the event but wouldn't recommend the wine and cheese tasting event. It was in an overcrowded banquet room of the Veterans Memorial Building. Crowded tables in a small room are not the best places to taste wine.

While walking through the city one of our favorites places to visit was a wine tasting room called "The Secret Cellar" located in an attic. The intricate decorations and warm personality of the owner makes this unconventional cellar a must-see place to visit.

During "a taste of Solvang" guests purchase a pass which includes a book of coupons that you redeem for free samples of wine, beer and local cuisine. A cookware store gave out glasses stamped with the logo of a Danish variant of vodka which we sampled at, of all places, a jewelry store. We liked the idea of being able to drink hard liquor while shopping for jewelry; it helped take the edge off of the prices. We sampled aebleskivers, which we didn’t even recognize as food by the name but are a popular Danish dessert shaped like golf balls that taste like pancakes. The skivers are topped with raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar.

We found a few wine stores within the town which offered wine tasting and especially enjoyed meeting the owners of two vineyards which had their own dedicated tasting rooms in town. We enjoyed the Plam wines and liked the owners so much that we joined their wine club. We prefer to drive to the vineyards for the full experience but it was a nice option to sample the wines in town and then walk back to our hotel.