my favorite tasting rooms in (or near) los olivos

There's something so peaceful about looking at rows of rows of grape vines...

(Los Olivos, CA).  I started going on wine tasting trips long before I even developed any taste or preference for wine.  For me, wine tasting started out as a fun getaway with friends.  It was less about the wine and more about the company, the views, and getting a bit tipsy.  And like most novice wine drinkers, I started out enjoying sweet, light wines (e.g., riesling, muscato, champagne, etc.).  How times (and tastes) have changed!  Perhaps it's because I have been exposed to better wines or my taste buds have simply evolved as I've gotten older, but now my preferences are completely different and rather specific.  Of course wine taste is rather subjective, but I'm only noting what I enjoy so you can gauge whether you will enjoy my recommendations.

Generally I cannot tolerate any sweet wines now - just as I no longer enjoy desserts as much I did as a child.  (I'd rather have a cheese plate instead of a cheesecake, for example.)  I also can't drink sparkling wines of any sort since they just don't agree with me anymore.  For white wines, I prefer a floral, almost sweet bouquet (i.e., notes of honeysuckle and white flowers) with a crisp, dry finish.  I lean towards French pinot gris. I cannot stand oakey, buttery chardonnays.  For rose, I like them crisp and dry also, but with a foundation of warmth (think undertones of strawberry) that borders upon sweet without ever getting there.  One standout favorite would be the Summerland Grenache-Rose ... so good.  But my all-time favorite wines would be California pinot noirs - Russian River Valley or Santa Rita Hills.  Current favorties include August West, Brewer Clifton, Siduri, Ken Brown, Cargasacchi, etc.

So assuming you have similar taste in wines as I do, my recommendations for tasting rooms/wineries in or near Los Olivos are:

• Los Olivos Tasting Room and Wine Shop - This little wine shop is located in Los Olivos and is our go-to spot for California pinot noirs.  The owner is incredibly knowledgeable and brutally honest about his opinions on wine and the wine makers.  If you read the reviews on yelp you'll notice that people either love him (for his great recommendations) or hate him (for his sometimes grumpy and cantankerous manner).  There's no point in coming here if you don't enjoy pinot noirs ... I've literally seen him kick out a group of giggling, drunk ladies who announced loudly that they like sweet wines.  There's also no point in coming here if you expect to be catered to ... The only reason to come here is to be able to taste wonderful wines curated by a man who truly appreciates wine.  We joined his wine club over a year ago and have been introduced to some of our favorite wines by him.  On our recent trip we made it a point to come here for a tasting (and to pick up our quarterly allotment).  There was a special tasting of Seasmoke which I'm glad we did since my husband really wanted to buy some (over $100 a bottle), but when we compared it to the other wines, we realized (and our grumpy wine guy agreed) that it wasn't worth spending the money.  He was actually making a point to tell the tasters that he thought there were other wines that were equally good or even better than Seasmoke at lower price points. This is where his honesty shines! 
  
  
• Cargasacchi Tasting Room - We discovered the Cargasacchi pinot noir through Marino's (a wonderful Italian restaurant located on Melrose Ave.) and through our grumpy wine guy in Los Olivos.  Absolutely stunning wine and apparently quite difficult to get...I've been on a waiting list for over a year...  I read that there was a tasting room in Buelton right next to Hitching Post (mmmm steaks) and had to check it out!  When we got there we realized the tasting room seemed to be a joint venture of some sort with Cargasacchi wines (under the Point Concepcion label) and Loring wines.  However, the particular wine I wanted was of course sold out.  (sigh)  Anyways, my husband and I tried both tastings and we really enjoyed several of the pinot grigios and pinot noirs by Cargassachi and I enjoyed the Santa Rita Hills pinot noir by Loring.  We ended up buying a case of wine and joining the wine club (partially because I was assured it would be easier for me to get off that darn wait list for the Cargasacchi pinot noir)...  Regardless, the tastings were top notch (with yummy cheese and crackers to boot) and it's right next to Hitching Post.  What a perfect stop before dinner!  
  
• Some of our other favorite places to visit when we are in the Los Olivos area:
• Beckman Vineyards - lovely grounds matched by lovely wines
• Melville - love their pinot noirs but there was a little period where the quality seemed to dip, but the last few years suggest they are good again!  also lovely grounds.
• Kaena tasting room - relatively new winery from a young guy from Oahu who decided to learn how to make wine (at Beckman)!  Super fun vibe and tasty wines.
• Summerland winery - This is closer to Santa Barbara but is a nice stop on the way back to Los Angeles.  Their tasting room is being remodeled right now, but they have consistently wonderful roses and pinot noirs.  There's also a great seafood shack across the street.

 

Boo!  I didn't get carded!

Other recommendations:

• Roblar - really great tastings with delicious food pairings.  I actually had a little dispute with them years ago but they apologized and refunded our group for charging us mandatory gratuity on our wine purchases (long story).  While we haven't been back since the olive branch was extended - we do love their pinot noirs and the chef and food at the pairing was delectable!
• Foxen - if you like buttery chardonnays (which I don't).

 Hope this helps - Happy Tasting!