Good Wineries

A Partial List

Partial as in incomplete, and also quite subjective. I offer you here a tiny sampling of the vast and various bounty the region has to offer. Enjoy, and let me know if I've missed your favorites -- perhaps I'll need to visit them!

• Bridlewood -- With one of the largest and most gracious tasting rooms and grounds I've visited, this is a place you must visit if you are in the San Ynez region, just north of Santa Barbara. They specialize in Syrah, but their Viogniers are also especially nice.  
• Clayhouse -- Try their Adobe series -- very unpretentious, and very good. Tasting room located in downtown Paso Robles. 
• Edna Valley Vineyard -- You can't go wrong with Edna Valley. This vineyard got its start in the 1970s and has been foundational in making Edna Valley, just south of San Luis Obispo, a significant wine region. Love their Pinot Noir with a gourmet burger.
• Laetitia -- The place to go for California sparkling wines. Here I tasted the first sparkler I actually liked (true story). Just south of Arroyo Grande on the 101.
• Ojai Vineyard -- Favored by sommeliers for years, they opened their tasting room fairly recently, much to winelovers' delight. Winemaker and owner Adam Tolmach crafts very fine, subtle wines, and provides the most thorough and educational notes I've ever read.
• Old Creek Ranch -- Started in the 1980s on the site of a disused winery from the late 1800s, this homey winery is most excellent for a picnic -- there are dogs running around, flowers and orchards, and very tasty wines by Michael Meagher. Their De La Tierra blend is a favorite. Located between Ojai and Ventura.
• Roblar -- All winemakers say that wine is best with food, and Roblar shows you it's true, with an on-site chef preparing hors d'oeuvres specifically to pair with the wines you will taste. Luxurious tastes in a luxurious setting, just south of San Ynez. 
• Rusack -- Located in Ballard Canyon, between Los Olivos and Solvang, Rusack has such a beautifully situated tasting room that it took me several visits to realize that the wine is really exceptionally good too! Their Pinot Noir first convinced me that a wine can be subtle and "fine" but also bold, flavorful, California-y -- the best of all possible worlds.
• Tangent -- And Baileyana, Zocker, Trenza and Cadre, each with a different portfolio of wines but all under the same roof and all created by the inimitable Burgundian winemaker Christian Roguenant. Whatever you like, this family of wineries in Edna Valley will surely please.
• Vogelzang -- This vineyard sadly doesn't have a tasting room, but you can order online and their wines are available in many fine restaurants. If you see it, get it, especially if it's a Viognier. (Full disclosure: I have the good fortune to know the Vogelzang for which the vineyard is named. But I would recommend it in any case!)