Best Vineyards & Wineries in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has a vast array of wineries and vineyards for you to visit, but it is essential to know what is worth your time to make the best choices. The best vineyards and wineries in Los Angeles are well-established, have an impressive collection of wines, and offer affordable tastings.

For those looking for a great wine experience, Los Angeles has some of the best vineyards and wineries in the world. Before giving you the list, let me briefly share some things about the history of Los Angeles & its relation with wine.

Best Vineyards, Winery & Wine Tastings near Los Angeles

Here are some of my favorites. Visit them with this handy self-guided tour that samples old-world-style wines and plenty of sunshine!

1. Malibu Wines and Beer Garden

Address: 23130 Sherman Way
West Hills, California 91307

Age: Must be 21+ for entry.

• A trip to Malibu Wines is more like a tradition for the Angelenos. Malibu Wines & Beer Garden is the latest concept.
• The scenic vineyard and tasting room is a perfect spot for a picnic which is why it is loved by all and a must-visit place for everyone.
• The new location is in West Hills and serves Semler and Saddlerock label wine, a variety of local and regional craft beer. The drinks behind the bar are snappy and ample.
• In addition to the view, this vineyard offers plenty of other things during your visits, such as themed activities, including Friday night karaoke, Sunday yoga and mimosas, and Thursday nights movies.
• If still, your heart desires more, then worry not; something much more exciting is waiting for you. A two-hour nature tour where you can feel closer and connected to nature and can personally feed animals while stooping to taste different types of Sadderock wines!
• Yes, you heard it right; I am talking about the Malibu Wine Safari that blends the experience of a zoo and a winery.

2. Rosenthal- The Malibu Estate Wine Bar and Patio

Address: 18741 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

Age: Must be 21+ for entry.

• It is a perfect place to go and enjoy the food trucks at Rosenthal, with an ocean view from their exquisite garden patio.
• It’s only fitting that this winery has a stellar view of the ocean (it is a cherry on top!) If you want to rest your mind and soul from L.A.’s busy and fast-paced life, then this, my friend, is the place for you.
• With its beachside views coastal breezes, this wine center is the ideal place for a weekend group tasting. They offer a casual atmosphere where you can discover and enjoy their entire selection of Rosenthal and Surfrider wines.
• You can bring your food for a picnic. Live beach tunes permeate the courtyard, with local live bands playing with a food truck nearby.
• Remember that the weekends are strictly for twenty-one plus only, not even infants.

3. The Ojai Vineyard 

Address: 109 S Montgomery St
Ojai, CA 93023

Age: Must be 21+ for entry.

• The Ojai Vineyard has over three hundred wines to taste and enjoy. Their highly qualified and knowledgeable staff is pleased to share narratives about their craft, from the simplest to the most mysterious wines.
• If you live in Los Angeles, it is just an hour and a half away, and there are a few excellent wine-tasting choices.
• This vineyard specializes in pinot noir, syrah, and a range of white wine varietals. It offers you to taste for more than 300 different bottles in their cozy dining room—a perfect place to go for an explorer.
• Perfect days from the week to visit there are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays night so that you can enjoy some wines aged up to ten-twenty years, and occasional food pairings are offered.

4. Casa Barranca Wines

Address: 208 E Ojai Ave
Ojai, CA 93023

Age: Must be 21+ for entry.

• Cassa Barranca tasting room is another excellent option in Ojai to visit. It is located on the main street in Ojai’s charmingly historic downtown.
• The Casa Barranca Tasting Room is just ten miles away from the ocean, approximately a fifteen-minute drive by car from Ventura.
• While a sprawling, ancient estate sits on the winery, the tasting room is located downtown Ojai. Their tasting room has an architectural style inspired by their namesake Casa Barranca estate home, with the natural wood attributes of its historic location.
• The friendly staff is something that you would love there. Thirty imbibers drink certified organic, award-winning rieslings, available in two separate flights.

Los Angeles History of Wine

Before the success of L.A.’s film and T.V. industry, the city was home to some of California’s earliest wineries, planted in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants in the area now known as East Los Angeles. These early efforts were largely unsuccessful due to scarce water resources and poor soil quality.

The present wine tasting scene began in the early 1970s, with a group of regional wineries pooling their resources and creating a cooperative to market and distribute their wines. The first wine cooperative was Winecom which later became Preferred Vintners, and it’s still going strong today.

Present scenarios

Today, there are wineries to suit all tastes:

• Small production artisanal wineries.
• Larger producers have received critical acclaim.
• Plenty of tasting rooms that are open to the public.

The vineyards are worth seeing, too—even if only from afar. Even if you aren’t a native Angeleno, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about how much the city has changed in recent years. A burgeoning food scene and several trendy bars have been widely reported by The New York Times, Eater LA, and Thrillist Los Angeles.

Conclusion

While there are plenty of wine tasting spots and wineries near L.A., some are better than others. When you want to find out which ones are the best, you can use this article as your guide.

We’ve visited all four wineries on this list several times now, and each one is extraordinary in its way. Enough so that they’ve immediately found their places on our list of best wineries and vineyards to visit near Los Angeles.

Also, check the best wine-themed vacation you can plan.