I had such a great time here! I stopped by on my way back to San Diego proper after visiting the…read morelocal alpaca farm (yay feeding alpacas!), and from the moment I arrived, I felt so welcomed. Diane was an absolute joy--she had me laughing every time she came by the table! We did the wine and olive oil tasting, and while not every wine was exactly my style (wine is all about personal taste, after all), they were all well-crafted and enjoyable in their own way. The balance of fruit and acidity was spot on, and I really appreciated the lower alcohol content (most around 13.2%), which is rare for the area. Unfortunately, we missed out on trying the Pinot Noir since it had just sold out, but the newly bottled Montepulciano is going to be a perfect light summer wine! Chris also stopped by, and we ended up having such a fantastic conversation that I truly didn't want to leave. This is the kind of winery that makes you feel like an old friend from the moment you walk in, and it absolutely makes you want to return. And I definitely will! Highly recommend!

We love it at DeerHorn! The wine is amazing. I never had a tasting I didn't like. The olive oil…read moreand vinegar tastings are a a pleasant experience in itself. Very casual. Pet friendly. And I love that you can bring outside food. Diane is always a pleasure to chit chat with.

One of my favorite wineries in Valle de Guadalupe. Xanic stands for "the flower that blooms after…read morethe first rain", in ode to the winter rains that bring good fortune to the area (and the winemaking process generally). Monte Xanic is one of Mexico's premium wineries, having won numerous international awards and competitions. If you're driving here, keep in mind that Monte Xanic is located further into the Valle than other popular spots (closer to the entrance from the road to Tecate). It is about a 2 hour drive from Tijuana at a modest pace. Monte Xanic is one of the oldest wineries in the region. The varietals near the entrance are 60+ years old (which are harvested to make some do Monte Xanic's premium wines). The winery itself dates back to the 80s. As it stands, because of COVID, you must make a reservation in advance to be allowed into the property. You'll need to reserve with a credit card but you won't be charged until you arrive, unless you don't show or cancel time. Once you turn off the main road, there is a gate with a guard who will ask for your reservation (and take your temperature + give you hand sanitizer) before allowing you to drive into the grounds. You'll follow a winding road past the property's man-made lake and up to the winery itself, which has parking (and charging stations if you have an electric vehicle! Major props for that!) Once you arrive you'll check in with the host, and you can choose where to sit for your tasting. There are various packages to choose from. I recommend the "greatest hits" selection (2 white, 1 rose, 2 reds) which runs about $25. These are premium wines so I think the price is reasonable. There are more expensive packages if you want to sample the very best of their selection. There are tables and stools inside and outside the winery, but far enough to each to maintain social distance. There is also a private room which holds 10 people if you'd like to arrange for a large group tasting. There is a wine cellar as well, though it is closed for the time being and there are no tours of the grounds either. The view of the Valle from the winery is fantastic. The tasting room is located on the mountainside and overlooks the lake, providing a great vantage point of the surrounding vineyards. I believe you can also reserve the winery for weddings. As for the tasting, your host or hostess will pour each wine at your table, and give you a thorough explanation about the history and process of each varietal. Our host, Mara, was awesome, knowledgeable, and very patient. Monte Xanic offers a limited selection of charcuterie and cheese assortments, and of course, you can purchase bottles to take home, including some rare limited editions, for far less than you could anywhere else, so I recommend doing so if you like Monte Xanic wine. It is difficult to find any of their wines for less than $20 per bottle, but here they have several selections in the $15ish range, which is a steal. Personally, I recommend picking up a bottle of their 2015 Syrah Cabernet blend, which was the last project worked on by their longtime winemaker, Hans Backhoff, before he passed away. I really enjoyed Monte Xanic and I'll definitely be back during my next trip to Valle.

Truly a spectacular place with a spectacular view. The staff was kind of cold but I guess that's…read morebecause they deal with customers that probably aren't in their best behavior. The staff was really professional and the building itself was beautiful but the view was stunning. It's kind of hidden but worth checking out. The charcuterie board was small but honestly just enough to feel good with a cup of wine. My family and I went to other wineries but this one was the prettiest because of the view. It felt like I was in Italy for the summer! Un lugar realmente espectacular, la vista es increíble y el lugar es muy profesional. El diseño del edificio se ve moderno con toques rústicos. Fue el primer lugar que visitamos pero la vista nos enamoró! Mi familia quedó impresionada con la belleza de este lugar. Lo mejor fue que cuando fuimos estaba casi vacío ya que llegamos casi una o dos horas antes de que cerraran. El lugar está increíble e inolvidable ya que al sentarse y tomarse una copa realmente es una experiencia relajante. Espero regresar pronto.

This was a real treat. It was the first winery that caught our eye on our Wine tour. We Came in…read morethrough the gates, circled at the top entrance, and it looked closed for remodeling. We were about to take off when this gentleman came out to greet us. They are having their grand opening the following month, but Federico Esquerza welcomed us in for a tour. We wanted some wine, but he was only taking care of the place for his sister while she was out on business. The place was brand spanking new. We could smell the fresh cement and paint. Federico said they borrowed a lot of the architectural ideas and design from their trips to Europe. We left after chatting it up with the Federico. he gave us a few pamphlets and off we were. Ruby lost the pamphlets so on our way back from the other wineries we stopped by again. "My nephew is here, so if you guys want to wine taste you're welcomed to." Fuck yeah! The guy brought out a basket of bread, local cheese and some delicious local olive oil. He didn't even have to play host or let us wine taste. I, personally, was wrong about the young kid. I thought he was going to be a snob, but he was quite humble and courteous. This winery is the 7th to open from the 22 currently operating. The owner was a force behind opening, advertising and pushing a culture that had been around for a long time since the Russian immigrants and Spanish and Mexican Monks, but had never been polished down to the wineries and vineyards we know today. Unfortunately, Don Liceaga, passed away from brain cancer 5 months before this visit and never got to see how beautiful his winery turned out. The Chardonnays were great, buttery and smooth with a perfect balance of acidity, flavor and oak. We walked away with two bottles of Merlot. One aged in American oak and the other in French. I preferred the American oak. It's all about preference. Cecilia Liceaga now runs the winery with the help of her son and brother.

We had previously taken some family pictures here with their beautiful landscaping (small…read morewaterfall, bridge over a stream, etc) so we decided to come back and do some actual wine tasting. We took a Lyft here but it is pretty remote (near Jamul Casino, but a few miles further) and hard to get a driver out, so I don't recommend it. Having a designated driver makes the most sense. If you have to rideshare, Uber is faster than Lyft in Jamul. I thought the red wines were nice and easy to drink but I'm not a wine connoisseur. The friends we were with thought the wine overall was good but not great. The 2024 Rose of Cabernet was my favorite, despite being one of the cheaper ones. Food options were very limited. Just cheese, hummus, meats and crackers, so don't arrive here hungry. Our server was very nice and friendly. There was an older gentleman walking around who was equally friendly and helpful. But there was an older lady behind the bar area who was very upset when we moved chairs inside by one window. I still think it makes sense, but don't do it. Apparently it obstructs the huge bar area walkway. There were kids running around while we were there. But this place is not kid-friendly, so leave them at home. Overall, the wine is fine and the setting is pretty. I recommend checking it out, but I probably will not become a regular. For those who live nearby, this place is great.

This place is lovely! I loved the earth toned lobby glistening with black marble counters and gold…read moretinted hanging globe pendant chandeliers. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was very laid back. All the wine we tasted was good, but I particularly loved the first and last wine of the sweet flight. We were here right before sunset and it was gorgeous!

Absolutely love this place! The wine is wonderful, but what…read morereally makes this spot special is the community the owner has built. Everyone is welcoming, and the atmosphere feels more like visiting a friend's home than a business. This was my second time here, and I'm already looking forward to the next visit. Great people, great wine--what more could you ask for?

This place is so relaxing & peaceful. The views are amazing & the outdoor seating is so…read morecomfortable. You can bring your own food/snacks. I had the Cabernet & the red blend. Both were amazing!!

Tim is such a pleasant person to be around, and he makes your wine tasting experience great. I…read morereally loved seeing the animals on the property and hearing about the winery's charitable efforts. It's kind of unfair to rate this whole establishment low because of a few bad bottles, as that happens at every winery. We bought a case of wine and have had no issues.

This place is absolute heaven! The beautiful winery is in the foothills of Alpine, CA...and is…read moreright next to the Cleveland National Forest. It's a beautiful and very peaceful place. Their wine is also knowns as the "Donkey Wine," famous for the artwork of donkeys on the label. The rescued donkeys on the bottle are actually on the property and you will get to meet them! This vineyard specializes in unfiltered red wines and the wines are made from start to finish right there! They have over 10 varietals: Zin, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet, GMS blend, Maavedre, etc. The owner/vintner/winemaker, Tim Petersen, is very passionate about his wines. He gives excellent tastings/tours by appointment. You will be in the actual barrel room and will get to same wines (even directly from the barrel!), and learn a lot about what goes into making the wines. You will get a motorized tour of the vineyards following the tasting. Tim makes every one of his guests feel like they are special. Most of his clients are repeat customers...some even come all the way from Texas every year to visit the winery. All the wines are excellent as well. The Merlot and Zinfandel are my favorites! You won't want to miss the opportunity to visit this place, relax, and enjoy some fantastic red wine!

I've lived in San Diego for almost 20 years and didn't know there was a wine region here! The…read morecouple who runs this vineyard was very friendly and helpful. I loved the Malbec and bought a bottle. Dry viognier was also very nice. We also tried the Debit, which is a very ancient vine from Croatia, and very rare. This was a full-bodied, fruity (apple notes) wine, but not at all sweet. Lovely vineyard!

My husband and I had a wonderful time at the winery. We loved hearing the story of the family! But…read morenot only loved the wine but also the property. We brought some meats and cheeses to eat by the little river and drink a bottle of wine. It's very relaxing!

We spent a lovely afternoon at the Grant James Vineyard. We…read moreenjoyed a brief history of the world of wine. Incredibly informative , as we dined on a delicious Summer lunch that was paired beautifully with their tastings of the day. We enjoyed : Viognier, very crisp with a slight mango and honeysuckle hint. The 2022 blush was a very dry fruity floral sip . And for the summer, they surprised us with a beautiful sweet sangria . Be prepared for some of the most amazing service you will ever get at any winery. dining on the Terrace, live music with a cool summer breeze-bring your friends, family and your dogs as well It's the perfect summer hang !

They are closed. For good. This was a gem of a winery but the collapse wasn't pretty. I wish them…read moreluck.

I discovered Blue Door winery about a decade ago during one of our many Julian adventure days. It…read morewas a particularly warm winter day and their "sangria this way " sign caught my eye. Wonderful friendly owners and I always feel like I'm treated like an old family friend. It is now a mandatory stop any time we find ourselves in Julian. Lots of outdoor seating in a courtyard shared with other small, local businesses (including my beloved Crow and Lilac!), and likely you'll be greeted by their employee of the month: Ollie (the sweetest dog) Happy to be a wine club member and with the drive to Julian (and their newer tasting room in Ramona)

We discovered this lovely place to sit and have a drink (and bring in snacks if you'd like), where…read morethey make Red Wines, Sangria and have THE most delicious cider that tastes like drinking a crisp sweet apple! We had one cider the first day, two the next, and before leaving Julian returned to take Growlers home :D Needless to say, we were in love with this cider!

Not sure why this winery has such a high rating when it's hard to even get in? Don't make the same…read moremistake we did by assuming they'd be open! :( I agree with the Yelp review posted a month ago that their communication is lacking regarding operating hours. In retrospect, this winery also doesn't have many reviews - likely because they don't welcome walk-ins and fail to note that anywhere. Their 5-star reviews aren't recent; posted a year ago for some & over two years ago for most. Tried to go this weekend when it should've been open. Called prior to make a reservation; went straight to voicemail and no indication of actual hours. No signage about hours/whether they were open or closed, except a small, unwelcoming security-related sign noting the premises were being watched. Lesson learned: leave a voicemail and make sure someone gets back to you first before you go. Don't waste your time getting out here only to be met with a locked gate and no one around.

This review is not for the wine, service or facilities. This review is for the unprofessionalism…read more and lack of transparency regarding hours of operation. I was looking forward to trying the food and wine here after seeing other reviews but was not able to do so. I came here on a random Saturday afternoon to do a tasting. When I checked the website, it didn't mention anything about requiring reservations, being closed or having a private event, yet when I got there, the gate was locked and there was no signage posted. I tried calling multiple times to ask why they weren't open but no one answered. The voicemail also didn't have any message about being closed. I was very upset but instead of wasting the 30 minutes it took me to get there, I decided to go to the next closest winery which was Granite Lion Cellars Winery. Pearson may have lost a customer but I gained a new winery.