I fell in love with Eugene, I can see where people go visit Oregon and end up staying. Beautiful drive. When you are driving to King Estate, you wonder if you are heading in the right direction. It really seems like it is in the middle of nowhere. You pass lovely farms, winding roads, smaller vineyards. It is absolutely breathtaking. King Estate is like a lot of wineries, they are friendly, down home and love their jobs. They are welcoming and gracious. It is a great day to plan. You can visit the winery for a tour and tasting, then wrap it up with lunch or dinner. The best thing I remember, after the pinot gris of course, is sitting outside after dinner, wrapped in a blanket and drinking wine with my sister. We had a great visit. If you make it to Oregon, make the journey and visit King Estate. read more

See all

Where in (near) Eugene can you find amazing views of rolling hills, vineyards, and a chateau-esque winery? Where would you go to impress a friend with a *tasty* lunch paired with some excellent local wines? This is your place! This afternoon went something like this: plug 80854 Territorial Rd into the navigation system...(Indeed, this place may technically be ~20 mi outside Eugene in nearby Lorane, but the drive is gorgeous!)...some 30+ minutes later, roll up the long driveway and take in the beautiful sunny day...be seated on patio, and whip out the camera for some glam shots with vines and hills in the background. Oh wait, did we come here for wine? Oh yeah, peruse the wine tasting menu (with tips from a very friendly & knowledgeable server), the food menu, and then look again at those beautiful views. A few minutes later, some toasted filberts (hazelnuts to the rest of you), some bread, and a balsamic vinegar dip are set out on the table to nibble on. A small but nicely presented house salad and some ok "free" tasting wines disappear slowly as we really drink in the views. A duck confit (delicious!) and crab strudel (yummy) similarly disappear with some other tasting wines (not free but worth the charge). Then desert! The profiteroles are worth every last calorie, and the rhubarb tart/crisp was also excellent - both enjoyed with the free Vin Glace Muscat tasting. Bar none, a place to enjoy a wonderful lunch on a sunny day. Visit their website for their schedule and hours of operation (they only serve lunch from Spring-Fall) - and take a peak at the menu if you dare! Oh, last but not least - as for their wine itself, it's a good local wine...but not necessarily a great value. Worth the tasting but not a case of it (in my opinion). read more

King Estate Winery - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

What a disappointment! My mother and I arrived a little after they opened at 12 o'clock, and were going to have some wine and a few appetizers. We were graciously greeted by the hostess (who was extremely nice) however, we could not be seated for around 40 minutes because we did not have a reservation. She directed us to the bar where we could get a glass of wine while we waited. The gentleman behind the bar seemed irritated, and completely ignored us until I asked if we could get a glass of wine. The customer service seemed extremely unprofessional and unwelcoming. I would not recommend going to Kings Estate Winery, especially if you do not have a reservation. You will be treated unfairly and it's not worth the money! read more

Their restaurant is 'Bloody ripper mate' as an Aussie might say! We stopped for a cuppa and then decided to have lunch..they serve until about 17.00...very civilised! I had sweatbreads for $10.00 AMAZING value! More food...more burps....subtle of couse and the whole place reeks of indulgence but the staff were not up themselves and the value was historic. The view is great and on a cool November day with the fire burning in the grate it was wonderful to sit and look. VERY IMPRESSED....and the wine aint half bad either! read more

I came here for dinner for my 25th birthday. We made a reservation and luckily it was beautiful that day so the drive and view were awesome! Dinner was amazing. We ordered a caesar salad, crab cakes, filet, burger. Our server was really nice. We sat inside because it was a little chilly but next time I definitely would love to sit outside! read more

See all

King Estate... Sigh. What a gem of a winery. This place does everything right- from food to service to labor to ethic to philosophy. I would be here every weekend, if not for the unrequited love triangle between me, my wallet, and the gorgeous chateau. =( A few facts: King Estate is the largest contiguous winery in the Northwest region. Everything it grows is certified organic, and a lot of the foodstuffs served at the Estate restaurant are grown/cured/cultivated on site. (The rest is locally sourced.) All the pinot gris and pinot noir grapes are hand-picked, and plant debris from harvesting is composted and recycled back into the land. The winery also works with Eugene's Cascade Raptor Center; its land serves as a release site for orphaned and rehabilitated birds of prey (making every day at the winery a prime one for bird-watching.) My friends and I very much enjoyed the company of our tasting/tour guide. (And if he didn't enjoy our company, or our million and one requests for picture breaks, he made it graciously unapparent.) He conducted the tour at our pace, invited questions, answered them well, and even relented in letting us visit the pear orchard so we could see the hawks glide as the sun set. When we went in for the $5 tasting flight, we were received by yet more professional and laid-back sommeliers. I personally enjoyed the signature pinot gris, which was soft and smooth, with a crisp finish. But I ended up taking home the golden-hued, sweet and peachy vin glace. (Note: If you buy a wine from the flight, the tasting fee is waived.) Anyway! Enough about the grape drank- what really blew my mind at King Estate was the food. When we sat down around 5pm for a bottle of Next: Riesling and a few appetizers, we were just planning on whetting our appetites for dinner, a quick dine-and-down-the-bottle sort of thing. We were pleasantly surprised when the waiter took our small order, and immediately returned with a basket of The-Best-Bread-Ever. Wrapped under warm cloth, we found a rich and salty olive bread, a sesame-studded bread, and a resilient and chewy French bread, served with the thickest, creamiest butter. (You know the food will be good when the kitchen puts so much care into free bread.) Soon after, we were presented with an amuse bouche that was genius concentrated in one mouthful. One bite unearthed a seared, rare flank steak, topped with crème fraiche, served over a spoonful of spiced pear and cucumber compote. By the time we finished enthusing over the amuse bouche, (but not before we finished a second basket of bread) the waiter came back with our array of appetizers. There was a simply seared foie gras, slashed with artsy squiggles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, startling in its own richness. When we dug in, the lobe of fatty flesh tore softly from its charred outer membrane and melted into the brioche, making us feel like we might happily die from all the excess. There was a violently pretty charcuterie platter: A neat square of brandied duck liver terrine, a trapezoidal jewel of pâté de champagne--with 3 painted dots of dijon mustard--a dark circle of pork belly confit , and a twisted stem spiraling off choice olives, cornichons and slivers of radish outlined in vibrant red. It was Art Food, delicious and clean. We ended the gluttony with an impossibly fussy torchon of foie gras, with strawberry gremolata, lavender-black pepper gastrique, and toasted brioche. It sounded terrible, but tasted divine. The gremolata cut through the fattiness of the foie gras, while the gastrique honeyed down acidity, and sharpened the overall flavors. The ripe strawberries complemented the richness of the dessert, while the toasted hazelnuts added textural perfection. When the full moon rose, dusky and red, our waiter brought out thick, colorful blankets and candles, so we could linger in our bovine, food-induced happiness. Who doesn't want to be treated like royalty? A trip out to King Estate can get pricey, but the sum experience is totally worth it, especially when you compare it to big-name wineries in California. King Estate has wonderful service, and most notably, a staff that doesn't turn its collective nose up at a younger clientele. (On the flip side, because the mean age of the staff itself is young-ish, KE may not give more veteran wine-and-dine buffs the formal, polished experience they expect. In any case, the environment feels very organic.) I'm excited to return for what I imagine could be the perfect brunch. read more

King Estate Winery - Charcuterie, dessert foie gras, foie gras with olive oil & balsamic vinegar - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

This is a beautiful winery located high on a hill with a beautiful view. The service is excellent and the wine is delicious. They have a good variety of different types of wine to sample and many options of food to go with the wine. We had a really nice time at this winery. read more

I always have to dress up like a lady to do wine tasting at King Estate Winery. Pretty dress, curled hair, eyebrows on point, shoes right, great girlfriends and bright lipstick to leave on the glass. The scenery is breathtaking. It's no surprise there are so many weddings here. I'd be lucky to have my own at King Estate someday. Fingers crossed! Not too far from the Estate is a cemetery that you can stroll through. I didn't realize it was there until Pao mentioned it on the tour that King Estate offers. The tour is absolutely worth it. Pao was very knowledgeable and friendly. I love all the wines but the one I always take a bottle home with me is the Pinot Gris. read more

King Estate Winery - Grapes - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

See all

Just a stunning winery with such amazing food. The burger here is just mouth watering. You can't stop eating it and you just want more and more. It can only be described as heaven for your mouth. The patty is perfectly seared and the meat is so juicy and delicate. The smells that come from the kitchen make you feel as if you are in a cartoon and floating. I would highly suggest going here. read more

Kings Estate was the first winery I've ever visited and damn, I am impressed. I was told not to expect this kind of opulence everywhere, so my first impression of wineries was grandiose, based on King's Estate. Nothing was in bloom yet or ready to go, but that was okay. Taking in the size of the fields was fun, looking at the fruit trees and the hill side covered in lavender bushes (not yet bloomed) eluded to what the season would be like in full swing there. There is a tour that starts and gives history and a chance to ask questions - if you ask anyone inside the tasting room, they'll direct you where you need to go. I believe we had Nick and he was AWESOME. They have their own wind turbines scattered about the fields, which I found out were to break up frost from the vines. They pollinate with their own bees and hive (so much more healthy than trucking bees around) and grow their own fruit. They are Oregon Tilth certified organic as well and jump through all those hoops as well. The story of HOW Kings Estate came to be was extremely interesting. The tasting room bar was packed and we didn't bother to sit and order food. My partner ordered a 2013 Pinot Gris, which he took on the tour with him. Fancy. There is a heritage cemetery on the property - make sure to check that out if you're interested in that sort of thing. It was super interesting to look at the ages of the graves. I am so impressed with King's Estate and will hopefully be back when everything is in bloom. I saw some of their wine on their shelf the other day and jumped to buy some, now that I've seen where it's made up close. That is super cool. read more

King Estate Winery - View on a cloudy day - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

My wife & I took 9 folks with us, so 11 total. Sebastian was fantastic as our waiter. We were seated on the patio next to Yellow Jacket infested lavender plants. Whole patio was open yet this is the place their manager sat us. What a pain in the butt for our guest. The food was great, including the Seafood Stew that took an additional 7-8 mins to arrive. $600 spent on this meal & an evening trying to not get stung... Won't be going back... More hype than anything... read more

This winery sits on a gorgeous piece of property. I went here for a late lunch with a pretty large group of friends (8 people total) and we were well tended to. I wish it had been a bit warmer in early May so we could sit in their outside seating area, but it was a little too cool in the shade. Next time. I ordered the Preoccupied with Pinot Noir wine flight as well as the salmon entree. I was not disappointed. Our server assured me that it is okay to pair red wine with fish. I would seek this place out again the next time I am in Eugene. read more

King Estate Winery - Preoccupied with Pinot Noir wine flight - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Simply lovely! We had the pleasure of dining there before the pandemic and the food and wine was exceptional. Excellent and knowledgeable staff made our experience wonderful. Planning a event there for our daughters graduation in June if they are open! We've also been wine tasting a few times and the grounds are so beautiful for a wonderful afternoon. The wines are excellent as well! read more

I find it surprising that a chef of this caliber doesn't offer or denote gluten-free options. It's just not that hard to make most dishes gluten-free. This is a high end restaurant and they do not recognize allergens on the menu. read more

An amazing view of a vineyard in Eugene. Did I just say Eugene?...Oregon? Yes and yes. Add this with fine dining and you're set for an amazing evening. Appetizer: Poke Dinner: Burger Wine: Pinot Noir flights I recommend them all! read more

See all

The food was phenomenal, the wine and cider were fantastic. It is a little far out of town but so worth the drive. It is a beautiful place with a breathtaking view. The service my group received did not meet my expectations. We were the only table on the patio, with maybe 3 additional parties inside. It seemed that we were the only table in our server's section, yet we were never checked up on, offered dessert menues or additional beverages, and had to wait ~20 minutes for a second bottle of wine for one of the couples in our group - it was requested and someone eventually had to get up and track another server down to get it. Any time anyone came up to our table, they just seemed bothered by us. I get it. This place is very nice and we are a young group that doesn't exude wealth and high-class, but we kept to ourselves and just wanted to go out and spend some money on a nice dinner and explore the robust wines King Estate has to offer. Eveyone in my group works at a brewery and has to put on face quite often when a less-than-desireable or out-of-place table comes in. We certainly wouldn't make them feel they're unwelcome and ignore them all night. Though we all agreed the service was nearly nonexistant, we split the check 3 ways and I know at least 2 of those 3 were tipped 20%. We came with money to spend and were hoping we caught our server on a bad day. To sum it up, King Estate is most definitely worth a try, but the service may be a hit-or-miss. read more

Had the world's best birthday dinner here. It was incredible -- from the service to the food (they have a new, incredible James Beard award-winning head chef). One of the best meals I've ever had in my life, read more

I fell in love with Oregon Pinot Noirs nearly 15 years ago....but just had my first visit to the wine country in Willamette Valley this week. The entire area is gorgeous. Endless trees and natural beauty throughout the valley and hills filled with beautiful vines. You travel along the 2 lane winding tar roads in the valley, passing several farms and lots of cool old barns, until you arrive at the beautiful King Estate Winery. I resisted the urge to run inside for tastings due to the striking beauty that I had to try to capture with my camera. Of course it never does it justice, so I took the time to soak it into my memory. Walking into the winery, you pass through ample indoor and outdoor restaurant seating and several folks enjoying a perfect fall afternoon. We headed into the tasting area, and were assisted by a lovely woman that was so warm and helpful. Each conversation at a tasting room always allows me to walk away with new information, and new ways to describe what I like and what I don't in various grapes. We knocked through the list of 5 tastings for $10, and got her to sneak a few others to try as well. I enjoyed all the wines here quite a bit, but the two standouts for me were the Pinot Gris and the North by Northwest Cabernet, which I purchased to be my travel companion back to San Diego. Leaving this beautiful estate was hard....but the clock was against us and we had a few more wineries to enjoy on our way back to Eugene. I highly recommend and hope to visit them again! read more

See all

It was a long drive to get to the location but worth the drive to get to the top of this beautiful mountain top winery. This was our last stop in Oregon before we hit the road back home to California. We opted out of doing a tasting but instead bought a bottle of red to take home. It was the best! Just the views & sites were worth the visit. read more

See all

My favorite winery in the Eugene area. The King Estate is superb in every aspect. On top of the excellent ambiance, one can expect great value in the wine tasting. read more

King Estate Winery - Wineries Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

King Estate is the premiere wine experience in Eugene. It's pretty darn expensive, so this is definitely not somewhere I come often, but in a spectacular setting overlooking the vineyards with fantastic wine and gourmet food. Tastings are about $15 a person- some of their wines are done in steel barrels, which gives them a really unique flavor which I love! The family member that I brought was so impressed by the Pinot Gris, that she has started buying it back in her home state of Georgia! This is the one winery in the area that you will find sold in liquor and grocery stores across the country, and it truly is some of the best! We then ate out on the back patio (perfect on a nice day) and enjoyed a cheese plate and a delicious lunch. Definitely a special place to bring out of towners, and for a fancy night (or day) out! read more

Great service. They split our food without us even asking!! They waived dessert just because I said it wasn't that great. Simple salad and beet salad. Fresh oysters. Tasty wine. read more

See all

We made reservations and while waiting at the wine tasting three different times we were interrupted saying out table was ready. This was prior to our reservation time. Food was good how ever when delivered no one knew where to place each plate and had them all mixed up. Some of the food was good and the server was not good as we had to ask three times for our wine and coffee. Then the coffee was not hot. 3 stars for the dinning and 5 stars for the entire facility. read more

Food is good, certainly above average. Service is 5 star, but don't confirm reservation through "Open Table" or you will be hounded forever by this most annoying app. read more

Food was great and maybe if we had come a different night then we would have had a better experience. They were out of a good portion of the menu which isn't very extensive to begin with which was disappointing. However, my main issue was the slow service and poor communication. When I made the reservation there was no warning that they tend to run out of food on Sundays. When I checked in for my reservation nobody mentioned that they were working off a limited menu. While I was waiting for my server to come over for 20+ and was perusing the menu nobody thought to mention that they were out of multiple items. Then, it wasn't until I started ordering that the server stopped me and said "sorry we're out of that.." to everything I tried to order. They were even out of bread and butter. In the end, we didn't get anything to eat until an hour after our reservation time, and what we did get wasn't what we came for. The manager came over to talk to us but ultimately just tried to explain how restaurants operate as if we don't understand. Even after we told him multiple times that we get these things happen, but the slow service and lack of communication about the missing menu items was the frustrating part the best he could offer was to "personally take care of the service" next time we came in. Conveniently, this was after we told him we were passing through on a road trip and don't live in the area. Not to mention that the bill was $160 for two people because we had to order the more expensive items on the menu since they didn't have what we wanted. Ultimately, the food was good and the view was nice but I won't be returning and wouldn't recommend this place to anyone for dinner. read more

Four of us were there for brunch on a Sunday. We did the wine tasting while our table was being prepared. The signature pinot gris and pinot noir are pleasant wines but overpriced. The brunch menu consisted mostly of items that communicated lunch more than brunch and appeared universally overprices. So I ordered the omelet featuring wild mushrooms, blue cheese, and walnuts. I'm being nice by saying that it did not live up to what my mind had conjured up while waiting an eternity for our meals to arrive. What I got can only be called a tiny egg "crepe." The egg portion was about 1/8 in. thick. No way more than egg and a half to make this. Inside was a scant tablespoon of mushroom, a whiff of blue cheese, and more that a half dozen walnut halves (unroasted?). About 4 bites total. Oh, and no sides came with it unless two tiny cold toast halves count. To counter this I had ordered a side of roasted potatoes. But they never came. I alerted our waiter once we could finally get his attention. But, no. Still no spuds. Finally they arrived after everyone had completed their meals. About 1/4 cut of spuds. At least they comped them. Thanks a lot. On the plus side, my friend's sandwich appeared fine, the chicken dish seemed o.k., and the scallop appetizer was miniscule and expensive but otherwise fine. So, the food is overpriced and "iffy." The service was slow and inattentive. The surroundings were beautiful. I won't be back there for a meal on my dime! read more

I love wine and visited on my most recent trip to Eugene (I visit several times a year). The visit started off well: beautiful grounds, beautiful view, friendly hostesses, friendly wine tasting - wait! Not quite. The visit started off well. I checked in on Foursquare and they have a coupon for a complimentary flight of their wines. Once I busted this out, the friendly wine tasting went sour. The gentleman working began to ignore me. Another group walked in and they were club members. Instant ignoring from the gentleman began. Luckily the nice girl working the tasting filled my glass. She was slammed, so it took an extremely long time for the tasting. I tipped her well because she was great. We then had some appetizers, which were delicious. The server was very friendly. I was looking to buy 8 bottles of wine to take home. Due to the sour taste of being ignored, I only bought 3. I loved the Pinot noir: both Acrobat and signature. Not sure if I will be back. Sweet Cheeks and Silvan Ridge were both slammed, but remained attentive and kind. Between these two, I bought 9 more bottles. read more

If I could give it zero stars I would! Made a reservation for brunch 1 month in advance to celebrate my birthday with a friend. 3 days before my reservation I received an email from "Jodee" saying my reservation had been cancelled because they were "pausing" service to revamp their culinary offerings. I replied that they could have planned that in the future and not when they had already accepted reservations. The next Response was the real reason and that they were not "pausing to revamp their culinary offerings" but rather they were having chronic staffing issues and they weren't actually pausing but rather closing entirely! Didn't appreciate the fabrication as to why and felt it should have been presented correctly from the beginning!! Why lie? Why wait almost a month to tell me and only give me a few days to find another place for brunch? I was still very disappointed and asked for some sort of compensation for my inconvenience. The response was that I could certainly come and do a tasting and order a cheese plate but it would not be complimentary. I will not be returning to King Estates. Too many other good wineries that would treat me like a valued customer. I'll visit one of them instead , which we did , and purchased several bottles to take home. Hope losing a customer was worth a tasting and a cheese plate!! read more

Went out for lunch today. The wine is over priced, the food is so so. I had to ask the waiter what is was that they put on my sandwich. She told me it was "bacon." I asked her if that looked like bacon, pointing to this thing I pulled off my sandwich and put on my plate. She said that the bacon was made on the estate, it was one of their specialties. The manager came over and I asked him the same thing. He looked at the "thing" on my plate, said he'd show it to the chef and comped me for the sandwich. I think this is a place where no one has told them their food ... well isn't as good as they think it is ... (sucks). When you have to ask a waiter "what is this on my sandwich" and they tell you it's bacon ... and even the manager doesn't recognize it as bacon. Hmm, there might be a problem. So if you want a nice view, over priced wine and food that you don't know what it is ... I highly recommend King Estate. read more

The Food: The food is usually very good, but it is terribly expensive and is cold about half of the time. The serving size is about 2/3 of what one is used to getting, so if you are hungry, this is probably not the best place to go...unless you want to fill up on bread. The Wine: Probably the best among the wineries near Eugene, but again, not saying much. They have so many different varieties and there is usually a pretty interesting story about the place from which the grapes are sourced. The problem, like with the food, is that it is so darn expensive. I would say that most bottles are overpriced by at least $15 - $25. The Service: The wait staff is friendly and knowledgable, but it really has to be the absolute slowest in town, which is saying quite a lot for Eugene. The servers don't always pay the best attention to you, which I guess helps keep the bill down, but is likely not a strategy they are told to employ. The last lunch I had there literally took 2.5 hours. The Ambiance: Absolutely beautiful views. Amazing, if you're outside. The inside is pretty nice too. Overall: Way overpriced, great food but not always consistant. Terrible service and a beautiful venue. Oh, and the wine...meh. read more

My first trip to King Estate on Mother's Day was quite lovely. On the basis of that experience I took some friends there for dinner over Fourth of July weekend, and went back for a family brunch today. This last experience has pretty much soured me on King Estate. It was my brother's 27th birthday, which I'd noted when I made the reservation. We were seated for over an hour before our food arrived. We heard our waitress explain to other patrons that the kitchen was slow today, but we were not so advised. We saw tables seated 15 minutes after us that were served 15 minutes before our food was brought out. I was prepared to walk out of the restaurant, and the food arrived just three minutes before my deadline. There were no apologies for the long wait for our food, let alone an offer to comp dessert for the rest of us (my brother would have gotten a free dessert for his birthday, but he wasn't sure it would have arrived before his 28th birthday, so he declined). We have all agreed that as beautiful as the winery is, it is not worth a return trip for a meal. read more

King Estate is so many things for Eugene. It's a place to go, after the new year has dawned, and stuff one's face with Dungeness Crab. It's a place to go, mid-summer, to eat ribs (or salmon!) straight off the grill. Wiping greasy fingers on cloth napkins, people soak in the heat and pretend, just for awhile, that it's truly "hot" outside. Then, cover up with thin sweaters before the real chill of an Oregon summer evening sets in. It's a place to have a Thanksgiving meal, cooked family style, when you've been too knocked out with flu virus to even think of cooking for yourself. And it's a place to take out-of-towners who you really love, at strategic points during a visit, to see if you just can't swing the vote and get them to become Oregonians again after all. KE is all of these things and more, to me. I love their vision, commitment to sustainability, and to Oregon. I love their lack of pretense... even though, let's be honest, not all of their guests shine that energy back to them. I'm thrilled that they let me run a 5k through their vineyard with Mo Kafleski for only $5...and then serve me a glass of pinot gris and a veggie burrito afterwards (even though I had to decline both on account of the side ache). So, yes, King does make wine, and very very good wine (especially if you go for their more boutique varieties). But they are bigger than even their grape empire indicates. I'm happy that they're my neighbor. I can't wait to go back. read more

Pulling up to King Estate Winery (which is basically a castle on top of a hill) had me convinced that I was in for some creepy Rocky Horror Picture Show type of night. I did NOT end up in transsexual transylvania, but I did have a great experience despite the lack of corsets and electric meat cutters. Our table wasn't ready when we arrived so to compensate we were told to go to the tasting area and enjoy a free tasting. We had a wonderful time tasting some wines and chatting with our wine expert, who made some suggestions for dinner as well. I get the sense that it really doesn't matter what you order at this restaurant. Everything is bound to be spectacular, romantic, and satisfying. We sat next to a fireplace, we lingered, we had dessert. We shut the place down without anyone rushing us out. Stellar service, stellar food, stellar night. read more

The first highlight of this winery is the view with an 180 degree view of their vineyard and the hills as a backdrop. Not to mention the lovely landscaping and outdoor seating for dining. The and the second are the wines. The service is great. Just wish they also offered wine tastings outside, they only allow dining outside and you can order wine from their menu only. Great for a date/lunch spot. read more

See all

Having been to King Estate Winery for lunch before, I was really looking forward to going today. DeA and I had been planning this because we really love their attitude towards sustainability and ecology in vinology. And another factor was that I thought I knew the Executive Chef. The fact that we were greeted with his unplanned departure should have been one indicator. The waitress' attitude was another. The third was having to wait for our cutlery. Then the food: mine was too salty, my gfriend 's was too bland. Fifth: the fireplace went out. Management, please pay attention when your staff has too narrow a definition of their tasks. Customers should enjoy and be able to relax during their lunch, not to have to wait once the food is served on their plate and in front of them. Saving grace is the fact that our meal was comped, and therefore we shall return and give King Estate another chance. Definitely in need of a revamping, both the menu, the staff and the interior decor could use one, as well, actually. read more

I've only ever been to King Estate twice. The first time, I was a bit put off. Mostly by the service, it's a bit on and off when it comes to how the wait staff want to treat you. Sometimes they are pretty decent, could be better but it wasn't horrible. Other times, they tend to outright ignore you. The food is good. I tried duck for the time at King Estate and I found that I really enjoyed it, but again, the service sort of killed the experience. It took a while for the waitress to warm up and actually talk a bit more past the needed back and forth between a customer and the waitstaff. The second time I went, it was to celebrate my Great Aunt's birthday. Called in to reserve a table, went all out. The food was just perfected, I had the roast chicken while my mother and aunt had the Ruben, both dishes were just delicious, full of flavor and the wine the waiter recommended went very well with both dishes. We ended up having desert, two orders of orange creme brulee, and a some sort of dark chocolate moose which had dabs of this very tart fruit jelly, which commingled very well with the richness of the chocolate. Again, the customer service was a bit of let down. The waiter was distracted by another table (I assume that he knew them, that is all well and good), he gave them a bit more attention and would check on them constantly while we would have to stand just to get his attention. The food is good, the atmosphere is very fancy, a beautiful view (if you do go, try to be seated outside or very close to a window), but the service could be better. read more

Hopped into Eugene today to see friends. We thought, "Let's go out to some wineries, find some new favorite wines and have good conversation." The conversation was wonderful. That was the only thing that deserved a star in this entire review. We wanted to taste wines, but they were only pouring two for free. I don't drink Pinot, so that was out. They do a five dollar flight, but it has only a few selections, as well. So, I told the gentleman that I like Reisling, and he said they had two years of Reisling and described it. Well, I couldn't decide. You'd think he would pour just a taste of each, woudn't you? Nope, I had to guess. I chose poorly. The Reisling was more like Chardonnay, and it wasn't like good Chardonnay. Three of the four of us paid for a glass of wine, all different. All of us agreed that it was not great wine. In my case, it wasn't even good wine. As he was pouring, the gentleman said "You can take these out to the patio if you'd like." It was a lovely day, and so we took his advice. We sat down at a cafe table, and a young man came over and said, "Are you going to be eating?" We said that we weren't sure, we were trying to decide. He then told us that there was a waiting list for these tables and if we didn't eat, we might be asked to leave. Now wait a minute. We are customers who bought your wine. You have no other place for us to sit and drink it. There is no one waiting on this table, in fact, you have another table free outside. The inside is also full of empty tables. Yet, you basically tell us to leave, as we sit there with full wine glasses? I went in to complain and return the wine to them, and the young woman explained that "Well, the server who told you that you could eat out there is new and doesn't know that those tables are our overflow for the inside." Okay.... so where does one who doesn't want to stand up and pretend they are at a cheap bar sit? And could the young man who was so rude not have indicated, "Hello, May I show you a menu?" The building is exquisite, and I think it has gone to their heads. The wine is not good, the service and rudeness is ridiculous. We had actually been considering dining there, and I'm from the state, so I'd love to happen back down. But after this, no. We'll never be back, and I'll never buy another bottle. If you enjoy being treated rudely by young twenty somethings who act as if you are beneath them, this is the place for you. But trust me, King Estate, you aren't in France and the "experience" is not this amazing... read more

King Estate doesn't disappoint in terms of decor, view, quality of food and ingredients, when dining here at lunch for a special occasion. The patio area is gorgeous and the grounds are lovely. The layout of the interior portion of the restaurant is a little strange, but not obstructive. Service was better than average; attentive and polite, but reserved and not engaging. We were celebrating a recent marriage and never once received a congratulations when making the reservation (mentioning the occasion when doing so) or coming here to celebrate. Food was very good; everyone enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Portions raged from reasonable (salmon entree, chicken entree, crab cakes appetizer) vs generous (sides of sweet potato chips and arancini, pulled pork sandwich, cheeseburger). It should be noted that their current charcruterie plate was exquisite with its selection of pate, terrine, cured meat, accompanying garnishes and sides, and the portions very generous, which is not often found. Proteins were cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The only downfall was their lack of champagne/brut/sparkling wine in that regard. We were handed an extensive list of KE wine selections (lots by the glass) but when we asked what were the options for bubbles, the server described their carbonated beverages, including sodas. WTF? We are in a MASSIVE, upscale vineyard who also offers their grounds to private wedding and parties, and there is no "champagne" (loose term being used; I know we are not in Champagne, Fr.) produced or offered here?? Le sigh. We settled instead for a bottle of Viognier and were reasonably pleased, considering I do not typically think KE wine is all that great. read more

Welcome to Ft. Wine. For a winery that produces hundreds of thousands of cases of the good stuff, they really kinda keep it under wraps. I've never come across the label anywhere in Southern California, so I was admittedly apprehensive about their wines. I mean, honestly, where do all those cases go? Turns out they're well known in the Pacific Northwest and their wines appear on many wine lists in regional restaurants. From the top of the hill upon which the winery is perched you can gaze out over the rolling hills. Some hills are sad looking from the clear-cutting of trees for lumber. Thanks Weyerhauser. But in front of all those slashed up hills are the unending vineyards that produce grapes for their pinot noir and pinot gris. Better than a lot of the stuff I've tasted in the Santa Ynez Valley, for sure. I'm keeping an eye out for their wine the next time I go shopping. Perhaps I glossed over their products because they frankly have a generic looking label. I recommend they scrap the current label and use a picture of their wine fortress estate for visual appeal. read more

Beautiful view, very picturesque. 5 stars for that! The tasting room was nice but the wines were nothing that blew my mine. The cab was perhaps the best. Service was okay but not personable. I preferred some of the smaller wineries: the people were more interesting and the wines were better. read more