MJA Vineyards Westside Tasting Room

MJA was an awesome experience. Very knowledgeable about the wines and region. My wife and I were visiting from Sacramento and we felt at home here. When we left, we went to our B&B and two of our four bottles fell out of the car and broke. We went back, and they replaced them. Thank you so much. We will be back.

OMG! This place was amazing! A little hidden gem behind the grocery store!
My boyfriend and I were looking to go wine tasting on a Thursday that was open past 5pm/​6pm and it was this wonderful winery.
The owner MJA himself served us personally with Aloha! The wine tasting menu was reasonably priced and such an amazing selection!
MJA told us about the events that happen weekly and about his other location in Los Gatos.
I hope to return to this place again someday!
They do have a wine club! And there was a special if you buy 3 bottles you get the 4^th FREE!

Amazing customer service. They gave one of the girls extra wine just so she could join us in our final flight. Besides their fantastic wine selections, the one thing I recommend everyone to try is their chocolate covered coffee bean. It tastes absolutely lovely, like nothing I have ever seen before.

This is a GREAT place for wine tasting in Santa Cruz. The wine flights were great, my friends and I really liked several of their wines. They have a great outdoor patio with umbrellas and a fire pit. The staff were so nice and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They even have my friend (who is getting married soon) a fresh flower at the end which just made the whole experience special.

My wife and I took a Friday off to explore the wines offered in Santa Cruz. We had a wonderful experience talking to Marin and sampling his wines.
We joined the wine club (which is free) which provides a free flight for the member and 1 guest. In addition, The membership provides a 30% discount for the wines you purchase (you agree to purchase 3 bottles per quarter for 12 months).
There is no pretentiousness here, just wonderful wine. I am not a wine expert, but I know what I like, and MJA delivers. My wife and I are looking forward to our next «escape» from the kids to enjoy scenic Highway 1, visit with Marin, and enjoy our next quarterly purchase.

Awesome winery! The staff was so accommodating with our bachelorette party of 11. They seated us around the fire pit and let us enjoy our own snacks. Their wines were so good, loved their zins! I would highly recommend this winery for groups and anyone who loves reds:)

I’m a member and I love being a member — because it’s great fun to hang out here, listen to live music, meet new people. The hawaiian vibe is fantastic. The first time we went, there were several wines we really enjoyed. The weird drop ceiling and the meandering path to the bathroom just made the whole experience over-​the-​top kitschy-​cool. We had fantastic conversations with lots of great people. I would have given it 5 stars, no problem!
But the last time we went was different. As part of our membership we have to buy 2 bottles every quarter. And we couldn’t find a single wine that we liked the last time we were there… after trying ALL of them! You’d think by the end we would be buzzed enough to lower our standards — But not so! What’s going on? Did the grapes find their way into an onion patch? Hmmmmm… suddenly that bad lighting and the drop ceiling came into better view… In any case, they were super nice about letting us wait until another time to choose our bottles. I’ll gladly change my review certainly if the next time is different.

Want to MJA with a group of parents while traveling for a volleyball tournament. Who knew? Talk a little volleyball and a little of the good old days… the winery did not disappoint. Marin and the staff were very engaging and friendly. There was music playing on the patio. It was a nice way to spend an evening before we went to dinner at West End.

OK I am reluctant to submit this 5 star rating for MJA Vinyards (both Westside tasting room and the tasting room on Summit) because I want to have this place as much to myself and my friends as possible, but here it goes…
Marin and his crew at his tasting room on Ingalls St are phenomenal — the best of the best. The level of customer service here combined with the their amazing wines is incredibly rare, especially in the Santa Cruz Mountain and Santa Clara County wine growing regions. I would put MJA’s wines up against anything out of Paso Robles and I would say their featured wines go head-​head with anything out of Sonoma-​Napa.
The owner also owns a coffee plantation in Hawaii and you can also buy his great arabica here. In fact, chocolate covered coffee beans are even presented to you to go with one of the wines in the red wines tasting.
If you live in or are visiting Santa Cruz, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t drop in at MJA Vineyards Westside tasting room. I «had to» visit all of the wineries in Sonoma and Napa as well as all of the wineries in Santa Clara County for my former job. MJA Vineyards is the only Winery to which I have ever become a member. This means I only have to buy 3 bottles a quarter at a discount and all of my tastings (+ 3 guests) are free! And the membership is free — are you kidding me???
By the way– try the Malbec! (OMG!!!)
Be sure to say hi to Skeeter!

Stop by for wine tasting and say hello to Preston who is an amazing wine Connoisseur and host. I enjoyed the red wine flight.
They also have a place in Los Gatos which has nicer indoor seating win fireplace.

I’m going to agree with L.D.‘s review from last April. I’m also puzzled by the good reviews, many of which mention generous pours — but that might explain the high number of stars. I’ve been wine-​tasting for decades, and I am not looking for a generous pour: quite the opposite. I ask the host for a very small amount, to check the bouquet and then maybe drink a little. The rest, I pour out.
I like to have a bland cracker between tastes; when I was there, we were given strongly flavored crackers (caraway, garlic) which made it difficult to taste the wine.
The wines themselves are, in my opinion, uninteresting. I did not taste every wine they make — indeed, there are a great many, something like a restaurant with way too many dishes on the menu. Some might be good, but they’re trying to be too many things at once, with mostly mediocre results. (I mean both restaurants and wineries like MJA.)
I was surprised to find out that the evening I was there, it was the owner himself who was serving us. Not far below the surface smile, I could hear a sneer, sarcasm, which I have seldom encountered in years of visiting tasting rooms, in a number of areas in California.
I do like Silver Mountain and several others in this cluster, but I won’t be back to MJA.

Craft wine? Yeup, the wines here are amazing. Here, you can enjoy fantastic Napa wine in a Hawaiian beach-​y vibe without the tourist crowds and pretentious air of Napa. I highly recommend the reserve tasting.
Marin and his staff (I believe his family) are a delight, and it’s very clear he’s passionate about both his wine and fostering a community at this tasting room. The outdoor patio is the perfect place to hang out, bring some food to enjoy with the wine! As it cools down at night, the fire pits will keep you warm and the live music will make it hard to ever leave. I’m so excited my dad just became a wine club member – I can’t wait to come back here!

Marin and his staff always make this an enjoyable place to relax and enjoy their exceptional wine.
I sampled a flight of chardonnay from three different years and noted the distinct character of each one. The staff were happy to talk about what they do and gave my friends a specially welcome experience
a great place…

This is my favorite tasting room in Santa Cruz. We always have a great time here and love the wine! The staff is super friendly and helpful. This is the cool spot for locals but we’ve met some fun people from all over. If you like good wine, buy one of each of the reserve wines and then try to pick a favorite. They’re all exceptional!

I think MJA VIneyards tasting room has a decent selection of wine tastings. Most of the wines taste just fine, not amazing. What I like about MJA vineyards tasting room is that they are inexpensive, friendly, and they do a heavy pour!
There isn’t much space if you come with a big group later in the day. Small standing area inside the tasting room, and some seating on the front patio. They even have some heat lamps near the outdoor seating and fire to keep you warm in the «cold» winter months.
Since they offer such heavy pours, they also provide you with plenty of Kirkland Signature crackers and water to make sure you stay sober. All in all a nice experience, even if the wine doesn’t blow my mind.

MJA Vineyards has a nice tasting room nestled in among a number of others. Does it have a beautiful view like many in Napa? No. But it also is not crowded, flights are inexpensive, and nobody turns your nose up at you.
I won’t claim to be fancy when it comes to wine, so I will not regale you with tales of hints of elderberries and fine aged Georgian oak. Instead, I will say that the owner, Marin, works hard to keep everybody happy all while giving the most generous pours I’ve ever seen. They have white, red, and mixed flights to match anybody’s tastes. Designated drivers or splitting flights are highly recommended.

Love it here!!! Delicious wine, friendly staff, beautiful ambiance, and great location!

Not many people realize there’s such an extensive wine scene in Santa Cruz and its surrounding mountains. Although you can visit a lot of the wineries directly, I think the best way to do wine /​beer tasting in SC is to visit this cluster of tasting rooms on the West Side.
MJA is my favorite of the tasting rooms. It has comfy places to sit outside, and a nice fire pit. The atmosphere is quite laid back and not at all snobby – But the wine is excellent. The owner hails from Hawaii and it shows. They also often have a live soloist playing some unobtrusive, yet not cookie-​cutter music.
I just wish the wine were a TEEENSY bit cheaper to buy. The tastings are quite reasonable though.

If you’re looking for a place to taste wine in Santa Cruz, MJA should be your first stop. They make a range of delicious reds from vineyards on the central coast and in Napa. Their Napa cabs are the big draw — those on the reserve list are especially worth your visit. Their prices aren’t cheap but the quality is extremely high.
Pours are VERY generous, and the owner, Marin, is a delight to talk to.

Excellent wines, excellent staff, always a pleasure to come to MJA. Marin, John, Ford, all the folks always take the time to really talk about what they are pouring in a way that is unpretentious and always educational. I love the nicknames — Hotflash, Still Horny — the sense of humor and the Aloha spirit is everywhere. These folks work really hard to create an excellent product and an excellent experience. Movie nights are super fun, often there is live music, and we always meet the most interesting and intelligent people. Their tasting room on the summit also rocks!

Really enjoyed this place, great prices and the owner is very knowledgeable and a cool dude to talk to. Definitely recommend anyone and everyone to come check this place out, you won’t regret it.

Sherry, mike, and ford make this place amazing!!! We recently joined and have a blast every time we come in! Drink the Hot Flash, you won’t be disappointed!
The best part of this place is the staff. They are so accommodating and will pour us side by side tastings. I am so glad we joined… we will be there a lot more! It feels like drinking wine with your good friends!

Loved the wine, décor and friendly staff!

They stay open later then some of the surrounding tasting rooms. Only plus to this business
I have been there 4 times with different friends and each time is worse than the last. The older gentleman behind the bar needs to retire. His cranky, abrupt manner was consistent with every visit. Ask a question and you get a rude, snappy reply. And I’m considered a pleasant, nice, happy person.
Most of the wines were enjoyable, but after this last time… no thanks! Done with the poor nasty disposition. I’m truly befuddled by the majority of the reviews of this business!

You can not get a glass of wine for $ 8 that would come anywhere close to comparing to the quality of a flight tasting here. $ 8 is the tasting fee and it is well worth it. The owner is knowledgable and has the aloha spirit ten fold. The mixed flight is a beautiful blend and features something for everyone. The red flight highlights what they specialize in, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinots and blends.
This winery utilizes grapes from various Golden State locations, they harvest from rich inland soils to the foggy mountainsides. I, personally prefer the wines cultivated from the more moderate areas but it is awesome that they offer both. We took home a bottle of the Hot Flash, the Regan Pinot Noir, Mélange de Rouge, and the Rose. Please, try the Rose, even if you don’t typically prefer them. It is outstanding, a beautiful summer wine.
We loved the Hawaiin music and décor. Really, they had me at hello but letting me know that they have jazz music on Saturday evenings was the cherry on top.

Wine– Woohoo!
Service-​Whoohoo!
Ambience-​Whoohoo!
Location-​Whoohoo!
Price-​Acceptable for the wine
I bought 4 pino and coffee

Absolutely fantastic!
I have been here about a half dozen times, and each time has been glorious. The service is great, the wine is great, the prices seem very reasonable for the quality, the pours are very generous, the wine club is fantastic, and they treat their wine club members super well.
Go here. Trust me. Its awesome. Just… go here. Stop reading reviews and go here! (Then go to verve before driving home ;-)

Best secret ever: Ladies night every Tuesday from 4 – 7 PM
This is not listed on their website (yet), so take advantage!
$ 5 tasting for:
— 3 whites
— brie, crackers, and strawberries with the whites
— 3 reds
— dried apricots, nuts, and smoked Gouda
Get your girlfriends and enjoy a warm afternoon on the patio. They are dog friendly outside, so bring your animals.
In addition to this awesome tasting, they offer buy 2 bottles get 1 bottle of wine free. I did not do this when I was there last time, and have since regretted it. Going back again to buy some bottles!