Ventana Vineyards

Ventana is a great find! We’ve been members for a few years. The wines are excellent, we love its unpretentious; friendly atmosphere, and of course, Honey, the super cute dog who greets you upon arrival. Give it a try! Cheers!

Had a wonderful time here this past Saturday. My friend and I were the only ones there and our wonderful hostess was such a delight. After having bad luck at a winery earlier that day I was extremely satisfied here. Loved the tempornio and the tangerine something thank you for a wonderful experience.

Not open on Weds! My bad for not looking first, but I was in the area and wanted to pick up a wine shipment — I just assumed since the other tasting room in Monterey was open that this one would be too, but yep — closed on Weds. Word to the wise…
5 stars for Ventana’s wines, friendly attitude, and wines, minus one for not being open on Weds — let’s get this Monterey Wine Trail thing rolling! (hopefully my review catches the eye of someone else who forgets to check the hours before going off the beaten path and wasting a trip when they’re not open)

Amy’s Memorial Tour #4 Amy, I saved my favorite for last. Maybe there is something symbolic about ventana, a window. I love the atmospheric 100 year old barn, their grassy saugvinon blanc and the mellow dry reisling. We totally scored today since they are closing out the current reisling for their new release. Normally $ 17. A bottle now $ 60 for a case! Whoa!
Peace, Amy.

Try finding this place, then you will be impressed. The wines are all mid range in price except for the Le Mistral label. Loved the Gold stripe Chardonnay and the Pinot Gris for hotter days on the deck. Reds… lots of them to choose from, Rubystone is a blend that is a favorite of mine. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and wants to have you enjoyu your time, not just sell you wine. the tasting room on Hwy 68 is a better location to find, but when you want a real vineyard experience, come here.

How has no one reviewed this place!!! Yes, it’s off the beaten path, but they clearly have solid visitor traffic (and consistently good reviews, as evidenced by the abundance of awards hanging around) and they really know how to do the whole tasting room thing right.
Our pourer was incredibly friendly, honest about which wines he liked more than others, and overall just created a great atmosphere to try some tasty wines. Nothing totally knocked my socks off, but everything was pretty good, and we walked out with a solid bottle of chardonnay for $ 12. For a complimentary tasting, that all adds up to me being a happy camper.
Tastings go down in an old barn with giant barrels fermenting in the back, so it’s a bit drafty in the winter, but it definitely provides a more authentic feeling than the polished tasting rooms of some other wineries that are far removed from any actual wine making. Depends on what you dig, of course, but we really enjoyed our time there. I’d strongly encourage you to make it part of your Santa Lucia Highlands wine experience!