Hey friends,
It’s officially been 5 and a half years since I moved from Tampa to Los Angeles, but I just recently started to discover the awesome wine tasting scene here. I never thought of LA as a “wine country,” because it’s not, but there are some really great places to go wine tasting!
Santa Barbara and Temecula Wine Country are only a 1.5 to 2-hour drive from Los Angeles, but today I’m focusing strictly on wineries and wine tasting experiences in Los Angeles County. I will add to this list as I find new places!
The Best Places To Go Wine Tasting in Los Angeles
Pali Wine Co Los Angeles
Price per tasting: $16 and up
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Vibe: Trendy, classy, intimate
Food: Snacks from Porto’s Bakery available to order!
Pali Wine Co is nestled in the Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles and offers a classy and intimate vibe. Doug introduced me to this cute wine bar when he took me here for a surprise tasting for our 7th year anniversary, and it’s quickly become one of my favorites.
This charming wine bar offers an array of wine tasting options starting around $16 per person. They specialize in Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays produced under their Pali Label, but also offer Bordeaux and Rhone varietals from their Tower 15 label, including one of my favorite rosé wines ever! They have rotating wines on tap, and you can have a glass their or take home a bottle home. It’s the perfect spot for dates, a girls day/night, and any intimate occasion.
It’s across the street from Arts District Brewing (which has great food, beer and games), and is a quick Uber away from San Antonio Winery and Pour Haus Wine Bar. When my family came to Los Angeles last Christmas, we made our own LA wine tour with those 4 stops on the path, and it was a BLAST.
San Antonio Winery
Price per tasting: $5 and up
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Vibe: Fun, loud, busy, familial
Food: Cafeteria-style restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating
San Antonio Winery is the OG winery of Los Angeles and is the oldest winery in Downtown Los Angeles. I first came here with my family this past Christmas as the first stop on our LA winery tour! This place feels kinda like you’re at your grandma’s house for Sunday dinner with all of your brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and their cousins.
It’s a family-run establishment that feels very homey and welcoming. They have tastings starting at $5 (their premium tastings are $15) and offer a selection of California whites and reds, and an assortment of sparkling and semi-sweet wines for everyone in your group. Private winery tours and tastings are also available on reservation. I really enjoyed this winery and think it’s perfect for large or small groups!
Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio
Price per tasting: $17 and up
Location: Malibu
Vibe: Beachy, chill, fun, laid back
Food: Cheese plates, occasional food trucks on-site +BYOF
Rosenthal Wine Bar is most recognizable for the huge wine bottle and bright, oversized patio chairs perched out front. They’re also known for their gorgeous outdoor area with a raised stage for live music on the weekends and wine barrels as tables. It’s right across the street from the beach, and you can feel the ocean breeze as you sip your rosé (MALIBU!…do you even watch Insecure?).
Rosenthal offers wine tastings starting at $17, as well as wines by the glass and bottles. I love that they allow guests to bring in outside food, so you can basically host an amazing outdoor picnic whenever you want. This is a great place for small or large groups and would be perfect for a birthday party or girls day. If you’re planning on going with 8 or more people, make sure to call to make a reservation.
Malibu Wine Safari
Price per tasting: $65 and up
Location: Malibu
Vibe: Adventurous, scenic, chic
Food: Crackers and dips included in base level tour
Malibu Wine Safari is an awesome wine tasting experience that includes drinking high-end wines, feeding exotic animals, and taking in some of the most gorgeous views in Los Angeles. Doug and I did this tour once about a year and a half ago, and I wrote a full review on my experience in this blog post.
There are five different tours to choose from: the explorer tour ($65 pp), giraffe tour ($95 pp), mimosa tour ($105 pp), vintner tour ($115), vineyard & lunch tour ($155 pp). We settled on the Explorer tour which includes six 2oz wine tastings (3 red and 3 whites), complimentary crackers with spread, and a meet and greet with exotic animals. Whichever tour you decide to experience with Malibu Wine Safaris, make sure you book your tickets at least 2-4 weeks in advance! They fill up very quickly.
The tour concludes with a free trolley ride to Malibu Wines where you can continue the fun if you so chose!
Pour Haus Wine Bar
Price per tasting: $12 and up
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Vibe: Homey, fun, intimate
Food: Small plates, sandwiches, vegan and vegetarian options
Pour Haus is a fun wine bar that’s filled with affordable wines, fun games and delicious food! My family and I came here on our makeshift DTLA winery tour after visiting Sant Antonio Winery. We had so much fun playing Jenga, drinking sparkling rosé and eating burrata and mac and cheese.
You can come here to grab a glass of wine, a wine flight (they weren’t offering any when we went, but they rotate monthly), a bottle or some snacks. It’s perfect for large groups and has indoor and outdoor seating.
Malibu Wines
Price per tasting: $15 and up
Location: Malibu
Vibe: Trendy, scenic, fun
Food: Food trucks on site. BYO food!
I came here for a friend’s birthday party a few years ago and had the BEST time here! Malibu Wines is a super trendy and fun adult-only establishment nestled in the Malibu hills. This tasting room is 100% outdoors and right up the street from Malibu Wine Safaris. It has several Instagram-worthy photo opp spots, and is overall just gorgeous! It’s filled with long picnic tables, wooden lawn chairs and plenty of open, grassy space to plop down and have a picnic. There’s also a lovely creek area surrounded by lush trees and a little bridge.
The wine flights start at $15, and bottles start around $26. If you come here from the safari, you get 10% off! There’s no admission cost for walk-ins, but all parties are required to purchase a bottle of wine for each group of 2-4 people, according to the website. Reservations are recommended!
PS: There is no parking on-site- all guests must park at the safari and take a free shuttle to Malibu Wines. I recommend taking an Uber or Lyft vs driving.
I can’t wait to continue exploring wineries around Los Angeles!
Have you been wine tasting in Los Angeles? Let me know your favorite spots in the comments!
Cheers,
