Had a great time at Ampelos Cellars. The place isn't fancy but has a warm, welcoming, home town feel. Matt provided excellent service. The Grenache was by far my favorite! Great experience and worth another visit. read more

Ampelos Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Lompoc, California

We really enjoy Ampelos Tasting Room, so much so, that we became members a couple months ago. We love that the wines are organic and of course delicious. Allen is a great tasting room host. We love just hanging out and enjoying a bottle. Highly recommended...stop on by, you won't be disappointed. read more

Ampelos Cellars - two glasses of wine and a bottle of wine - Wineries Near Me - Lompoc, California

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Ampellos turns this Wine Ghetto into an Fine Wine Emporium. So I agree with Taylor that this is the BEST....but then again, I have yet to try the plethora of tasting rooms here. They somehow produce some of the best Pinot Noir's not only in this area, but likely in the world. If your taste runs toward a fruity but robust Pinot that lacks Oakiness or too much Tannin, this is what you want. They used to routinely stock it at Whole Foods in SLO, but now I can only do a special order. WF used to offer some periodic great discounts, but who knows what will happen with the Amazon take over. As far as, the tasting room is concerned, it is very relaxed & quite comfy at the back. It feels like someone's tasteful living room. The staff is super-friendly & I think that you can bring in your own snacks. They do have a nice wine club that I used to belong too, but since someone has to sign for it, I needed to cancel. Even though I indicated that I wanted them to hold it on my membership, they still sent it. Due to other factors, I also needed to cancel. They responded with a rather terse email, but maybe they had a bad day. During the Holidays, they do have really nice gift packs...so I treated myself to a few! They grow organically & take great pride in making fine wines. One of what I think is one of the more "weird" practices is that they put some Quartz into the ground. Obviously, this "new age" practice has no hard scientific evidence that I can think of, beyond a Placebo effect. Anyway, I may need to special order another case from either the SLO Whole Foods or even our California Fresh Markets here in SLO/ Pismo. read more

Wine Trip Part 5 Our next stop was at Ampelos Cellars. Ampelos is a Greek word meaning "vine". They practice and promote bio dynamic farming here. The owner Peter and his wife Rebecca were pouring that day. I met Peter back in what I believe was 2004. I tasted there very first produced wines then. I believed they were pretty good with a lot of potential to come. Peter didn't remember me this day as I mentioned that story to him, but it really doesn't matter. Peter is one very fun host! He makes you very welcomed and he plays the part of the dirt farmer very good. As you see in the photo. http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/KyZUDybe8kBMMrTMjKQ4dA/l Oh! and his stepson happens to be winemaker at Sea Smoke. Another great person to hang out with. We Tasted 6 wines this day. A Rose, Viognier, 2 Pinot's, syrache and the syrah. Every single one of Ampelos Wines are very good. They all have the Santa Rita Style. The most impressive thing about Ampelos has to be the pricing. All of his wine are well worth what he asked for and in some cases you have to scratch your head as to why other wineries prices don't follow the line of Ampelos. Of course these are the thing I really don't understand about wine making. Either way this would definitely be a must stop in Lompoc. His Tasting room just opened but is not located in the Ghetto. You must take a short drive to Central and hang a left. Give them a Try Cheers read more

Ampelos Cellars - Ampelos Wines - Wineries Near Me - Lompoc, California

THE BEST OF THE WINE GHETTO! Excellent tasting service, beautiful and welcoming interior OH AND the wine is ammmmmazing! I'm officially part of a wine club-- look at me adulting! The tasting room is casual, fun and lively. I wish I could properly explain the love and care that goes into this particular winery. The ladies in the tasting room love to talk about the major differences that set this winery apart and the importance of how their crop is cared for. They are CERTIFIED organic, biodynamic and sustainable wines. And you can taste the difference. We had: Viognier Rosé of Syrah Pinot Noir Syrah Grenache All super smooth, my favorite being the Viognier and the Noir. As part of the wine club, you can participate in the quarterly pick-up in Lompoc. It is a wine club hosted night with local food + Ameplos wine flowing freely. Or the wine can be shipped to you. I am excited for my first pick-up event in June! read more

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We went to visit again because we enjoyed our first visit to Ampelos, but this time we brought our friends too. All the wines here are great. I really enjoy the pinot's and definitely the Syrah's. We always leave with a bottle or 2. Best part of the wine tasting experience would be Tanner. He is seriously the nicest guy I have met during any wine visit. He has so much information to share, but it isn't dull and he doesn't tell you what you should be tasting. I like that. Plus I hear he is pretty handy, check out the bar and light fixtures...he made em. Anyways....you have to stop by here, if not for the wines then just drop by for a great conversation. read more

This place was recommended by staff at both of our previous stops, so we figured that it must be good. It certainly was! Probably our favorite tasting room experience of the afternoon. Cool, sustainable space, great organic wines and a super friendly and knowledgeable woman pouring. Still dreaming of the Syrache and gouda pairing. Lovely pinots, which we found to be a bit fruit-forward in a good way. read more

Ampelos Cellars - Bar made from recycled fence boards...tons of character. - Wineries Near Me - Lompoc, California

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This winery is amazing, best Pinot Noir in the Valley! Awesome tasting room, Matt was great, Very knowledgeable about all the wines and their styles. Say Aloha to him when you walk in! This is a place we will always revisit whenever we're up in the region. Great place to Imbibe! read more

Amazing wine, amazing atmosphere. Had my membership for almost 3 years now, don't ever plan on canceling it. Pick up party events are so much fun, food is always excellent. Staff is wonderful! read more

Ampelos Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Lompoc, California

Second time here at the tasting room at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. I have had their Syrah and Pinots many times. My brother in law brings them over all the time. Not a white wine drinker but their Viginior is very good. They also have a very nice Rose of Syrah. Perfect for a picnic on a warm day. What really impressed me was their Syrah/Grenache blend, Syrache. Had to buy a bottle. Highly recommend a visit to this tasting room. read more

Lompoc Wine Ghetto in one day? Twenty-one potential mind-blowing tasting experiences in only five hours? Oh, the possibilities! Well aware of the human body's physiological alcoholic consumption threshold, a four-hour drive to Lompoc provided ample time to strategize. We would need a starting point and perspective targets, but an actual trajectory would be determined based on referrals. A is for Ampelos. Not only is this winery alphabetically first, but it is also my favorite that we visited during our ghetto fabulous wine adventure. Every LWG tasting room looks the same on the outside, but it's the inside that counts. Ampelos is filled with recycled, welcoming goodness. Grow tubes as light fixtures, shipping inserts as patterned wall coverings, and old fence planks fashioned into a tasting bar. I felt like I reduced my carbon footprint by just entering this tasting room. Emily wonderfully took us through the tasting menu, from the Viognier to the Syrache. A little wine education, a little conversation, and an overall fabulous tasting experience. "It's an oops-I-drank-the-whole-bottle kind of place" -Emily read more

I love the wine ghetto. It's convenient, has a ton of great wines and everyone here seems to know what they're talking about. Ampelos is certainly no exception. Besides making phenomenal wines, the tasting room is minimalist in the sense that they aren't hawking a bunch of crap and the other people tasting here also seem to know the difference between good and exceptional wine. This was our second visit and just as good as last year. Will definitely be back! read more

Ampelos Winery is a true gem among the many wineries on the Central Coast of California. If you have the opportunity to stop by you won't be disappointed. They have a fabulous selection of wines and although they are all great, personally, I am partial to Pinots. My favorite is their Pinot Rho. Their tasting room is in the Lompoc wine ghetto. You will find a knowledgeable and friendly staff. Peter and Rebecca the owners and winemakers are great people. They are passionate about their wines and their passion comes through loud and clear. Besides that, they are a lot of fun to hang out with. read more

I had such a fantastic time tasting with Peter at Ampelos. He is so passionate about his wines it truly shows. This is no run of the mill operation, everything is small production and bio dynamic. He gives a wonderful explanation of the process, Grape to Glass, even using maps and a slide show to illustrate. Peter is a very welcoming host and seems to know almost everybody that walks in to his tasting room/ barrel warehouse. If you have never been given a tasting by a winemaker or owner I highly recommend it. read more

I enjoyed my experience here, but had more fun playing with the dog than talking to the young chap behind the counter. Wine was decent, my friend joined the club because they had some ridiculous deal for 28 cents for 2 bottles. I also liked reading the cute stories of the owners and greece and love, etc. read more

Great Pinot Noir and their Syrah/Grenache blend "Syrache" was outstanding. Small batches make for some real finds....totally drinkable now and the potential of these wines in a couple of years or so is very appealing (if we can hold off)! Fun staff. Informative yet not pushy or pretentious. read more

I've been here several times over the past few years to taste and it's always great! This is a must-stop for me when I bring my friends to the wine ghetto. I really like the selection here. My favorites is definitely the Syrache. If you like a crisp white (like I do), you'll love the Viognier, too. It's definitely one of my favorite whites. The place looks like many of the other wine ghetto wineries. The staff is really friendly and talkative, a definite plus here. They don't seem to give preference when a group of their friends comes in either, so that's definitely good. Also, these guys definitely get a plus for sustainable practices! read more

Five stars for the amazing lady, Gaye, who poured our wine. Very welcoming and personable. I liked that she was knowledgeable, and was interested in what we thought of the wine. The tasting room was spacious and comfortable. Loved the look of it. The wine was very good! We tasted some yummy Pinot noir, Viognier, Grenache. I left with 2 bottles. I definitely recommend stopping by. read more

Wine is tasty. I like the winter Pineo Noir. Kate is so kind and helped us figure out where to go after hours. We didn't realize most tasting rooms close at 5. Made my bday fantastic! Thanks for all your help. read more

Great wines. All of the places in the Lompoc wine ghetto are worth visiting, but this one really stood out to me. All of the wines were balanced and complex - no syrupy fruit-bombs here. I've since learned more about the background of the owners and wine-makers, and I think they're really going to gain more notoriety as time goes on. Get on board now before it's impossible to buy the wines altogether. read more

Missy was awesome! Engaging and relaxed but knowledgeable which made the tasting awesome! The wines are wonderful. Great Peter, Rebecca and all at Ampelos! read more

Ampelos is biodynamic and organic wine. And it's really good. I would recommend joining the Wine Club if they still are taking members because some of the best wine might be reserved like the Nu which is a very tasty Pinot Noir. The tasting room is always a good place to try their latest Santa Rita Hills wines. Last time I was there I asked if they had any late harvest wines and they brought me a couple bottles from the back which I bought. read more

Danny was phenomenal! She made us feel welcome and made our experience quite enjoyable! We will return for sure!

A great place to stop when in the ghetto! Really loved and appreciated Sonia. She made the experience that much more. All organic wines too. Highly recommend! read more

Not quite sure what the fuss is about. As someone working in the wine industry I wanted to like and support them, however, almost all of the wines I tastes were flawed- either crazy volatile acidity, hot on the palate and nose, or severe oxidation. I love the wine ghetto but couldn't recommend stopping here when there are so many other amazing wines nearby. read more

Great wine and great service! We are part of the wine club and the wines we get are always awesome! Staff is always amazing!

EVERY pallet is different, obviously. Everybody we came across recommended Ampelos and honestly, i'm not a fan. The tasting room is SO PRETTY and the lovely lady pouring was such a sweet heart. Other then that, I felt the wines were too acidic and they lacked something. I can not pin point what is was, but taste. This is a place I won't miss coming back to nor recommend. read more

Stopped in on a quiet Monday. The service was wonderful and the wines exceptional!! I loved both Pinot Noirs, Grenache as well as the Viognier and Syrah/Grenache blend. Highly recommend if you are looking for biodynamic wines as well as Santa Rita Hills appellation!! I will be back soon!! read more

Great wines, lovely tasting attendant and a beautiful sustainable tasting room. I am in love with Ampelos and Emily is a sweetheart!

Update Aug 12 - Ampelos moved their tasting room to the Ghetto a year or so ago. ****************************************************************** When the County of Santa Barbara started making it impossibly tough to develop new wineries and tasting rooms a strange thing happened. Winemakers found lots of vacant industrial buildings in Lompoc, at the west end of the Santa Ynez valley. To the amazement of those who generally thought of Lompoc as just a little beyond the end of civilization, great wine started flowing from these upstarts. and old timers. Ampelos is one of the late arrivals. Their wines, mostly Pinot and Sarah are excellent and excellent values. They worked with some of the names in the business and got off to a fast start. The winery, storage room, offices and tasting room are in a nondescript warehouse out west of the Lompoc airport. For visitors, needing local directions Lompoc is pronounced like cowpoke. The owners are usually the ones giving the tour and tasting. They are fugitives from the international business world and have brought the same intensity and focus to vineyards and winemaking. Check with the winery to schedule a visit. Their larger bottles are great gifts. One of the benefits of their wine club (in addition to great wines) are some great events at the winery and their vineyard/home. 2010 update - The wines just get better. Many folks seek to escape the fast lane by getting into the wine business .The results vary. However Peter and his wife did it the right way. OK they had a little advantage as their son is the winemaker for Sea Smoke and they shared facilities with one another great winemaker in their early years. read more

One word describes Ampelos Cellars "FANTASTIC", the wine is excellent and Peter & Rebecca are the nicest people you could possibly meet.

Participated in the Wine Ghetto and it was worth every cent!! Wine was awesome ....but honestly it's the tastings that make a difference. Positively memorable experience!!! read more

Truly enjoyed the wines at Ampellos. I can't wait to open one of the three bottles we ended up buying. Pay attention to the address on Yelp, they are now in the "Wine Ghetto" of Lompoc around other wineries' tasting rooms. I punched in Ampelos on a mapping program and it took me all the way to Central Ave where they used to do tastings but is now solely for making their wines. read more

If this is what Ghetto look like, them I am definetly in! Ampelos has amazing wine, and awesome customer service. Every time I go there I am throughly impressed by the ambiance created in an industrial park of all places. If in the ghetto you MUST drop by, I promise you will not regret it. read more

If you are going wine tasting, Ampelos Cellars should be at the top of your list. This is the one winery where I loved every one of their wines! There tasting room is actually in a warehouse where they produce their wine, so nothing fancy, but a nice ambiance with all the barrels there. The wine-makers are usually the ones pouring the wines, (and they are so welcoming that you don't want to leave) and they can and will answer any questions you have on the production of the wine, along with telling you some of the adventures they have come across. read more

I must say that Peter and Rebecca are the reason that I became a collector (albeit a small one). I first visited their facility in 2009 as an average joe enjoying a day of tasting all around the Santa Barbara region. I was immediately greeted by Peter and Rebecca and when I admitted that I was a mere novice when it came to wine, they offered to take me behind the scenes to do some barrel tasting and spent well over an hour showing me around and educating me on their wines. From that moment, I felt like a part of the Ampelos "family". Two years later, I was back in the area - this time with my wife and kids. Before I arrived, I sent them an email to let them know I was going to be out there. They invited me to their vineyard, and showed my kids how the grapes are farmed, and even invited us into their home to see their own personal collection. These folks took time out of their Sunday morning to give my family a behind-the-scenes tour of their vineyard. What can I say? I don't feel like a customer...I feel like a member of their family! And what can I say about the wines? Absolutely fabulous!!! Their Pinots are first-rate, and they are super-passionate about their Rhone varietals. What you might not know is that they also love to experiment with wines that are lesser known in this part of the world. I have both an Ampelos Gruner Veltliner as well as a Dornfelder that are both fabulous. So do yourself a favor and pay these folks a visit. You will be treated like family and you will experience some awesome wine!!! read more

Wonderful wines, atmosphere and staff. Their pinot's are amazing. I don't usually bother to review but this was exceptional.

Rebecca and Peter are terrific. As the other reviewers have noted, their wines are really wonderful. Definitely visit them at the Wine Ghetto if you have a chance. read more