THE most beautiful wedding setting I have ever seen. My godsister said her vows at sunset under a…read moregroup of oak trees with wine colored silk draped through the branches. The "barn" had one wall open with white fabric panels blowing in the wind creating a romantic passage way in and out of the reception area. White lanterns illuminated the grassy area which housed the buffet tables and a few fire pits with smores fixings available. Inside the barn old jam jars with votive candles lit in the windows and vintage lanterns hung from the open beams. The have a little stage and a little bar area which of course will be serving Firestone wines. It was one of THOSE weddings. The kind you dream about as a little girl and envy as a big girl. The oaks, vineyards and old ranch house looked beautiful as the pink sunset splashed them with golden color. F*&%.

Picturesque and beautiful ceremony; even Mother Nature could not have ruined this perfect venue…read more My cousin just got married this weekend in the hottest, humid, and raining (before the wedding starts & during the dinner)- 102 degree weather! The Crossroads Estate was a last minute changed due to unforeseen circumstances from the original venue at Firestone Vineyard; 5017 Zaca Station Rd. Crossroads Estate is a winery in the town of Los Olivos situated inside the Santa Ynez Valley on Foxen Canyon Road with views of the San Rafael Mountains, features a mixture of grapevines, floral meadows, and dramatic oak trees. It was constructed during the early 20th century, the Crossroads House on the estate is an extraordinary craftsman style home with plenty of rustic vineyard charm. The beautiful ceremony was situated under a very old Oak tree. The Bride came down the path with my Uncle Louie & his wife while a live band playing soft music. She was glowing and very glamorous! It was picturesque and breathtaking. The staffs were in black serving hot appetizers after ceremony. There was a nice table setting with cheese plates and open bar both outside and inside the barn until 9:45PM. The bar had a very nice selection of wines from local wineries nearby; and even serving Belvedere vodka all evening (not your usual cheaply vodka). The buffet dinner was set outside next to a open barn. Pole Barn, which offers an oak bar, raised stage, and iron chandeliers. The salmon and steak was cooked perfectly (not too dry or over cooked). Across the way was a nice selection of the veggies (squash, zucchini, asparagus, portobello mushrooms and mixed green salad bar. They also have a pasta buffet bar serving pappardelle or penne with your choice of cream or tomato sauce and toppings to your liking. I was very impressed with the venue! After dinner they served crepes with sliced bananas, strawberries, freshly made jam, vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of hot melted dark chocolate. I also appreciate the entire staffs. The poor staffs were running around and were very accommodating during the heavy downpours moving the canopy around for the outdoor Chefs and the patrons trying to get their food at the wedding. We danced the night away (while drenched in sweats or rain) in our fine evening wears with a live dj. Most importantly; at the end both the Bride and Groom were very happy! And so were the guests!

This review is long overdue. We've been members here for about 4 years now and can honestly say…read moreit's one of our favorite places to visit. We try to make it up every 6 weeks because we love it that much. Huge shoutout to Dana, who has been taking care of us basically the entire time we've been members. We've even done a few private library tastings with her over the years and she always makes the experience feel personal and special. The wines are some of the best values in Santa Barbara County when you factor in the quality. Definitely on par with a lot of the higher end Sta. Rita Hills producers, which makes it even more impressive. It can definitely get crowded, so I always recommend making a reservation ahead of time, but the vibe is always amazing once you're there. This is one of those rare wineries that just keeps getting better the longer you're a member. We'll probably be members for decades to come.

A pretty winery, but we have no idea how good their wines are. They are open until 5 pm, and we…read morearrived at 3:55 pm, so we thought that we would have plenty of time for a tasting, but we were told that they stopped doing tastings at 3:30. I said that we'd be fast. They weren't crowded, and they didn't seem particularly busy, but the hostess said that their servers were already too busy, so they couldn't accommodate us. One of our group was visiting from Japan. So, I wasn't quite ready to give up on a tasting and thought to suggest that we sit at the bar to make it easier on their servers. But the hostess was giving me a "you came late, so you're out of luck vibe", so I ordered us the holiday cocktail instead. Even that exchange was awkward. At first, I was told that it was no longer available, but it turned out it was. It wasn't the wine tasting experience we came for, but the holiday cocktail was tasty. Unfortunately, because of the hostess's unwelcoming vibe the overall experience was negative. It would have been nice if the hostess had worked with us so that we were able to have a tasting, but if she was truly unable to do that, a friendlier tone or a single well-placed "sorry" would have changed the whole experience.

We stayed at the Inn at Mattei's Tavern this past weekend and had dinner at the titular Tavern, an…read moreupscale contemporary restaurant in a reincarnated central California stagecoach stop dating back to 1886. The inn leans into the old west aesthetic, but the tavern is just elegant and attractive, with leather furniture, a high vaulted ceiling, and a lot of windows. It was pleasantly bustling on a Friday night, with what seemed like a mix of hotel guests and other visitors. Los Olivos has a population that hovers around 1,000, so this restaurant, like the stagecoach stop, is there to serve travelers. Accordingly, service was first class. There was a full bar with elaborate cocktails and plenty of wine from the area. We ordered two rounds of cocktails, as we planned to drink wine all weekend, and they were all very good. The Vaquero Campfire was a refreshing mezcal drink with pink peppercorn, honey, and charred grapefruit. The Cigars & Horses was a boozy mix of bourbon, yellow chartreuse, and smoked cinnamon. Los Rancheros Vistadores was a pleasantly bitter tequila cocktail, with reposado, amaro, Aperol, and orange olive oil. And the Pinochle Punch was a smooth blend of milk-clarified rye, cognac, and orange. We ordered wines by the glass to go with our entrees, and these were both lovely, too. The Sandlands Lodi Red Table Wine and the Racines Mattei's Cuvée, a Chardonnay that must have some connection to Mattei's Tavern. The food was delicious. We started with a half dozen oysters with mignonette and lemon and Gin's tuna carpaccio, topped with scallion, radish, ginger dressing, and cold-pressed California olive oil. Then we had Mattei's house focaccia, served with cultured butter and herb oil, and the country pâté, with cherry, tarragon, and sourdough. The entrées were both excellent. The Channel Islands rockfish was beautifully cooked, served in a vibrant tomatillo sauce with hoja santa, with sides of roti, grilled avocado, and grilled lime. The Colorado lamb was tender and juicy with a nice spiced crust. It came with couscous, vadouvan, mint yogurt, onion, and dates. For dessert, we shared the affogato: vanilla ice cream, Handlebar espresso. Hard to think of a better way to wind down a big meal. We charged dinner to the room and got $100 through a hotel promotion. This covered some of our drinks. The Tavern is not a cheap restaurant, but it is a great one, well worth checking out on your visit to Los Olivos.

We made a reservation at The Tavern to celebrate our one-year anniversary, so it was disappointing…read moreto arrive and learn that our reservation had somehow been canceled. We had specifically chosen this restaurant because we were traveling with our dog and understood that their outdoor seating area was dog-friendly. We were told that the outdoor patio was closed for a private event. Since we had made our reservation more than a week in advance, it would have been helpful if the restaurant had notified us ahead of time so we could have made other arrangements. Unfortunately, we ended up having to leave our dog back at the hotel. To their credit, the hostess did her best to accommodate us and found us a table in the bar area near the fireplace. However, the location wasn't ideal for an anniversary dinner. Guests frequently walked and stood in front of the fireplace directly in front of our table, and at one point other patrons even sat down at our table, making what was supposed to be a romantic evening feel awkward and disrupted. The food itself was excellent, and we genuinely enjoyed our meal. Had it not been for the reservation mix-up and the restaurant's lack of proactive communication regarding the patio closure, this would likely have been a much higher-rated experience. Unfortunately, the service and overall experience fell short of what we expected for such a special occasion.

Coolest place I have ever stayed. Love every minute. Staff was so helpful abs sweet. Can not beat…read morethe sunsets abs sunrise. Will go again soon!

My husband and I recently got married at the Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse and it was everything I…read morecould have ever imagined. We wanted a low key, small wedding at our favorite area in California and this venue checked all the boxes. It was rustic, charming and had loads of character. The farmhouse is set in the Los Padres National Forest and the backdrop of Grass Mountain and the Zaca Ridge were stunning. We had both sides of the family staying together at the farmhouse before the wedding for a few nights where we cooked dinner with the Santa Maria style grill, hiked around the property and watched the epic sunsets from the front porch. The property manager is very responsive and has loads of creative solutions if you decide to have your wedding here. They also own a rental company located onsite called Barnwood Rentals which made the setup and breakdown a piece of cake! I would highly recommend this venue for ANY event - a family reunion, a wedding, a friend getaway; the history of this establishment alone is incredible! Thank you!

Ruby took excellent care of us today. We stop by twice each…read moreyear, when we're in the area. Carthartt is a must stop. The back patio is charming, with gorgeous wooden seating and tables, several water fountains, lots of shade and plants. Inside has leather chairs and cool decor. Staff is always welcoming and knowledgeable. Tasty wines at area-comparable prices.

Carhartt Family Wines gets five stars for being the only tasting room in Los Olivos that stays open…read morepast 6:00. It was the first of five tastings we did during our weekend in town, and the wines were, admittedly, the least impressive. They went down easy, though, and we had a pleasant visit. We checked into our hotel on Friday around 5:30 and quickly realized that all the wineries on our list were closed. We asked the receptionist where we might be able to do a tasting, and she said Carhartt was our best bet. It was quite open when we walked in, almost intimidatingly so, the live music loud as we rounded the sidewalk outside the enclosed patio. Jack welcomed us into the tasting room and suggested we do a vibe check on the patio before deciding where to sit. We peeked outside and it seemed fun in a way we weren't looking for, a bit of a party atmosphere with a live band and a lot of people. We took our seats in the quieter tasting room, where we were able to enjoy the music from a distance while we drank some wine. We both did the house tasting, which came with five pours of Carhartt wines: the 2024 Top Branch, the 2022 Sin Nada, the 2022 Sangiovese, the 2022 Rebel Roan, and the 2020 Northerly. Jack also gave us a taste of the 2021 Graciano. They were all nice wines, but we particularly liked the Sin Nada, the Sangiovese, and the Graciano, and took home two bottles of each, getting one $25 tasting fee waived with each purchase of three bottles. Jack was a great host, and he told us all about the wines and winery as we went along. (He pre-empted our first question, saying that yes, they were the same Carhartts as the Carhartt clothing label, but not the same company. I guess just the classic generational wealth to winemaking pipeline.) It was a helpful introduction to both the Carhartt wines and Los Olivos, and Jack was good company. I said Carhartt was the least impressive of the wineries we visited, but it's also worth noting that it had the lowest price point. Carhartt isn't gunning for Robert Parker ratings. The wines are accessible and tasty, and I have a feeling we'll go through our bottles very fast.

Excellent resturant. Service is top notch. We always have…read morethe same servers, I appreciate the consistency. I love the fresh salads. It is truly farm to table. The wines are great, we love them all. I like the saganaki. My table got grilled octopus and beets. They said it was the best they had ever had. The server said the chef has been making that dish for 18 years. It is in a beautiful location. I always enjoy sitting outside but the inside is just as amazing. I don't like the bottled diet coke. I wish it was fountain.

Beautiful place, amazing service and delicious food Our…read moreserver Ricardo was absolutely nice with great service, highly recommend this place. Definitely will go back

Epiphany Cellars and The Bubble Shack are under the Fess Parker umbrella. We whiled away a lovely…read moreafternoon in their welcoming, comfortable and relaxing outdoor area. (Knowing that back home in North Carolina temps were below freezing made the experience that much sweeter). I did the sparkling wine tasting, which was very enjoyable. The Blanc de Blanc was my favorite but they were all good.

Loving the seating/lounge area. Such a chill place to sit and have a glass of wine or a tasting. I…read morechose the 25th Anniversary Wine Flight sticking to the red wines. Our server was very nice and did not rush us through the tastings. She let us enjoy the afternoon and the incredible weather. The wines were very good. I recommend a visit to Epiphany!

Great winery and tasting experience! I've visited first in 2004 when Firestone still owned it and…read moreagain a month ago with the new owner. Came in on a Friday early afternoon and had the best time because of the staff! We had plans to visit other wineries but pivoted once we realized how much we liked it there. We started with the Chip Tasting that pairs wine chips with their wine. The idea is fantastic but the chips were not our favorite. I would recommend a lighter crispier chip to pair with their amazing wines, these are too dense with fake flavors that tasted off. We had a cheese plate which was premade but still wonderful! Great cheeses and exactly what we needed to remove the memory of the chips. We bought a bottle and one of their candles poured into a wine bottle on our way out. It smells amazing! Beautiful property that can be seen from the windows inside the tasting room. Thanks again to the fellas working that day that made it so fun!

It's always a fun time had whenever I'm tasting. Everyone is always so welcoming and sweet. It's…read morenot just a tasting nowadays, it's coming to see family and catching up over some nice wines. It's basically that now as we've been enjoying it for years and years. Each visit is alway nice. Right from driving through the gates and up the hill. The property is beautiful overlooking the valley from on top. Both indoor or outdoor seating available. This visit, it was somewhat chilly so everyone was indoor. It wasn't that busy when we arrived but alway so great to see familiar faces. The vibes always turns to hanging out with friends and catching up from the last time. And you can't forget the wines. Yes, that's the whole point of us visiting. Everything is alway refreshing and delicious. Of course that's bad in a sense as it goes down so well....lol... Some new releases are alway a good start. My group tends to stick to the reds but sometimes a white or rose comes into the pictures and makes a lasting impression. There's been loads of time when we stopped by and the patio is bustling with people and a live bands. Summer is approaching and the fun is about the start. Plus, lately it's alway been a miss with the members lounge. Either closed and this time it was reserved for a private event. Ugh sucks on our part I guess. Also, it's sad to hear that some familiar faces have moved on but those that are still there are amazing. Until Next time.