Good Value On the flight And pretty grounds. Bathrooms more in the style of dive bars. read more

Had the best time in Julian today. It rained and I thought well there goes our day. But then we went wine tasting here. What I thought would be a quick 45 minutes at the most turned to hours. The atmosphere was great. Just what Trisha and I needed to destress. We had great company and shared lots of stories and town history over some fantastic wines. I can not express how friendly everyone was to us. I highly recommend. I'll be back soon read more

Super friendly owners, what a great winery. You can picnic outside or sit on the patio. It is a beautiful spot. This is such a nice place to wine taste at & they have very good wines. read more

As others have said, the dogs here are great. If you don't like dogs, suck it. We had a pleasant experience here. The man who worked there delivered the wines well and was very helpful and knowledgable about the area. While they weren't the best wines we tried in the area, they were far from the worst and well worth the trip. Plus the tasting room is on a winery and not in a shop which adds to the ambience. read more

Lovely place, great wine..the host was very warm and welcoming. .we had a lovely time

You need to divide the review into two parts. The first part is the wine and the second part is the experience. The wine is very good. I swear that all the white wines had a slight apple taste to them, which is great as the winery building started it's life in the apple business. I really liked several of the white and red wines. We purchased a couple bottles of wine and two glasses of wine. We then spent some quality time on the back pouch sipping our glasses of wine. Great old building that just adds a nice touch to the experience. I highly recommend this winery if you are looking for a really good wine and some quality down time. Go for it. read more

Failed at camping because the Volcan Mountain Trails were closed so we wandered to the winery. The people were incredibly friendly with very good wines that made for a great experience. We'll be back. P.S. Military discount on wine purchases. read more

This place is adorable!! It's run by the sweetest couple, and has an authentic rustic feel. The wine samples were all very good, and she was quite generous with her pouring. We ended up buying the dessert wine from the sampling (I can't remember the name) it was delicious! It wasn't too sweet and it wasn't syrupy at all. She also gave us a very generous discount, as we are both in the military. read more

Awesome winery! Very friendly staff, great prices and most importantly great wine!! The atmosphere is wonderful you can sit in the back and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Julian! I've been to all wineries in Julian and this by far is my favorite! Such a homey feel! Thank you Menghini! read more

Let me tell you... it is just so darn cool to find a local winery in Julian, a quaint old mining town in the fringes of San Diego and just a stone's throw away from Los Angeles. And yet it is isolated enough and removed from all the noise and craziness of the city, you'd think you were in a totally different state! And if that isn't a novelty enough, then you find this nice, pleasant, local, functioning, once-apple-orchard-turned-winery! We even met Mr & Mrs Menghini, such a warm and charming couple, you just want to ask them to adopt you! Then of course for $10 a pop, we got to taste five different kinds of wines, while having an engaging conversation with the sommelier who is dressed, mind you, authentically, like a cowboy! It was so much fun talking to him. As for the wine.... TaDa... they are pretty darn decent! In the end, we purchased 3 bottles---a Merlot, a Sauvignon Blanc and a dessert wine, all at around $23 a bottle. Not bad, eh? But of course, I am not a wine connoisseur so what do I know! read more

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The staff cares so much about what they do here and it shows. We had so much fun here thanks to Randy! Very reasonable prices and fun atmosphere. It was beautiful and so open and peaceful. We will definitely be back soon! read more

This is a fantastic winery run by some amazing folks! Mike, Toni and Randy are all very personable and easy to taste with. I love that they produce Unoaked Chardonnay-- no need to mask a nice grape ;) The Zinfandel that just came out is done in an old world style that is just delicious! read more

Cute little tasting room w/ very knowledgeable owner/pourer! Loved the wine & got a couple of them to take home. Both reds & whites.

How this place can stay in business when it smells like cat piss is beyond me. As someone who is also allergic to cats, it completely creeped me out that flea-bitten felines were lounging all over the tasting room. How are you supposed to sniff a good wine when all you smell is urine? GROSS. Also, the owner started talking shit about a neighboring winery in front of a large group of customers. Not cool. read more

Staff was arrogant, uninformative, and rude. The bathroom was disgusting and covered in feces. I was so displeased we left after our first tasting despite having paid in full. Not worth the time or being imbibed. This is a fine place for tasteless people with zero standards. If you have any taste or class take your money and go to Blue Door. read more

Driving through Julian, we came across this Winery. The wine is good and the owners are adorable. Toni was gracious and informative. I look forward to go back for the upcoming events. We loved the cats too..All of you that gave poor reviews..this isn't Napa guys, it is a local vineyard that has lots of character, they do all the work themselves. It isn't about huge production of wine, they are simply living their dream. By the way, both owners have had career filled lives and have settled in a beautiful place to live life to the fullest. read more

Small but cozy wine tasting room...only two chairs? Toni said she had little wine...but managed to round up a white, a merlot, and a syrah. All really good. Oh, and this "Gold" unfiltered wine is the bomb! Bought a glass and sat on back patio in glorious sunshine! Going back for sure. read more

Was out and about one afternoon in Julian and found this beautiful winery off the beaten path and out from Main St. We were greeted by the sweetest dog and the owner was really kind! There wasn't a wide wine selection available when we went, but I tasted the best Merlot I've had in years. We look forward to a day trip back there when there's more wines available and a chance to take in the scenery again! Thank you for a relaxing time! read more

Wine tastings only cost $5 and include a souvenir wine glass. A number of events are held throughout the year including a Grape Stomping Festival and the Julian Starfest. This winery has been a favorite for years. They produce over 4,000 cases of wine annually. Visitors will get to enjoy a relaxing surroundings. read more

went here in the winter of last year (2008). being that i've never actually stepped foot in snow, this place was beautiful. me & my other half stopped here during our trip to julian and got the $5 for 5 tastes deal. i'm not much of a wine drinker, but i gotta say that i loved 'em all. enough that i still have a bottle that i bought from that trip. not to mention, we got to keep our glasses. :) it's a quaint little place and the staff was extra nice to us. it feels like you're in someones home. during the tasting, you can go out back and enjoy the scenery. again, being the first time i had really stepped in snow, it was beautiful to walk out onto a back porch lined with several tables and chairs for relaxing and sipping wine. there were also several picnic tables set out in the field and a large gazebo to sit and just enjoy the view of the snowy field. at the bar, they had pictures of an annual event they have every first saturday of september: the stomping of the grapes. it looked hella fun and i intend to return to get a chance to stomp some grapes myself... september is just around the corner. sorry i couldn't elaborate on the wines, but for the ambiance this place gets my vote. read more

My favorite type of alcohol has always been wine. So sweet, sometimes tart but over all yummy. My co worker had told me to visit a winery from Julian. I don't remember which she had recommend but I looked one up on google when I was in the area. I came across this place with my friends. Once inside my friend was a little nervous and irritated. At first I didn't understand why until I realized there were cats about. She is allergic. I on the other hand love cats, I have two of my own and work at the humane society as a veterinary assistant so I wasn't affected but I could see where she would be. There was 5 of us all together so my friend who was allergic and one other friend went back in town for pie while the rest of us stayed. The owner woman was extremely rude and a bit of a snob. Ive never been to a winery before but I don't believe they are suppose to act like that. Once I had some wine I was so disappointed. It tasted the same as buying cheap $3 wine that I could get from trader joes. It wasn't horrible but nothing special. The owner was in a rush to leave after we were done and went outside to talk to customers who were out in the back. Either regular locals or friends I'm assuming. Only thing good about this place is their sweet animals and beautiful view. As for taste in wine and customer service...well..let's just say this place is the Wal-Mart of winery. Good prices but don't expect the best quality and customer service..actually I take that back, Wal-Mart has been better. Turns out this was not one of the places my friend recommended and was apologetic that I came here. read more

Visited the winery on October 16, 2010 and was pleased to find that you could try 5 wines for $5 and keep the glass. To be honest, that was the only good part. The wines are very substandard. Their Cab didn't come close to tasting like a Cab. The Merlot and Syrah were similarly not good. The Sauvignon Blanc was more like a Chardonnay with a heavy fruit bomb, not dry like most SB's. Can't remember what the other white was but it wasn't good either. I had hoped to find another good local winery but this isn't it. read more

We were out apple picking for the day and noticed this Winery just down the road. We wandered our way down hoping to have found a gem within the hills. They didn't seem to put too much care into seating or actual tasting set up. It was a very small bar that everyone had to crowd up against. Outside view is truly beautiful, expect for their actual patio. . . we were sitting on dusty chairs amongst trash, cans of WD-40, cracked pizza ovens and a wandering black cat. It is a cheap deal with only $5 for 7 tastings. We ended up stopping at 5 and left to enjoy the beautiful drives surrounding this winery. read more

My friends and I made jokes about what a winery in a barn would look like in Julian....and then our jokes came true. We arrived to this large barn to be greeted by cats and mangy dogs (inside and outside). They do have good wine and their tasting is reasonably priced, but it is off the beaten path. Pee before you come, because even as a guy I can say they have disgusting bathrooms. If youre allergic to cats youre going to hate this place, because they live inside the barn where you will be doing your wine tasting(which smells of animal urine slightly). I honestly dont mind this place and have been back since the first time, and will probably go back with friends again. Cool, nostalgic feel to drinking wine produced by a small business in Julian at their place of business. read more

Wine tastings Mon-Fri: 10am to 4pm; Sat and Sun 10am to 5pm. Very good apple wine and dessert wine. Bring a lunch and you can picnic overlooking their winery. Down to earth owners. read more

We stopped by Menghini Winery outside of Julian after spending a few hours walking around downtown and eating apple pie. The rustic tasting room has a small counter for pouring wines, and a variety of food & wine related gifts. The flight of 5 wines (including a very good dessert wine) was $4, which included a wine glass. As a nice perk, if you bring back the glass you can taste for free the next time. Not all of the wines were great, but this is a good stop after seeing Julian and maybe on your way to the Orfila tasting room a couple miles down the road. read more

Cute venue! We took home 2 bottles of cab and 1 of the sav blanc. Very good! Great price on the tastings too! $5 for 8 tastings!

I went on a tour around, I don't know much about wine so I stopped at this place. The nicest thing that I could say about this winery was they had a very nice dog. Otherwise, the people who worked here were unfriendly, comparatively to the other three wineries i visited this weekend the wine was not very good. The parking situation was kind of rough. I wouldn't go back to this place. read more

Another one of the Ramona/Julian area's fun, laid-back wineries. Like most of the wineries in this area, they charge $5 to taste and give you a logo glass. While the wines that we tasted better here were overall better than what you'll find in Temecula, we didn't think that they were quite as good as those at J. Jenkin (just down the road). They were good enough, however, that we'd love to visit and taste here again. Plus, you can't go wrong with a place that has friendly winery dogs and cats! read more

Awesome place. We came here after a not so lovely hike and decided to taste some local wine. Very tasty and great company. It is a lovely 3 mile drive right outside of town, I suggest listening to some Sonny Rollins on the way. Makes for a fantastic experience. read more

Good Pinot Grigio and beautiful outside area to picnic at. Bring a packed lunch and grab a glass or bottle of wine and unwind before heading to one of the many surrounding fruit picking orchards. The owner is very friendly and the dogs are too! read more

Spent the day in Julian and the last stop of the night was going to be a winery. Volcan was one of two wineries on the way out and just by chance, we decided to pass it up and go on to Menghini. Not sure why, but I wasn't feeling the big crowd that was outside Volcan. Maybe they were there because it was the first one on the road or maybe it was because there were already a lot of people there and they thought it would be great. Whatever. That was the reason we decided to pass it up. So, walk into this place and the tasting bar is TINY! But Randy (I think that was his name) came from behind the bar and poured the flight at our table. That was a first! I was ready to buy a bottle after the first pour, but I was very happy that I waited until the last. The wine I chose to buy is a dessert wine called Julian Gold. OMG it is so good. Light and sweet, but not cloying and thick like I think a dessert wine should taste. It really tasted like gold! You get 5 healthy pours in the tasting and it's only $10 ($5 if you buy a bottle). The thing I liked best was that it is a funky little place. Not fancy at all -- a lot like being in someone's home. The owners happened to drop by and they were just too cool. I learned a lot from them about the wine business in the short time we were there. A big yellow dog and a 27 year old cat keep them company. I love animals, so it was very cool to me to have them there. Very cool! The tasting was truly one of the best I've ever experienced and I've been to a lot of wineries. The wine was wonderful, the owners and staff unpretentious and the winery mascots well mannered and sweet. I WILL go back. read more

This was a great find. We are around Julian on a Tuesday and thought lets Yelp wineries and find this place. Drive on Wynola was a bit narrow and curvy, but ended at this jewel. The nice lady behind the counter really spent the time to talk to us, despite a crowd showing up. The Chardonnay was excellent and crisp and the rest of the tastings we good also. We bought a bottle so tastings were only $5. Overall this was a great find in a sleepy town. Hope we get to come back for the car show! read more

This is my favorite winery in the area! The women inside was so nice! She let me change up some of my tastings and find the one I really liked! While I was there I went outside to the beautiful back patio and was able to relax in the beauty of Julian. They had such cute kitties around the property! I can't wait to be back! read more

This place is amazing! Such an incredible outdoor area, so much charm, and the owners are the sweetest people! The dessert wine is amazing.

BEST WINERY EVER!!!!! We took a trip here today and were pleasantly surprised at the surroundings and peaceful environment. Toni was very helpful and inviting, making our visit very worth while. We got to try new wines and Toni gave us detailed explanations on the flavors and types of wine, and to top it off its basically a petting zoo also! We found a few friendly "basket kitties" in the tasting room who napped while we sampled the wines, and a giant sheepdog named Shakespeare outside who was as lovable as can be. To top it off there were two horses there that would come to the fence and let us pet them! We spent our afternoon walking around their property picking apples for the horses and relaxing on their picnic benches. We definitely recommend this place, try the "Julian Gold" (my favorite) and the Syrah (his favorite). read more

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It's a fun little back roads trip to the winery. Wines are great and the owners are very nice. Wish I was the Sheepdog at this place...he's got the life. Worth the trip!!! Try the Julian Gold!!! It was excellent. read more

Every year my friends and I pay a visit to Julian. We usually stop at Menghini to do a wine tasting and purchase one or two bottles of wine. Sadly, we decided that this year would be our last year visiting this Winery because the service ruined our experience. There were two men pouring, I'm assuming one was the owner. One of the men was just plain rude. They offered 7 flights of wine at $5. I had all 7 and my friends had five. They really liked one of the flights and asked to have a second taste. Is this forbidden? He seemed really ticked. They didn't offer to wrap our glasses when we left so we walked out with them in hand. The woman we usually see pouring wasn't there which was just too bad. Pay attention to how you treat your customers! Maybe I'm just used to the wine tasting in Monterey where the customer experience is top priority or maybe I just hit the hammer on the nail with these guys. Temecula next year. read more

Left here very upset as the "Lady" who owns this place was awfully rude, insensitive and humiliating. Wines were so so.

Rustic place with lots of charm. Dog was adorable and did tricks for crackers the whole time we tasted wine. Man working was friendly and easy going. I'm not a highly skilled wine connoisseur, but I loved the wine and the atmosphere! read more