First off, this is the only tasting room that we saw that offers a tasting flight for $1. The wines are very good and we especially liked the GSM and Syrah. The tasting room manager helped us and she was very nice and knowledgeable. The place is cute and in a great location. We would go back for sure. read more

Wow! $1.00 a taste is pretty amazing. You do not find that very often. I enjoyed the reds , not the one white. The red blend was fabulous. We purchased a bottle and had some, taking the rest home. The interior is a tad dark and gloomy. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - The tasty red blend. - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

$1 tasting menu earns this a 4-star. We really appreciate the effort to make wine more accessible and Tensley is fighting the good fight in that regard. That could earn this place a stop on your wine tour of Los Olivos. Otherwise, the indoor seating only was a big miss on a sunny day. A bit darker and colder than some other spots contributed it to being emptier when other spots were more energetic during our visit. I am not a huge fan of blends as well which made Tensley a wine low-light on my trip, but if you are a blend fan than this could work. Finally, I wish the staff was a bit more promotional. The waitress was sitting and talking to a family at the bar about how much she wanted to move out of Los Olivos when she could've used some practice on her saleswomanship and wine expertise. I didn't feel like I left with a sense of Tensley's story or any sense of the unique character of the wines, vineyards, or region. Please sell me on why your vineyards or cultivation techniques are cool and worth buying into! read more

Had the opportunity to try these wines at our Local Total wine for a wine maker tasting event. My first impression of the wine maker was he could have been more personable, his knowledge was great, but felt he could have been livelier. Overall the wines were just ok for me, nothing jumped out and made me want to take some bottles home. The Syrah lyte was different, might have to give them another try when at the actual tasting room. read more

Sabrina was our host at Tensley. She was knowledgeable and fun. Love Tensleys syrahs. World class wine at more than reasonable prices. This is a must stop if driving to Santa Barbara or making a day of it at Los Olivos. Consider staying overnight in Solvang. Very unique and fun experience as well. read more

Good wines, otherwise wtf?! Great people. Nuff said. Except the rose, which is Amazing considering Thais is the HOME of reds. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Really nice place to sit and have some really good reds. - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

The wines are great but the new wine club manager is not very good. For over a week I have been trying to straighten out some charges with no success. The previous wine club manager was great, this one is not. read more

Disappointed in the experience. We've been fortunate to enjoy a number of Tensley wines in the past, and were excited to taste at the tasting room. All of the wines had been open WAY too long - and when asked, the attendant said that they 'like to pour wines opened the day before to soften them up'. Spoiler- it softened the wine up so much that they tasted like cheap imitations of the vineyard designates we've enjoyed before. We intended to expand our familiarity with the lineup and possibly join a new wine club - but that's not the way the visit ended. read more

If you know and love good wine, you will really appreciate what winemaker Joey Tensley is doing. He is a craftsman and an artist who is producing some of the best wines of Santa Ynez Valley and the Central Coast. His specialty is Syrah, and we were wowed by our the 2022 Santa Barbara County and Santa Maria County wines which were elegant but deep and rich in their complexity. He is also making a delightful and unique Clairette Blanche, which we had never heard of until our visit. Turns out its origins are in the Southern Rhone region of France. Tensley has blended it masterfully with some Rousanne and Voignier to create a truly delicious wine that cannot help but put a smile on your face. We have always enjoyed the staff at their lovely tasing room in Los Olivos. Enjoy! read more

After sampling a Syrah at a restaurant in Pasadena we decided to make a stop at Tensley on our trip to Santa Ynez. The server was friendly and courteous. The 10.00 tasting fee covered a flight of five wines, a Chardonnay, Grenache rose and three syrahs. Although not big fans of whites the char was impressive, fruity, light, fragrant, and crisp. The Syrahs were a delight and hard to chose just one. We bought several bottles of Chardonnay and a Tensely Syrah, a round, full body, deep fruity small batch red. The winery is clean, modern and patio is inviting. Highly recommend making a stop at Tensley. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Chardonnay, light and crisp - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Stumbled upon the Tensley tasting room by accident while strolling through Los Olivos looking for our next winery to trial. When I say by accident we were literally cutting through a side street looking for a different winery when viola it was there. They say (not sure who they are) that In life it is sometime better to be lucky than good. Boy oh boy were we lucky this time as I have been drinking Tensley Syrah's for years. These wines are consistently some of the top rated Syrah's in the country where they have garnered multiple 90 plus scores over the tears by the likes of Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate...etc. With the aforementioned in mind, we sat down and indulged in a Syrah focused tasting of the the latest vintages/vineyards. We were not disappointed as the wines were all tasty and the staff was absolutely delightful in our discussion with them as we small talked and joked are way through multiple re-pours (yay Tensley!). Truly an enjoyable experience. If Syrah is one of your favorite reds than Tensley is a must stop if you are in Los Olivos area. You will not be disappointed. Highly recommend. Fours stars read more

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My girlfriend and I were excited to stop by the Tensley Wines tasting room after trying their wine during a lovely date in San Diego. We enjoyed the wine at the tasting and even purchased a few bottles. The reason for the one star review is for the wine. I'd give zero stars for customer service and the overall experience. Similar to other reviewers, the woman working the tasting room was incredibly odd/rude. She was so polite and friendly with me but extremely rude to my girlfriend. She wouldn't make eye contact or even look in her direction. It was as if I was at this tasting alone. She even poured less wine in her glass. I don't know if it had to deal with sexuality, race or if this woman was triggered by something else. I'm Asian and my partner's Black, so it's easy to make a quick assumption about race, but who really knows what was going on... We decided to switch things up at the end and my partner handled the interactions with paying, and still this woman would not make any eye contact or even look up. She finally spoke to her though (because she had to). We should've left after the second pour. Definitely won't be returning. read more

First of all Tensley Syrah is my absolute favorite. A friend of mine opened a bottle at a dinner event and it was immediately my favorite. My wife and I decided to stay in Los Olivos for a weekend and visited the Tensley tasting room a few years ago. We became members and have loved our wines. This was a few years ago. Fast forward to today... We have friends visiting us in Santa Barbara from Omaha Nebraska. We thought it would be great to take them to Los Olivos for lunch and wine tasting... plus as a bonus ...we could pick up our membership wines while we were there. We walked in excited to be able to share our wines with our Nebraska guests. Well... the lady working the tasting room was VERY RUDE. From the get go... she would barely make contact with us. The room wasn't even busy. There was no excuse for her rudeness. We tried to pick up our wines, and mentioned to her that they were suppose to be shipped but hadn't. She said... "well we only store them here for 30 days" I said... well no one told us that. She proceeded to tell me that it's in the "email" and that the wines that were in our order were no longer available. She was very short... rude... and condescending. We don't need that attitude to ruin our trip or our weekend. We took what wines she would give us and walked out! We have been members for several years and I have decided to CANCEL our membership because of the rude host. She made us feel like we didn't matter. We will not be visiting this place ever again. read more

This is a good stop in downtown Los Olivos. The emphasis is on Rhone varietals, especially Syrah. The style tends toward the fruity end of the spectrum rather than the charred game end. They also make an interesting white Rhone blend. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Exterior - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Excellent, friendly service...great wine (wonderful and inexpensive $10 tasting)...awesome Syrahs...and loved their Late Harvest Viognier (dessert wine). Lovely tasting room and very helpful staff. Worth a visit! read more

Excellent to outstanding wines. Wonderful personalized and friendly service. This winery serves up nationally recognized high quality wines. Very reasonable tasting fee ($10 in 2019). Highly recommend. read more

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Nice tasting room. The wine was good if you enjoy GSM blends and Syrahs. Their entrance is located on Alamo Pintado, next to Panino. Super friendly staff. Prices seem resonable. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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If you love white wine, then you will love this winery. Their wines are popular, and you can't go wrong with any of the wines you want to taste. They will also recommend you their popular wines. read more

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Such a lovely tasting room. The tastings were on the outdoor patio as to be in COVID compliance. I was excited to check them out, listed top 100 in the Wine Spectator. This was one of many wine tastings in which I indulged while in Los Olivos. Enjoyed the Camp 4 Blanc and she introduced a white dessert wine which was absolutely delightful. Should you be a solid fan of Syrahs, their offerings are plentiful. read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Wine tasting - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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If you're not watching for it, you'll probably walk straight by Tensley and continue your life in ignorant bliss. But why not stop by and take your life one notch higher to enlightenment? It's located on Alamo Pintado just off Grand, about 15 feet beyond Panino. It looks small on the outside, but is spacious inside with two counters at opposite ends to distribute eager Syrah tasters throughout the room. I came here with two members, so my tastings were gratis, I cannot tell you how much a session costs. But I do know you do not get to keep the glass because the pouring chickadee had to give that piece of bad news to some crestfallen British tourists next to us. The selection is simple: four wines consisting of a rose and three syrahs. Now, we all know that everyone is crazy for the pinot in this area. It's all pinot pinot pinot. Tensley is breaking free of this with syrahs to convert you in two sips. I happen to like wine on the sweeter side, I don't care what people say about the drier stuff being better or that oak aged is the proper way to do it. Whatev. My top pick was the 2006 Santa Barbara County Syrah, priced at $25 or $21.25 for members. And only 200 cases produced. I need to also mention that this was my first day out after the Gap Fire had started and I was getting cabin fever from sitting around all day, wondering if this was going to be another Painted Cave, stressing about what to pack if I was evacuated and reading edhat for fire updates every freaking 5 minutes. What a *treat* it was to come up here with a good friend, meet some nice folks and try something new. Thanks for the memories, Tensley! read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - Tensley Syrahs with bonus stains - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Absolute delight! They have different varieties of Syrahs that are outstanding! Great hosts, great wines and a welcoming tasting room. No fancy stuff just a basic place that makes you want to go back. If you ever go to Los Olivos this is a must visit. read more

The space clean and modern. There is parking right out front. The space itself has AC. There is plenty of space for larger groups. The staff was amazingly kind. Brittany made me feel so welcome!! She was more than accommodating and customer oriented. Tipsy pro: wine if you like Syrahs this is a great place for you. Tipsy cons: on a hot day I would have liked more white wines but I know that is not how tasting menus work! They also don't have any Pinot Noirs which is my favorite. read more

LOVE Tensley wine! And now I am a proud member of their wine club - Guaranteed continual presents that I know I will fully enjoy :-) Chris (?) was wonderful to explain each wine, the background on the grapes and vineyards, and about the winemaker himself - Joey Tensley and (Lea with her own label). Their quaint corner spot in the same building as Carina Cellars is a great spot to try a few of their phenomenal wines, and learn about the creative and caring process that goes into the finished product. Yes, they are a bit on the pricier side, but trust me (as a careful spender myself), these wines are 100% worth it. Just waiting for an excuse - is it Tuesday yet?! - to visit these good folks again soon! read more

Great wines, terrible service. I recommend buying a bottle of the Syrah, then leaving.

Joey Tensley's wines are delicious. While most of the better reds are sold out for this year you can still pick up some from the tasting room. The Tensley Syrah's, Colson Canyon and others, are delicious...and range from the big, high octane (15.4%) to other colder climate options. If you are lucky enough to snag a few bottles of Colson Canyon on your trip, you won't be disappointed. Certainly one of the most consistently delicious wines in California for the price. The wine room is stripped down, no-frills...just great wines and great people. read more

Love this place. I'll freely admit I am not a big wine snob or even very knowledgeable...I am one of those, If I like it, its good people...and all I know is, I love Tensley Wines! I had actually been in here 5 yrs ago or so and I remembered it was my favorite of that trip...here I was, 5 yrs later and having several people tell me to check them out...once I was in the tasting room I remembered being there before. I believe we hit 7-8 wineries this trip...seriously, both the girl and I were a little underwhelmed on the whole trip, until we got to Tensley...we both just looked at each other and broke out in huge smiles as we tried the selections...seriously, this was the only place that really excited both of us....SO good! Let me put it like this...I have never signed up for a wine club...until now... read more

We discovered Tensley Wines while tasting at Carina Cellars Tasting room. Tensley is the winemaker for Carina, and has setup wine tasting bar inside their shop at Grand and Alamo Pintado. The wines I tasted were each amazing. Four reds, and three of them very unique and special Syrahs. Each was so good, and unlike any other Syrahs I have had. His wines are under $40 and well worth it. read more

WHOA! I recently tried Tensley for the first time, and I'm not sure why I hadn't made it here sooner. The wines here (mostly syrahs) are all very deep and complex. The tasting room attendant (who had been with the winery for many years) was very accommodating and nice without being overly chatty. The atmosphere was also very nice: not too cramped, not too loud. Tensley is definitely going to be on my "must go" list from now on. read more

Tucked away on the side street and sharing a shop with another winery...you might almost miss it. This is a cool little tastiing spot to stop by and visit. All of the red wines were great and the service was super friendlly. read more

Absolutely incredible Syrah that can't be missed when in Santa Barbara wine country! With the YS scores to prove it! It's is a must-stop tasting room for true wine lovers. Gorgeous, remodeled tasting room tucked away in Los Olivos - worth tracking down and enjoying! The winemaker, Joey Tensley, and his family have a great story and personal touches in the tasting room that are worth checking out! Don't miss Tensley when in Santa Ynez/Los Olivos! read more

Tensley Wines Tasting Room - A photo of the Blanc, but DO NOT miss the Syrah - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Ok, this one is actually about the wine. We have been tasting at the winery for quite some time and always bought a few bottles each year given that it is so highly rated. We have a cellar and store all the wine properly. So it was quite a shock when we opened a 14 Syrah and it was corked. Ok, I guess that happens... but what are the odds of the second bottle being corked? Well, we hit the jackpot on that one. Still have 15 and 16sitting there. And we paid winery price, not K&L... read more

This place is great. The Tensleys could charge so much more for their wine considering the scores they get from the critics like Bob from Maryland. The wine is exceptional and I can't think of much to not compliment. I think they could give their corner of the tasting room a little more attention. A little dark back there and harder to get to than Carina. Great juice though. read more

After hitting a few of the tasting rooms nearby, my wife and I went into Tensley yesterday. At the small bar in the corner (maybe six people max can fit around it), there was a group of three people having a tasting. There were two ladies working, one was on the phone, and the other attending to the group. My wife and I made our way to the empty side of the bar and waited for a few minutes. Neither of the workers even acknowledged our presence. The lady behind the bar wouldn't even look at us though we were standing only a few feet away. She wasn't engaging with the group already present either, (she was standing silently while they tasted) so it certainly wasn't like she was preoccupied. She did however look directly past us a few times. Since I'm fairly certain I'm not invisible, I can safely assume she saw us both. The second lady was happily continuing her conversation on the phone. We stood there awkwardly for a little over five minutes, were never acknowledged, and eventually left. I have no idea what was going on with the tasting room that day, but I've never felt so shunned or intentionally ignored in a business before. It really was the one bad spot in an otherwise awesome day. One of the reasons we like Los Olivos is because the wineries are all so friendly and inviting. So many of them are family run, and really seem to care about their customers and the business. This was the exact opposite of what we experienced at Tensley - the atmosphere and staff seemed cold and snobby. With so many other awesome tasting rooms in the area (Saarloos & Sons, Stolpman, and Daniel Gehrs to name a few of our favorites) there really is no reason to waste your time or money on an establishment like this. read more

Came down to Los Olivos with a friend of mine who is in the industry, I was so excited to taste at Tesnley as I had been told it was one of the best in town. I was so excited that it was open on a Monday but when we went in we were CRUSHED. The lady behind the tasting table said that because they were not open the next day at it was already 2 o'clock that she didn't want to open any wine. they were going to be open for three more hours. I felt disrespected because I'm a younger guy but between my friend and I we were already planning on buying a case together. But I guess not ... read more

Got turned away with a small group of close friends. The reason we were given? A woman told us they were understaffed and had to close at 2:00. It was 2:07. Also, I'm across the street and they are still open. Bad business. Go to J. Ludlow for warmer, more personal and friendly service. read more

I love this place. They have the friendliest people who work here. Everyone is very easy to talk you. The wines are amazing. Gladys and David helped my family and I out yesterday. They were very informative about the wines and we also were able to have a great conversation about game of thrones. read more

Yum... DO I need to say more? Best Syrah we tasted on a recent trip to this region. I know what you're thinking... "How many tasting rooms did you hit before Tensley?" That's normally a good question, BUT, in this case it was our first tasting room and on a day when wine tasting was not our top priority (Due to a late night with much wine and amazing food at the Ballard Inn you can see that review too:). Sooooo our palate wasn't destroyed, we were on the top of our tasting game and this place is YUM! read more

Wonderful Pinot under the Lea label. Just love these wines!!

I saw the great reviews for Tensley on my recent trip to Los Olivos, so suggested to my group of friends that we stop by. The lady there wasn't actually working that day, but had an appointment for a tasting, so had come in for that and to grab some wine for a party that day. She had definitely been tasting the wine already, but was also a fun, friendly lady :) But after the stellar reviews, I was a little disappointed. The tasting list only had about 3 wines on it, and I remember only really liking one...and they were all pretty expensive for wines that I only thought were good, not amazing. I'd go back and give it another chance, and none of the wines were bad, but definitely not my favorite stop in Los Olivos where there are so many great places to choose from. read more

Made the mistake of stopping here first on a recent wine tasting trip because it set the bar so high for every other stop. Their Syrahs are out of this world. Loved them so much I immediately joined their wine club. I am a huge fan! read more