I love this winery. I hadn't been in over a year and had honestly forgotten just how good the wines are. Annette took care of us and couldn't have been sweeter. She made the whole experience feel relaxed and welcoming, exactly what you want when you're tasting. The wines really stood out. The Merlot is an easy recommendation for a great everyday bottle, but the Bouchet Estate was hands down the best wine I had all day. On top of that, the pricing is incredibly fair, especially for the quality. It's one of those rare places where you feel like you're getting both great wine and great value. Most importantly, they treat you the way a winery should. Highly recommend. read more

This was our first stop on the wine tour. The facility was beautiful and loved taking photos by the vineyard outside. The wine was average and the person serving our flight didn't share much about the wines unfortunately. When we asked questions he wasn't sure about the answers for the experience wasn't the best. read more

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This was the first stop of three on our wine tour and the aesthetics were amazing. The wine was pretty good, but the presentation was lacking. They came out, poured the wine, and walked away. So we weren't sure what we were drinking, what it might pair with, or anything about the vineyard. We were they only one's there, so it was surprising they didn't want to interact with guests. read more

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Very nice winery. Enjoyed a tasting on the patio which included 5 wines for $30. You can waive the wine tasting fee if you buy 3 bottles. Overall I enjoyed my wine tasting here and would recommend it if you're in the Santa Barbara area. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Patio - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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Visited Brander winery last Saturday. We were there with our dear friend Betty, who has a matter of coincidence used to be the general manager of this winery. There was live music playing, and the owner. Fred Brander was there and what a gracious host. We sampled several different flights of wine. Ultimately, we asked Fred for his recommendation, and with absolute certainty, he recommended based on what we described the estate bottled Merlot 2019, additionally a 2024 rosé read more

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If you're looking for a chill spot with incredible wine and a bit of culture, you have to check out Brander. I had such a great time here recently! The ambience is super relaxed. The service was great, the staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and really makes you feel welcome. Plus, the fact that they are dog-friendly was a huge win for us! Amazing White wine & Sauvignon blanc. read more

With our intent to celebrate our daughter's 3 year passing anniversary again at her member winery, disappointed with the cold reception. We chose only to have one glass and paid the over priced serving. Maybe I should have left my veteran hat off....didnt have a good vibe this visit. We should've stayed at Paso Robles! read more

The Brander Vineyard - In memory of our daughter. - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

I love this winery! Such a fun spot off the 154 and located near some other wineries. They have lots of outdoor seating options, so makes for the perfect setting on a nice day. I really enjoyed all of the wines we got to try on their flight. Good selection of whites and reds. They allow you to bring outside food, which is also nice if you're going during the lunch hour. Their staff were really helpful and attentive to us the day we went. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wine tasting flight - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Was brought here by Artisan Excursion Wine Tours. We were given 5 wines to taste. I liked some of their wines. What I didn't like: - Our server was too slow in between each wine tasting - He poured a bit less than the group besides us. - He forgot to bring more water out and we had to remind him. - There wasn't a container for us to pour out leftover wine. Would have been nice to give us a walk into the vineyard with some history. Or some cheese or chocolate pairing. Clean restrooms. Seating area had a lot of shade and a stage too. read more

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The Brander Vineyard wineries is one of my favorite places to go on a beautiful Fall day. The drive up is spectacular from Santa Barbara. The offered flight includes whites and reds but I always ask for just the reds. My friend used to work there . so they are very accommodating and we get to try a lot of the reserves that are not necessarily on the flight that day. She has a membership so we also get a nice fluffy discount and I always bring home a few bottles. We sat out on the patio and it was a gorgeous day as you can see by my pictures. They were very kind and brought sparkling Perrier water. Brander wines are consistently delicious and so it's a must when you go wine tasting in Santa Ynez. The service is wonderful and the surroundings are peaceful and serene. read more

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I just went back here w 2 girlfriends and had the best time! The staff here is super friendly. The white wines are still on point. (Reds weren't bad either!) we each walked out w a bottle. We didn't need reservations for 3 people on a Monday. We were also able to picnic here. (I'm not sure if picnicking is allowed on weekends. I would double check.) They also have a food menu, so you can order random bites. Normally, I'd sit a little ways from their patio, but they asked we be seated in their shaded patio space this time around. I didn't bring my dog this time, but they had a sweet little dog on the premises. :) read more

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Fan of the winery for sure.... great property with lots of areas to relax and take in the scenery. Not great for views if you're looking to do some sight seeing to other areas and vineyards beyond... but a lot of great architecture, greenery and landscapes. Brander has been a staple go to vineyard for myself and family or friends for a few years so I love seeing any subtle changes over time even a new piece of furniture or inflection on a wall or in the patio. They do a great job of maintaining the property and have solid deals on their tasting, memberships and selections of wines, candles and misc goodies. Their vino blanco/vin blanc/white wines are definitely the flagship of the winery especially their Sauv Blanc and leave room for discussion. All the white wines are sustainable and vegan friendly. The reds are not unfortunately (at least not as of 2014-2016). I believe they use(d) some egg whites in the filtration process, which is becoming less common... I'd have to revisit any newer vintages to be sure or ask next time I'm in. If you're curious about parking there is usually some by the main entrance off road and/or with labeled signs near handicap parking which is right next to the bathrooms that have vintage art on the doors and inside... Loteria/Spanish inspired like the winery as a whole. The Brander Vineyard & Tasting Room is open everyday 11 to 5 most of the year, but I know hours vary in different seasons... call ahead of time if you want to confirm... they're all very personable over the phone and in person. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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Was an amazing experience we were able to try their specialty wines. I personally liked them all. The service was great and we were able to relax a bit before our next stop. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wine and a beautiful view - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

I love this winery! Whites are very focused on fruits, and their reds are also very fruit forward. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Great wines here! So nice to taste great wines with sun shine. Pleasing whites & some Serious reds here. - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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I have to quote the review of Kristie, who was there the same time, and with whom I fully agree: "The wine is great, setting beautiful, and staff very friendly. But they had cats sitting on the bar counter shedding in the wine glasses and biting people." Yeah, that was part of the charm for cat lovers. I mean, nobody wants to have to put a drain strainer on their wine glass, but yeah... The setting is beautiful (perfect place to eat our sandwich) and the servers were especially friendly, but, yeah, it was kinda like a Wookiie barbershop after petting one of them. Update (8/15): again, great wines, excellent service, but the main attraction was Wine Cat Millie. read more

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My husband and I had a beautiful bottle of wine at wine tasting probably 6 or 7 years ago. It was a lively cab Sauvignon and we bought the wine shops last bottle. Later that night we retired to our hotel and had dinner at the restaurant. I see a familiar label and even though I don't usually go for white wine I order it anyway because I loved the red so much. So now. Here I am, 7 years later and a wine club member. And my drink of choice it the Sauvignon Blanc. I have tried others and they're just not the same. This wine truly brings me joy. On top of that the staff at Brander is the best. I had an issue with my delivery. I called and the gentleman took care such good care of me and two weeks later I had a new shipment. The real thing that got me is when I called back to say thank you and I received the package he remembered me. I'm a faceless voice 3000 miles away. So I can tell why Brander makes such fantastic wine, it's made by really awesome people. It's like when you eat food by someone who loves you. You can taste it. This wine is the same. Thank you, Brander! My husband and I are so happy to be part of your club! read more

On our last full day in the Central Coast we hit up a couple more wineries. This was our first stop of the day and we shared a Classic tasting for $15. The following are my notes on each that we tried Sauvignon - very smooth, nice summer patio wine Riesling on point not overly sweet, real drinkable Sol/luma Sauvignon definitely different than the other 2016 merlot very smooth F/red jammy, at the end he asked if we wanted to try others and this one I got a second taste BONUS-- 2016 Syrah, he let us taste this - special grapes grown up in the high hills It was early in the day but we were the only ones here. It was nice to get the one-on-one treatment and talk about our Cali adventures and the movie Sideways. They have a nice-sized tasting room, patio, and courtyard which I imagine is packed on much busier days when they aren't impacted by fires and mudslides. read more

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The wine was horrible. The service was horrible. Everything was horrible. The lies the staff tells is beyond horrible. Why lie about your selection, prices and accommodations? It all comes to light as soon as your guests arrive. Feel shame. Feel it good and hard nonstop for the rest of your miserable life. read more

This vineyard has become one of my favorite wineries in SB. The grounds are super cute and I love how the owner has repurposed a disastrous incident into a positive. The bathrooms are clean, they have a cute picnic area, and the people inside are really nice. The wine is AMAZING! They're known for their Sauvignon Blanc, which was tasty and can be found at Whole Foods, but I prefer the ones from New Zealand. Their red wines were robust and full of flavor, their blends and other vintages were also impressive. I loved their wines so much that I have even considered driving the two hours down there just to buy wine. Can't wait to see what they have next time! read more

Good environment, friendly people wine was substandard asked for some higher quality wine they were unwilling to bring it out seems like the winemakers are distant from the wine drinkers. Paid for the tasting but no wine purchased, no club their loss. read more

We were guests with the Hadsten House in Solvang and this winery was on the list of complimentary tastings so we were excited to stop by. The "wine tasting manager" accused us of having an "old paper" and that they hadn't done that for years. She was rude to our family, said "we certainly don't do that for 6 people", and didn't care to give us the time of day. I tried to explain just so that they could at least contact the Hadsten house to make the correction and she proceeded to be stand offish and they were not even busy. I am not one to bring in race but we were the only guests of color present and felt super unwelcome from the moment we walked in. We were planning to stay and pay but the hospitality was not present at ALL. We did not even stay for the 2 for 1 tasting that they claimed to still offer as we felt extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome in the establishment. I don't care how great your wine is, respect is a minimum. read more

Jonathan is very knowledgeable and welcoming. He made the experience feel at home while still teaching us a thing or two. The wine of course was fantastic, we went home with a few bottles. Definitely recommend the wine and the service. Left very happy. :) read more

Brander is one of my favorite vineyards in Los Olivos. My husband and I have been coming here since I was in college (approx 15 years as of the time of this review) and they never disappoint. It's been great to see how they have grown over the years as our pallet and appreciation for wine has grown. One thing that hasn't changed is their friendly and welcoming atmosphere. We most recently visited during the COVID-19 pandemic and were very glad to see tables spaced far apparent and plenty of room to spread out amd feel safe as you enjoy some great wine. Love all their wines especially their Sauvignon blancs. read more

Standard wine tasting set up in a smallish tasting room. Despite it being not too busy it felt like the pourer was pretty mechanical. The wine selection was decent but nothing stood out. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

I don't understand the 4 star rating. The person in the tasting room gave us very little attention. The pours were very stingy. The price is vey high ($15 for 5 tastings). And the wine is very mediocre. I don't plan to return, and left quite disappointed. The winery also looks very run down and not worth the stop. I suggest skipping this one. read more

Someone here mentioned that the tasting room is basic, and I agree. HOWEVER, the place is beautiful in its nook and crannies. What truly blew me away was actually going through the production area (props to our two employees- sweet girls) and a man popped out and asked if our group of 12 people wanted to try some sauvignon blanc straight from the tanks. It was unfiltered and was AWESOME!!! When we went to the front to pay out, we found out he was the owner! I love how down to earth he was and it seemed he truly was there for the passion of it! read more

The Brander Vineyard - Beautiful place and great ambiance -even on a gloomy/rainy day! - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

This just goes to show you that love of wine is in the eye...ahem.. I mean mouth of the taster. We pulled up to this vineyard after lunch, my friend was excited as this was recommended by his friends that come up here all the time. Why?!? My first impression: the Pepto-Bismol pink "castle" looked like a reject from Disney and in all honesty was actually a little scary in its dilapidation. I did notice the two flags, I believe one was Swedish? Huh, maybe these wines will be different. So we soldiered inside for a tasting. I can't think of one wine I liked, not even the whites. The sales lady even seemed proud they left the skins on for a bit on the chardonnay grapes and personally I think that's WRONG: I appreciate your creativity but it didn't help the flavor at all. We were in and out, didn't even take more than a few sips of the choices. Entirely disappointing. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Tasting Room - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

We enjoyed seeing the vineyards and wine tasting during our honeymoon. The staff was awesome and personable. We also loved that they explained the different wines to us and the history of the vineyard. We definitely bought a few bottles of red and white to take home with us. read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Brander is definitely a long time favorite of mine. their SAUV BLANCS are truly top notch. I like the straight forwardness of them. Natalie is a great wine. Try it. The rose is also lovely. The tasting room is quite pretty. Like a chatau. We tasted on the side patio which was actually great to be outdoors on a nice day with a knowledgeable and friendly pourer. Worth a visit. My Santa Ynez Valley disclaimer: Overall, it's much more expensive to taste in the SB region then it use to be. Most places are $12-15 where it use to be $5 with an occasional $10 but then you would get it credited back if you bought wine. HA! Gone are those days. Sad for those of us that have been tasting here for 20 years or so. read more

We visited Brander Vineyard right as the leaves were changing colors so all the vines and trees were splattered with beautiful golds, yellows, and oranges - it truly was a beautiful sight to see! so beautiful that our friend even proposed here! The tasting room has a beautiful high, wood roof which gives it a cabin and home-y feel. It costs $10 for 5 different tastings which we enjoyed by the fireplace. The aroma of the fireplace really added to the ambiance of the winery. They're famous for their sauv blanc and came highly recommended however it tasted just alright to me which is the main reason for my 3 star rating as the wine was average however the grounds were beautiful (especially when you compared it to other vineyards in the area). Brander vineyard also has 2 cats roaming its grounds that are friendly and entertaining to watch and play with. There is an outdoor patio area where they also serve tastings on good-weather days (it was raining the day we went so it was not open for business). My favorite part of visiting Brander Vineyard was exploring their grounds. They have a deck that you can sit on (in addition to the patio area) and a small garden area with beautiful trees surrounding it. read more

The Brander Vineyard - outdoor patio area - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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Recently ordered a bottle of Brander Sauvingon Blanc at dinner so visited the Winery to check ou the rest of the line up. Nice building grounds and tasting room. Staf super friendly and knowlegable. We tried 7 different wines and they were all really good. signed up for the wine club and got 30% off our entire order, Love a bargain. 12 bottle of super yummy wine @ $14 per bottle. Sauvingon Blanc, Merlot, Syrah. read more

Still a member here (almost 20 years now!)Always a great time and always great wine. Fun actually seeing Fred Brander walking around & the family vibe of this place compared to the big corporate wineries taking over the valley. Known for sauv blanc but have a good mix of red and white wines on the menu. Always offering something new but continue to produce great Sauvignon Blanc read more

What a beautiful day. !! This vineyard is so European Spanish. I loved it. All the wines I tasted was were fabulous. They are award winning wines, a bonus ! Carlos was our wine specialist. He is so knowledgeable and friendly. Passionate about Brander Vineyard and the wines. He made our visit enjoyable Thank you read more

Went in expecting more, not much views. The wine was not memorable, you get to keep your wine glass when purchasing a tasting. The real views are actually right in the back of the tasting room no seating. My husband and I went and sat down on this small wall thing I don't know how to explain it lol, that's the real money maker. The service was okay two very young guys were working that day. One of them was less friendly, informative and maybe was just over the day. The other explained and was more polite the one with darker hair. We honestly tried to go back to him but kept getting stuck with the other guy. The restroom are clean and they have very cute well behaved puppies also the parking spots are a bit weird. read more

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Ahhhh, the last winery of the day. We just made it with 15 minutes to spare before closing. The servers were so accommodating even though we were rushing in and assuring them we would be quick! Ha! By now our palates were fully primed so we ended up enjoying three of their wines. I'm not a big cab girl, but these cabs are down right awesome. We ended up going with the 2005 Bouchet which is 70% cabernet franc and 30% cabernet sauvignon, the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (100%), and the 2005 Cuvee Nicolas (extra yum!). I'm sorry we were rushed at this winery because we didn't get to see the grounds. However, we did meet a chef from South Pasadena and we'll have to check out his restaurant the next time we are in town. read more

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The woman pouring our wines was wonderful! She explained the wines thoroughly and gave suggestions for pairings. She even gave us additional wines that were not listed, including the Rose. The tasting was free with our stay at the Hadsten, but I believe the tasting is normally $15. Overall, great atmosphere. I would come back here again! read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

Absolutely loved this winery. I'd definitely pay for another tasting, but luckily, I was able to try this spot for free since I was staying at the Hadsten House in Solvang, and they offered free tastings for 2 as a guest perk. My husband and I therefore got to try each of their 2 tastings (Friends and Family, normally $15 and $20, respectively). Nearly every wine was excellent, just very drinkable and balanced. We particularly liked the 2016 Le Cul De Refugio, a very refreshing white wine that was quite suitable for the hot June day. The 2016 Brander Rose was another refreshing and slightly sweeter pick. The 2016 merlot was bold and more pleasing to me than other merlots I've had. The 2014 reserve cabernet sauvignon (an estate wine) was fantastic, smooth and nuanced and great on its own, but I'm sure would go great with protein. They were out of one of the wines, so we got a special taste of the 2015 estate reserve cab which the staff had just opened the night before and wasn't even for sale yet; it was more jammy than its 2014 counterpart. We aaaallllmost took home the 2014 reserve cab but decided on the f/red, which is a red blend that has more fruit/jam notes than the cab - a little more fun, a little less refined, but very affordable at just $20! I was really happy with the quality of the wines as well as the price point. The tasting experience was also a pleasure due to our hostess, Dana, who was incredibly warm and approachable. We had fun talking to her about the wine and also about other things (work, travel). We were very lucky to come on a Monday early afternoon, so we were the only guests and captured Dana's undivided attention. The winery grounds are nice, not as gorgeous as the ones that are set on top of a hill, but there's a cute patio out front with plenty of seating. If I wasn't already a member of one wine club (plenty for us...), we would definitely want to join Brander because of the delicious and affordable wine. read more

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They have a cat that likes to play! Actually, they have a couple cats as far as I can see. One of them spent the entire time lounging on the counter where we got our pours and the other took a nap by our group of purses placed on an picnic table. Brander is known for their sauvignon blanc whites. The grounds are quite pretty because the tasting room looks almost like a little castle. There were little towers on either side that had tables and chairs inside and windows to look outside. The grounds were quite nice, with lots of roses in bloom and tables and chairs to sit back and relax with your wine. I enjoyed the sauvignon blancs, but I actually ended up buying a bottle of their 2009 cabernet sauvignon. The only thing I think would be better is if they had any food or snack offerings to go with their tastings. read more

I've been here twice - once with a group of 10 girls for a Bachelorette Party (private tasting) and once with a couple of friends just stopping by the tasting room. Both times it was great. So if you have a group you're tasting with this is a definite "must go." Super friendly staff and delicious wines. We loved the sauvignon blanc! read more

The Brander Vineyard - Wineries Near Me - Los Olivos, California

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I was on a wine tour this weekend, extreme heat. I've been to Brander many times and I've always had a great experience and we had a nice time on Saturday, but I just feel that all these wineries now are pouring you drops of wine. The whole wine tour I maybe got a glass of wine I don't know why the wineries are being so stingy these days . I can't decide if I like a wine by half of a sip so guess what, I bought nothing from any of them... you can do better that's why you're still getting a four-star from me. read more