From Paso Robles to Oxnard, California’s Central Coast is wine country. While the 2004 movie Sideways may have brought new attention to the region’s wine culture, wine has been produced in the area since the California missions were established over 200 years ago.
In Oxnard, a growing cluster of downtown tasting rooms operated by local vintners are the focus of wine tours and culinary team-building events for groups. Among them is Rancho Ventavo Cellars, which has a tasting room set among the oak paneling, fireplaces and leaded glass windows of a 1902 house in Heritage Square.
Another choice in Oxnard is Herzog Wine Cellars, which lays claim to being the world’s largest producer of kosher wines. Along with a tasting room, the winery features Tierra Sur Restaurant, which serves Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and offers private tasting rooms, a conference room and an outdoor courtyard available for events.
In the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Oreana Winery, converted from an old brick-walled tire shop, offers a winery, tasting room, retail shop and event facility accommodating up to 200 guests at catered receptions.
Just outside Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez Valley is home to over 70 wineries set amid 21,000 acres of vineyards. Among the most group friendly is Gainey Vineyard, which provides function spaces for groups of all sizes. The choices include a tasting room adorned with elkhorn chandeliers, French antique furniture and windowed doors framing views of the mountains; a lawn patio with barbecue facilities; a shaded courtyard; and The Ranch, a rustic site with rolling hills, oak groves and a 19th century barn.
In the vine-covered hills outside Paso Robles, home to more than 180 wineries, popular sites for events include Eberle Winery, where up to 80 guests can enjoy a candlelight dinner served in the Wild Boar Room, located in one of the winery’s underground caves. Receptions held on the Vineyard Deck overlooking the coastal mountains are another option.
Also in the Paso Robles wine country, Meridian Vineyards offers a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for up to 500 guests on a sprawling estate. Options include a spacious lawn, a patio shaded by ancient oaks and a rose garden. Indoor venues include Barrel Chai, a high-ceilinged room lined with oak wine casks.
For More Info
Eberle Vineyard
805.238.9607
www.eberlewinery.com
Gainey Vineyard
805.688.0558
www.gaineyvineyard.com
Herzog Wine Cellars
805.983.1560
www.herzogwinecellars.com
Meridian Vineyards
805.226.7133
www.meridianvineyards.com
Oreana Winery
805.962.5857
www.oreanawinery.com
Rancho Ventavo Cellars
805.483.8084
www.rvcellars.com
