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Bernardo Winery
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Wineries Food Wineries Restaurants American (New) Shopping Shopping Centers Wineries, American (New), Shopping Centers [Edit]
13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte(between Paseo Del Verano & Cumana Ter)
San Diego, CA 92128
Neighborhood: Rancho Bernardo
(858) 487-1866
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
96 reviews for Bernardo Winery
Review Highlights
"and we had SO much fun doing the wine tasting."
(in 26 reviews)
"Best of all was the small but quaint Cafe Merlot."
(in 14 reviews)
"...an octopus charm of blown glass from glass blowing studio."
(in 3 reviews)
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96 reviews in English
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Review from Kathryn B.
Poway, CA
2/1/2012
One of my favorite little places to sip on wine and enjoy good friends. There are cute little shops to look at while you drink your wine, and the Cafe Merlot has amazing food! And the Jazz on the patio is amazing...but they don't do it all the time.
Also a wonderful location for a wedding! I have had two friends get married there, and one who just had her reception there. Gorgeous in photos too. Just don't use their in house wedding coordinator. She isn't good at her job..she must be a family friend or something.
I still gave them 5 stars because the wine is good, not to expensive, has a good size tasting room so you are crowded, and the shops are fun! -
Review from Shannan M.
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2012
How quaint :)
I got a groupon for tasting for 2 ($8!) and decided to stop by on a Sunday afternoon. I was a little taken aback by the proximity to the houses in the community, but once I stepped onto the property, I felt like I was in a vineyard and not a suburban subdivision.
The grounds are adorable - I love all the kooky decor, very vintage and whimsical. I could get married at a place like this.
In terms of the wine, the champagne was my absolute favorite - we even took a bottle home. Their reserves are good as well, but the reds weren't as potent as I like - of course, we're talking about San Diego which isn't the best place for reds so I took that into consideration.
I loved the chocolate pairings - and strolling the grounds with a glass of wine in my hand.
There was entertainment on the patio and plenty of dancing. I had a great time. I would spend many weekends here if I lived closer. -
Review from Sarah H.
Irvine, CA
1/12/2012
This place is charm at it's best.
The winery is setup like a little village centered around the tasting area. There is a hand-blown glass shop, chocolate shop, clothing shop. It's adorable.
We came for a tasting, and ended up leaving with a bottle. The lady helping us made the experience even more memorable. She asked us questions about what we liked, and really took it into consideration when choosing what she thought would be best for our tasting. I loved that aspect, because usually at a tasting everyone gets the same ish but she individualized each of our selections!
A perfect place to spend an afternoon :) -
Review from Marisa W.
San Diego, CA
2/6/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This place is a quaint little winery with the best ambiance. Their little rerstaurant has a wonderful lunch menu. They also have a really cool glass store where they have glass blowing classes. Very romantic for a daytime date. I can't wait to go back.
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Review from Darlene B.
Lemon Grove, CA
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
When there's a groupon deal for $8 wine tasting for 2, you take it. But that's not the only thing that would have won me over with this place.
It's absolutely adorable! the lady there was very knowledgeable about the wines which made it easier for my sister and me to choose. We had a delicious lunch at The Cafe Merlot (chicken quesadilla and pesto pasta --basic but tasty!). Since we were able to take our glasses as we walked around, there's all these adorable places to sit and hang out. It was a weekday, so i suppose it's more crowded on weekends. There candy shop is adorable, we got these chocolate covered graham crackers and those were really good!
We also entered ourselves in a free haircut at their salon, and my sister won.. BOO. it was literally between the two of us. haha.
p.s. don't try the chocolate tasting wine, because it's just not right. lol. -
Review from Thanh L.
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for their Holiday Nights event and wondered why I had never fully appreciated this place until now!
On the way here, you'll think you're lost driving through residential neighborhoods, but keep going. You're on the right path! This was a large turned small winery, but very cute and reminds me of the towns you would see in old westerns. We did the wine tasting here ($10 for 5 tastings) and loved the wines we sampled, although only the Riesling was from the winery itself. They had face painting and balloon animals for the kids, a horse and carriage ride through the mini-vineyard, and plenty of mini boutiques.
Cute place for a low-key date or girls night! -
Review from Wendy B.
This is a very old time-y Knott's Berry Farm-esque place, with a winery thrown in for good measure. Actually, I am sure the winery was here first, but commercialism has taken the ball and run with it. In a good way, mostly. Lots of boutique shops, a restaurant, a coffee house and a candy store. Everything is quaint, touristy, well maintained landscapes. And a fun place to eat, shop, and play with your kids and dog too.
This time, we were fortunate to not come on the weekend. It was peaceful, charming, just starting the Xmas season and holiday cheer. We had tried to visit one other time on a Sunday when they were having a festival/holiday event, and it was enough to make you turn and run. Which we had done summarily.
This time we leisurely strolled, and did some window shopping. Lilly pup and George, the gentle jewelry store dog, became fast friends. After we bought some cheese and crackers and sat in the patio, wine tasting, George became our fast friend too, as he did his best to convince us that he should help us finish the appetizers.
This was a great place to spend a few hours on an off day of doing nothing, and very pleasurable. Glad we came back. Thank goodness they haven't tried adding carnival rides. -
Review from Christie F.
San Marcos, CA
Updated - 12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I received an email from the winery's new Wedding Coordinator in response to my review apologizing for the poor experience we had with their predecessor. I certainly didn't expect an apology after all this time, but I believe it's never too late.
It sounds like the new coordinator has a much better understanding of customer service and I am hopeful that couples looking to have their wedding at the winery will have good experience.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2010
This is a difficult review for me to write because I had two very different experiences here. First,… Read more »
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Review from Mitch K.
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came for the Rancho Bernardo Food and Wine festival last Sunday. Great turnout, it really felt like things were happening in RB.
As far as the wines from Bernardo Winery went, I enjoyed the few I sampled, but was not blown away. Considering the price point of their wines, I feel there are MUCH better wines at the grocery store for less money. That being said, it's great to have a winery so close to home.
The grounds were very nice, quite homey, and hodge podge, The staff running the tastings were friendly and welcoming.
The food from the Merlot Cafe, was decent at best.
All in all, this place was a fun time, glad I went, but I probably will not be returning until the next big event. -
Review from gordon h.
Carlsbad, CA
10/17/2011
I was Out there the other day for the arts and crafts event. it was very nice and had a great time. the wines are very nice also. just a cool place to go if your in the area. didn't eat, just did some wine'ng
the only thing was no MMM beer :(((
gh
peaceful day -
Review from Natalya C.
San Diego, CA
Had a wonderful time along with the wine tasting here.
This winery over a hundred years old, and its history is reflected in the decor all around the property.
Definitely one the the largest vineyards in San Diego county.
For the wine tasting consist of 5 tasting that you can pick from the menu, reds, whites, sparkling.. you call it. Tastings are pretty small.
There is one restaurant on the property, a few shops.
Definitely go here and check it out for yourself how cute and charming this place is! -
Review from Maria C.
6/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like this place!
This winery is in the middle of retirement community. You can easily bypass this place if you're not really paying attention driving thru the residential area.
But once you arrive, there's ample parking in several lots and it's a whole new (small) world!
Don't expect this place to be poppin'. You're in RB. RB is filled with OLDER peeps, so this includes the people behind the counters. Sweet older ladies were friendly and knowledgeable about the wines.
I was surprised to see 2 pages full of wine tastings! You get 5 tastes for $8, and no souvenir glass, unfortunately. Tons of places to sit inside and out. All the stores are wine-friendly. There is a jazz band that plays on Sun afternoons for a couple hours on their patio.
I tried the Sangria (red), Moscato Rose, Orange Muscat, Riesling, Niagara and Champagne. I also tried some reds - Syrah, Cab, Pinot, which I didn't care for.
I was excited to see a couple of wines I was interested in tasting - Moscato d'Asti (my fave) and Stella Rosso (fave red) - but was HIGHLY disappointed when I found out that these wines are NOT from Bernardo Winery. In fact, you can get them at Bevmo for cheaper. I know this because I buy the same exact wines BW showcases.
Not a disappointment is their popular Riesling. In fact, I bought a bottle since I liked it so much ($18).
Note: It is discouraged to bring your own food/drinks and/or coolers, as they encourage you to purchase within their shops. -
Review from Heather H.
Escondido, CA
9/17/2011 1 photo
The grounds of the winery are amazing. I felt like I had been transported back to the 1920s - the plants and decorations are beautiful and timeless.
Linda, in the tasting room, was exceptionally nice and knowledgeable. They have a license that allows you to wander the grounds as you drink your wine, so we went through the many stores while tasting. The number of stores was surprising. There is a nice variety (e.g., decorations, handbags, sweets).
The coffee shop looks great. There is a quiet enclosed patio and it offers reasonably priced, tasty sounding food.
The winery was so peaceful and beautiful, I'm planning on returning to read a book or work on my writing while sipping wine or coffee. -
Review from Andrea H.
Durham, NC
6/20/2011 2 photos
A must if you are in the San Diego Area even if you don't like wine. Beautiful grounds and small shops make this winery unique. Plan to spend a few hours just looking around, having lunch or watching a glass blowing class.
For us wine enthusiasts, you get 5 tastings for $8. You can carry your wine around anywhere on the property and you can also buy by the glass or bottle.
Definitely, glad to have experienced Bernardo Winery. -
Review from Sean Z.
Poway, CA
5/27/2011
If you want to take a walk through San Diego history, this is the place.
Been coming back to the winery for many years and always have an enjoyable experience.
They recently expanded their tasting room making it a fantastic spot to share a Sunday afternoon with your significant other...
Tasting staff are fun and make it a comfortable experience. There is no high brow wine snobs here, just wonderful people with a wealth of wine knowledge, enjoying as the place as much as I do.
Tasting here for only $8 makes this place a steal compared to anywhere i've walked into in central and northern California.
I love the farmers market they do every Friday morning. Try a freshly made Crepe and you'll find yourself a sucker to keep coming back every week.
In addition, there are tons of events year round:
-Concerts
-Private dinners
-Craft Fairs (Really great to bring whole family)
You're best bet is to head over on a sunday afternoon from 2-5pm when they do jazz. By 4:00 everyone is dancing and have a great time.
Would come back here again! -
Review from Leigh G.
5/29/2011
We were here the weekend after Mother's Day, but even though it wasn't a holiday this place was ridiculously crowded. It was too busy for the servers to have much contact with us tasters or give any useful or personalized advice, which was a bummer. At one point someone next to me asked for a recommendation and instead of suggesting anything the woman said "Get what you like: if you like cab, try our cab." And that was it. I couldn't help but think the whole point of tasting was lost on these servers.
The wines themselves were OK but nothing particularly special. It made me miss Monterey and their fantastic tasting rooms. (Yes, I know Monterey can be busy, but we have a knack for going at quiet times!) Heck, I think the place in Riverside is better than this! -
Review from Ashley G.
Waco, TX
8/30/2011
This place isn't super fantastic- but its alright for a first time Wine Tasting.
The "cafe" is a joke. Its pre packaged and microwaved in front of you... Gross. They give you your items in the pre packaged package... hence: plastic containers ...
The food is 2nd rate at best. The wine for the wine tasting is nice, and different.
The little shops around there are expensive and the candy shop is a joke.
For my friends return from deployment, and his wives birthday the same day we got one free glass of champagne split between the two of them... they were too cheap to do one whole glass of champagne for someone who fights for their freedom to be cheap. (Or for the B-day girl...)
The museum is rarely open, but they get points for its exsistance...
I would return here, more for the down home farmy atmophere vs. the actual wine or the 8$ wine tasting. =D -
Review from Pier H.
Studio City, CA
4/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
WOW yelpers, how you have failed me big time!! We came here on a Monday when everything is closed except for the tasting room. No big deal because we only wanted to taste anyway. The wines were mediocre at best. I would describe them as slightly fermented grape juice. But the worst part about our tasting were the "imported wines." Now I understand that imported wines tend to be rare and can be really great....but not these!!! One of their top Italian wines was Moscato D'Asti. Really????? The top selling moscato at BevMo??? Also on the list was Stella Rosa. LAME!!! Both of these are widely available and way too sweet for a wine enthusiast to enjoy. On top of that, they were selling them for about 30% ABOVE retail. I was highly disappointed to say the least.
The ambiance screamed hillbilly chic. Very tacky and overdone. Won't be back!!!!! -
Review from Ariana K.
Santa Ana, CA
6/4/2011
Bernardo is quite a gem. It's certainly the most unique winery I've been to, with expansive grounds and a Western flare. It makes for a nice day trip in itself because there is so much to do. I suggest tasting at your leisure, enjoying a meal at Cafe Merlot and checking out some of the shops before heading home.
Pros:
-Wine flight is quite a good deal
-The wine is good. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's worth the $ for a tasting
-You can taste anywhere on the grounds and take your time
-Wine pourers are friendly and knowledgeable
-Bottles are moderately priced
-Lots of little shops to explore
-Museum on sight
-Beautiful grounds
-Cafe Merlot has fantastic food and fantastic service
Cons:
-The location is a bit out of the way, tucked within a residential neighborhood -
Review from Stella T.
San Diego, CA
8/23/2011
Too all your wino's out there, this is the place to visit if you're in San Diego.
Tasting's are a cheap-as-chips for $8 you get 5 tastes and you can walk around the vicinity with the glass in your hand, gazing into their little boutique shops. Payment is of course upfront and they will stamp your card each time until you run out or until you're done ;)
The ladies at the bar know their wines and are lovely women to chat with.
I took my mother here for a visit along with my hubby who was our D.D hehe! We all had a ball there.
The ambiance doesn't really have a one sided feel to it. It was whatever you wanted it to be. Casual or intimate, or touristy, there wasn't a real atmosphere of character. Felt more like "let's have a few tastes of fudge with a bottle of cab sav on the deck with family, kick it up and relax" whereas there were couples who sided more to be alone with a bottle and cheese. But hey, everyone is different.
Tours are also available that take you further depth into the winery.
There are arces of winery vineyards to walk around and take photos, have a picnic at, etc..
Each botique shop inside is different from the others such as: handmade chocolate/fudge shop
Clothing
Trinkets
and of course their yummy wine ;)
Going back there for sure with some girlfriends. -
Review from Julie R.
San Diego, CA
3/6/2011
It tastes just like welche's grape juice. Sure....
So I have only been here once but it was a fun time. This place is beyond hidden in Rancho Bernardo.. basically you have to drive past all the old people homes and some how magically find it.. BUT its worth it. They close early so check the hours. So just like any other wine place they offer tasters. Why ot sample a little right?? Well they are generous with the portions an if they are bored, they give you extras. They do have one bottle that they describe to you as something similar to Welche's Grape juice. Well believe it or not, it tasted just like grape juice. Not the white grape juice, but the original. It was oh so good. so of course we had to buy a few bottles and the prices were pretty decent. so why not 5 stars?? They close early and are way too hidden away for me. I need to go to a place that my GPS recognizes -
Review from Kristin F.
San Diego, CA
2/19/2011 14 photos
Loved the few hours my boyfriend and I spent at the Bernardo Winery complex last Sunday.
My favorite aspects of the winery:
* There's a pretty extensive tasting menu/list of 20+ wines. Tastings are 5 for $8; however, we took advantage of the 2-for-1 tasting Groupon special the winery recently ran.
* There's a lot to do. The winery is surrounded by intimate stores, art studios, and businesses collectively known as The Shops at Bernardo Winery. (You're encouraged to take your tastings into the shops with you!) The free parking lots and some pathways throughout the complex are sort of rough, so, ladies, I wouldn't suggest wearing heels. Besides, Bernardo Winery has a casual feel to it.
* There's considerable history. The winery was founded in 1889, and a lot of the buildings in the complex are relatively ancient. Also, located just steps from the tasting room is the quaint Rancho Bernardo Historical Museum.
The actual wine tasting area of the tasting room is fairly small with few stations, but we never had to wait more than a few minutes, even when the place got busier as the afternoon progressed. The several tasting room reps with whom we interacted were wonderful and friendly.
I prefer sweet wines, so here are the ones I tried:
* 2009 Riesling ($18 retail bottle): This Riesling has "honey notes and a light finish" and is the winery's signature sweet wine. I liked it very much.
* 2006 Concord ($16): Tastes like Welch's grape juice, which, depending on the taster, could be a good or bad thing. Sweet, sweet, sweet.
* Champagne ($16): Wasn't a fan of this medium dry champagne.
* Muscato Rosé ($20): One of a few wines that the winery imports from Italy. It's described as "blush semi-sweet with a hint of cherry," and I liked it enough to use 2 of my tastings on it.
An afternoon well spent! I'm looking forward to bringing some of my out-of-town guests to Bernardo Winery in the future. -
Review from Lefev J.
Poway, CA
3/31/2011
I hit the winery on Fridays during the Farmers Market. They have a good variety of fruits and veggies, flowers, and misc stuff. There are food vendors, the crepe guy and the tamale lady are our favorites. My son always has to get a sweet corn tamale, he loves them and I have to admit they are pretty good. I usually get the chicken and green chile one, those are good too. They have other random vendors there and they seem to change weekly, we used to buy jam/jelly there but I don't see that vendor there anymore.
I have also purchased bottles of wine from their tasting room, it was good but it gave me a headache so that is a deal breaker for me no matter how much I love a wine. There are all sorts of little stores at the winery, clothing, purses, florist, glass blowing, jewelry, I think there is a day spa type place there, a restaurant and a couple of other little stores.
If you have time to kill on a Friday or even on a weekend it would be a good place to go hang out and walk around. On Fridays it's a good place to bring kids, they have a large grassy field behind the buildings that the kids can run around in and burn off some energy, but it's far enough from everything else that you don't feel over run with little kids. -
Review from kim C.
San Diego, CA
10/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cute little winery! We liked the Burgundy and the rose dessert wine.
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Review from John R.
Oceanside, CA
1/26/2011
My experience has been mixed.
My wife and I stopped in one weekend and enjoyed a tasting and walked around the property and enjoyed feeling so far away from it all (like being in Julian) but knowing it would only be a short drive to get home.
Knowing this I tried to book an event for work at the winery. I still haven't hear back from them 5 months later after contacting them multiple times. -
Review from Kate M.
Spring Valley, CA
1/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
We just used a groupon here for a $8 wine tasting (buy 1 get 1 free) & I'm so glad we did! The place was super quiet on a Monday (we didn't realize the cafe & all the shops are closed on Monday so keep that in mind) but it was nice to have the wine tasting (almost) to ourselves. I hear it gets really busy on weekends though. The atmosphere is amazing; I can see why it's a popular wedding venue.
Linda, our wine tasting helper person (what are they called again?) was awesome & knowledgeable & made our experience great! This was an amazing start to a (rare) day off for the fiance & I and we had a great time!! -
Review from Damon F.
Lemon Grove, CA
8/20/2011
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! These people are ridiculous. The customer service HORRIBLE, my wife and I stood there at the tasting room bar and they didn't even acknowledge our presence. We are a young couple but we spend money when it comes to wine.... Good wine anyway. We felt like outsiders and not welcomed in any way.
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Review from Sandi W.
San Diego, CA
9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cute little winery
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Review from Monique T.
San Diego, CA
12/30/2010
Good - A hidden treasure in my backyard! I have never heard of or seen the winery before. I've driven the route to get there many times. Shame I didn't know about it sooner, I loved this place! I went for my very good friends bachlorette gathering. The sangria was fabulous and the salad I ordered was rather tasty and the wine tasting experience was divine. There was plenty of outdoor seating, the restaurant and shops were quaint and everyone was very helpful. I loved the older deco and not too polished (but clean) look and feel of the place.
A little something for everyone. Some people were dressed to the nines, others pretty causal, dockers,polo's, women in dresses, skirts, slacks and jeans too.
Not so good- The one thing I was not particularly keen on, was pet owners bringing their dogs in the eating area. Now I'm a pet owner and have a "purse dog" who actually sits in a carrier/purse and goes everywhere with me, just not to eating establishments. It wasn't the first time this couple brought the dog in, I assure you. How do I know this? They addressed the well dressed couple by their sir name and the dog by it's name and kindly brought the dog a bowl of water. Come one people not around the food!
I'm going again, because truly I was not put off by the cute little pooch being around, but some people really were (just throwing it out there,fyi). . -
Review from Thu M.
San Diego, CA
9/26/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Very cute little winery hidden away from busy streets and city life. Love the scenery here, there are also a bunch of little shops here (clothes, purses, home decor, restaurant, coffee shop, glass blowing studio, etc.). Wine tasting here is awesome! You get 5 tastings for only $8. Tasting room is decorated very nicely. Selection of wine is pretty good; the stella rosa (imported from Italy, not from their vineyards) and chocolate bar (yes, wine that tastes like chocolate!!!) are my favs.. It's so hard to find stella rosa around here and the one they had was so good. Merlot and Cabernet were good too. Been here 3-4 times, always got great service! It gets a little busy on Sunday afternoons, so try going in the morning or something... it's never too early for wine! ;)
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Review from Amber K.
Poway, CA
12/20/2010 2 photos
I'm proud to be a powegian and have the first winery in SD county be right here in my backyard!
Whenever I visit this tucked away gem, the atmosphere, wine, people, and art are amazing. I was there this past weekend for the christmas nights and showed some out of town guests. They loved the quaintness of the old relics that are showcased, and the barrel tasting room is very memorable. i bought an octopus charm of blown glass from glass blowing studio. A must see! -
Review from Branderin B.
Oceanside, CA
6/15/2011
Pretty grounds. Really good wine. The Cafe Merlot is less than stellar though. The wait is way toooo long. It took us an hour and a half to get out of there and all we ordered was an appetizer...ONE appetizer (the cheese platter). That wait is uncalled for and the fact none of the waitresses apologized and then seemed annoyed after close to45 minutes had passed and I asked where our food was. Just go taste the wine and tour the grounds. Skip Cafe Merlot :)
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Review from Susan F.
Too cute!
I'm ashamed to admit it, but this was a trip to my first winery! But, I'm proud to say that Bernardo was my first ;)
Located up a hilly, somewhat seeming private neighborhood, Bernado was jam packed on a Sunday afternoon. Not so jam packed that we could not enjoy wine, but there were people dancing and wining all around.
Only having a few hours--they close at 5, we opted for the traditional wine tasting for 5 flights for $8. What a deal!
They have about 15 wines on the menu and also a few that are imported from other parts of CA that are not their own.
Their prices of wine were also very reasonable. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly and the wine was delicious. The Burgundy and Cab 2008 were my fave. Their moscato d-asti was also excellent.
I would love to come visit this winery again, but I also must expand my horizons! -
Review from White R.
San Diego, CA
6/13/2011
Second time here to walk around and do some wine tasting. There are some nice little shops in the area, and it's all tucked away nicely in RB. The staff are all pretty nice, and gift shop is always stacked with cool and interesting things. I'm not a huge fan of all their wines, none that really stand out as great to me. I had their sangria at the Cafe Merlot next door, and I wish I would have tasted it first before buying it there. If you don't want to go all the way to Escondido or Temecula for wine tasting, and just want to relax close by, this is the place to go.
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Review from Carmen V.
San Diego, CA
6/27/2011
Rancho Bernardo Winery is the place to go to impress your inland North County visitors from abroad. It is a quaint, charming place, photo worthy. Business owners are very friendly, especially the owner of the only coffee place on site. I just love there and ask for a Mexi-mocha and chit chat with him. I like to hear older people's stories, especially if they are locals. Everybody seem very open for a talk at the winery. I also like to go to the farme's market on Fridays when I can, just for the scenery. Jazz Sundays are also a free gem, whether you want to have a glass of wine on hand or not. A must visit.
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Review from Robin E.
San Diego, CA
4/18/2010
I grew up in Rancho Bernardo and never even knew there was a winery, let alone such a nice one in my humble little retirement town. (Pre-Yelp days), as I was driving through the typical freakishly perfect manicured lawns and rock lawn-filled neighborhood leading up to it, I was expecting to come across a rec center with 5 wine bottles and a bingo tournament. Rather, we were all quite surprised when the landscape changed dramatically into this quaint and charming other world.
Friendly and relaxed staff guide you through 5 tastings for $8 plus keeping the wine glass. And no chinsy one-sip tastings like I've experienced at other establishments (cough...Splash!...cough), the Bernardo Winery hooks you up with a full half glass per tasting! I recommend buying a moderately-priced bottle to share with friends on their outside patio and ordering some appetizers from the restaurant or cafe. Afterwards we headed over to Lake Poway for some paddle-boat action and hiking and had a great time. Enjoy your time well, because those 2 activities combined are pretty much the only unique things to see or do in the RB area, but believe me you will love it!!! -
Review from Fernanda C.
San Diego, CA
5/29/2011
The wine is not good at all and the place is not good either. The live music is very bad with smooth jazz I felt like I was in Macy's.
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Review from Erykah H.
San Diego, CA
6/23/2011
i keep calling to ask a question and the receptionist or whoever keeps hanging UP on me!*RUDE!!!
858-487-1866
JUST RUDE! -
Review from Spencer H.
Durham, NC
6/16/2011
Great wine and a great staff.
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Review from patricia patti p w.
San Diego, CA
1/1/2009
This place is charming and very beautiful scenery wise. It is way off the beaten path if you are a jogger/walker like I am. You have to run through a 55+ housing complex to get here, you later learn that this place was acres and acres of vineyards and a cattle ranch long ago. The owners sold out to the developers who turned the entire area except for this beautiful little enclave of paradise into a weird senior citizen housing development.
The winery is a boutique winery, they do have "some" Bernardo wines but some of their wines are from outside the area. The tastings are very, very reasonable and they have a very lovely patio outside where you can sit and sip. We spent about 3 hours here on NYE after a jog, it was very, very nice and relaxing.
The Merlot Cafe' sells a mimosa that could swallow your entire head regardless of the size of your amazing dome. I recommend only having one if you are driving. The pours at the winery are generous and a great value for 5.00 per glass!!! The tastings are also a great value at 8.00 per tasting such as Whites, Reds or Sparkling. I found the staff to be very, very nice and accommodating.
They do have a Singles Wine Tasting and Social Event about once a month, I imagine that people over 35 and up who are professionals. There is a "cougar" quotient but the coug's I noticed here were like me, married and unlike me... were wearing 1 karat diamond rings with additional bling bling. You will see a fair share of younger women with VERY old guys... well everyone needs love right? :-D! LOL...
All teasing aside, we will definitely return numerous times I imagine, this is a really beautiful place.
