On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Wineries, American (New), Shopping Centers [Edit]
13330 Paseo Del Verano NorteCome experience old world holiday traditions December 18th-20th 5-8 p.m., holiday lights, carriage rides, Santa, music, & great gift ideas!
Announced 1 week agoMon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Loading...
my dad comes out from NY and we just LOVE this place! their craft shows and shops are fun and interesting and we always spend a bunch. and we had SO much fun doing the wine tasting!
it's SO quaint and definitely "neighborhood" oriented. and we have only had lovely meals at Cafe Merlot...
A real gem, located in a sleepy part of RB. Whether you're looking to wine taste, grab a quick bite, a cup of coffee, or just looking for a place to wander around, explore, relax. The winery contains multiple shops, a cafe, a delicious (though expensive) restaurant, and a wine-tasting bar. One of the best options for a wonderful afternoon: purchase a glass of wine, and then stroll through the vineyards, underneath the old olive trees and sycamores, past the various quaint shops & buildings, and finally find a quiet bench to sit and relax.
We've visited the winery many times now (over a dozen?), and can always count on the place to de-stress, unwind. The perfect in-town getaway.
I am happy to announce that I found a gem. A darling place and so close to home!
It is the Bernardo Winery. If you haven't been here ... you just MUST. It's sooooooo Wine Country HEAVEN!!!
Dining, Cafe, Wine Tasting, Boutiques! It's such a wonderful place for a lil' escape. Or if you have friends visiting ... this is a MUST-SEE!
Nope, you don't have to drive all the way to Temecula...Just go to Rancho Bernardo. Quick and easy.
I got 5 tastings for only $8. Luv'd their Merlot and Syrah. Mmmmmm.
Also, there's champagne. Gotta love the bubbles.
I heard their Savignon Blanc is spectacular, too --- if you are a white wine lover.
I actually went for a special event one Sunday evening with live Swing Music, many people and lotsa wine!
I hope to return EVERY SUNDAY for their Jazz from 2 - 5 pm.
And perhaps, a lil' getaway for coffee one morn'.
Lastly, I wanna celebrate my birthday here. Yep, I'm from Napa Valley and I felt right at home.
Salut!
DO NOT PLAN A SPECIAL EVENT HERE! I must say that the review by Christy is spot on in regards to their special event coordinator Annie. Recently we hosted an event at the Winery against my better judgement. From the very first time we met with Annie, she was bitter, rude, unprofessional and condescending. I am not sure why they hang on to someone who so adamantly dislikes working with people. When we planned the event we specifically told her what we wanted and she repeatedly shot us down and made us feel that it didn't matter what we said because she was going to do things her way, even right down to they type of food that was served. The only thing she was interested in was how much our budget was. I am a business person and understand the concept of professional negotiation and can assure you that she does not. She refused to even quote us a price for what we told her we had in mind until we gave her a dollar amount of what we would be able to spend.
On the date of the actual event she did show up however stuck around for a little while only to talk down to her employees and boss everyone around right in front of our guests. Tact and discretion are definately not demonstrated. In addition, it was very obvious from her gestures, facial expressions and sarcastic tone that she didn't like us for some reason. Things were a lot more comfortable once she was gone.
This is all too bad because the Bernardo Winery has such potential to be a fantastic venue for all types of events. The setting is quaint, wine is decent and overall atmosphere is unique. Such a shame that one person can leave such a negative impression. One that will prevent me from planning any future events as long as Annie is in charge.
One of the best wineries in San Diego. Very cute and quaint little village with an eclectic mix of shops and cafes. I've been here two, maybe three times now.
If you are into white wines.. this place is for you!
If you are into sweet wines.. this place is for you!
If you are into dessert wines.. this place is for you!
If you are into friendly service.. this place is for you!
If you are into cheap tastings.. this place is for you!
Okay, enough of that.. they have a good selection of whites, a few reds, some desserts and a small selection of sparkling and champagnes. I went white all the way and stuck with the sweeter whites rather than the drier whites. A tasting of 5 is $8. I went through my 5 tastings very quickly, so I ended up getting a bottle. I think it was the Moscato D'Asti from Italy, if I'm not mistaken. Very light, a little sweet and a little sparkly. I likey. :)
They have a nice patio area out front and a cafe in the back. We lounged out front and enjoyed trying the different wines and of course the bottle. It was perfect weather, perfect company and very relaxing. I only wished they had a hammock for me to lay out there.. glass of wine in hand. :)
This is by far the only winery I've been to in San Diego, but I am convinced that it is among one of the better/best ones. Oh yeah, free wine glass with your tasting. Sweeet!!
I can't say enough great things about this place. I am in love with it.
My b/f and I went here on a date we had lunch at Cafe Merlot, the food was Amazing the service was hilarious..we had this spunky waitress that made the experience even better.
Then it was off to wine tasting which is $8 per person for 5 tastes. We then Ordered a Glass of Riesling to enjoy out on the patio along with a Great Jazz band that they have on Sun from 2-5.
The property is well kept...romantic and just plain fun with out breaking the bank.
I highly recommend this place to anyone for group fun or a date. :) We will be back soon!!!!
9/19/2009 we had our wedding and reception at the Bernardo Winery. Our wedding was a small intimate affair. Bernardo Winery is one of the very few places in San Diego we found to host a small wedding without being overwhelmed by too much space. We held the ceremony in one the many gazebos that are scattered about the property. The gazebo we chose was in the midst of the shops but at 10AM it was still relatively quiet and our 16 guests fit nicely inside along with us, the minister, and violinist. We could have fit a few more if we wanted.
My friends and I were able to come the evening before to decorate the gazebo with tulle & flowers. A large wedding was going on at the time in another part of the winery. The bride & groom were laughing & smiling while the photographer snapped away. The guests were having an excellent time too.
The next morning I arrived at 7AM to have my hair & makeup done at the on-site beauty salon, which was perfect. They even helped me dress. Since our party was so small (18 total) we held the reception in the Barrel room, which had the bonus of being nice and cool as temperature hit the 90's by noon. The events coordinator, Annie, met me at 9 to let me know that the table flowers had not arrived so she was loaning me (no charge) some large candle arrangements just in case. Also the baker had not seen the flowers for the cake he was supposed to decorate with so she & the caterer decorated it for us. We used Cafe Merlot, the on-site restaurant, to cater our reception. The food was truly wonderful and the service was efficient, friendly, and very helpful.
I received so many compliments on the wedding and reception. Everyone raved about the food and the way the Barrel room was set up. The staff of the winery, the restaurant, & salon helped make our wedding day even more special.
I have to say that Annie was very helpful and incredibly patient, especially with my husband. He was busy driving everyone crazy questioning & postponing every decision I needed to make. She managed to satisfy all his concerns and helped me stay calm & keep everything is perspective. Her help & suggestions were invaluable.
How cute is this place? I brought the parents up here because they wanted to see a winery. The weird thing is, neither of them drink at all.
We got in the car and headed a mere 5 miles north. What a great way to spend the day! There's a tasting room fully stocked with nibbles and you can walk around to the cute little shops in the village with your glass of wine or just lounge and put away a cheese platter. We had lunch at Cafe Merlot which was really delicious. I highly recommend the house salad although I wish they sold the creamy Merlot dressing. My folks each had a half Reuben and soup (lobster bisque or french onion) which they were very happy with. Check it out if you're in the RB area, have a tasting and get your souvenir Bernardo Winery glass!
Great, sweet whites. Guess the temps too hot for whites here, so they have bottles from other areas, but the ones for the tasting are great!
5 tastes for $8. we got a bottle for $15. The prices for soda and food are reasonable, (not overpriced like in temecula). Sun jazz was so much fun.
Just note, no outside food or drink. but there are so many options, you won't have problems. Just an odd location since it's in the middle of a residential area. (because it's one the first winery's in the area. I'm guessing the houses came second).
Has small stores like purse store, jewelry, dollhouse (so pretty!), bakery... and a beautiful area for a wedding. very very nice.
Bernardo Winery really surprised me. The entire experience merits this place 5 stars.
First of all, I rolled up in a shuttle, courtesy of the Marriott, with my boo. They offered the service, so we thought we might as well take advantage of it. So when we arrived, it finally hit us--we weren't in Kansas (San Diego) anymore. Instead, we found a quaint, peaceful square of rustic cottages and buildings. The change in scenery was stress-relieving indeed.
What really impressed me here was the wine flight for only $5. The pourer was very generous, in pouring and sharing her wealth of knowledge. She knew we were pretty much newbs to the wine tasting scene at the time, yet she treated us as valued customers, whereas other servers at some places might even be dismissive and a little condescending. No snobbery detected, and we never felt rushed or intimidated at all.
We left feeling very satisfied over the whole experience, and with a couple bottles of Carignan. Oh, and I also left with a big old buzz, which I hope is not a wine tasting faux pas, but that's how we do. Will visit this place with more people next time.
This place offers a great opportunity to taste wine and absorb the scenery. Nancy was very helpful and answered all of my beginner questions. I have such a better understanding of wine, sulfites, the importance of letting red wine breath, etc...They even gave us a free tasting after using our 5 for $8. ;)
It's in an odd location (middle of a +55 community) but well worth the drive from PB. We didn't taste the gourmet chocolates in the bakery but they looked tasty.
It's a little random, because it's in a little suburb area not that far away from the 15. The place is more a little village, with craft store, a cafe, antique clothing store, jewelry store, as well as a tasting room. There are a few lots, but not too confusing to walk around.
You get a little punch card for the 5 tasting so if you so inclined you can split them up. (Just thought about this... does it mean I have to bring my glass back??) If you get a glass, they fill it up to .5 inch from the rim... getting ur money's worth indeed.
The only grow some of the red wine's varietal at RB, and there's a sister company that does the rest. The rose and the cab were my faves.
The staff was a little confused. One of them was on the job for about 1.5 days so I guess I shouldn't fault her. They use the same aerator to pour all kinds of wine... shouldn't it get rinsed?
The cafe serves a relatively big cheese platter that would be enough for 4-6 for $13.95. Way too much cheese for 2 people. We went with the cheese log in the fridge of the tasting room. They had cheese sticks... like the ones from the grocery store... which was not enticing. The cheese log is cheddar and rolled in pecan... locally made and was okay.
I was a little busy chatting to really checkout the grapes and vineyard, so I'll save that for the next trip...
We love this place. We live nearby and it is hard to imagine that a place like this exists within minutes of our house. We often come here just to walk around the beautiful grounds and unwind. Our son loves the antique farm equipment (he's three) and we love the bucolic scenery. We've only done the wine tasting once. The wines were decent. We often go to the cafe here (the friendliest people!) or the chocolate shop, which has amazing chocolates and champagne cake.
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.
*****Never have a wedding or a special event at The Bernardo Winery***** A friend of mine thought it would be a great idea to have a rustic weeding. !! WRONG!! Besides the bugs, rats and stray animals and all the rusty decor, the special events staff manager apparently hates her job. It's amazing they don't give tetanus shots away at the door. If your going there for wine tasting that's one thing but it would be social suicide to plan your wedding there. You'll be the talk of the town but not in a good way. My friend Joe had his wedding there this weekend and his bride left in tears over the way things went with Annie the wedding coordinator. They said she was unreliable, unprofessional and didn't even show up for the whole wedding. They said she had gone home in the middle of the ceremony. My friend actually asked for his money back from Annie because she performed so poorly. Joe's once in a lifetime event was ruined by The Bernardo Winery and their event planning staff. Don't let them ruin yours.
I didn't really care for the whites or reds that I tasted, but the champagne was excellent.
Not to mention the "Knott's Berry Farm" feel. It's cute, it's quaint, and it's all set up for a wedding. There's a bakery, a lace shop, the winery, jewelry store, salon, photography...you get the picture.
The first thing I like about this winery is the location. It's REALLY close. It took us 20 minutes tops to get there. I thought we were lost, but the winery is actually tucked away in the middle of suburbia. With 13 acres of land (originally there was a few hundred, i think), it's also host to some cute little shops and a cafe. Live jazz music on Sundays. They covered The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" while I was there, which is amazing.
The sweetest woman runs the gallery/custom framing . Her name is Rose, she will make you smile. There's a chocolate shop, and if you're nice, they'll give you samples. Honestly, the customer service was pretty great. Richard took care of us, and made sure we all "tasted" our fair shares.
If I wasn't already impressed, it's completely DOG FRIENDLY.. The cafe had a pet menu, which included apps, entrees and desserts! bow wow wowwww. I'm coming back to the Bernardo Winery again soon, this time with my bitch!
And about their wine? It was alright. I was told the white wine is NOT made there, only the reds. Oh, and they're selling a 1950's port right now at a very reasonable $300 a bottle.
My best friend just got married here and I don't have one bad thing to say about this place. Such a cute little winery. Great place to have a nice outdoor wedding. The staff was great and friendly.
FYI -- My best friend only rented the grass/dance floor area, the covered area, and the little side room for all the girls to get ready in. She didn't rent the little arched platform area (it was extra). She set up the alter (which was actually a wine barrel) at the end of the dance floor and the tables were spread out on both sides of the grass. Perfect for a wedding of around 60-70 people.
My wife and I had a wonderful time at the Bernardo Winery. Nice change of pace, relaxing too.
Relaxing and a change of pace. There are some cute shops and boutiques and I would definitely recommend the cafe merlot!
I think the prior review by Jackie hit the nail on the head perfect. This place is "charming" to say the least. I was pleasantly surprised to find out about this place after attending an appreciation brunch hosted by my parent's financial planner.
So my folks called me out inviting me out to breakfast. I took them up on their offer and ventured out with them that morning. I didn't know we'd be going to a winery and in Ranch Bernardo no less. We drove to the Northeastern outskirts of RB passing up some Multi-million dollar homes. I came to find out by reading some posted articles in one of their stores, this winery goes back to the the prohibition days from early/mid 1900's. It's easy to understand now that these homes were built around the winery throughout the decades.
So after an hour or so dining and schmoozing, me and my folks went to the tasting room. I found this place to be very charming and chill. Kind of reminded of Old Town with it's rustic and laid back appearance. Several little shops to window shop, mainly arts and crafts such as glass blowing and pottery to even a small store specializing in chocolate and other sweets.
OK so...on to the main event. The Wine Tasting. $5.00 for 5 tastes....yep you heard me right. And you even get to keep the complimentary wine glass with their logo on it. They just give you a punch card which will notate how many glasses you've had to date. I only did two because I was stretched for time. I was able to take glass in hand and walk around the complex and shop around.
The first wine I had was a Sirah which was full-bodied and was so-so. I wanted to go for the Merlot originally but for some reason they didn't have any in stock that morning. My 2nd choice was their Cabernet Savignon which had a strong berry taste to it.
Overall good times. Free breakfast, 2 glasses of wine, and being able to spend quality time with the parents just talking, enjoying the the weather, and glass of wine.
I feel this place is my own private getaway. I adore it. Spending time there is grounding; it is the type of place that makes you feel whole. I often take my dogs and grab a glass of wine and let them run around in the field- we love it!
When all is said and done, the wine isn't the best out there. Honestly, it doesn't matter. The patio is wonderful, the servers are super personable, this is the kind of place where you cannot help but feel entirely 'at home'. Not to mention music on Sundays is always packed and tons of fun. Even my nephew enjoyed dancing while we enjoyed some wine and snacks on he patio.
You are bound to be delighted at this place!
Went to a fun wedding here. It was a great location! Pretty views, good layout, etc.
Really pretty and charming. There were rustic and old-fashion decorating touches everywhere (old iron stove with cast iron pots, old trunks, windmill etc) My favorite was a funny statue - it looked like Jesus with a baseball bat. :D
If you want a nice place for a wedding, this is it!
DW really really wanted to see some vineyards while we were in Cali. We got here kinda early on a Sunday morning (we're still on NY time) anyway we were well into our tasting session shortly after 10:30. Not really into reds, we sampled some the whites, dessert wines and champagne and all were pretty good. The stores are quaint, it seems like the perfect place for a wedding. Oh, we also found out that the vines aren't too pletiful in the middle of March. We did see a few vines just barely sprouting out of the ground so all was not lost!
I love this place-- like everyone else said, it's very "charming." We have been to a wedding there in the past, and it is really open and beautiful with an antique feel to it. Today, we took clients there for their engagement session. While Orfila Winery wanted $100 for us to do a (non-commercial) shoot for an hour, the Bernardo Winery welcomed us with open arms... and glasses. There are tons of textures and little locations to photograph, and the staff was incredibly friendly. They opened the barrel room for us without us asking, and everyone was really knowledgeable and helpful. Our clients did a wine tasting, which is a great deal-- $8 for 5 "tastes," which were pretty heavy-handed. We had champagne, which was delicious-- not too sweet, but also not really dry; it was almost more like a wine. Overall, great experience.
I met a friend there on a Friday afternoon. The tasting was awesome. You can't miss $8 for 5 tastes. Most of the wines are imported, yet still enjoyable.
This is a little-known winery in San Diego. It is in a discreet location of Rancho Bernardo, but the petite winery is a lovely place to spend a day.
There is a couple little shops on the premise -- the winery has a little rustic village where you can buy antiques and knick knacks. Unlike wineries in Temecula, Bernardo Winery has been around for over a hundred years. The family owned establishment is steeped in history.
The wines produced at Bernardo Winery are pretty tasty, but I took a liking to non-alcoholic version of the wine. It was flavorful and allowed me to drive home safely.
Small and quaint! Cute and relaxing! $5 for 5 tastings! Who can beat that! The wine was very satisfying after the drive from LA. Came here as one of the bachelorette weekend activities. Stayed across the way at the Rancho Bernardo Inn ~ beautiful area. The boutique shops were cute. One shop had the most beautiful Xmas decorations for sale. The owner had different Xmas themes for her trees. Very creative. There's a beautiful glass blowing shop too. Best of all was the small but quaint Cafe Merlot. Food was delish. Lobster bisque, bruschetta was also delish. Get the cheese platter to go if you're staying at the RB Inn across the way for snack time. They give you plenty for a good price. Very nice and accommodating staff~ great service too! We're coming back and we're bringing our people with us.
This is a hidden gem in San Diego. I don't like going east of the five, but this place is well worth the drive even with these gas prices. This place really is "charming", especially since its been around since 1889. Ever see the movie Sideways where you can't drink Merlot? Now you can, their 2005 Vintage is awesome, it won Silver at the 2007 Temecula Valley Wine Tasting Competition. This place has cute little shops and the wine pourers are very friendly. They really care about the wine and aren't just trying to sell you to a wine buyers club. Orfila winery is close by as well, but not as cool as this place.
I don't use the word "charming" to describe many things, but it really applies to Bernardo Winery! I've lived in Rancho Bernardo for many years and I had no idea this winery existed until I went here for lunch with some friends. It's a very beautiful and peaceful historical place, kind of a rustic oasis among the suburbia of RB. I could easily spend several hours here exploring the grounds and shops. It's definitely worth checking out if you live in the area and need a break from the hectic modern day world. Or just if you like wine, lol.
Today, I needed to get a bottle of white wine to make a pasta sauce that goes with Japanese honshimeji mushroom so I went to Bernardo Winery less than 5 minutes away from home. I love this place because it's so unpretentious and chill, and great wines for very reasonable price. My friend in Bay Area loved the champagne from here, which is also one of my favorites. After a bit of wine tasting, I picked French Colombard. It worked great with honshimeji mushroom.
I lived near here as a teenager but rarely went! Was I on crack? This place is the real deal -- friendly, tucked away, totally cute. Check it out for yourself.
San Diego, CA
Category: Desserts
San Diego, CA
Category: Restaurants
San Diego, CA
Category: Hotels
San Diego, CA
Category: Steakhouses
San Diego, CA
Category: Chinese
Cannot believe I'm livin' closer to 15 than 5!…
Compiling some dog friendly places for myself and…
Many people associate suburban RB with retirement…
