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36 reviews for Koehler Winery
36 reviews in English
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Review from Richard K.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Updated - 10/9/2011
Stopped in today for a quick tasting before leaving town. Once again, Koehler hits the mark and continues to get better!
The wines have gotten better, and they added a patio area behind and up the hill.Listed in: Places I go in Santa Ynez
3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/11/2009
Stop #3, and boy has the wine gotten better!! Sauv Blanc was crisp and tasty. The Viognier was… Read more »
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Review from Brian L T.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2011 5 photos
I love the red wines they have here at Koehler. I bought a 2006 Syrah and was was very tempted to get more if it wasn't our first stop of the day. As a boutique winery in which you can't ever buy their wine in a store, their prices were fairly moderate and decent, with a wide selection of estate, reserve, and limited edition wines.
Their winery is very picturesque, has a nice facility, and has a good presentation overall. Would have given it more if our pourer wasn't so harsh on two of the ladies in our group who didn't like red wine. -
Review from Adam E.
8/27/2011
3.5 I would have to say. I had exceptional service but was not totally blown away with the wines I tasted.
Small tasting room. I did walk away with a bottle of Syrah but since I have came here I have enjoyed other places a little more.
I do recommend checking this place out if you are heading trough Foxen Canyon.
I really liked how the drive way was lined with vines. There are some nice photo opts and tasting rooms alway change up the list. I also had a few that were not on the list which were my favorites.
I never take home a glass so I cant recall if there is a glass for all you hoarders ;) -
Review from Lisa A.
Simi Valley, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
It all started in their old, ugly tasting room. Over priced wines with a $10 tasting fee, ugly tasting glasses (can't enjoy a nice sip in an ugly glass), surly staff. This is my grandma's nasty Reunite box wine.
Skip this place unless you want a wine headache. -
Review from Bill P.
Sammamish, WA
4/3/2011
Did she just say that?
We were told that Koehler was a "must-do" during our recent trip to Santa Barbara. They have wine tasting until 5PM. Granted, we arrived at 4:55 and looked forward to a tasting, but no way cowboy. The cute little blond chick (who is paid to pour) said, "It's 5 minutes 'till closing and I'm NOT staying here just so you can have a wine tasting". Did she just say that? I have never experienced such an attitude, especially at a winery. Not sure about the wine, but I am sure about the bad PR. If she worked for me, she would now be among the unemployed. -
Review from Danielle F.
Santa Monica, CA
7/5/2011
Gotta love some of the small wineries in this area. Koehler was a sleeper hit with us! The tasting room was pretty empty compared to some of the other vineyards we went to and although the guy who poured our wine was a bit of a dud (He was sporting melancholy like it was a fashion statement) we were really wowed with the wines. Although high on the price point if you are not a member, this little winery might be worth the stop on your next visit to Foxen Canyon.
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Review from Marthie D.
Corona, CA
2/6/2010 2 photos
OSTRICHES!
Sure this place has some fabulous wines, that could be paired with all sorts of food. For instance, a 2007 Grenache Estate could go with some M&M's or maybe a 2006 Magia Nera Estate that so happens to go well with pizza. The 2007 Syrah Estate could go well with an In N Out Animal styles burger. And did you know a 2007 Riesling Estate could go well with some spicy Indian or Thai food? I wasn't able to actually pair these wines with those foods, but thanks to the dandy workers there, they informed us wine tasters with all the details with what and which. Thank goodness they provided us with a list of the wines we tasted and pens so I could note all the details.
Btw, because I did a wine tour with Wine Edventures, we were able to get some discounts here! So my companions and I scored 3 bottles of their 2007 Riesling Estate for $30! And just so you know, I also liked their 2008 Vioginier. If you like sweet then that will just do it for you :)
Oh yeah.. I said Ostriches earlier didn't I?! Besides the pretty picnic area that looks over their gorgeous vineyard, this winery has OSTRICHES! WHATTT? Yeah.. I never knew vineyards could have ostriches either. Well.. they don't mix their animals with the grapes, but who would of thought a winery could have ostriches?!Listed in: Santa Barbara.. Santa Ynez..…
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Review from Mayumi T.
6/5/2008
The actual tasting room is all the way in the back of the estate and it feels like driving off the beaten path into the country.
- Ambience: Very nice, lush and beautiful. OMG they have Emus... wtf. They came up to us and started making scary noises.
- Service: Not that great. The people working there seemed like jerks and didn't take kindly to questions.
- Wines: The wines were pretty good. We especially enjoyed the Magia Nera (Sangiovese & Cab mix).
- Winery: Not too much to look at or do in the tasting room. Seemed a little uncomfortable. -
Review from Kevin A.
11/12/2007 3 photos
SIDEWAYS WEEKEND: STOP #4
This is the place to stop for emus and attitude.
Here's a quick synopsis...
Property: Beautiful! (see my pics)
Wildlife: Crazy emus
Wine: Good (nice, spicy syrahs)
Service: Awful (the guy working the tasting was a total dick...)
If I want to taste a couple of wines without doing a full-blown tasting before I buy a bottle (which I did), don't give me attitude and say, "wow, you're really asking a lot of me". Dick. One star deduction for what is otherwise a good winery.Listed in: Sideways Weekend
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Review from Alfred D.
Burbank, CA
4/1/2009
Stop # 6 - Friday, Santa Barbara Wine Trip
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Time is running out on my little trip..........it's about 4:10pm and most tasting rooms wrap it up at 4:45pm (but you can purchase until 5:00pm).......I ask my co-wino, "Well babe, is that it or do want to head back to Burbank?" I looked into her eyes........she looked done, she looked at the time and she said the magic words............."WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE!" We were like warriors that savor the taste of battle......the taste of WINE!!!!! We looked at our wine map and Koehler was right down the road.
The grounds look very Mayberry-like. A lot of grass and outside tables. Off in the distance in a adjacent area we saw.............an EMU and a RAM.........Yup, an emu and a ram! Wow....pretty cool! But we needed to taste the vino!
I like Koehler's tasting room.....it's very inviting and uses old medieval looking doors for the counter. It felt very Monty Python In Search of The Holy Grail.............So we taste some excellent Viognier, Cab and Syrah.........But the wine that kicked ass was the 2005 Magia Nera! It was just an excellent blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese! It was probably the best I had all day. The guy that helped us was a funny and knowledgeable dude...and made the experience at Koehler....just right.
I would give Koehler 5 Stars just for the Magia Nera. But the other wines as good as they were......just dropped a bit compared to the Magia Nera so I give it 4 Stars.
So we just beat the deadline and off we go........and wave bye bye to Mr. Emu and Mr. Ram.......or ms. or whatever they were.........bye!Listed in: My Little Wino Getaway to…
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Review from Joe B.
8/2/2008 1 photo
A friendly, cozy, old-world winery in the middle of the Santa Barbara County wine trail, Koehler actually got me to buy a white wine. Normally I'm only into reds unless it's a nice hot day and I'm outside, which was just the case here. I ended up buying the Viognier, a big, buttery, floral, sweet, bombastic wine that you really have to try. The Magia Nera Super Tuscan blend was notable as well.
The old-world feel comes from the rustic wood table made out of old timbers from a local barn that have been strapped together with studded steel. The table here looks like a castle door. And what's behind that castle door is regal indeed . . .
And the 5-star rating? That's for all this AND just a $8 tasting fee for the reds plus the Viognier rather than the local standard of $10. :-DListed in: Central Coast Wino Tours!
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Review from Joshua Y.
Santa Monica, CA
9/6/2010 1 photo
Koehler is a smaller winery that produces about 5000 cases of wine per year and they exclusively sell from their tasting room or online. You won't find their wine in a store, so stop here for a tasting to see why they're so exclusive.
Dan is a "fun" host who makes sure you enjoy a laugh with your wine, which probably makes the wine taste better too! I also appreciated that he "educated" the tasters on the variety of Riesling ... there are many dry Rieslings offered in the world in addition to the typical sweet.
The 2006 Magia Nera Estate was my favorite, a 65% Sangiovese & 35% Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
Before you come to Koehler, stop by the store and get some snacks. Then head on over to do a tasting with Dan, buy a bottle of your favorite and enjoy the scenery at this great find.
p.s. If you want to learn more about the "depth" of the Riesling and its classfication, check this: http://en.wikipedia.or... -
Review from Sal M.
Los Angeles, CA
9/29/2010 2 photos
This place has lovely landscape of course, with all the vineyards and the way their roads wrap around them. The tasting room is much smaller then other wineries but does the trick. I did feel that they serve you wine and kind of hurry you up along the way, at least that is how I felt, since some servers were not really selling the product, not sure what that was all about, I know, but I will leave it at that...
Tried the following wines:
2008 Viognier Estate - It was okay for me, but would not be my choice to buy a bottle
2007 Pinot Noir - Tasted really good, but I think that is the standard in Pinot Noir...
2007 Sangiovese Estate - Way to dry for my taste buds
2006 Syrah Reserve Estate - Really good, but by this time, I was just sipping to finish
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - I think it was good, flat out buzz by now.
They give you the Logo Glass for $10 bucks, not bad I think. So if you find yourself along the road that leads to this winery, check it out and enjoy some of their wine.
Cheers -
Review from Tomas P.
7/11/2008
$10 for 6 tiny sips of mediocre wine? I don't think so. This place has a huge stick up its you know what and think they are way better than they really are. I've unfortunately gone here twice now cause I've been in the area and each time I have left feeling ripped off.
It's always the same guy serving wine too. He gives you so little wine because he wants to keep most of it for himself! You'll see what I mean!
And what is up with Santa Barbara wineries thinking that I want to keep their stupid glasses? I don't need a glass, just bring the high cost of your tasting fees down. Sideways is the best thing that ever happened to this place. It would be nothing without it. -
Review from GrilledCheese U.
Orange County, CA
3/9/2009
This was my 2nd visit to Koehler Winery. My first visit was less than memorable but this one was definitely a much more pleasurable experience. The grounds it self is nice, simple and another review put it... a nice place to have a picnic
I'm very much a Rhone style wine drinker and I must say Koehler has produced a wonderful Viognier. The 2006 Viogner was very refreshing and clean burst of summer stone fruits & melon. I would say that this is a white wine for red wine drinkers, well balanced with sophistication. Rather than the traditional Pinot, Chardonnay or Sauv. Blanc, the 2006 Viogner would be a very nice alternative to accompany your Thanksgiving Dinner... it's also light, slightly sweet, with mineral undertones that it makes for a great summer wine.
Although made more so in an Italian style the 2005 Magia Nera
is a marriage of Cabernet and Sangiovese. The wine it self is smooth with soft tannins. A mark of a good wine is that it drinks well on it's own and with food; winemaker mission accomplished.
The 2006 Syrah was well made, it was earthy, well structured with good raspberry & cherry flavors. My only issue with the wine is the alcohol content. The 2006 Syrah bosts a 15.5% alcohol content, which seems a little high for this wine. Over the past year the fruit has been picked a little later in the season. This has caused the sugar content in the grapes to be a little higher and in turn alcohol content is a little higher. I'm not sure if this a trend or the nature of the growing season however, a Syrah with 14.5% alcohol would me a little smoother. -
Review from Matt M.
Atlanta, GA
6/3/2009
Was there last November. Great little area of Foxen Wine Trail. The drive from Los Olivos is as scenic as it gets. Koehler is a simple, yet scenic property. The tasting room was pretty non-descript.
We were the only ones there, but the pourer guy seemed a little put off that we were there (hint- You work in tasting room- you might have to deal with people).
I liked the wines- the Sangiovese/Cab was the winner. We bought 2 bottles as gifts. Everything else was good, but not overly memorable. You get a glass with the tasting. -
Review from Christa C.
Valencia, CA
4/11/2007 11 photos
Emus! They have Emus! What's an emu you say?! I'm not sure but they are quite funny...especially after you've got a good buzz going on!
We pull up to this winery and first notice the duck crossing sign. Too cute! Then we notice the cute grounds with a great picnic area under massive trees and a lovely porch surrounding the tasting room.
Inside we are treated with a great selection of wines. Our favorites were the 2006 Riesling and the 2005 Syrah. Figures... since these tend to be my favorite wines! But seriously, they had an awesome and most consistent selection of wines of all of the wineries we had visited so far.
On our way out we made friends with the kitty cat...then on the way to the car we see the emus. Well, the hubby saw the emus. By this time I'm getting quite buzzed and couldn't see them because they were blending into the hills. We got up close and I think they were wondering just who we were as much as we were curious about them! You have to see the pictures I've posted! They were fun!Listed in: Santa Ynez Wine Tour
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Review from Janet B.
West Hollywood, CA
3/29/2010
This place had some great wines, but seriously it had the best Reisling I have ever had.
Ok, ok. So for the wine conoisseur or the professional sommolier, they would probably laugh at this statement and tell me that I know nothing about wine.
However, my taste buds were so happy after receiving this tasty sip. It's sweeter than most wines and that is probably why I loved it so much. Say what you want conoisseurs, but all of the ladies were happy and willing to buy a bottle after that sip.
The staff there is very funny, cracking jokes, not taking themselves too seriously. basically, down to earth and not pretentious. I loved it. Pick up a bottle of Reisling if you're ever here. -
Review from Christine P.
Los Angeles, CA
11/18/2007
My friends and I decided to go wine tasting one weekend, and Koehler happened to be the first stop. We had an excellent experience here, so either Stephanie N. came here on an off day, or we came on a rare good day. When we arrived around 12:30, our friendly server, Aida, informed us that it was 2 for the price of 1 wine tasting until 2 PM, so we only ended up paying $4 each for 6 tastes. I normally don't drink a lot of whites, but I did enjoy the riesling, and Aida informed us that if we wanted to try a wine again, the proper way to ask was to say to her, "I'd like to revisit the _____." Hahaha! Aida was great.
On top of that, outside of the tasting room was a table with different chocolates that were meant to be drank with the reds. Whether they matched up with my wines or not, I don't know, but the candies were quite delicious. If you go, I highly recommend the pumpkin truffles. Also the 2 women who were at the chocolates stand were really nice as well and gave us a few extra pours. I think my friends and I ended up hanging out here for at least an hour, and I'm really glad we started off our day here. -
Review from mona m.
Victorville, CA
3/10/2010
My friend wanted to stop off at Koehler towards the end of our wine tour. I couldn't have cared less but so glad we stopped in.
I loved their viognier and I generally don't like white wines. I brought home a bottle of it and the riesling for my mom. Both were a great hit with the family and friends.
I'm considering joining their wine club. -
Review from Amanda G.
Los Angeles, CA
2/11/2009 2 photos
I've been to Koehler twice now and have really enjoyed it both times, so I'm sad to see so many bad reviews of the service and the wine - both of which have been stellar both times I've been. Of all the wineries in the Santa Ynez/Los Olivos area that I've vistied, this winery has consistently had the friendliest pourers. They've always chatted us up about where we're from, etc., and have been knowledgeable about the wine, which I appreciate (since I know almost nothing myself).
Both times my fellow wine-tasters and I got the $10 tasting to share, which includes 6 wines. You can also do a little bit more expensive tasting of 3 wines, but *fun fact* you can substitute one of the wines from the more expensive list for one of the ones in the regular $10 tasting. The second time around our pourer was a spunky middle-aged woman from somewhere in England who entertained us with her descriptions of the wines we were tasting, ending a few of her speeches with, "now THAT'S fun in a glass!" She ended up letting us try a number of wines that were not on the regular tasting menu, of which we bought a few bottles; I always love getting more than I paid for!
As for the wine, my friends and I bought the most wine of the whole day here. In my opinion, Koehler has the Riesling to beat; I've not had better at any of the other area wineries I've been to. They have a $30 for 3 bottles deal, so my friends and I split 6 bottles. Their Voignier was also great, and we liked one of their Pinot Noirs as well. Overall they had the best wine of the day as well as the best pourer; I think when we go back, Koehler will be the must-visit winery on our list. -
Review from Steve W.
Los Angeles, CA
2/12/2011 2 photos
A great little winery that has a very helpful and friendly staff. Funny that after the visit that I want to select my wine first and then select the food I want with it !
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Review from Stephanie N.
Clearwater, FL
1/29/2007
OK, grant it, this was the last winery on our stop and our group had a bit too much alcohol in them already - especially for a group of low tolerance asians... but service was not so hot and it was a very small place. Pretty cramped, but the snack was yummy to munch on. Dont' ask me about the wine - I was DD. No drinks offered to us :(
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Review from Kasey E.
Los Angeles, CA
3/6/2009
Not a bad experience but nothing that really stands out either. The wines were drinkable but I've driven by countless times since my first visit and nothing has compelled me to stop in again. Save your time and you blood alcohol level and keep driving, better stuff in either direction.
Listed in: California Wineries A-Z
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Review from Seth O.
San Antonio, TX
8/30/2010
Good but not amazing. Fun time but had much better wines around the town
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Review from Scott M.
Los Angeles, CA
6/9/2007
Small and very friendly winery with a good tasting selection. I still don't like paying for a tasting but at least it was credited back on the case of tasty Pinot made with grapes from Santa Maria I purchased.
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Review from Jun W.
Alhambra, CA
11/9/2008
They have two different flights here, one you keep the glass, the other you don't, which I do not understand. We had the second flight with the two different pinot noirs, which were pretty good. The service was ok. Not the friendliest.
Listed in: Santa Barbara Wineries
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Review from JENNIFER N.
Huntington Beach, CA
4/19/2011
this is a nice tasting room along Foxen Canyon Road. the staff seemed very knowledgable about the wines. the sauvignon blanc was a standout.
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Review from Tracy T.
Redondo Beach, CA
9/2/2008
This was the last stop of my SB wine tasting trip (a few years ago), which usually means I'm too tired to care, but Koehler was great! Bought a Reisling that I enjoyed a lot.
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Review from Helen C.
7/3/2007
Great winery with friendly staff who give big pours, and lots of great full-flavored reds. The Magia Nera was outstanding and very different in a good way. I would definitely make a return visit to get another bottle.
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Review from Karen C.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2008
I have never seen an Emu before. Pretty cool that they have one here. Their wines were delicious but expensive. Nice to taste.
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Review from Paul W.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2008
Nice place, nice wines, especially one of their pinot noirs. Not cheap, but definitely worth visiting and tasting here.
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Review from Katy M.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2007
Fantastic cabs and a lovely setting make this one of my all-time favorites in the Santa Ynez Valley. In good weather, you can enjoy your tasting at the outdoor bar overlooking the vineyards and the Santa Barbara mountains beyond. Although there were no amazing deals this time (unlike a few years ago when I scored a case of super-delicious 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon for $9 a bottle), we quaffed a lot of good reds and carted off a number of great bottles. A not-to-be-missed stop on the Sideways tour (but please, leave the Humvee limo down the road - so cheesy!)
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Review from Patrick F.
Ventura, CA
3/29/2010
Crappiest winery in the area. The two fat guys that serve wine in the tasting venue are rude, grouchy, whiney little B14tcH3s ... so much so that my group of 12 and I walked out before they poured the first glass. Hey fat guys ... if you hate your job so much, GET A DIFFERENT JOB!!! I will never go back ... and I am sure that they could care less.
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Review from jessica t.
New York, NY
5/12/2008
Wonderful Picnic spot if you are in the mood for a picnic! The wine was pretty good, and I enjoyed the tasting room very much. The guy who poured was not cool, nor did he tell us anything about the wine. He was so rude. If the staff was on point, I would have thuroughly enjoyed the tasting!
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Review from Steve B.
Beverly Hills, CA
5/15/2008
We've been fans of this winery for about 6 years and unfortunately have seen the wines decline in quality. If you can find a bottle of the 2001 reserve Cab it is awesome! But the location is great. Staff for the most part is not helpful or friendly, however we have not been there for about 6 months
