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Melville Vineyards & Winery
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Melville Vineyards & Winery
Gorgeous, gorgeous place. We stopped in Harvest Festival weekend, and were smitten with the friendliness of the staff. Children are welcome, and ours set up shop at a table on the front patio. There were little treats to enjoy with the tasting menus - our favorites were Donna's mini cupcakes, topped with icing and syrah or chardonnay! Donna herself was very friendly, and had also made a batch of m&m cookies for the visiting kids.
We tried the recently released tasting menu, and some of the wines (pinots) did indeed taste very young. While we did enjoy the atmosphere and the wines, the flavor and smoothness just weren't there for us. Even the older pinot we tried was a little bitey.
However, this place is so wonderful for many reasons, that I would definitely stop again and try the wines. I might not buy a bottle, but it's a lovely experience, and there are tables outside at which to picnic.
3.5 stars
Melville is situated on a beautiful estate, it's perhaps the most beautiful vineyard we visited on our trip. Their tasting room is open and bright and has a nice woodsy feel to it. However where it excels in beauty it fails in taste. Perhaps another example of a more corporate winery being schooled by smaller more boutique labels. Their wines were ok..., but they certainly weren't unique.
Recently I reviewed Samsara which uses Melville's grapes it's run by Chad Melville, "Ron Melvilles" son. In every area Samsara blew Melville out of the water.
2007 Estate Chardonnay Vernas "Santa Barbara County (A very pretty yellow toned Chardonnay, easily the best white of the tasting. It has a interesting oily citrus flavor with a smooth sweet finish.)
~4 out of 7 stars
2007 Estate Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills (Chalky and a bit too sweet, with lemon scents and a heavy.)
~2 out of 7 Stars
2008 Estate Chardonnay Clone 76 Inox Santa Rita Hills (Don't have much to say about this white it was boring in every possible way... bordering on really bad in my book. It was way too floral, and lacked any type of finish.)
~1.5 out of 7 Stars
2008 Estate Pinot Noir Vernas Santa Barbara County (A predictable Pinot with flavors of pine trees and nuts, but it was a bit bitter and lacked the smooth finish I love in a good pinot.)
~3.5 out of 7 Stars
2007 Estate Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills (A very pretty deep red pinot with a bright lively nose of figs and strawberries, it also had a spicy back end.)
~4.5 out of 7 Stars
2007 Estate Pinot Noir Terraces Santa Rita Hills (A predictable solid pinot with a smooth respectable yet slightly tanic finish. It has a japanese smell to it, I could smell sandalwood, and sage, crushed peppercorns, and cinnamon. It's rich but again predictable. At 52 a bottle I expect much more from a red.)
~4 out of 7 Stars
2008 Estate Syrah Verna's Santa Barbara County (Spicy!, it reminded me of the herb rack in my kitchen. Nice aromas as well of gunpowder and flowers, flavor wise it was just ok... it lacked the punch of the nose.)
~4 out of 7 Stars
2006 Estate Syrah Donna's Santa Rita Hills (The best red of the tasting, it's a deep burgandy color, with rich dark red fruit flavors and a tangy spicy backbone.)
~4.6 out of 7 Stars
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I LOVE this place!!! I've been to a lot of wineries in this area, and Melville is my absolute favorite. The tasting room and the patio is so cozy. The staff is very knowledgeable and super friendly.
Their chardonnay and pinot are awesome. Every time I visit, I leave with a bunch of bottles. Their small lot collection Pinot Noir is superb. I like how they seal it with soft wax, it adds a little fun to opening the bottle!
If you have time to hang out, I recommend bringing food and have a picnic on the patio. It is SO nice. Sitting on the lovely patio with Melville wine, good food, beautiful scenery and fresh air... life doesn't get too much better than this! (last time, I seriously considered relocating to the area...)
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We stopped in on our way to stay on Lompoc (side note...DON'T STAY IN LOMPOC!) for the night. Melville was right up our alley. We are big syrah and pinot fans and Santa Rita Hills does a fantastic job with these varietals.
The winery is a beautiful modern facility with lots of parking and outdoor picnic/relaxing space. The tasting room was pretty nice, but it was a bit busy when we were there and there wasn't enough counter space. I usually get very put off by overly congested tasting rooms, somehow it has a strange ability to negatively affect the taste of wine. In this case I waited my turn for some counter space and was pleasantly surprised to find a highly attentive tasting staffer who was more than happy to talk with us about their wine.
That's where they shine! The wine was absolutely fantastic! We had the small lot tasting and were treated to a delightful chard, two great syrahs and a pair of mind-blowing pinots. I bought two bottles of the terraces pinot, which, even at the $52 price tag, was excellent. We opened a bottle of it with my sister and brother-in-law over dinner at their house a couple of nights later and (after a few tastes) they decided that they needed to come visit the winery themselves. They cap all of this off with a viognier which drank more like a desert wine than I am used to for a viognier, but it was perfectly timed in the tasting sequence.
I highly recommend stopping in here, although, it's quite a popular spot, so you may need to bring your patience with you...it's definitely worth it.
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After some recommendations from a couple of friends, we decided we had to try Melville. Off the 246, you drive into this tree-lined gorgeous driveway that transports you worlds away from California.
Gorgeous vineyards and a gorgeous Italian style villa that serves as their tasting room. Not too packed but a nice little crowd. You can bring your food here and picnic here with a nice bottle of wine. Our pourer was an incredibly delightful woman. We really got to chat with her for quite some time... learned about her (from Chicago, moved out here, retired, took some wine-pairing and tasting classes and is spending her retirement pourin some good wine!) and she learned a lil about us (she offered us two additional wines off the list in addition to our tasting because we were engaged and gave us some truffles along with it!)
The place is fantastically beautiful and I regret not bringing a picnic basket for ourselves! The whole back veranda was closed off as there was a party of 30 coming for lunch but the whole front patio was open. So coming here with some lunch and cheese & crackers next time! Bought ourselves some Syrah and Viognier to go...
I'll admit, my reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because unlike some of the other vineyards, they don't give away a complimentary wine glass (cheap of me, I know!) and they don't allow dogs.
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I love wineries like Melville that have a great location and wines as well. Melville has both.
I love their reds and whites, but they are a bit more expensive. But always nice to have some good stuff for nicer occasions like this.
It seems like the road to Lompoc is really starting to become popular and Melville is one of the best along I-246.
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came down to the sta. barbara area to check out pinots a few months ago. should've written about this then, now don't remember the exact pours. what i do remember was it was our last wine tasting stop before heading back to sf and i ABSOLUTELY LOVED their small lot production of pinot & syrah. i believe we loved most if not all of our tastings that day. dierberg & melville were my favorite pinot in the area! unfortunately, at this point we spent beyond our means & didn't go home with any bottle which we regret.
will have to come back for some more small lot pinot (or red) wine tasting, figure out which one i love & bring home a couple of bottles! LOVE, LOVE, LOVED their small lot production pinots!!!!
Our Oct 08 wine-day ended here, but almost not so. We were all the way up in the middle of Foxen Canyon Trail when we noticed the time and I pretty much dragged the beau to the car and high-tailed to Melville. Although I was very un-impressed the last time I visited I wanted to be turned around. The restaurant I work at serves this winery's Chardonnay by the glass and it happens to be the favorite of a certain TV sci-fi writer who is often a guest in the lounge.
We arrived to a still fairly busy tasting room. There were about 15 minutes till closing and I was worried we were going to have a similar experience but the gentleman who poured our tastes was pretty much the exact opposite. I wish I could remember his name but alas, too much wine had taken it's femented toll. He did hook us up with a free tasting due to my mentioning I was in the service industry - damn, why didn't I think of that BEFORE our last stop?!?
It's interesting, Melville seems to be trying some new things. The previous Chard I had tried was very California - oaky, buttery, full-bodied. This new edition is more steely, seems to head in the European-style of taste now. As a result I did not love it but the man did.
Most of the wines here are in the higher price range but it's definitely some of the more prettier grounds we visited. This is another one I would suggest buying a bottle and drinking immediately underneath the vine-covered patio or out on the lawn with miles of grape vines in front of you.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/13/2007
Stop No. 2 on our Sunday Wine Tour:
Maybe it was the frat boys who cared more about the baseball… Read more »
***My winery/tasting room reviews are rated based upon many factors. First is QPR or quality to price ratio of the wine. In other words, is the wine priced according to how good it is. The second factor is the tasting room experience. This involves the staff, grounds and anything unique about the winery.***
Date Visited: Late 2008
Tasting room fee: $10, not refundable with purchase
Wine price range: $24-$52
I found Melville many years ago when they were an up and coming pinot producer. They have really made a name for themselves and produce some of the best pinot of the area.
We stopped in for a tasting. Their grounds are beautiful and I love the Mediterranean style villa that serves as their tasting room. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.
We skipped their one white and started on the pinot noirs. We started with their vernas (ok and $24 a bottle) and moved on to their flagship $28 pinot. It is good, but like most of Melvilles wines, they are heavy on the alcohol (over 15%). I feel that this overpowers the wine, though many people call this "big."
We get to try their micro lot pinots, they are excellent and I have some in my cellar. Also poured is their clonal series pinots, which are new. You get to try different clones of pinot noirs (i.e. 777, swan, dijon, etc.). This is an interesting education on the role varietal selection plays in determining the structure of the wine. These are only available as a 6 pack, I gotta watch my budget for the trip so I have to pass.
We move on to the 2006 syrah (Robert Parker rated 93 points). In fact, I am drinking this wine as I write this review. It is an awesome value and wonderful. I now regret not buying more, but I know my local specialty store carries this right now, so I will get it there.
No visit to SRH is complete without seeing Melville so be sure to stop in.
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Revisited winery on my most recent visit June 19. Set up a tasting and tour with the tasting room manager. We were very well taken care of. There had been several new releases since I was there in November... 2007 Terraces Pinot Noir did not dissapoint, was awesome again. The 2007 Carrie's Pinot Noir was excellent too. I loved the estate Viognier and Chardonnay as well. The tour was the most in depth in the vineyard that I took the entire trip. My favorite winery in SB County. Excellent again.
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6/3/2009
Was there last fall. Had the pleasure of dealing with tasting room manager. She's very cool and… Read more »
Beautiful winery, grounds, and very nice servers in the tasting room. Tastings are either $5 for 2, $10 for 6, or $15 for 8. We split the $15 for 8 - ask them to do two pours at the same time so you can compare.
I was not very enthusiastic about their wines; overall they had quite an earthy nose to them, so if the winemaker intended to express the terroir they did well. There was too much stem in the Pinots for me. I'd rate our tasting around 84-87. Overall, it wasn't to my taste (it might work for you, though).
It is better than Babcock. But I won't go back.
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The second stop on the wine tour. We found a table for our picnic and brought the wine out to it. I think this was the best way to taste their wines ... standing the the tasting room would have a let down after our visit to Clos Pepe (more on that later).
The wines were good, I liked them and they provided detailed notes for their tasting wines so we didn't lose anything by bringing the wine to our table. But the best part of our visit was the picnic. The tables are near the tasting building and part of the vineyard. It was a beautiful setting for our meal.
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We had been recommend both Melville and babcock at several other wineries and decided to try them out. By random chance we visited Melville first.
When we drove up we heard a large group of people carrying on rather loudly. We tried t focus on the beautiful building and land. Told ourselves the large group got sent away from the main testing area. We were happily correct in our large group relocation assumption.
In the beautiful tasting room we tried each of the six wines on the tasting list. I love the woman who poured for us though I cannot recall her name. She joined us in complaining about LA traffic, the horrible parking lot at Dodger stadium, adn the giant group acting like fools outside.
We great enjoyed their wines, purchasing the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Voignier with Verna's name on the label. The Viognier is at the end of the tasting list for a reason - see if you can figure it out.
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Update from Harvest Festival 2008 ...
Got to Melville again for the recent Harvest Festival. Once again, was fantastic!
This time they did a pouring of their "single clone" Pinot Noirs. (a fascinating experience of flavors).
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4/22/2008
The grounds are gorgeous, and for the wine weekend they had dessert!
The tastings (at least this… Read more »
we got the hook ups here.. thanks to my sister's friend's momma who works here.. aka our den mother..
Let's just start by saying Melville, was by far, the most gorgeous winery of the 4 that we went to. it really did feel like we were in a villa..
we tried about 9 wines total and there was never a rush to finish up.. the descriptions are detailed, and it's interesting to try to taste all the flavors they talk about. though "crushed rock" was also among one of the flavors listed... im sure i didn't taste any rocks... i think we were all a bit tipsy by that time, so it was nice to sit at the tables outside and enjoy the picnic we brought.. i lost all sense of taste distinction by the time we were midway through... twas awesome.....
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This is my absolute FAVORITE winery in all of the Santa Ynez area. The scenery is gorgeous! The tasting room looks like a villa right in the middle of Tuscany. The grounds around the tasting room and beyond are non-stop eye candy. Gah! I just love this place to pieces.
So, if that wasn't enough to get you here, the wine will be. Melville has by far the best wine selection. They are a boutique winery so you won't see them around in your big grocery store chains, but you will find them at higher end shops like Whole Foods and possibly Bristol Farms here in So. Cal.
My favorite Melville wines are the Pinot Noir (2005 Estate Pinot Noir --- Carrie's) and the Syrah (2004 Estate Syrah --- Donna's). However, their 2005 Estate Chardonnay --- Verna's really knocked my socks off! I'm not a big Chardonnay lover so this came as a total surprise. The wine is light and crisps with a good amount of fruit on the nose. I imagine it will be a good wine to enjoy on a warm day this summer.
The staff here is excellent! They are so knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The tasting is a bit on the pricey side at $10, but the pours are heavy and you get eight tastes.
I can't wait to check out an event at this winery in the near future!
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Great wine, poor experience, poor overall value. It's $10 to taste 4 wines which really isn't much tasting for your money, especially when there's no glass included. Given that they produce a broad array of terroir and clone driven Pinot Noirs, it's disappointing that you'd have to pay $20 to get a decent cross section of these wines by doing both the 'regular' and 'reserve' tastings for a total of 8 tastes.
But this was not the most disappointing aspect of my visit. The pourer completely ignored my girlfriend and I, and made no attempt to discuss the different bottlings we were served. We gathered what we could about the wines listening in while he chatted with other customers, who presumably looked more likely to walk away with at least half a case. We were just a tasting fee to be pocketed; he poured hastily and wanted us to finish as quickly as possible.
I looked at their website afterwards and learned the Clone 115 Indigene was fermented with native yeasts, while the Terraces was a blend of five clones. Would this have been interesting to know while tasting to add context? Absolutely!
The above two Pinots really had great earthy depth and structure to them, and had the staff made an effort to justify their fee by imparting some knowledge, I probably would have made a big ticket purchase. Sadly, they lost a sale and a potential customer in the future. I don't taste or drink solely to get drunk; the experience of trying new wines and learning adds value! Melville does not seem to emphasize this aspect of running a tasting room.
Part II of the Holy Trinity of Santa Rita Hills wines (with Foley and Palmina). I love this place. The winery and grounds are stunningly pretty (I have a bunch of great pictures of myself walking through bushy Syrah grapes). And the wines are every bit as good as advertised. The pinot noir is as good as any Burgundy I've ever had - big, earthy noses, superb balance of fruit and acidity. But what blew me away was the viognier - it really explodes with acidity and fruit in a way I don't usually associate with this grape.
BTW, they have cookout events periodically through the year, where they cook fabulous meals and provide new bottlings for them. If you can swing the drive from wherever, these are not to be missed. FYI: get on the mailing list because you won't get tickets otherwise.
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Some of the best Pinot Noir from CA. Get the Terraces or Carrie. They sell fast so if you go late in the year they probably won't be offering it for tasting but get it anyway. $50 a bottle but it's worth it.
Oh and it's a beautiful little place. Lovely tasting room.
This winery stood out to us for several reasons- beautiful winery with nice grounds and plenty of room to roam around, friendly and knowledgeable pourers.. there's a $10 tasting fee, but I think they waved it if you purchase (shoot, I can't remember anymore).
We fell in love with their Pinot Noirs and went home with 4 bottles...
Highly recommended!
This was definitely one of our favorite wineries in our trip to the SB County. Melville Wineries, from what it appears, has the highest alcohol content on their wines (consistently over 14%), so it will definitely make you tipsy should you gulp everything down (you really shouldn't).
There was an added bonus to our tasting experience. One of the staff members gave us a nice tour of the vineyard, which took about 30 mins. The weather was perfect so it was nice just to go outside and walk around and have them show you the grape vines. The whole experience was amazing.
We fell in love with their 2005 Syrah, which we purchased. It has 15.5% alcohol content. I don't think I'll be drinking this one by myself.
The winery was nice. It was an unexpected find in the middle of nowhere. The staff were friendly and helpful. They actually told us about the local mission (La Purisma Mission - see my reivew) and the town.
However, I did not find the wine to be all that good. It is relatively high in price as well. And for a wine that is not all that special, why spend the money. I have had far better wines that cost a fraction of the price that they charged.
I would not buy the wine, but taste is in the mouth of the taster. So try it for yourself if you happen to be in the area.
Gorgeous grounds with a beautiful Tuscan style building that houses the tasting room and barrel room. Greg Brewer is the winemaker here. There are many different pinots sold here from a Melville estate to various small lot offerings (High Density, Clone 115 Indigene). Chards include the "Inox" with stainless steel aging. Definitely a popular stop on the SB wine tour. Highly recommended.
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Well, the 2-stars is for the beautiful location, however there was nothing more to this place. Again, I was told that the wine was "not ready to drink" (see my review of Hitching Post II) and I still can't figure out why I am paying a tasting fee to taste wine that isn't ready. I did pay my fee and I did taste this wine and either it's just not good or it's going to need to be cellared another 10 years. Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to pay a fee to taste,(I would never complain about that) but the wine must be worth tasting for me to feel good about shelling out my hard earned cash. Do yourself a favor and head to BlackJack Ranch ($12 for 10 tastes...large tastes....so large, it's a good idea to share!) for their Phenomenal Pinots!!!!
Best winery in Santa Ynez area. Beautiful, romantic winery, great setting, and helpful people. My favorites were the 2006 Viognier (great dessert wine), the 2005 Carrie's Pinot Noir and the Vernas Chardonnay. Tasting was $10 for 6 wines I believe. Beautiful wine glasses but you don't get to keep them.
