Alice W.
Yelp
Okay.. You pretty little thing. Where have you been hiding?
So this is a newer winery as one can imagine from the few Yelp reviews.
I've come up to the SY/Los Olivos area for wineries and tried several different places, but this is by far... hands down... the prettiest, most chic winery we've been to up here, PLUS the wine is GOOD. (wuuuuuttttt...)
Reservation: Make a reservation online through their website. It was $30 per person and yes you have to pay in advance. I personally loved that it was by appointment only bc we ended up being the only ones there and it was perfect for our group to feel relaxed and hang out (plus with our dog off-leash).
Get buzzed... in: When you get to the entrance, don't miss the buzzer on the left hand side. We missed it and had to back our car up.
Parking: There's a little parking lot. Bc it's by appointment only, there's plenty of parking for you and your guests.
Entry: upon entry, we were each offered a complimentary glass of rose while we waited for our tasting to be set up. That gave us time to enjoy the outside area, soak in the sun, and look at the fields and fields of grape vines.
Building: This place is freaking gorgeous. The building where the tasting happens is so pretty. UGH. I wish I got married here. Outside, there's seating in the shade, and you can look out into the vineyard. There's also a beautiful house across the way... You'll hear more about it during your tasting. :) (Also, FYI... this place can be used as a wedding venue. We asked since we had 2 couples who are venue hunting right now. It hold about 80 guests. There's also the barrel room, which was cool to check out.)
Dog friendly: Yes. This place is dog friendly. When I made the reservation online, I informed them that our dog was coming. They had a bowl ready for him. Bc we were I believe the last appointment of the day (and only appointment at that time), our dog went off-leash and was able to roam around the property. I think it was kind of magical for him.
Wines: We tasted 4 different red wines. I don't think I've had Cab Franc at any other winery so far in this area, so this was a treat. The Syrah was good as well... But my FAVES were the Cab Sav and Rule the Thirds. I actually like the setup here. They pour you all 4 wines, suggest that you try each, and then revisit them and drink at your own pace. I prefer this much more than waiting for others to finish their pours before we have to go back to a bar or flag an employee down to get our next pours.
We literally spent 2 hours here. According to Yelp, this place closes at 4 p.m., but we totally overstayed our welcome by hanging out until 5:30, I think. I honestly don't know where the time went... but we had a blast just chilling, taking photos, drinking wine, and learning about the cool history of the place and the story behind the Brave & Maiden name. Dianna was our wonderful host during our time and she was just amazing!!
Conclusion: I ended up purchasing the Cab Sav ($75) and the Rule of Thirds ($65)... and couldn't resist becoming a member (8 free tastings and 6 bottles). (AH! WHO AM I!?) BUT... This is 100% the best winery we went to up here for wines and ambiance. Def coming back and would highly recommend. I'd love to just keep this place hidden and NOT let anyone know about it, but it's so deserving of all the highest compliments.