Koi Zen Cellars

I wanted to give a shout out to Koi Zen Cellars! My husband and I have been members for years. They are family run, and both their urban winery and wines are award winning! The owners Darius and Lisa make coming in like visiting old friends. I highly recommend checking it out if you live near or are visiting the San Diego area.

Great winery. bought a splash of Zinfandel with bold tannins. Cozy tasting rooms, you can bring your own snacks. . cheese, sausages, fruits.. good place to sit and visit with friends. i Bought a dark chocolate truffle. i enjoyed my evening.

Such a great place to go relax with a glass of wine! The owners and staff are very friendly and helpful. We love this place.

Koi Zen makes excellent wine including varietals like petite verdot that you don't see too often. I highly recommend them. Their wines are delicious.

Excellent wine, good atmosphere and Darius and Lisa are very friendly.

Some really nice wines, and an extremely pleasant place to meet while savoring some of them.

Winery in an industrial park, that was unexpected. Small, but nice interior. The one business decision, not to sell/serve any non alcoholic wine, seems very out of touch with today’s sensibilities. I had called ahead regarding the wine issue and they refused to allow us to bring a bottle of our own. Two of our group of seven do not drink alcohol. They could have simply had an uncorking charge, we’d would have happily paid it. I guess they are more concerned about their wine snobbery, than they are being great hosts and making everyone feel welcome and truly enjoying the evening on par with their friends. We were there to listen to a great blues band, but our friends couldn’t participate in the celebratory atmosphere of hoisting their glass of wine, multiple times throughout the evening. With such a non inclusive atmosphere we won’t be back. Besides, the expensive Cabernet Sauvignon was of the poorest quality.

Outstanding wine and proprietors of this wonderful winery. Richly rewarded over the years for their great wines, they also provide a great space to enjoy your wine and a cheese plate, or some live music some evening, or a crafty fair. Many events are hosted here. Kind people and good times. Highly recommended.

I wanted to give a shout out to Koi Zen Cellars! My husband and I have been members for years. They are family run, and both their urban winery and wines are award winning! The owners Darius and Lisa make coming in like visiting old friends. I highly recommend checking it out if you live near or are visiting the San Diego area.

Service is great, friendly. They make their own wines here, been open 10 years, and a hidden gem in the RB area. Relaxing environment , and space can be reserved for book club and such. They also have club memberships for wine bottles and tastings. Wines are tasty and prices reasonable for small batch production. Really enjoyed their 2019 Petit Petite and 2022 Barbera. And enjoyed each story behind how they came up with the names for the some of the wines.

An amazing local wine cellar! Service was amazing and it is so relaxing inside. We stopped in one afternoon and it was such an amazing experience. Truly a new favorite of mine in the area, cannot recommend it enough.

Great hidden gem! Fabulous array of wines to taste and the vibe is relaxed, warm and inviting. Bonus, on the weekends they have live music to enjoy while you sip your wine. Unfortunately the kitchen was not open on our visit but we look forward to going back and trying the food offerings

Great music and service! Excellent wine & atmosphere make Koi Zen a great winery to go to!

Saw live music here one Sunday, which was a lot of fun. The wine is pretty good overall, we settled on one of their white wines. Had an excellent time overall

Lovely place and very friendly owners. Had a great time with girlfriends while playing Bingo and sipping on wine. We will definitely be back

Koi Zen is a great little escape from reality. We stopped by on our way Wednesday to the grocery store to pick up some last minute items for Thanksgiving dinner. It was so crowded everywhere it was nice to sit, chat and enjoy a glass of Cab and some chocolate. Koi Zen has various activities throughout the year (upcoming shopping for small business Saturday and a ceramic wreath making class on Sunday). The location is great, small business area but very peaceful and tranquil when you walk inside. The staff is always so welcoming and nice and their wines are great (I am more of a red person but their others are tasty as well). They sell little snacks like chocolates that were really good and have different wine themed gifts if you want to enjoy a glass while doing some light shopping. Great place, well worth checking out!

Koi Zen Cellars is a great wine and event go to for delicious wine, bingo, live music venues, classes on wine and dinners. One of favorite places to frequent.

Lovely urban winery tucked in an office park. Upon entering, you'll be transformed into a wonderland. From comfortable tables and couches, to the barrel room in the back, you'll feel at ease. Service was wonderful - so warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable. Lovely place to share a bottle. The wine was bold and expressive. Perfect pairing with the provided chocolates and breadsticks too. They even offered us a pen and sticker. Would certainly return.

Super cute find! In an industrial area so kind of hidden but great find. We did the wine tasting and enjoyed all of them. Ending up taking a bottle of the rose home! The lady behind the bar I forgot her name but begins with a N might of been Natalie or Natasha sorry! She was amazing tho great service and great recommendations. They were having trivia that night and had a full house!

Wonderful place. Wine is very good. Good place to relax after work and enjoy an excellent glass of wine.

Went back for a visit when we were in San Diego. Koi Zen is still rockin it!!! Their new Cab is fabulous as are many of the other new wines. The fact that they source their grapes from different vineyards and areas gives an amazing variety every time we visit! We stocked up on our favorites as we know they will sell quickly! Nicely done Koi Zen!!

Wonderful cozy winery! They focus on mainly reds but they had a few whites that were pretty good. They only have indoor seating but it's a good amount of space. You can do 6 tastings for $20 or buy by the glass or bottle. They rotate the wines on their tasting pretty frequently too. The grapes they have are all sourced from different areas in California (paso Robles, Santa Barbara, lodi, etc.). While the wine was good, the service is really what makes this place so great. Everyone is super friendly and the owner also was walking around saying hi to people. We liked the wine and atmosphere so much we became wine club members! Excited to come back.

What a hidden gem! My husband and I shared a bottle of zin and it was very good. The service was great and very friendly. They let us try and explained the difference between the zins. Nice live music on Thursday! We will be back!

Small winery in Rancho Bernardo. Who knew? It's in the back of a business park. I got the symphony crescendo sparkling wine. I have had a few of their wines and the majority are good.

Winery in an industrial park, that was a little unexpected. Small, but nice interior. The one business decision, not to sell/serve any non alcoholic wine, seems very out of touch with today's sensibilities. I had called ahead regarding the wine issue and they refused to allow us to bring a bottle of our own. Two of our group of seven, do not drink alcohol. They could have simply had an uncorking charge, we'd of happily paid it. I guess they are more concerned about their wine snobbery, than they are being great hosts and making everyone feel welcome and truly enjoying the evening on par with their friends. We were there to listen to a great live blues band, but our friends couldn't participate in the celebratory atmosphere of hoisting their glass of wine, multiple times throughout the evening. With such a non inclusive atmosphere we won't be back. Besides, the expensive Cabernet Savignon was of the poorest quality.

I love this place! I've been to a lot of wineries in a lot of different locations. This setting is a little different, in an industrial park, but who cares? The wines are great, the people are sweet, prices are fair, the ambiance is comfortable, and they offer snacks! There is nothing Not to love. I think I'll go back today!

Amazing staff - super knowledgeable and attentive. Such a hidden gem. Although they don't serve food, the board they have available is sizeable. Wines were lovely. If you're a Yacht Rock fan, you'll love chilling on the couch in the zen room or by the Koi Pond.

Decent little spot in an area that needs some wine tasting rooms. Unfortunately, service has declined since signing up as a member here...which ended this evening. When we first started out here they had some great service and entertaining folks serving up their wines! Tonight, they posted (buried on their website) that their hours open to the public would only be until 5:30 tonight due to a private event starting. So, we hustle down there and show up to pickup our monthly bottles around 5:10, couple staff members were present, one single other customer was at the bar asking a few questions when we walked in. Server asked if we were with a private party coming in later this evening, we said no just here for our monthly pickup and to grab a glass of wine. We were able to grab our bottles but with 20 minutes until their private party was to begin we were told we couldn't be served. What a waste of time to head down there to be turned away. Time to find a new spot to join up at!

This is a surprise finding in an industrial center! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the wines are excellent. Our favorites are the Zinfandels - rich and fruity and delicious. it is a bit of a drive for us, but we will be back!

Definitely a warm and welcoming winery to come sit and enjoy. I attended their 8th anniversary celebration and the owner, Darius, was such a gracious host. He said, "I think your gonna like this one," and he was right. The crowd came for a good time and all enjoyed themselves. Thank you Koi Zen for an afternoon of good wine and good people.

Cute spot. Stopped in with my boyfriend for our first visit - we've been meaning to drop in for a while since it's so close. Well, we finally decided to and there was an event going on in the room below the tasting room. The tasting room was still open and people were in it but no one was behind the bar. We waited, and waited... looking at the merchandise, tried to find a menu but none was to be found, watched the events pop up on the tv, and no one came over. Funny, because there's a side saying that you're on camera walking in, so we must've been seen. Anyway, someone FINALLY walks over, behind us, goes into the back, saying nothing to us, and comes out and walks behind us once again to go back to the event without saying a word. If you cannot manage an event and a tasting room, close the tasting room. We left and will not be back. Horrible service.

Wineries that don't have all wines available for people to try at the cellars weird me out a bit. The one we were interested in isn't available as a taster or a glass and we had to buy the whole bottle. That made me really uneasy bc we didn't like any of the ones we tasted. I tried a white, rose and red. Our options were quite limited so we went with the pinot grigio which was the best but only available by the bottle. The rose was actually super weird to me. Kind of tasted like makeup or something. I wasn't a fan. The winery is in the middle of nowhere similar to breweries on Miramar and was packed. The crowd is definitely much older here.

Cool locally-owned winery. The owners, Lisa and Darius, are helpful and treat everyone like family. The entire KZ crew is the same and greets all with a smile and a wealth of knowledge about wines. The wines taste amazing and are made in smaller batches. They also hold special events to support surrounding neighborhoods. Koi Zen offers live music at times and also a membership option, which I suggest. If you've missed this unique winery, you have to stop and check them out.

Awesome winery in the business district of Carmel Mountain Ranch! I was surprised when I found out about this place because I did not know such a place existed so close to me. So cool! They are very safe during these times. Tables are spaciously set apart. & clean! I did a wine tasting & everything that I tried was nice & refreshing! I cannot wait to come back when they do live music & to bring my pup when they are not bottling.

We came here to redeem a promotion - 2 flights for the price of one ($10). The pours were okay for the flights, we have seem more generous ones at other places. Pretty crafty place within a industrial area. We did kind of wish it had outdoor seating as it was such a beautiful day, though the area we were in felt kind of private with the grapes backdrop. Merchandise was scattered throughout the store. While trying the flights, I found Riesling and the Symphony were my favorites. I now know my preference is whites rather than whites. Mr. W preferred the Symphony for whites and the Syrah for reds. For the dessert wines, Muscat Canelli Ying tasted like sugary goodness of a moscato. Ruby Red Yin tasted like a dessert brandy. Some knowledge absorbed during our visit here: Staff was very informative and knowledgeable in letting us know more about their process. Takes about 18 months for reds. Reds are more earthy and alcoholic due to the way that they are made. They are stored and fermented in French Oak Wood. 6 months for whites. Whites arent as stable as the reds. They are more light, crisp and refreshing tastes. Almost like you're taking a bite of a crisp apple. Mr. W was disappointed in the pond as there was no real Koi fish but a rubber one. There was one bathroom and looks like a kitchen/storage room in the making. Decent spot. Okay area to grab a drink and talk. Looks like they have trivia night on some nights.

Their wines are very good -- surprisingly very good for a small and local operation! The tasting room is actually a couple rooms, with two tasting bars for when it gets busy. It's a comfortable layout with furniture spread out among the little rooms that make up the two adjacent business park addresses. The staff is kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. When I stopped by a month ago they were in the process of crushing the grapes, and they offered me a taste of what wine's like right at the end of fermentation. I always enjoy expanding my perspectives and knowledge into the vast world of wine, and they make it a fun, tasty, and yes, informative experience. And yes, I signed up for the wine club that day. My only complaint is that I wish they were in my neighborhood.

My wife and I stumbled upon Koi Zen about a year or two ago to support an event that my mother was hosting at the winery and quickly fell in love with the place. We're both wine drinkers and have visited several wineries through California and Arizona, but Koi Zen is only one of two wineries that we've actually joined memberships with. It's a small, but very nicely laid out winery quietly tucked back in the Carmel Mountain industrial park and their wines definitely do not disappoint. The staff here is always friendly and despite only seeing us every couple months, they always seem to recognize our faces when we walk in. About two months ago I met a friend here who also enjoys good wine and he ended up liking it too and also established a membership. I always look forward to picking up my wine from Koi Zen, or just dropping in for a glass of wine on a weekend afternoon. I would highly recommend trying Koi Zen regardless of how often, or not you drink wine. It's not just the wine that makes this place special, but the environment and the people that make it all happen.

Super chill tasting room and tonight is live music! My second time here and I love it! Thanks Lisa for being a great hostess! Lovely wines, amazing variety. Not a chard person, this one I like. Pretty sure I need to be a member :) FYI a little hidden, over by the Costco in Carmel Mountain.

What a fun place! Off the beaten path -- delicious wines -- reasonable wine club -- fun local entertainment "events" Knowledgeable tasting room staff, pleasant ambiance. Ample parking and it's business park location make this tasting room and retail establishment easy to access. We plan on visiting again ... and again ... and again!

This is a nice tasting room (in a business complex) near San Diego and makes for a fun evening tasting wines and/or hanging with friends. The wines were good (not great), but the workers are friendly, and you gets 5 tastes for $10 which is about as good as you can find. Worth a trip--you'll have fun.

Koi Zen Cellars is a beautiful venue! I had a comedy show there last week and we had about 45 people in attendance. Lisa was so accommodating to all of the guests, rearranging seating so that everyone was comfortable. The space is beautiful, the wine was fabulous and those that had the cheese plates said they were just delicious! If you are looking for a place to just enjoy some wine- this is it! If you are looking for a bit of entertainment along with your wine- check out their event schedule! We will be back as often as our schedule allows!

I can't believe I've never rated Koi Zen before (but have voted for them in San Diego's Best multiple times.) This hidden gem in a industrial neighborhood of Carmel Mountain is an absolute favorite of mine. The owners are very welcoming, all employees are knowledgeable, and there is truly ample seating everywhere. Koi Zen hosts tons of really cool events, one of which was sponsored by the San Diego Humane Society. Reps from the SDHS came in with baby kittens to cuddle with while Koi Zen printed special labels on some bottles and sold them while giving (forgive me if my % isn't correct) something like 50% of all sales to the SDHS. You can't get any better than that! Except....you can because their wine truly is delicious!!

What a neat place to grab some wine and unwind with some friends. Koi Zen has a super friendly and helpful staff. They have tasters os wine available. Full glasses and bottles. Its a great place for group or an individual to go to and hang out. If you want you may purchase chesse and crackers. We ordered some goat cheese and crackers. It was delicious. They have a small water fountain area in the main sitting room. And it has Koi swimming in it. Thats a nice touch! Do not worry about parking, there is plenty of parking available in the lot. Or at least there was when I went to Koi Zen. There was a neat pairing special called Ying n Yang. Two dessert wines and a homemade chocolate truffle candy and an ice cream dish with wine infused berries. I loveed this pairing and hope that they keep serving it up. Overall this place is simply enjoyable. A place that I would come back and visit again.

We had a great time at Koi Zen Cellars, great wine, friendly service and super chill atmosphere. I loved the "Shimmer of Zin" delicious rose of Zinfandel. Thank you Lisa and Darious (the owners) so friendly and fun! We will definitely come again.

oh wait...i've been here! My friend is a wine club member and she needed to do a pickup. we came to pick up her shipment and do a tasting. the guy helping us was super nice and friendly! the wine was good enough...nothing like Napa wines...but it was nice. the wine club...hmmm...you can't get comp tasting on every visit...they give you 4 tasting per month and we used up 2 on this day...and you have to hold onto your vouchers! i would totally lose mine! other wine club memberships keep your info on file and give you comp tastings on every visit...that's how it should be.. the space was nice...

TOOTALLY not what you would expect out of a wine tasting experience. But surprisingly good, and a fun place to try some vino! Koi Zen Cellars is situated about halfway between downtown SD and Escondido. It's a place you would almost certainly not stop in if you didn't know about it. It looks on the outside like any other office buildings. That being said, I came here with my family and we were pleasantly surprised by the experience. The staff was friendly, there was a cute doggo with equal friendliness, and the wine was good! I would absolutely come back, even just to make the trip to get out of the city. It's a comfortable setting, nice and quiet, and parking was a cinch.

Urban winery in Carmel Mountain Ranch. They were awesome and let us order in some pizza for our girls night out. I had great company there - there were six of us. The wines were tasty and the host was down to earth. The patrons were friendly too! Plenty of places to sit, but would have liked to have had maybe dimmer lights or something? I can't put my finger on what was missing. It seems like a popular place for locals to hang, so it's worth a try!

We loved visiting Koi Zen and tasting all the wines. So much so we had six bottles shipped home. We have now opened every bottle and dumped all but one. They had a very strange sharp smell and after taste somewhere between metallic and sharp cheese. We have had multiple people try the wines and everyone has felt the same. They have all been reds; Zinfandel, merlot, and Malbec. The one that tasted good was the Mourvèdre. We feel like it was a bait and switch. We tasted them all at the winery and did not taste that at all. They were delicious.

Darius and Lisa. Koi and Zen. Merlot and Chardonnay. Perfect pairings! Walking into Koi Zen you feel like you have walked into your super knowledgeable about wine cousin's house. Why? Because Lisa and Darius are the nicest warmest people you will ever meet pouring you wine samples. So try the tasting first. $10 for 6 tastes. If you like whites, try the Chardonnay. If you like reds, I insist you have the merlot. I thought I didn't like Merlots. But this one is different. I am a Zin fan usually but this merlot rules! They have fun events too. Check their calendar for wine pressing and get an insider look at the process. It is a complete package! Seriously go visit my wine cousins and #sipbackuncorkrelax!

This is a cozy wine cellar near my office in RB. I love their wine and fun events offered at the venue. The staff is always very friendly and accommodating. If you are n the area, stop by and check them out, you won't be disappointed

The wine was really good, great selection and fairly priced. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the place as well. It reminded me of being invited to a friends house and being asked to make yourself at home. All the workers were super nice and always on top of things. We even met and chatted with one of the owners for a bit and she graciously took our photo. It's a nice little quaint spot where you can go for a wine or two and wind down. The live music was also a plus.

What a wonderful little winery! Live music, great wine and service with a smile. Took home bottles of the Shimmer of Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, Dry Creek Valley.

Our first time at Koi Zen Cellars could not have been better! My friend and I were looking for a glass of wine after work and we are so happy we found it here! Cat helped us all evening with our wine tasting and recommending bottles, she's amazing! The environment was so welcoming and the wine was fantastic! We joined the wine club and are excited to come in often for our glasses and bottle pick up. Can't wait for our next visit!

Koi Zen is remarkable. The atmosphere is great and the wine absolutely delicious. Kat runs the place and is so warm and welcoming. A must visit.

My favorite neighborhood craft wine. Koi Zen is a gem and if you've never been you are missing out! Their wine is amazing and it's run by friendly staff and down to earth owners. If you are a wine member, then you know about the wine members night! Live bands, cheese platters, bubbles, and complimentary wine by the glass. They have expanded the venue so you can book private party and events. I was here with my girlfriends sipping wine catching up on the couch. The setting is homey and inviting. It's family friendly and wine is amazing!

They make me feel like I'm special! Always a , "Hi!" Always a good vibe when we visit. And they remember us when we visit. Kind of like Cheers! Norm!!!

We did a wine-tasting for 4 people who enjoy wine but are not connossieurs. Although in a strip mall, the venue is very pleasant once you're inside, with a variety of comfortable seating for groups of different sizes. Our tasting included 4 wines but when we couldn't agree they gave us a fifth for free. They also provided a wheel of brie plus crackers, breadsticks, apple slices and almonds. Because we weren't familiar with Koi Zen, our expectations were quite low, but we were very pleasantly surprised. The grapes come from many regions of California and seem to be wisely selected by the winemaker (who wasn't in house during our visit). All five wines were good and three were excellent, perhaps even outstanding. John the sommelier and Lisa the manager were friendly and extremely helpful, discussing each wine with us and explaining details of their winemaking process. We all walked away happy from a delightful evening. Their wines are expensive by our usual standards, $18-$34 per bottle, but perhaps not for the quality provided. There are various discounts available from joining their wine club, etc.