Orfila Vineyards and Winery

My husband and I have been loyal OWL members at this winery for many years. It's long been a hidden gem in Escondido--boasting stunning views, a welcoming ambience, and a team that once treated us like family. A few months ago, we stopped by for our quarterly wine pickup. We ordered a glass and began to relax, until an unfortunate interaction with a staff member left me feeling singled out and diminished the enjoyment of our visit. More recently, we returned hoping for a better experience, but things quickly took a turn. Upon arrival, the manager promptly instructed us to vacate the east-facing seats, explaining the those are spots are now reserved exclusively for guests with reservations. His tone was unapologetic and dismissive, leaving us feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable. This winery was once known for its genuine hospitality and family-friendly spirit under previous ownership/management. Sadly, it now feels more commercialized, and long-time OWL members appear to be an afterthought. We've since made the decision to cancel our membership and join a winery where we feel truly valued and appreciated.

Live music in Friday and pizza from Amalfi served. We ordered a bottle of red and enjoyed the music and view from outdoor patio seating. It was busy but had good turnover around so we didnt have to wait long for table. Very enjoyable and relaxing time. The pizza and red we had was delicious too!

We had such an amazing experience at Orfila. We came here after receiving a gift card that ended up not registering in their system, but they were super helpful in getting the issue resolved. Seriously some of the best costumer service we’ve ever had. Would highly recommend this place for the wine, atmosphere, and staff!

Wow, what a nice place to hang out if you’re local in the area or even live near Escondido. We were blown away with the views and amazing weather on the top of the hill by the wine tasting room. The back area is amazing with a couple of gazebos, attended area and live music on weekends and really nice grassy area. You can enjoy a view of the rolling Hills. Their wines are of course pretty decent. I enjoyed the estate Syrah .

Sarah Beth was an amazing server during my birthday. She provided us with quick and efficient service and made the experience special for every single person on my reservation. I will definitely be returning to this wonderful vineyard.

I recently visited Orfila for the first time after driving past it my whole life. It was every bit as beautiful as I hoped. The part that made it the most special was the service. I was helped by Lily and she made the experience one that will be hard to forget. She was incredibly polite and very knowledgeable about the wines. She informed she was a new hire and I hope she sticks around for the long haul. Her charm and service alone made the experience unforgettable. I will definitely be coming back!

My friend took us here a few weeks back for a Friday afternoon wine tasting! Beautiful and large vineyard. The outdoor patio overlook, on select days they have live music. We we're here on a Friday where we got to enjoy a live band. To you my friends ordered a bottle to share, all my friend and I did the wine tasting. Great selections of wines. The servers are very well versed and educated in their wines and descriptions.

It's a really cool place. Nice views and they had a separate area for families to hangout. I recommend this winery if you're in the area.

I love the simplicity of this vineyard. There is an area for families who want to picnic in the back. In the front, there is adult seating with umbrellas, tables and a vine covered trellis. The wine has a good selection featuring anything from chardonnays to Syrah's. If you join the wine club you get a certain amount of free wine tastings per month! In addition they offer live music on some evenings and other events throughout the month like comedy night! The froze was a refreshing treat on such a warm day like today! The view of the mountains was also spectacular. The vineyard offers cheeses and crackers as well as a premade charcuterie plate. There is also an food truck nearby for patrons to purchase a more substantial meal. We sat under the trellis. We opted to walk inside for the wine tasting but were pleasantly surprised when a server came by our table to offer us glasses of wine for purchase along with some charcuterie. We will be back!

They have a good variety of wines to choose from (a rose, a few whites and mostly reds). Their membership is a great deal (you pay for the wine bottles but get free glasses each month). It's a beautiful property, plenty of parking and a really nice view with shade. You can order bottles or glasses for a group and it's a nice place to go with friends on an afternoon. They close RIGHT at 7pm so I wouldn't recommend showing up anytime at or after 6:20pm.

Not sure why it took me so long to try Orfila, it did not disappoint! The tasting room itself is a large industrial space with wine aging on racks and a large bar area. Plenty of outdoor seating with beautiful views of the vineyards and the valley. There were four of us and we each did a leisurely tasting where we would get a pour and take it outside to enjoy. The wines I tried: Sauvignon blanc: usually my favorite white. This one was a bit bitter and not as bright as expected. Sequestered Pinot Noir: everything you'd expect in a good Pinot Noir. A bit fruity, a bit spicy, so good! Montepulciano: first time I've had one not from Italy. Dark and fruity. Petite Syrah: fruity, chocolatey, with herbal notes We shared a bottle of Sangiovese, which stood up to the delicious barbecue that we got from the food truck. In addition to the food truck there were two popups, one selling cheese and the other selling baked goods. There was live music that added to the ambiance. All in a great afternoon at Orfila!

We had an excellent time at this winery! The views are amazing and they have plenty of outdoor seating, but get there early enough to get a spot in the shade. We did a tasting of 4 wines for $25. They offer a good variety of whites, reds, and one sparkling. They have live music on the weekends. They had somebody playing guitar until three and then somebody singing. The music was great. The servers and bartenders were very knowledgeable and friendly. They do not sell their own food, but they have refrigerators where you can buy your own snacks or you can bring your own. They did have a barbecue food truck outside. I would love to return here again!

This is a rather large vineyard in the Escondido Valley. We walked in and were greeted with a huge array of smiles from the staff members. We paid for a flight and took it outside to the patio underneath the pergola . it was so enjoyable and so beautiful to look out over the vineyards. I know we will be back in the summer.

This place is the best to hang out, chill, gather with friends, listen to live music, enjoy the food from the food truck, and enjoy the wine.

Let's jus say it was a good time! Not the type of environment I'd sign up to due to the slower music vibes but I appreciate a good time and most music is good music and I'm grateful! The music was live and truly appreciated that! My sister in law has a membership and has invited us out to the Oceanside location and it's always been a great time. They have other side appetizers to get to just chill with. The bottle we got was only $22 with her membership. I'm thinking of joining bc you get 10 free glasses as long as you purchase a bottle a month. The lowest price is $22 so it's about $52 a month for ten glasses, a bottle, and chill times. I highly needed this and thank you for the relaxed day

Accidentally stumbled upon this place when the GPS took us off of the 78 to get home. Beautiful location very well set up beautiful pergola huge tent with live music the Tasting Room is amazingly beautiful hundreds and hundreds of barrels of assumably wine decorating it. Wine is great you it was great prices are good. Phenomenal find

Good wine, pretty gardens, and ambiance, live music and even have a food truck, we will try next time!

Went with a group of friends. The atmosphere is nice and very relaxing. Love the live music!! We even danced!! The wine is excellent!!! We will surely come back!!

They're building a kitchen for him, and Chef Luke is coming here from Oceanside! His food has always been the biggest (but far from only - the rest of the staff have always been amazing too) reason we love Orfila and having him this close is going to be downright dangerous.

This review is for the Owl Club that we've been members of for many years. We are a part of the quarterly three bottle option. We get the whites. We initially started with the "mixed" bottle option. Back then that usually meant we got two whites and one red. Not a one white one rosé and one red combination. To me that would've made more sense. With our whites we've also got a rosé in our pick ups. To me three whites would = white. For quite some time the prices have been crawling up and up but here's the thing....That would be fine if the quality matched the price. We used to pay 75 ish for our three bottles of their choosing. I've spoken to Eric about this way before pandemic~~when I've asked to swap a bottle for a lesser value that we liked better and or a bottle that was a bit more costly and we'd pay the difference if we could simply please just trade out our least favorable bottle~~that was included in our membership. For example they used to have two kinds of gewürztraminer a suss (sweet) and a trocken (dry) & I'd get my least favorite (trocken) in my pick up. They had a Chardonnay and an Ambassador Chardonnay. I'd get the regular instead of my ambassador preference. You get the point. The business doesn't "allow" trade outs but I was pretty insistent and sometimes they'd let me trade it. But there was still much resistance on their part. This last pick up my whites ended up being $120 And the Chardonnay is a 52 dollar bottle! 120 is the highest we've ever paid. The wine has been so tart in our pick ups and often we say: Why don't we experience this same amount of tart or acidity when we visit onsite for our free tastings or glass of wine!?! I'm trying the Chardonnay 2022 Bien Nacido Old Vine and it's sooo acidic and in my opinion is definitely not worth 52. If I had this at a restaurant I would turn it away! I'm aware there is a one bottle ~ once a month option but we're not interested in that club membership at this time. We've considered canceling our membership several times. Mainly because the acidity has ruined our experience, cost dramatically has been increasing, & because of certain pushbacks & attitudes from staffers when we kindly make reasonable suggestions as a consumer. We like the environment and certain food vendors/food trucks, meeting with friends and or hearing a live band on the patio.

The view here was breathtaking! This was such a beautiful vineyard and winery! They do not have a restaurant on site, but they have food vendors that set up shop for the day and sometimes food trucks partner with them. Outside food is not allowed, so if you don't like the food vendors, there is a section inside the tasting room that offers all the components you need to create that perfect charcuterie board! During our visit on a Sunday afternoon, there was live entertainment and plenty of room for those who want to get up and dance. They have a very impressive wine selection that will not disappoint. Come check it out!

Beautiful location and great wines with lots of parking. They don't have food but they usually have food trucks and live music also.

Very very relaxing beautiful vineyard view nice ambience jazz playing in the background makes everything better cheers

Rude and unfriendly upon arrival. Left because of the poor service and unwelcomed aloha.

We stopped by on the way back from the Safari park for lunch and a glass of wine. Their website said there would be a BBQ food truck that started at 1pm so we figured we'd order food first and then head to the back to grab a glass of wine while we waited. Unfortunately, the food truck was cancelled for that day. Thankfully we packed enough snacks for our toddler to hold us over but a bit disappointed it there wasn't a sign or anything online to let us know. My husband and I each got a glass of the frose since it was a pretty warm day. It hit the spot but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The picnic area in the back is great for families. We may be back but we'll bring our own meal, just in case.

False advertising on the kid friendly section. Kids and dogs are placed in the back of the winery near the golf course. If a golf ball hits you. Good luck ! Wine is tasty!

This place is great for families or a date night! I love to come here and drink their rosé, frosé, or their other varieties of wines. BDX is also a favorite! They have an indoor tasting room and an outdoor seating area with a beautiful view of the vineyard. There is a separate grass area for families with picnic tables and some shade from large trees. We are members of their wine club, which has great perks, such as wine discounts and free glasses when we come to the vineyard. The staff is all very kind, knowledgeable, and helpful!

This is our second time here. The first time was probably a decade ago. This place was on our way back from our hike in San Pasqual so we decided to stop and get a glass of wine and sit overlooking the vineyard. We tried the Sangiovese and the Chardonnay. Both were very good. There was also a pizza truck and a dessert tent set up for eats

Beautiful views, delicious frozen sangria and nice staff. My family enjoyed the food from the food venders and the live music!

When it comes to the $25 wine tastings the bartenders pour inconsistently. My first 2 tastings poured by one bartender were decent but the second 2 poured by someone else were ridiculously small. Bartender played dumb when I questioned the consistency of the pours and said I could ask for a double and use another point on my tasting card. Not worth the money at all.

Great winery with a beautiful outdoor space. The wine her is very good but a little expensive, especially for a tasting which isn't waived if you buy bottles (at least not as a member). It's interesting how friendly/unfriendly the inside staff is from when you first get there and have been there for a little bit. When we walked in we felt very fry welcomed but after going in for our next wine, it felt like we were a nuance.

This place is stunning and my Riesling was quite good...but $16 per glass?! Um, we'll stay for one glass.

This is a great place to have a glass of wine and enjoy the views. It is best to visit during the week if you want to relax. However, the weekend is fun too, but busy. So why the four stars? This a great place, but the wine is average to good, but a bit pricey for what you get. About $17.00 a class and $36.00 and up for a bottle. So that is why the 4 stars. Note, if you are a wine club member the prices are better. So recommend the wine club if you plan to be a regular.

Who knew there were such gems in Escondido for wineries? I was surprised and impressed by the local wineries in this area, and Orfila had to be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed the vibe and decor of the tasting room. Gavin served us, and is the tasting room lead. He was great, super personable. I love that they have one small area/room dedicated to the super interesting life of the owner and all of the photos with famous people they met. The outside view was beautiful. Unfortunately, they were setting up for a wedding so we could not sit outside, but they said it was ok to check it out. Estate Cabernet , super yummy 5/5 Confusion 4/5 White wine frose (frozen wine) 4/5- flavors of grapefruit , but not overwhelming. This was great because I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit, but loved this frose. Perfect to enjoy outside in a hot day.

Its so close to Escondido city yet so much scenery. Outdoor patio have amazing views worth visiting. Great place.

Decided to give this place another chance after 4 years (mainly because the winery I really wanted to go to was closed for an event)..... and it was exactly the same as I remember- rude customer service from the bartenders who acted as if we were bothering them to be there. I ordered a tasting, and she gave absolutely no explanation about any of the winds was just like pick some thing... I couldn't get any information out of her really so I randomly picked a Sangiovese rosé to start with which was actually decent compared to some of the other wineries in the area. She then proceeded to tell me to get my next tasting at their outside bar... I had my boyfriend go back next and he went inside, and she was annoyed that he was there and told him to go to the outside bar despite the fact that there were four bartenders inside. None of them were doing anything- there was no line or anything. I don't understand why they were so rude. Anyway, this place was pretty busy so I guess they don't need to be friendly. Of note, the male bartender outside was friendly. The Tempranillo was actually decent.

What a special place tucked in the rolling California hills. My friends are members at Orfila and they come all the time so I was happy to experience it finally! The property itself is really special. The wine was good, the member deals were awesome. If you live in the area I highly recommend checking out their member deals. There isn't service outside so we had to buss our own glasses and go in to order but we made it work. Looks like a great space for a wedding or event venue as well! Stunning.

Celebrating my friend's birthday at this winery was an absolute blast! The atmosphere was lively, perfect for catching up over glasses of exquisite wine. The staff's warmth and expertise elevated every sip, making the experience truly delightful. I left feeling thoroughly content and happy. And let's talk about that view--breathtaking doesn't even begin to cover it! A truly wonderful day in every way possible.

Orfila is one of my favorite vineyards in North County. They have good red and white wine, plus wine and sangria slushes! They have rose but I don't drink rosé. They have a great outdoor space with lots of seating in the shade. They have lots of open grass area for a picnic too! They have food trucks and live music, it's a great place to spend summer days! The service is great as well.

I tried to call these people for a half an hour and they never answered the phone I wouldn't do business with them. Attention! I drove over to the winery and found that there were quite friendly personnel at work so I was able to place my order and send it to my mother for Mother's Day.

It was a breathtaking ride there when you take into account the views of the mountains and vineyard. This place is also huge and easy to get to. We chose the wine tasting @$25pp for 4 tastings. We got lucky and were greeted and tended to immediately. The lady, even though new, was knowledgeable and patient while she explained how everything worked after we told her it was our first time. She made the decisions easy for us. They have a huge selection of cheeses, crackers, meats, chocolates and chips. There was a stand out there selling food but I didn't pay attention to see what they had. It was a diverse crowds and lots of doggies which I enjoyed. It is open seating but the good part is that no matter where you sit, you'll have an amazing view of the mountains. Had I lived nearby I would become a member and make this a once in a month spot at minimum.

We've been to this winery three times. Recently, ownership has changed and we met the new GM, Renato, who could not have been more accommodating from a service standpoint. He explained the mission and vision of the new ownership in terms of customer experience and, frankly, exceeded our expectations. As new management gets settled I think this place will become a food and wine destination for our local area. Highly recommended !

The Mills family had an excellent afternoon here. The new GM Renato is an excellent host and we will be returning.

Went on a Saturday afternoon, a fly flew into my glass and was floating inside of it so I went inside to see if maybe I could get another glass of wine and was told "I mean it's going to happen, do you want me to scoop it out? I can get it with a spoon it's not like the flavor of the wine changes." by a woman working indoors and received 25% off another glass of wine. So not a fan of the customer service but the views were pretty and the jazz band playing at the time was good.

This afternoon, our friends who are members at Orfila took us to spend time with our young children at the winery. The wine was delicious and nice lady working the back tasting room outdoors was very nice, and told us all about the different varieties of wines to offer. We also added more members to the wine club during our visit. As we enjoyed ourselves outdoors, we were approached by a male employee with arm tattoos who mentioned that closing time was approaching at 730pm. We confirmed his direction and began cleaning up and rounding up the children. Then, around 7:05pm, the same employee came outside and aggressively directed us to leave, saying "this is your last warning, I already told you," to our confusion noting his previous 730pm comment. As such, a separate family finishing their picnic as well as our families all packed up quickly and departed, our friends the members embarrassed for having taken us to Orfila to experience the ambiance ending on a sour note. The resolution could be much simpler, and the employee could have handled it much better than he did, particularly when our 6 year old later asked why the man was so angry at us. UPDATE: 8/28/23, after receiving a timely and thorough response from management, I am positive that future measures are taken to ensure better service. I have updated my ratings accordingly. Thank you, and much appreciated!

CHEERS from SAN DIEGO!!! Found this gem while driving on the road. It was a pleasant surprise. Lots of seatings for wine tasting and the view here is gorgeous. Here is what I tasted : ...#sparkling 2021 sparkling Dionysus ...#pinotnoir 2017 Pinot Noir Oregon ...#sangiovese 2019 estate ...#tempranillo 2018

Staff was friendly and the wine was good ! Was really impressed by the interior display of wine haha ! I would go to this winery if you're looking for a bit more of a laid back experience.

I had a wonderful experience at Orfila Vineyards! The staff was so friendly and we enjoyed a gorgeous view while sipping our wine. The perfect way to spend a Sunday!

I came to Orfila inspired by an article in Westways magazine about hidden wine areas of California. This winery was put in the same article as Navarro, Wente, Murrietta's Well and Wood Family Vineyards. Not. The. Same. Not even close. This facility is offering crazy overpriced wine that is not nearly the same caliber. First, the facility clearly has spaces for those who are 21 and over and those who are not. What they do not tell you is that the spaces where families can be is about 200 yards from the other parts. Second, the customer service is atrocious. Want to get sent on a wild goose chase for a restroom? Want to have the cards constantly changing where you can order food? This is your place. Finally, out of 7 wines, there were only 2 that I would want to have. Sure, taste is subjective, but I do a lot of wine tasting and Orfila is priced like the heavy hitters but do not have commensurate pours. This is definitely a place for people who want to wine taste but who cannot make it to Paso or Santa Barbara in a day. Fortunately, I live in LA County and can, so I don't need to come back here. The highlight of our visit was the food from Chef Bratzo of Cafe Secret. While also ridiculously overpriced, it was at least very tasty. I highly recommend those lamb chops - tender and perfectly cooked. The salmon was a little uneven but it was also delicious. I recommend that you take some more time and head north to Ventura or Santa Barbara counties. Much, much better wine for less.

Have been coming for years to this place. Why 2 stars ? Recently brought my family and extended family here ready to drop some serious coins on their delicious wine. Let me first say the female is employees here are consummate professionals when it comes to customer service and wine knowledge. I believe the male employee was a manager of some sort. Guy was a complete tool to us and the people behind us in line. Spoke to us like we were children when we asked questions and just acted as if everyone should leave. Recommend letting one of the female employees handle customers and send Mr Angry all the time to crunch numbers in the back.

Great ambience, jazz music, view, a good collection of wine. A perfect place for a perfect sunny day.

We always see Orflia on the way to Julian. This time we decided to make a pit stop before heading out to Julian. The vineyard is amazing and huge. A very beautiful landscape and picturesque. Rolling hills, prime real estate. It was a little damp outside from a recent rain. We tasted inside. It was extremely hard to get someone's attention. There were many staff but it's like they didn't want to help or make eye contact. We manage to finally get our tasting going but then the guy left. So we waited and tried to wave down another staff. Once we got someone he was great. Very attentive and friendly. As for the tasting, 4 stingy tastings for $20. They were trained to stop when the pour stopper stops. It looks like they were 1oz pours (but they tell you it's 1.5oz), very small pours. Not at all generous here. The wines were underwhelming and most fell flat. We didn't enjoy any of them and decided not to get a glass or bottles. The only one that was decent was the 2017 estate Syrah. Better off tasting in Temecula for the price. But, their wine Slushie looks delicious! And they have one of the best views! Also whatever was BBQ'ing outside smelled so good. Good to try once but would not consider coming back.

Had a wine craving and was told Orfila was a good place to check out. They were not wrong. The flight was 4 for $25 and our servers were extremely knowledgeable on what to recommend. The area wasn't huge, but there was plenty of areas to walk around and sit. Even on a busy Saturday we were able to find relaxation and taste some fantastic wine.

Stopped by after visiting Safari Park. View was great, red estate wines are good. Tasting is $25pp, Sadly, they don't offer a complimentary tasting if you purchase any wine. Humm, other wineries in the area do. There is no real customer service here. Meaning, you have to go inside to get each of your additional tastings. We've done a lot of wine tasting up and down CA and have never experienced this lack of service. And then there's the tip jar! Tips are for providing service, not me supplementing your employer's payroll. Needless to say we didn't purchase any wine here. The day before we did a wine tasting from another close by winery and we purchase 4 bottles ($200). For us this is a one and done winery.

The wine is delicious and the kids area is awesome for families. One of my favorite spots now to wind down after a long day.

Love this local winery. Great wines fund stuff and beautiful views of San Pasqual valley. The wine club is amazing for those local.

Great foods and services. The sunset was beautiful. Not far from San Diego. The pizza and spaghetti was amazing.

Seventeen years ago, my now husband and I came here for one of our first dates after he moved to San Diego. We stopped by on our way to the Wild Animal Park, bought a nice, crisp white, picked up some farm stand berries, and enjoyed the bottle at the condor lookout at the park. As such, this place holds a special place in my heart. We haven't been many times since, but stopped by with a friend, my in-laws, and our two kids this past weekend. I'm happy to see the place is flourishing, and has kid-friendly areas, with lots of grass, shade, space, and places to hangout and relax. We again brought some berries with us and enjoyed a nice white, this time after the Wild Animal Park. It was a lovely time.