Refugio Ranch Vineyards - Los Olivos Tasting Room

In a town known for wine, it can be hard to stand out. The wine, the team, and the locale here all shine in this cute little town. Crowd favorite is the Blanc de Blanc and their tiradora. For the red crew, Grenache and petite Syrah always get me going. They are at the end of town so skip the riffraff and enjoy the western side of Los olivos. Side hack: get yourself smoked sausage and Mac and cheese egg rolls at the bbq rigs and get a paring with reds.

During our trip to Santa Ynez, Refugio Ranch stood out as our favorite stop. Alex’s warm welcome and friendly service allowed us to sit back, relax, and enjoy. The wines at Refugio ended up being our favorites of the entire trip. The world-class smash burger and lobster roll were welcomed additions to the experience as well. You must try the food if you go here on the weekend. We went to Refugio 3 separate times during our stay! I cannot praise this establishment enough. Can’t wait to return on our next trip to the area.

Nice vibe with very good wines. They are owned by the same family that owns Roblar, the former owners of Buttonwood. They have indoor and outdoor seating available. No food here…just enjoy the wonderful wines. We were served a few wines that were not part of the tasting menu, including a beautiful port. Our server was Dean, whom was very knowledgeable and friendly. You may also run into Stephen, who is also very knowledgeable about the SYV wine industry.

Our second stop in los olivos. Tasting was great. We opted for 1 tasting to share but upon sipping the first one, we got the 2nd one. We enjoyed every glass and left with 5 bottles. The service was great, only the owner was there that day and the inside was fairly busy and we were hanging out outside, it got pretty cold when the sun set. Also, pours are generous.

Good wine selection, different tastes, you can also do all white or red, patio is next to the road but still you can take your time and relax, guides also explain briefly and helpful. I liked the first rose a lot and got it the 2nd time. A plus is you can also order some bbq from the truck in the parking lot. Enjoyed it a lot.

Possibly the best collection of wines. Everything far exceeded our expectations and the staff is unparalleled. A absolute must while in Santa Barbara!

Refugio Ranch Vineyards: A Wine Lover's Delight. Refugio Ranch Vineyards in Los Olivos offers exceptional service and outstanding red wines. Susan, our knowledgeable host, guided us through a memorable tasting experience. Her passion for wine was evident as she shared insights into each varietal. Whether you're a seasoned wine connoisseur or a curious newcomer, the rich flavors and complex aromas of their reds are sure to impress.

This food truck in Santa Ynez, CA was featured on the show and for good reason. The truck serves up some of the best barbecue in the area, and it's definitely worth seeking out. The first thing you'll notice about The Chef's Touch BBQ Rig is its sleek and modern design. The truck is easy to spot with its bright red and black color scheme and the menu board is prominently displayed. The menu at The Chef's Touch BBQ Rig is all about barbecue, with a focus on meats such as brisket, pork ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. The meats are cooked to perfection, with a smoky and savory flavor. The meats are also paired with a variety of homemade sauces that add a nice balance of sweetness and tanginess. The sides are also delicious, including the mac and cheese, coleslaw, and baked beans. The portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable. The food truck is also known for its friendly and welcoming staff, who are more than happy to make recommendations or answer any questions you might have about the menu. Overall, The Chef's Touch BBQ Rig is a food truck worth seeking out. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is casual and fun, and the staff is friendly. If you're ever in Santa Ynez, CA, be sure to track down this food truck and try the delicious barbecue for yourself. In conclusion, The Chef's Touch BBQ Rig is a food truck that serves up some of the best barbecue in Santa Ynez, CA. The menu is simple but delicious, and the atmosphere is casual and fun. Whether you're a fan of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives or not, you're sure to enjoy the delicious barbecue this food truck has to offer.

Los olivos is the quaintest lil town with so many great businesses to visit. Might take two days to go everywhere we wanted to. Refugio was our first stop and so glad we chose there since we were starving and the burgers smelled so good! It was amazing! The staff is very attentive and knowledgeable about their delicious wines. Enjoy!

I have been to Los Olivos area for more than a dozen times and never at Refugio Ranch Vineyards This afternoon my husband and I stopped by to check out the farm stand. While we were there we couldn't ignore the smell of the burgers grilling right by us. So we walked in and ordered two burgers that came with potato chips. OMG .. the smash cheese burgers were so delicious. They tasted as good as they smelled. We really enjoyed our late lunch. We also got a glass of the rose that we enjoyed much. The service here was wonderful. Friendly and welcoming staff all around. Our waitress was amazing. The farm stand was filled with fresh produce such as carrots, beets, tomatoes etc. they also sell farm fresh eggs. I'm so happy we stopped by and would definitely stop by again on our next trip to Los Olivos.

Popped in here based on a rec from a friend and had the kind of tasting I just love! The gal who served was awesome and super knowledgeable of the wines. She learned what we liked & catered to that. The wines were bomb! We left with a few bottles. Def check this place out!

Awesome wines, awesome staff and now that they serve food, awesome "Chamburgers". We keep coming back because of the vibe of the tasting room and how friendly the staff are.

Went to the tasting room for the first time and was very impressed. Trina assisted us. The service was exceptional and she was so nice. We enjoyed the wine & the food was yummy! I would highly recommend the smashburger. The Pinot Noir was my favorite and the atmosphere was great!

Greet place to hang out, drink wine and possibly get a burger. We sat in the side room with couches and relaxed. They could pour a few more wines with a tasting. There were only four.

Several years ago, we were very happy members of Refugio Ranch. We moved to Scottsdale, AZ and had to cancel because UPS deliveries don't use refrigerated trucks and wine shipments from May through September - even October can be delivered at a bottle temp of about 90 degrees. WE'RE BAAAACK!!!! Though we're still in Scottsdale, we can come to the Central Coast a few times a year to pick up shipments that the winery is happy to hold for us. As a result, we stopped for a tasting two days ago and wound up joining the wine club again and departing with six bottles of very delicious Refugio Ranch wine. Susan, the young lady who served us, was wonderful and very attentive and knowledgeable. Fast forward to today (a whole two days later) and we are on our way from Arroyo Grande, CA to Chino in order to see our grandson swim in the California Interscholastic Federation prelims tournament. Refugio Ranch Vineyards (just by chance?) happens to be on the highway we have to take to get to Chino. Dang it! Of course, we had to stop and do another tasting. This time, we were served by Dean, the tasting room manager. What a great find Dean was as his knowledge of wine, in general, and those produced by Refugio Ranch and their sister winery, Roblar, was spectacular. We tasted. We talked. We listened. We left with two cases of some of the best wine we have tasted anywhere on our travels, whether that be California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Texas, Virginia, France, Italy, Australia, or New Zealand. I hope you get the picture that these wines are truly world class. If you are anywhere near Los Olivos, CA, stop at Refugio Ranch Vineyards and taste and talk. Oh! Take your credit card with you, because if you taste their wines, you can't help but buy their wines and, just perhaps, join the club.

The moment we drove into town Refugio caught our eye. Located on the end Los Olivos' main strip, this spot is a quaint and serene welcome to town. When the winery we had planned to visit was all booked up, we immediately headed back over to Refugio because we couldn't stop talking about how cute it was. There were two different tasting flights, one $20 and the other $25. We did one of each and shared so that we were able to taste all of the wines. Each flight had 5 wines, but Peter, our fun and charismatic tasting room associate gave us an off-menu pour as well. Him as well as everyone else working was so courteous, knowledgeable, and full of great energy! On top of that, they had great wines too! I ended up getting a bottle of the Escondrijo - a Grenache, syrah, petit sirah blend. We brought our own charcuterie set up and enjoyed it while we tasted. We were never rushed and were able to thoroughly enjoy our time here. If you happen to be in the area and want to do some wine tasting I cannot recommend this place enough! I hope to come back here sooner rather than later.

This was our favorite winery that we visited in the Santa Ynez valley! Our sommelier Alex was extremely friendly & knowledgeable, and gave us a taste of all their delicious wines. We LOVED the whites (coming from a red gal!) and ended up leaving with more than a few bottles... If you're in Los Olivos I would highly recommend visiting. 10/10 experience! :)

This was such a wonderful place to visit. Dean was phenomenal as our tasting host. He was very engaging and knowledgeable about the wine my party tasted. Can't rave enough about him! The place is perfect to bring your friends and family to just hang out and enjoy great wine. Lots of outdoor and indoor seating. Please come visit and support this lovely tasting room.

Shannon is the best! We had the absolute best time with our wine tasting! We ended up taking home 4 bottles of wine! We are so appreciative of her attention and knowledge of the wines here. You will not regret this location as a place to try new wines. Run forest run! Hurry over!

Dean was absolutely amazing!! Extremely knowledgeable on wines, amazing service, and overall great experience. Will definitely be coming back here again. Make sure to ask for Dean when you get here, one of the most knowledgeable people on Wines I have spoken to.

Refugio was our favorite stop of our Los Olivos getaway! The burgers looked so good, we'd anyway been planning to stop in on our way out of town (only available Saturdays and Sundays). But when we arrived Wednesday and our room wasn't ready decided why not stop by for a tasting. Alex took care of us, and he was amazing - really friendly and you could tell just loved what he was doing. We were sitting out front because we had the dogs with us, but we never felt forgotten, and we even got a couple bonus pours, who doesn't appreciate that! Couldn't leave without getting a few bottles, 3 waves a tasting fee. And we made it back Saturday for those delicious burgers where Alex was there to help us again. They lived up to the hype, and we drove back happy and full. Couldn't have been a better experience - thanks to everyone there!

This place is absolutely amazing! So Relaxin' . I most definitely will recommend this place to all!

Good wine and good service!!! Chill ambiance! We really enjoyed our time here! They also have bathrooms and parking!

What an awesome venue. Fantastic wines, great food, and Alex was amazing! He was incredibly knowledgeable and made our experience really fun! And did I mention the clean bathrooms? Highly recommend!

Alex treated us so well. This is the most fun I've had in a long time! This is our second time at Los Olivos. We quickly decided Refugio Ranch was our favorite stop. 1 year later - this still holds true! Wonderful service, atmosphere, and most importantly... wine!!!

Wow We are wine club members for A few wineries in both Temecula And Paso Robles. We thought we would swing by Los Olivos, our first stop would be Refugio ranch.(after a bit of research) Our wine connoisseur was Peter. We now are a wine club member . The wine here is excellent! Peter was awesome. Damn Apple Maps says they are closed but they are very much open . We stopped at a few places but this was the best wine

This place is great....especially with our pourer Shannon. She was super nice and knowledgeable about the wine. This be a foe a great experience.

What a great wine tasting! If you ever get the chance to come in please ask for Alex! Alex is the most caring, knowledgeable, down to earth person we have ever gotten during a wine tasting in the valley. Their brand new tasting room is one for the books!

Amazing tasting experience. Ashley made our group feel right at home. I don't usually feel "special" as a local tasting in my town but she went above and beyond. The pairings were out of this world. Thanks Ashley!!

I just love this place. I tell people it's the atmosphere and wine, but in reality, it's the service and the wine! These guys/gals really know how to make you feel special, giving you their time in showing and explaining your tastings. We are members and always come back over and over. This last visit with Ashley as our host was definitely a top-notch day! Thank you, Ashley, for showing us another great day at Refugio!!

Our visit to Refugio Ranch tasting room was absolutely delightful. Our sommelier Ashley was kind, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond the call of duty to make our experience as memorable as possible. Her wine and cheese pairings were exquisite. The 2019 petite sirah pairing with point Reyes blue cheese was legendary. Thank you Ashley for making our experience at Refugio a memorable one!

Great wine and what a patio. In the heart of Los Olivos. Highly recommended among all the choices. Ended up signing up for the Club. Great whites in the region.

We have been coming to the Santa Ynez Valley for over 30 years, and frequently stop at the Refugio tasting room in Los Olivos. The wines are great, the ambiance & vibe are perfect and Peter is a great host. But, we had never been moved to join the wine club. This past week my husband got an email that they are now doing vineyard tours in a Polaris ATV up at the Estate, and since we were showing some new friends our favorite places in the Valley, we decided to do the experience. And let me just say, it was AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE! Jenna met us at the Barn, together with Ozzie, the resident pup, and took us on a spectacular tour of 28 acres (of the 415) on the Estate. She was incredibly knowledgeable, not just of the Refugio brand, but viticulture as well. It was a beautiful day, and we finished our tour at the pond where she set us up with a wine & food (cheese) pairing that was ridiculously delicious. We had such a great time, and seriously did not want to leave but Jenna had another tour booked, so we had to! This experience is not to be missed, and guess what? We were all in agreement that we had to join the wine club! Now we have yet another reason to visit Santa Ynez Valley & Refugio Ranch on the reg! Jenna, we can't wait to hang out with you again! Peter, we look forward to seeing you too! Everyone else, book this tour! It's worth every penny. And then join the wine club!

The most amazing humans at this place! First, the wine was amazing, food absolutely incredible, but more importantly, I left my purse there, with cash, and came back the next day to find it safe and sound!!! Amazing humans!!! Love you so much! What a wonderful company!!

Alex is a king! So much fun. Very knowledgeable and passionate. We love him. Will come back again.

Phenomenal wine tasting experience! Our friends raved about this winery so we drove up while visiting Santa Barbara to give them a try. The tasting room was super cute and had a huge outdoor area filled with colorful flowers. We received a very warm greeting and found us a table on the front porch area. We're not big white wine fans so we got the chance to skip around the tasting a little to only try some of their reds. Seriously everything we tried was phenomenal and already had the wine club form filled out by the time we tried our third wine!! The entire tasting experience was incredible from the moment we arrived! The service we received while tasting the wines was fantastic and it was very cool to learn more about the wines and vineyard itself!! We can't wait to visit again soon!

Wonderful and relaxing experience for our group of 8. Hosted by Jenna who was friendly, knowledgeable, & professional. Excellent selection of wines, and enjoyed hearing the stories behind each. We each bought a bottle of our favorite choice of the tastings. We were able to sit inside which was appreciated on a cool, windy day. Fun rustic decor in a big room. Plenty of parking available around the tasting room.

My family did a wine tasting here and had a great experience. Our kind servers took the time to answer our (many, many) questions with enthusiasm and great knowledge. We sat on their back patio and it was a lovely atmosphere, tucked away from the main road with comfortable seating and beautiful trees. Wines on the tasting list were delicious and varied. Our server even brought some off the list based on what we liked. We ended up purchasing a few bottles, we are excited to share them on special occasions. We wish we lived closer so we could enjoy tastings more often - thank you Alex and the whole Refugio team!

The wines were inconsistent and frequently unbalanced. The room had a party atmosphere where drinkers are not tasting but ordering wines by the glass. I view tasting rooms as a wine shopping opportunity where I "drive before I buy". Consequently, Refugio wasn't my style. Two tasting flights were offered varying from $20 to $25 for 5 to 6 wines. Both flights where filled with Rhone varietals. Two-for-one tasting coupons float through town - including at other tasting rooms. The tasting fee was not waived with bottle purchase (again, not geared for shoppers). The Arrowhead water cooler was filled with unfiltered water.

Love it here! The wine was amazing & I absolutely loved Jenna! Her knowledge & personality made this experience one of the most fun I've had in a long time. A great selection of whites & reds, with the reds being on the heavier side (delicious). There's indoor modern rustic seating & a gorgeous outdoor garden area, both are pretty good sizes for this town. Would definitely highly recommend.

Ashley is AMAZING! We came here for a wine tasting and we got so much more. She gave us a real education on wine and a true experience. I love wine tasting and have been to Napa, Paso, Temecula, etc. and this was the best experience I have ever had. We came with the intention to do a tasting and go to the next, and we left with a membership and 12 bottles of wine. While the wine was exceptional, Ashley is the reason I will be back next time we are in Los Olivos. Thank you Ashley, you made our trip!!!

Dean was awesome. Excellent customer service. We never needed to wait for anything. Dean was very knowledgeable about every wine that we were tasting. We will definitely go back and hope that Dean is working.

My wife and I had a wonderful afternoon at the Refugio Ranch Tasting Room in Los Olivos. We've been members of the wine club here for a very long time, but today was very special. Ashley was very knowledgeable and engaging. She paired many of the wines we sampled with a variety of cheeses. Absolutely wonderful. We highly recommend you visit and, by all means, try the wines! Thank you, Ashley!

We joined Refugio a little over a year ago and love their wines. Top to bottom great wines! We came this weekend and Ashley served us and made our day. She elevated the whole experience tasting their already fantastic wines with cheese. She was also really wonderful and knowledgeable. It was a very nice touch. Thank you Ashley! Looking forward the next time.

Ashley had some excellent pairings with the wine and cheese. I really enjoyed the flavor combinations! Thank you Ashley!

I discovered Refugio Rancho just as I was leaving Los Olivos and decided what the heck, might as well try a flight. What a great last minute decision! I went for the Vaquero tasting and was so captivated by their Malvasia Bianca & Syrah that I ended up joining their wine club. Peter took really good care of me and I never felt rushed. Their courtyard is perfect with lots of shade and really big comfy anorak chairs that make it easy to lose track of time. I'm really looking forward to coming back in November to pick up my club member shipment.

Great decor and love the small cozy feeling. Wines are great tasting, Jenna provided awesome customer service, she has a very outgoing personality very sweet and knowledgeable!

I parked in front of the wine tasting room and ordered from the BBQ truck that shares the same parking lot. I walked into the wine tasting room and asked to use the restroom to wash up after a long drive. The gentleman stated that if I was not going to purchase wine I would not be allowed to use the bathroom. No matter that I had been a customer of the this wine tasting room previously and that my intention was to walk up Grand Ave. sampling from different wine tasting rooms after lunch. Instead he directing me two blocks down the street to a row of port a potties. Not great customer service.

The yelp says that there's no sit-down area but there is. They have a nice outdoor space set up for those who are tasting wine. Theyre located in the same lot as the bbq rig which is one of the only places in the area that opens as early as 11am. They have a good selection of whites and reds. Their whites are very crisp and tart. Im more a fan of buttery and oaky. The reds are good. We bought a few bottles but none of the whites.

This place has the best pig roast I have ever had. The staff memebers are so nice and they are very helpful. The food that they served was delicious. I really enjoyed the pork because it was chopped and seasoned very well. I also had a wiggles tooth but it was still safe to eat it and my whole plate was gone! The dessert wasn't my favorite but I would still highly recommend this pig roast a five star rating!

Amazing!!! Beautiful space, comfy seats, kind service and best of all many truly lovely wines

The greatest wine tasting experience of my life in both flavor and quality the fine wines in Los Olivos and the delightfulness and knowledge of the attending full sommelier pre French appellation server, Jenna. Don't miss this one!

Lovely tasting with yummy big dry red wines. This place feels like a warm classy cowboy ranch in Wyoming that is chill, relaxing and friendly. Thank you for your delicious wines. We are never disappointed.

We went visited Refugio for my birthday. Dean was amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the wines and had excellent recommendations. We will be asking for Dean when we go back.

Had a wonderful morning at Refugio Ranch Vineyard tasting room. It was a beautiful day. we sat outside on the front porch. Dean Goodman was knowledgeable, and made us feel comfortable and at home. We bought multiple bottles to take home with us, and will definitely be back!

Cute tasting room, they have their own parking but we parked on the road. We got their with plenty of time before it closed but that particular day the two people working had some family event so they kinda rushed everyone. The service by the older gentleman was great he was very informative and friendly we sat down outside and notice the girl taking off the seat covers from outside with almost 40 minutes before closing time. We went inside I didn't want to be left outside lol. When we went to her for a pour she talked to us about 100 mph very rushed and kinda killed the experience. We were then told they had something very important and that's why they were closing early. We finished our wine and took home a bottle. The tasting room is nice and they have a restroom inside. I would like to go again and hopefully be able to sip my wine slower this time.

My husband and I stopped in Los Olivos for lunch on our way home from Paso Robles. We went for a walk after eating and were drawn in by the charm of Refugio Ranch. So many pleasant areas to sit, taste wine, and enjoy the outdoors. Our host, Jenna, was absolutely delightful. She provided great historical background about the winery and educated us on the wines we were tasting. The reds were outstanding! We brought a few home, but definitely have plans to return to Refugio! Thanks you, Jenna, for a wonderful end to our weekend getaway.