clos pepe vineyards and estate wines

Wes Hagen is a very knowledgable and likeable winemaker. He offers a gem of an experience sharing his knowledge of wines and offering a great insight into Pinot Noire and Chardonnay wines. Because only small groups are accepted and you must make a reservation it is an intimate exchange of views and questions are answered honestly and informatively with a degree of humour. Wes also finishes his tasting with an excellent freshly brewed espresso coffee.This was the best visit related to wine I have had anywhere in the world - and that's a lot of visits! I would gladly revisit when next in Southern California. And yes the wines are delicious.

My wife and I were on vacation, with the continued mission of broadening our wine palates. This is year three of us visiting the Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Santa Rita Hills wine regions. My family and I own a hotel in Alexander Valley, and these regions remind us of home. The people are friendly, the regions are spread out and the wines are great. We discovered Clos Pepe wine at Tratoria Grappolo, an Italian Restaurant in Santa Ynez, in 2012. In 2013 we attempted to taste Clos Pepe wine in the Wine Ghetto at Lompoc with no success (They do not have a public tasting room, but their wines are supposed to be available to try). Earlier this year I discovered you could make an appointment for a private tasting. I joined the wine club prior to our trip, thinking at the time I could at least be on the waiting list. We were lucky enough to get in before our trip. Our hotel made the reservation for us. BTW, the lady wasn't familiar with Clos Pepe. Wes Hagen, the winemaker at Clos Pepe gave us a complete geological history of the region, the soil content, and his vineyards. This was nice intro prior to the tasting. This man is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his craft. He also likes food and beer too. We experienced the wines, with some fabulous cheeses in the House of Pepe! He also served us some fabulous coffee. This is an experience for people who are serious about learning about the region of Santa Rita Hills, while tasting some of the best pinot noir the region has to offer. This experience is for buyers in my honest opinion. If you haven't tried the wine prior to visiting, don't worry! You will be pleasantly surprised. This an experience that I will always remember.

About an hour north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Rita hills you'll find an oenological treasure. On the recommendation of a fellow member of the Chaine des Rotisseurs, we sought out the winery. They are very restricted on when they have tours and there's a good reason for it: It's not a Disneyland type of winery where people who have nothing to do with either production or viticulture conduct scripted tours. It's a small (less than 20K bottle), highly professional winery, not a tourist destination…..unless you're a dedicated wine tourist….that practices sustainable farming. They do use fertilizer. Comes from four-legged, wooly animals that graze on legumes planted in the vineyards, leaving behind the nitrogen rich fertilizer! We arrived early, not knowing the region and not wanting to be late. It was just my husband and me with Andrew. What a wonderful tour we had! He's knowledgable, he's passionate and a delight to spend time with. We had a survey lesson viticulture that began with a discussion of biomolecular archeology - and given the name of Patrick McGovern from University of Pennsylvania who is an expert on it - and we learned about all the different pinot noir clones on the property. Fascinating. Then we went inside and sat in the Pepes' lovely, warm kitchen to taste the estate's wines. I'm not going to dive into tasting notes, but suffice it to say, the wines are truly special. We tasted two Chardonnays: one fermented in neutral oak and one that only sees stainless steel. Both were beautiful, elegant expressions of the grape. The pinot noir is quite special as well. We signed up for the wine club and went away with a bottle of 2011 Pinot Noir to take to dinner tonight. As a wine professional, I highly recommend making the effort to book a visit to this very special estate. You can feel the passion and dedication the family has to its craft and to future generations who will inherit healthy, untainted land.

My husband and I enjoy wine tasting. He was staying in the area for business and we were looking for weekend activities. We chose this tour because of the great trip advisor reviews and were not disappointed! The tour of the property and vineyard was very informative. Being part of a small group everyone was able to ask questions and really learn about the wine making process. The wine tasting in the family kitchen was a nice touch. To top it off the wines are fabulous! I would highly recommend this tour! Nice change from the typical crowded tasting room. It is private property so you will need to make a reservation for your tour.

On the recommendation of a friend, we recently set up a private tour at Clos Pepe Vineyards in Lompoc. There were just 4 people in our group, so the tour was intimate and very informative.Andrew, our tour guide for the day, loves his involvement with wines and it shows in all he does. You could feel his passion and his energy throughout. He taught us about the biodynamic aspects of the vineyard, the uniqueness of the Santa Rita mountains (where they grow their grapes), and lots and lots of information about how grapes grow and what makes for good wine. Seriously, it was so interesting and so fun!After our tour, Andrew did a private tasting with our group. We tasted 6 different wines and an olive oil that comes from olives on their property as well. Further, Andrew had prepared an awesome cheese and bread plate for the occasion. As if all of this were not enough, their wines were really good and so was the olive oil! We bought some of each.A definite do-over!

I am a winegrower and winemaker and have been interested in wine for over 30 years. I have been to wineries all over the U.S. as well as other countries. This the most educational, enlightening and enjoyable wine experiences ever! History, geology, comedy, literature and wine making all in one non-snobbish wine tour. Even if you are not into wine you will enjoy this. Sheep, chickens, dogs and olive trees. Did I mention this is a vineyard yet? Fantastic wines, cheese, coffee and olive oil. No high pressure sells either. The wines sell themselves. Disc golf and bocci too. Beautiful location also-"where the summer meets the sea". We bring our friends here and they are blown away. Don't miss it. Oh yeah, the wines are incredible too! Cheers

I seek to give the best vineyard tour in the industry, and these type of reviews help me know that my passion, presentation and preparation are not going to waste! Thanks so much, and please let me know if we can take care of you again soon! wes@clospepe.comCheers! Wes

Humbled by your review, so kind! When you're ready for round 2, or your friends for round one, send me an email and we'll do it again! wes@clospepe.comThanks, Wes

Loved having you at the Clos, and we hope you'll be back to taste new wines and learn new things!Wes Hagen (wes@clospepe.com)

Thanks again for your visit and remember to let your friends know to email far ahead of their trip to our area so I can get them in on a tour! Cheers!

Really appreciate your visit and the kind words. Let us know when you'll be back in the area.

We're thrilled that you enjoyed your visit. Please make another appointment to visit us soon! Bring friends!

Come back and visit again! Loved your group!

Thanks for the visit and the review!

Thanks for the visit and the kind words. Hope you come back soon!