kenneth volk vineyards

Up and down the Central Coast of California are wineries that have very good wine. It is quickly becoming the new wine capitol of California. One that I particularly like, even prefer is Kenneth Volk. He has a very good knack for blending just the right ingredients to make some very tasty selections. My very favorite is his Tanat, It is not on the menu as of this report but will make a comeback in late 2015. He also has an excellent Petite Sirah, and a Pinot Noir to die for. His tasting room is off the beaten path and has a nice little deck area where you can sit out and enjoy the fruits of his labor. Join the wine club and receive discounts on these and other excellent selections.

We were at J Dusi Vineyards and tasting room and asked for a recommendation before we headed home to LA. Janell recommended Kenneth Volk Wineries. We went to the tasting room in Paso Robles just down the road from J Dusi -- the road being CA 46. But we also passed the Santa Maria facility too, on the scenic road home.We shared one $15 wine and cheese pairing (waived with purchase of two bottles). It's only $10 and free wine glass for 6 wine tasting if you don't want the cheese.Very well priced and well paired. It was the perfect end to a fabulous wine and dine central coast three day weekend! We bought a bottle of the Blaufrankisch, partly because it was $28 and mostly because it was delicious! And partly because the name is so awesome. Blaufrankisch - blue Frankish, a grape grown in central Europe, and Central California, too!

We decided to stop in at the last minute at the Santa Maria tasting room. They offered a $15 tasting and cheese pairing. It was well worth the money. We shared the tasting and their seemed to be plenty of cheese and wine for both of us. We really liked the Zinfandel and the Blaufrankisch and bought a bottle of each.

Small tasting room. It was full and only 1 server. At times, she got confused. At one point, one of the wines I wanted to taste ran out. She said 'oh well - that's it'. After I looked at her, she said I could pick something else to taste as there was barely a sip. I guess they don't open a new bottle once it runs out? While we were there, they changed the tasting menu! I know it was right before the new year, but it wasn't the end of the day, they had just opened like an hour before. Eventually, another gentleman came out to help pour. It just seemed so chaotic and definitely didn't get much attention. She was tell you a little about the wine while she poured and then walked away. It wasn't the worse place I have been, but considering they were a bit out of the way - I expected a little more.

The entire staff was very helpful and friendly and wanted you to really understand the Kenneth Volk wines. They offered to have you 'revisit' one of the wines you'd already sampled, if that would help you decide what you liked. They weren't pushy about making sure you bought something, but the wines were really good and we genuinely wanted to buy some. The hard part was deciding which ones. They have many more reds than whites, but we found one of each that was worth a purchase. Some of the reds were pretty unique. The garden and pavilion out back were a perfect lunch spot (we brought our own, I don't know what they offer if anything for food) We ate while watching the hummingbirds in the garden and decided that we didn't have time to play bocce, but it looked like fun.

We first joined after visiting the Paso Robles location, but now we have been going to Santa Maria. Way off the beaten path but worth it. There's a cool little tasting area and also an outdoor deck and grassy area with a couple of picnic tables. Very dog friendly. Excellent wines! Ken is the ultimate wine "mad scientist"!

We didn't stop at their tasting room in Paso as we ran out of time but since it was on our way home we popped in. We were with another couple and we were so surprised at the quality of each wine and the great prices. The Jaybird 2012 Chardonnay was amazing. They don't use oak and that's how we like it. The 2012 Verdelho was delicious also. We also liked a number of reds. The 2011 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir was very nice. The 2008 Pinot-Santa Maria Cuvee came in a Magnum and was the best. By this point both couples joined the wine club and we bought some wine to take back. The tasting bar is small but a lot of fun and the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They really use a lot of unusual grapes too.

Ken Volk's wines show his careful attention to the grape and his commitment to making unusual varietals available. He still makes several unusual (in California) varietals that he pioneered at Wild Horse. If possible, they are even better now.On our latest visit to the tasting room near Santa Maria, we went with friends who had never visited a winery in California before (and, yes, we deliberately started at this winery), but who know wine. They were amazed by the wine for the price, how knowledgeable the guy pouring was (I wish I knew his name, but he was great), and how unique the experience was, compared to tasting in much of Europe. Informal without being laid back, is that makes any sense. Too many California wineries now pour a smidge, and the pourer then walks away before you can ask a single question. Not here! There is a $10 fee to taste, which was waived for us when we bought some wine, and our glasses were carefully packed to take away. Even if it weren't waived, it would be well worth the visit.

We've been buying Kenneth Volk wines for several years and enjoyed our visit to the tasting room (which is also the barrel room, at least when they are crowded). Volk offers a range of wines, including several Pinot Noirs and some uncommon varietals (touriga nacional, for example). The servers were informative and not particularly attentive to the number of wines tasted. The setting is modest, so only a limited gift shop, but the focus is the wine. There is a picnic table in the back if you want to bring lunch.

We have had a number of great wine tasting experiences in the barrel room with well educated and informed folks pouring the wines. They make a number of delicious wines from their pintos and chardonnays to the grenache. Do your self a favor and go.

We stopped here on the recommendation of a couple we met at Foxen Vineyard, and weren't disappointed. The tasting room was a bit crowded, but we managed. The tasting was reasonably priced (and you get to keep the nice glass). I particularly liked their Jaybird Chardonnay--surprising because I am not a chardonnay drinker at all. If you're in the area, it's worth a stop.