CFrances_C
Beautiful property!!!! Feeling like I'm in Tuscany. Take a moment to walk around and smell the rosemary. Ask for Sammi, she's great.
christinek246
We finally visited Sunstone Winery after reading tons of reviews and seeing the most beautiful photos from weekend getaways and weddings... and it did not disappoint! You're suddenly transported to Europe with the beautiful architecture and olive trees everywhere. And with a good glass of wine in hand, what more could you want? We even became members we loved the wine so much! And I have yet to receive a bottle I didn't love...
We3luv2travel
This winery is great. It has exceptionally nice grounds and a great wine tasting room. If you want a great place for a wedding or other event - this is a good choice. The wine was good and the staff was extremely friendly. We will definitely return to Sunstone.
JitinC
Small winery in a beautiful location. Wines were great. They also have free oil tasting with bread. Beautiful lawns for picnic
KeithP346
We were coming to the end of our road trip and James had been saving this one up as he had had such a great experience on a previous visit. The greeting was fine but identical to the next party coming in which was the first sign. There was then an issue in regard to membership which was a genuine confusion but not well handled. There were probably too many parties as the host was regularly losing track of where he was at. Several people were disappointed that the rose was not available and all requests to purchase a glass were abruptly turned down. Reminds me the old joke - you're the 5th person I've told today that there's no demand for it. When the host asked a colleague for a hand he was told he was too busy - in front of all the guests. The experience was capped when a party turned up just too late for a tasting having travelled a distance to be told with glee that they had no chance.Shame it was a very pretty place and nobody likes to recommend and then be let down.
RayG865
I came here for a wedding and was blown away by this place. I spent a lot of time at the villa due to the fact I was part of the wedding, and I really couldn't get over how nice it all was. The rooms are all huge and look amazing with the stone, and there are several major balcony/patios that give insane views of the surrounding mountains and wine country. Reception was on the lawn out front, with dinner through the vines in the back - both areas were set up amazing (front had couches set up in various areas, the dinner was one long "T" shape of a table). Afterwards there was an after party at a wine cellar down the hill, which was a ton of fun in and of itself. I would love to come back here for a regular wine tasting someday, but if you are looking for a fun and beautiful venue in wine country, please check this place out.
851jessicah
After reading some past reviews and our visit, I can understand some of the negative as well as positive reviews. And I agree witht he previous post, go early. It gets crowded.The facade of the Disney-esque cracked stone all over is definitely over the top and you get the feeling that aesthetics is the overall goal here. Speaking of aesthetics... the two women in charge of the tastings during our visit were very beautiful slim blondes. One could care less about our patronage or the wines she was serving, luckily the other young lady came over to take over and she was quite the reverse! She was passionately telling us about the wines, the vineyard, and the Villa on the hillside above. The wines were actually not bad either.To the employee's credit, it looks to be an event destination which is constantly keeping everyone there busy and they are possibly under-staffed. The road in and out is very rough. And if there is a wedding going on, prepare to fight for parking.Overall, we enjoyed our visit and we cleared out before it got too crowded and hectic. I would highly recommend a visit for their olive oils as well. Very unique and tasty!
onlyleigh
We visited this winery specifically because we saw pictures of the building. The setting is lovely with a rock stone building, large grassy area and rural setting. HOWEVER, beware of the dirt, graded (when?) road coming in and out. It's full of pot holes and ruts. If you go faster than 5 miles per hour you risk breaking an axle. Also, this winery is not pet friendly at all with numerous signs on the entry road of NO PETS.
Carmelmom
We were actually a little early arriving about 15 minutes before they open. It's a gorgeous location. Enjoy it and take lots of photos before the masses join in. Lovely tasting tables in an outside courtyard. Very nice wines. Yummy olive oil and balsamic tastings. Bought a few for home: Tuscan dipping oil and strawberry balsamic vinegar.
Borszereto
The property (the villa and its yard) looks just like a vineyard in Tuscany: the decoration, the furnitures, the lavenders, the breeze... Ohh, what a hidden gorgeous place! Perfect venue for special events, too.We payed for our tastings and sat outside to sample. The porch is nice and shady, and it wasn't crowded at all. Their wine is good - but the atmosphere makes it even better :) They also sell some olive oils and vinegars that you can sample - the blood orange one was our super favorite. It's a lovely, romantic place!
DDM_BSA_Venture
Really enjoyed the visit to Sunstone winery. It was really quaint and a great place to enjoy some wine with family and friends. Highly recommend and the wine is great too boot!
DylanR862
As the first stop on our tour of the Santa Ynez region, Sunstone has a killer Grenache Blanc and some other great options. I would definitely recommend a stop here to check out a very neat wine cave nestled in the hillside behind the tasting room. Sunstone also has for sale some great olive oils and balsamic vinegars, tastings free.
francoisehardly13
Driving out to Sunstone one can't help but feel anticipation for what's to come up in such a beautiful landscape. We passed a few vineyards on the way down Refugio Road, but my friend insisted that we hold out for the gorgeousness of Sunstone. So we did, and yes it was very pretty, but it became very clear within minutes that it was all about appearances.The gentlemen who greeted us was in discussion with a couple and he broke away and quickly gave us menus and set us up with a glass and offered the first (generous) poor. He was brusque, but professional. But that was the last we dealt with him, as a tall young man came out and quite grimly asked us which wine we were on. Everything about his demeanor indicated he was bored. He didn't have to engage us in deep conversation, but not rattling off info like a drone would have been nice. And his pour was really skimpy. We asked if we could poke our heads in around the corner and he said "Just for a minute"At this point, it became clear that they were expecting a large group. The first gentleman was shouting to another young woman behind the bar about how he had to get ready, and she was clearly disgruntled. It was not a pleasant experience at all. In fact, we really wanted to leave a bit earlier, but thought maybe it was just a fluke.When we did look in the larger room area, it was nice, but there were a lot of those fake crack/exposed brink nuances on the walls. It was made to look like an old wine cave, and it really came off as phony and very Disney-esque.It bugged me, but I shrugged it off. This is how the vineyards are in the States, I suppose...That was until we got to our next destination which was fantastic (Carr Vineyards).I would never recommend Sunstroke, I mean Sunstone. Too impersonal, and really cocky. Blech. It can really put you off your wine.
VandM_TravelGuide
We decided to stop off at Sunstone above the other vinyards in the region - and we're so glad we did. It was a beautiful stop for lunch and wine tasting. This French Provincial-inspired wine tasting room will not disappoint.We took our own picnic lunch, and sat on the tables in their beautiful grounds with a glass of their fabulous wine (we loved the Grenache Blanc).The staff was incredibly friendly. The wine was great, and the Fig Balsamic & Garlic Oil were delicious.
KarenE546
Great Vineyards and Wine Tasting! beautiful adobe like grounds with amazing views! Very relaxing and spread out makes it easy to enjoy a glass of wine on the porch, inside at the bar, out on a picnic table with friends, under an umbrella or just walking around taking it all in! Super beautiful grounds and Vineyards you can walk right up to and take photos or stroll along them. Olive Oil tastings too!We did not care for the wines as much as some of the other places we went to but Sunstone definitely had the best atmosphere of them all! Gorgeous place and we would love to come back!!!!