Story and photos by Gwendolyn Alley
For fun back in my great grandparents’ day in Ventura County, we’d drive the “triangle” — from Ventura to Ojai to Santa Paula and back — visiting friends. Today you can take the triangle to visit wineries, discover hidden vineyards and make your own wine tasting adventure.
Out the window, you’ll see citrus, oil derricks, creeks with sycamores and chaparral-covered hills dotted with oaks. There are vineyards, too, plus wineries and tasting rooms. You just have to know where and when to look for these hidden…and not so hidden…treasures of Ventura County.
DOWNTOWN VENTURA
While you can begin anywhere along the triangle for a sampling of the county’s best vintages, consider starting bright and early on a Saturday at the Downtown Ventura Farmers Market. There you can taste Clos des Amis wine made in Santa Paula from Ventura County grapes by Bruce Freeman and Gretel Compton. The market opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at noon.
Located adjacent to the Farmers Market on Main Street, Paradise Pantry offers tastings and flights from local and international wines beginning at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday and closing at 8 p.m.; Sunday hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. They also have a wide selection of food to enjoy there or to take with you, and they can advise you about what to choose to pair with local wine which they also carry.
WESTSIDE
Next up on your adventure is a recent addition to the scene: Municipal Wine, located just around the corner from Main on Ventura Avenue. Open daily from noon until 8 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Muni is more like a lively neighborhood bar than a typical tasting room. Indeed, a fine adventure could start right here. Flights highlight a range of wines made from Southern California grapes. No reservations required.
Looking for a gorgeous picnic spot? Drive up Highway 33 to Old Creek Road to Old Creek Ranch and Winery, and bring your charcuterie or other picnic fixing to enjoy at one of the many tables under the grape arbor and beside the vineyards while tasting wine made from fruit grown and harvested in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Offerings featuring estate grapes are coming soon. Open Thursday through Monday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., reservations preferred (especially on busy weekends).
among the vineyards at Old Creek Ranch.
OJAI
Instead of continuing up 33 to Ojai, make a right on Creek Road where you’ll drive by The Ojai Vineyard’s hidden hybrid vineyard (closed to the public except for special events).
Winemaker Adam Tolmach is one of the OG winemakers of the Central Coast, and many of today’s area winemakers (including several featured here) found their start under his guidance. Keep driving toward Ojai to stop at the tasting room on Montgomery Street just off the Arcade. While some grapes come from estate-owned vineyards in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills, most are purchased. Reservations preferred with seating indoors, out front on Montgomery, or at a table on the shady back patio. Open daily from noon until 5 p.m.
Once in Ojai, there are plenty of wine tasting possibilities.
Among these: Fabien Castel’s Side Street Wine. Castel made wine with Tolmach for over 20 years before heading off on his own adventure in April 2023 at Ojai Valley Brewery, where locally sourced wines, beers and spritzes flow from 20 taps. Wines are also available in cans and crowlers. In addition to a range of wines made from Ventura County fruit, Castel is making vermouth and an herbal seltzer. Open until 11 p.m. with music on Friday and Saturday nights and until 9 p.m. the rest of the week, they also have a pool table, cornhole and a fire pit.
Further along 150, just before climbing Dennison Grade, stop at Boccali’s for a weekend outdoor tasting plus pizza and strawberry shortcake on the patio, lawn or inside the restaurant. Father and son winemaking team DeWayne and Joe Boccali make the wines from grapes they grow just up Dennison Grade in Upper Ojai.
UPPER OJAI AND SANTA PAULA
Take a right up Sulphur Mountain Road and climb the windy narrow road to almost 3,000 feet to arrive at biodynamic Ojai Mountain, where in 2018 vineyards of Rhone reds and whites were planted with an ocean view. Unless you have a reservation, you will be stopped by the locked gate. Winery ambassadors lead experiences including jeep tours, tastings of wines made from estate fruit and picnics with stunning views of Ventura County. They also have chickens and sell the eggs.
You may be surprised to find vineyards at 2,800 feet, but vineyards are hidden everywhere in Ventura County, especially in Upper Ojai, if you know where to look.
On the Topa Topa side grow the vineyards for Doctor’s Orders Natural Wine Company (supplemented with fruit from other local and regional organic vineyards). To get to the Doctor’s Orders Tasting room in Santa Paula, continue on 150 to follow Sisar Creek down to the Fermentation Team Headquarters. If you need a break from wine, Dom O’Reilly also makes Anna’s Ciders and Jungle Tea. O’Reilly grew up in the wine business in Oregon, studied philosophy at Thomas Aquinas, worked with Adam Tolmach and made wine for Topa Mountain before launching his own project.
Across the Santa Clara River from Santa Paula is South Mountain Winery, home to Clos des Amis. Winemaker Bruce Freeman worked with Adam Tolmach for 10 years. Labels feature artwork of local flora and fauna as well as hiking trails, created by co-owner and co-winemaker Gretel Compton. Nestled in citrus orchards and chapparal, with organic grapes grown on diverse soils, scenic, rustic Clos des Amis requires reservations for vineyard visits and outdoor tastings where you are welcome to bring a picnic.
BACK TO VENTURA
Take 126 back to Ventura and Happy Accidents, located downtown. Happy Accidents celebrates successful experiments in natural winemaking with grapes from Southern California vineyards, served in a cozy, relaxing atmosphere. It’s only open weekends: 3-8 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. on Sundays. A great place to end any wine tasting adventure.
Fourth generation Venturan Gwendolyn Lawrence Alley teaches at Ventura College and writes about wine, travel, food and other adventures at winepredator.com.
Downtown Ventura Farmers Market
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m.-noon
200 Block of East Main Street, Ventura
www.vccfm.org/downtown-ventura
Paradise Pantry
222 East Main Street, Ventura
805.641.9440
www.paradisepantry.com
Municipal Wine Ventura
339 North Ventura Avenue, Ventura
805.319.6859
municipalwinemakers.com
Old Creek Ranch and Winery
10024 East Old Creek Road, Ventura
805.649.4132
www.oldcreekranch.com
The Ojai Vineyard Tasting Room
109 South Montgomery Street, Ojai
805.649.1674
ojaivineyard.com
Side Street Wine and Ojai Valley Brewery
307 Bryant Street, Ojai
805.798.9282
www.sidestreetwine.com, ojaivalleybrewery.com
Boccali’s Pizza and Pasta
3277 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai
805.646.6116
boccalis.com
Ojai Mountain Estate
805.669.2283
info@ojaimountainestate.com
ojaimountainestate.com
Doctor’s Orders Natural Wine Company
At Fermentation House
801 East Main Street, Santa Paula
805.229.7338
fermentation.house
drsorderswine.com
Clos des Amis
805.795.7743
info@closdesamis.com
closdesamis.com
Happy Accidents
607 East Main Street, Ventura
805.628.3947
happyaccidents.co