Blackjack Ranch — Attraction in California

Okay, so there’s a plexiglass wall inside and you have to stay outside with kids. Service isn’t rude it’s just to the point and get the job done. Their house, their rules. However if you spend a little time making some nice conversation and talk about wine in a good way then as they say your mileage varies with regard to the chit chat. I can see how some folks might want a concierge service but I was there to try wines for my collection not to chat about what I smell in a glass of wine. But even then I had a nice conversation about wine going.. I sense I was being given a knowledge shake down by someone who knew a lot about wines and has to deal with customers BS daily. What I liked.. 1st, they have estate grapes and looks like mostly estate wines, 2nd, they have Bordeaux style blends and some straight varietals, 3rd their prices are quite reasonable, 4th they serve and have wines that actually have some age. Meaning, want a 19 year old estate grape Bordeaux blend? They have it , and priced well. That says something right there to people that know why you go to a winery. Terroir is good and the vines look well taken care of. A mix of older thicker vines and some new ones. I zeroed in on the 2007 cab franc+ merlot blend and its great. Exactly what I was looking for. Tannins were aging brilliantly and could take many more years. Got a few bottles of the 2003 as well and tasted the 2005. Their wines age very well. Their wines are also built to age. I see reviews that their wines are bad., That’s crazy. Maybe if your drinking them too young. And as for the sediment, well it’s older wine. So you should use a Durand style cork opener and decant the wine or filter it. Otherwise of course your gonna get sediment. Anyways, The lady was nice enough to ship a few extra bottles we bought at other vineyards in their case to make an even dozen. That’s pretty nice. Grounds were amazing. My kids played over by the gazebo and just enjoyed playing in the mulch...

I've been to BlackJack twice, and the experiences were different. Try to select a non-peak time for a more relaxing visit.

While visiting family in the north county area, I insisted on heading over to Solvang to sample some of the local wares. We visited several wineries, but a couple of them stood out for me. My venture had nothing to do with seeing a movie. Most of the places we checked were not in the movie.

Blackjack Ranch stood out because I'm a sucker for Syrah, and I had heard about the Maximus and Double Down Syrah they make. Upon entering the tasting/sales room, I was greeted by some very friendly folks, eager to help me learn about their products. I chose to partake in the tastings of most of the reds they offer, and was very impressed.

After arriving back home, 4 states away, I knew that I had to get on their mailing list, and decided to sign up for their wine club. Over the next few years, I received, tasted, and shelved several bottles of many different varietals and blends.

A couple of weeks ago, I cracked open a dusty bottle of 2006 Allusion that I stashed away when it was first released, and I couldn’t have been happier with my patience. This nine-year old bottle was quite a pleasant surprise. Some of the best, old reds I have put away from that region.

The products sold at Blackjack Ranch are priced comparably to other good vineyards in that area, and well worth the money. Easily as good as many of the comparable Napa reds, which cost twice as...

I have visited this winery a few times whenever we went to Solvang in the past and enjoyed their wines. I have since ordered online a few times with no problems. I recently ordered two bottles online and paid $30 to ship to me in New York. Unfortunatetly both wines were not drinkable, they were brown in color and had chunks of sediments in them. When I contacted the company and explained the issues and even sent pictures and asked for a refund they blew me off. They know very well it is not legal to mail open bottles of alcohol so of course they could not be returned. Beware of ordering and having wines shipped as you have no recourse if they are bad and will be out your purchase. Not good customer...