Kenneth Volk Vineyards

Most pompous pourers ever!!! This was my second time tasting at Kenneth Volk and I was going to join the club but the service I received was SOOOOO awful I won’t ever go back. Maybe it was because I was the youngest (I’m 35) person in the room besides my husband but the chilling looks I got from the old man pouring were ridiculous. At one point another customer had to signal down the pourer because I was being ignored and no one would fill my glass. If I’m paying for wine, I expect to be served it. and in a courteous manner. Save your money and head down the street to one of the other vineyards instead!

Our last stop before heading home. The grounds are really nice, wine is better than tasting room next door. The girl pouring was a little rude though. She wasn’t super welcoming I felt like we were bugging her. I explained i liked Pinots and that the wines seemed heavy to me in Paso. So she poured one of their 2 Pinots on the tasting list. After I tasted the wine I looked at my husband and made a face and said naw don’t think so. She said «I guess she doesn’t like Pinots then!». Um, b*tch, no. I love Pinots. I took a winter trip through the Russian River Valley just to buy wine and take home in droves. I happened not to like this one as it was too jammy, almost like a Zinfandel. I don’t appreciate you talking about me in 3^rd person to my husband like I am not even there. Add to the fact I was struggling to keep my toddler from getting into all their sh*t and it was hotter than sh*t. How about, «We have another Pinot, why don’t you try this one, it’s a little lighter than the last». Which we bought 3 bottles of too BTW (But I didn’t feel like it as I was so ticked off). P. S. tone it down on the vanilla body spray. It overwhelmed the tasting room and is a major faux paux for tasting. The girl next door (I forget the winery’s name!) is lovely and sweet.

SO SAD THEY’RE LEAVING!!!
I came in this past weekend and they dropped the bomb that they’ll be gone at the end of July, closing down this winery location and keeping the remaining location in Santa Maria. They share the property with Four Lanterns, for I’m sure Four Lanterns will fare just as well but it’s sad to see another good winery go.
The wines are fantastic. My friend and I stopped in months ago at the recommendation of another one of our favorite wineries. We opted to do the wine and cheese tasting and it was well worth it (Fromage Sophie supplied the cheese). Their whites were… whites. I’m not a fan of whites, but these were palatable. I wouldn’t purchase them since I really don’t drink whites, but they were very good and I could see people liking them. Their reds were tasty as well. We really liked the Grenache, full bodied and delicious! Service was great as well.

Very nice staff. I liked pretty much all their reds they served on their tasting flight. Nice areas to sit outside

Very friendly and easily some of the finest wines found during a weekend visit to 7 local wineries — highly recommended, even though it is a small venue

I have visited here 2 times. Both times the pourer was absolutely rude and unhelpful. We were the only people on a weekday visiting on a beautiful day, and she wouldn’t even bring us our tastings outside to enjoy. She was lazy and knew nothing about the wine.
There are many many other great places in the area and will not be recommending Kenneth Volk to others, nor will I be returning.

The 4 stars is mainly for the gitchy décor in a western motif … we didnt necessarily like the all the wines. they did have a unique desert wine. but it was a fun stop for a tasting … who knows you may like some…

Serene, tranquil gorgeous setting. Staff was extremely warm welcoming. Product knowledge was generously indepth. And the wine of course, undoubtly delicious!

I really don’t understand why this place has bad reviews (other than some folks prefer Rhone-​style verses Bordeaux-​style). I do a lot of wine tasting and have learned that you really have to separate the wine server from the wines.
Our wine server:
friendly, knew a little bit about the wines we were trying like what country that type of varietal originated from; he definitely wasn’t dedicated to us and I was okay with that I don’t like someone who hovers…
The wines: while I didn’t buy anything (I had already bought too much at other wineries before we got to this one), this was a WONDERFUL experience if you want to try some new varietals (they had 5 varietals I had never had)…
I think we only dumped 1 out one of the wines we tasted. We did not taste any of the usual varietals you see in this area so I can’t tell you anything about them.
I will be back to try the usual varietals on my next Paso Robles trip!

Our final stop on day one. We were helped quickly and had a nice chat with the woman pouring.
$ 10 for 5 tastings plus you keep your glass.
We enjoyed the wines but nothing jumped out to us as purchase-​worthy. Especially since we were in our convertible and only had so much space available.

We stopped here on our way out of town. As we pulled in there was a beautiful dog there to meet us. He was happy to see visitors and listens well to my commands. Once we made it inside he staff was real friendly. We tasted 6 different wines and came home with 2 and some memorabilia. Had a great time.

A great vibe and wonderful wine! Good example of the friendly vibe paso robles is known for. Server was very generous poured us 11 tastes and would have poured more but we wanted to go to a couple more spots on our feet! Cute chocolate lab hanging out. Another couple brought in their dog too. They served us Cabernet Sauvignon grape jelly with crackers. Amazing wine btw! Touriga 100% was my fave. Hard to find that varietal 100%. Very impressed and prices were good too. I’ll go back for sure.

FROM BAD TO WORST.
What a pretentious place. 18 wines on their tasting list — like having more varietals is a sign of quality in the wine. This place could easily WOW the ignorant crowd who wine taste while pressed into vans and limos. 18 wines — so we are supposed to know that more is best? In this case, more is worst.
If you make the mistake and visit, wear a baseball cap sideways or backwards and call everyone «Dude». You will fit right in with the drunks. It is very safe to say that they did not get drunk at this place because the pours were so small, the fruit flies that were everywhere could land in the pour and take off again.
Let’s review the conversation with the young lady pouring the wine.
Guest — What are you pouring?
Employee — Pick any six of the 18 and you keep the glass for $ 10 per person.
Guest (after marking the sheet with six picks and drinking the first one) — What is the alcohol content of that wine?
Employee (who has not shown the bottle to the guest, puts down the bottle where the answer is printed) — I don’t know, I will have to look that up.
Guest (waiting for employee to return) — Did you get the alcohol content?
Employee — I couldn’t find it in the notes.
Guest (after tasting second selection) — How many cases of that is made?
Employee — A lot is made.
Guest — How much?
Employee — 130,000
Guest — Is that gallons or cases?
Employee — Yes
Volk has performed a miracle — Albarino tastes the same as the Orange Muscat.
Even more impressive — Touriga, Tempranillo, Zinfandel and Aglianico all taste the same as well.
I loved the reviewers who said this place has a nice vibe — what the hell has that got to do with crappy wine? Honorable mention for the reviewer who liked visiting the goats and bunnies while wine tasting — stay in Texas, hunny.

What a great place to wine taste. There wine was amazing. Ellie was a sweetheart and made the experience a great time. We bought the Pinot Noir Santa Maria. Fruitful on the nose and amazing on the palate. If you are headed up to Paso, this is a place you must stop by! Lots of varieties of white and red!

Very cute tasting area, friendly staff, but all of the wine is very sweet. We paid our tasting fee and headed out.

Large wine list to chose from and they had a couple good ones. Nice environment and people. This is a good stop.

I really enjoyed my visit here and to the adjoining Lone Madrone. Start here and carry your glass over to Lone Madrone for a half off tasting (or vice-​versa).
Here’s how to do it right:
1. Get a pour in your glass then go tour the herb and flower garden.
2. Return for sample #2 and then take your glass and go see the chickens and the bunnies.
3. Return for samples #3 and #4
4. Carry your glass over to Lone Madrone and begin with their sample #1.
5. Tour (er, shop in) Lone Madrone’s lovely tasting room and buy something fun.
6. Return for sample #2 — snap a few photos with your group (by this time smiles should abound).
7. Continue with the wine sampling and enjoy!
I’m a fan of their Pinot’s: I really liked their ’09 Pinot Noir Maria Cuvee and their ’09 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido was amazing. I also liked their ’09 Temranillo Bella Collina for something a little more unusual.

Just stumbled upon Kenneth Volk because they are conveniently located in the same building as Lone Madrone (where I always have to stop and see if they have Barfendel available). And what a lucky find!
The former winemaker at Wild Horse, Volk has set up a small and straight-​forward boutique winery with varietals you won’t see in other parts of the Central Coast. On every visit we have a very knowledgeable and friendly server (once it was even Volk himself). We’ve been so impressed over our multiple visits that we finally became members of the club. Stop in and try something new!

My friends and I have been to this location a couple of times. We have tasted a substantial number of wineries in the Paso area. Each time we have had a wonderful tasting experience.
First of all, this is a small boutique winery… there the tasting room is small and nothing fancy. We always go for the quality for the wine… not the beautiful tasting room or gift shop. Kenneth Volk does single varietals and apparently does not believe in blending wines.
The first time we were tasting and the server was saying that they were growing this type of varietal at this location on the map, and that they were going this type here. He ended up leaving for a while and I asked the other server who was that. He said that was Kenneth Volk.
Mr. Volk returned a few minutes later and we were talking about each of the wines and how much we enjoyed them. Then he said «let me show you my favorites» and started pulling out some more bottles. Needless to say we all enjoyed each and everyone one of them. We thanked him for his hospitality and left with many bottles.
I tip my glass to Kenneth Volk… he is an exceptional wine maker. I am from Orange County and he won more medals at the OC Fair tasting than any other winery. If you get a chance to drop by during one of the festivals there is a good chance he will be there. It always enhances the experience to talk to the owner or the wine maker.

Of all the wineries we visited in Paso this is the only place we didn’t buy any wine. What’s funny is I went there planning on buying a couple of bottles of Tempranillo and a couple of Petite Sirah. We tasted and liked both of those on a recent trip to the Santa Ynez valley.
The lady pouring for us said they didn’t carry the Tempranillo at this tasting room, they only carry that in the Santa Maria tasting room. The Petite Sirah I was looking for was a 2007, they were out but had some 2008. For what ever reason, she either couldn’t or wouldn’t open a bottle for us to taste, but we could buy some if we liked. I decided I would just pick some up when we visit the Santa Maria tasting room
I like the wines KV makes but this tasting room experience was a downer. Skip this tasting room and visit their Santa Maria location. Much better run and much friendlier.