Coquelicot Estate Vineyard Tasting Room

The Coquelicot Estate Vineyard tasting room was a delightful stop during an afternoon of wine tasting in Los Olivos, California

During a lovely dinner with friends at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, I struck up a conversation with the restaurant’s sommelier. I’d noticed him pouring it, noticed how beautiful the wine label was – and then immediately inquired about the winery.

He poured me a taste and told me about Coquelicot Estate Vineyard. He then gave me some recommendations of wineries in Los Olivos and Los Alamos that I quickly made a note to visit.

After a delicious lunch and conversation with a friend at The Shop Brunch in Santa Barbara, I leisurely made my way up the coast to enjoy a few of his recommendations.. First, I visited Lo-Fi Wines in Los Alamos. Then, I made my way to Coquelicot.

Coquelicot Estate Vineyard, nestled in the quaint town of Los Olivos, California is eye catchingly lovely. I walked into the tasting area and inquired about a tasting. I spoke with Luke, who told me that he’d stopped pouring for the day.

The website doesn’t tell you this. But, they typically stop pouring about an hour and a half to an hour before closing.

However, I was undeterred. I have a certain….. je ne sais pas….let’s just call it “focus”… when it comes to getting something that I desire. So, I asked directly if he had the wine that I’d enjoyed at Grandmaster Recorders in stock, and showed him a photo of the bottle.

Understanding that I wasn’t there to waste time changed Luke’s perspective. Which, I was grateful for, as I came for what I wanted. He graciously stated that they didn’t have the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon. However, he had the 2019 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. He then pulled out two other reds for me to try: the 2019 Mon Amour and the 2019 Reserve Cabernet Franc.

I tasted them all and surprisingly walked away with the 2019 Reserve Cabernet Franc. Plus, if I really want to get the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon again, I have a feeling I could stop by the winery’s restaurant, The Mulholland, in Calabasas and enjoy a glass.

Which I apparently drove all the way to Los Olivos to learn about.

Still, I look forward to opening my bottle of red and sharing it.

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