Milan Vineyards

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  Beautiful vineyard! Fun atmosphere!! Wasn't too crazy about the wines but it was a nice time!!

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  Posted on 01.25.11 Ashleigh B.

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  I found this company from <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FKGBDeal.com&s=ca60aaf6d4c428c364693e7a2c6c9595a3776a617ba5b0b02ffc231961c500a5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://KGBDeal.com</a> and brought 3 vouchers for the wine tasting deal. Brought it on Oct 2010 and it say voucher expire 4/22/2011.
  
  So I called and tried to make appointment for wine tasting but their phone number seems not working and won't allow to leave message.
  
  Their website is not working neither. Seems like the company is out of business. And I'm asking <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FKGBDeal.com&s=ca60aaf6d4c428c364693e7a2c6c9595a3776a617ba5b0b02ffc231961c500a5" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://KGBDeal.com</a> for refund. ..... wish me luck @_@

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  Posted on 01.19.11 Cindy S.

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  I had heard about this vineyard and wanted to try it out. I am an avid wine lover and a member of a couple of wine clubs in the Malibu area. We went to what ended up being a house and began to walk up the driveway when the owner and wife asked what we were doing. Then began to tell us it was a private residence and not open. We questioned why tastings had been advertised on Goldstar and they were like we only do those when we want. What the heck? They were so rude and very unprofessional. You need to figure out if you want to run a winery and have tastings. If not then don't advertise tastings.

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  Posted on 11.22.10 Denise S.

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  Completely NOT what I expected from a vineyard.  
  
  This was my first time going "wine tasting" because I'm more of a "beer tasting" kinda girl.  With that said, Milan vineyards was an absolute disappointment.
  
  I really expected a normal vineyard with a tasting room not some chaotic party in the middle of the Santa Monica Mtns.  First of all, you have to drive through winding roads that are the size of my SUV..which made it a bit scary driving with other ppl on the road.  Then when you get to the top it's like madness.  There are cars parked everywhere on the street and so basically you just have to fit yourself somewhere and hope no one hits your car on that small road.
  
  Super confused at this point.  My boyfriend & I start walking to the "vineyard" and to our surprise, we ended up at a HOUSE?!?! OOK...wth is going on? We walk up the stairs and it's like a college party up there but with wine glasses instead of red cups.  It was ridiculous.  We didn't know where we had to go..all we saw were ppl everywhere holding glasses of wine.  Then finally this sweet lady told us we had to "check in" at some table on the patio.  
  
  We went to the table..which was like 2x2 ft and had all the wine bottles there.  Then you had Milan's wife pouring glasses to a mob of people.  We tried to check in and the wife was just telling us to wait for Milan to come out and check us in.  When Milan came out basically we showed him our KGB deal receipt and he just took it and gave us 2 glasses.  Uhmm.....was a reservation even necessary at this point?? SOOO disorganized!!
  
  Luckily we found two chairs inside next to the band to hang out and re-group after that fiasco.  Had "snacks" i.e. cheese and crackers and candy?  Not even that great of a selection.  At this point, I was thinking why we even came.  Then I understood that only this kind of madness would be advertised on a coupon website.
  
  All I can say was that it was SUPER SUPER disorganized.  I didn't feel that they were professional at all.  People were just mobbing around the bottles of wine trying to get a pour and it was more frustrating & irritating than relaxing.  
  
  To top it off, our deal included a free bottle of wine.  And my boyfriend went up to Milan SEVERAL times to get this bottle of wine and Milan just blew him off EVERY TIME.  We NEVER got our free bottle and I am just so upset about the whole thing.
  
  Even their award winning wine couldn't make up for the fact that this was a complete mess.
  
  I would never come back and I would never recommend this place to anyone.

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  Posted on 11.19.10 Vanessa F.

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  THIS IS NOT A VINEYARD with a true tasting room! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. Please read on as to why...
  
  First off, parking is terrible! The "vineyard" is located on a tiny 1.5 lane street, and cars were parked for about a mile away.
  
  THERE IS NO TASTING ROOM. It is a home. I am kicking myself for not taking a photo of the mayhem bc the photos on Yelp show a Vineyard, not the home of two rich newlyweds trying to make money off these terrible tastings. The only helpful photo is of the wine bottles placed under the "tasting" table which was so tacky. Again- this is so much more of a High School party style than a sophisticated wine tasting event.
  
  My first reaction when we walked up the million flights of stairs was that it felt like a house party. The  "tasting" was put on their small patio, and people were constantly maneuvering between groups to get around. We arrived with a rush of other people, and had to wait TEN minutes to get signed in and get our glasses. AFTER THAT, we had to then wait FIVE more minutes to get out first tasting (at one point, there was a line 15 people long just to get a tiny once ounce tasting.) I witnessed at least three times when they ran out of a wine and people were left standing with a 0.5 ounce pour for five minutes as someone causally walked into their kitchen to get another bottle and pour the rest. One person working there didnt even know how to open bottles of wine, and I saw her break the cork several times and try to laugh it off. At  this point, no one was amused.
  
  The fact that we had to RSVP gives me no tolerance to the poorly run tasting. They knew exactly how many people were coming and were completely unprepared.
  
  The food and snacks that they advertise were all a result of a bulk Costco run- Cheese Its, packaged cookies and left over Halloween candy. The live band stopped after a song and asked the crowd "How is everyone doing?" No one responded because I dont think anyone wanted to respond "Terrible!"
  
  We purchased our tasting through DealOn, and with the tasting we got a bottle of wine. We were able to choose between the first 5 bottles that we tasted, and I made the mistake of after ordering my bottles (let me mention that the person who took my wine order was their nanny who they had working  the party-- I think nannies are amazing and hard workers, but unless she is a sommelier she shouldn't be taking wine orders) not checking the bag before we had to make our 10 minute walk back to our car. Once I sat down in the car, I realized that they gave us the WRONG bottle of wine! We asked for a Rose and we got some heavy rich red wine. After such a terrible experience, I did not want to even step foot in the house again, so I did not go back to exchange it for the correct bottle.
  
  We took my boyfriends parents here and I was more than embarrassed. Even with the free bottles of wine, I would have rather spent $70 on a nice afternoon cocktail at Shutters where we would have been treated with amazing service.
  
  The wife, Amy, was very nice, but unfortunately being nice didn't make up for the MOST HORRIBLE WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD.
  
  I would never go here...there are far better and authentic vineyards in Malibu (MALIBU WINES for example.) These are two young, wealthy people who seem to do this more as a hobby than as a profession. It was totally disorganized and seemed like a money making scam.
  
  After  Googling  their names, I came across several posts about how they are Slumloards who violate renters rights - they have a business called Milan Properties LLC. This not only confirmed my suspicion that their Vineyard is a hobby, but that they are disgusting money hungry people.
  
  If I could give them 0 stars I would.

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  Posted on 11.15.10 Melissa D.

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  WAY TOO CROWDED!!  It was very difficult to get a pour and impossible to tell what we were drinking since the only way to get a sample was to thrust ones' glass in the direction of a bottle being tipped...  Seriously, Milan needs to cut off reservations after the first 100 or so.  
  
  What we tasted ranged from "not to our liking" to simply "okay".  The bathroom (yes, there was only one) was a disaster and the virgo in me wanted to pick up the empty plates, glasses and trash that covered the table tops, stairs and banisters.
  
  Milan seemed genuinely pleased when we purchased a bottle for our party of 4 (we did not have the heart to tell him that this seemed to be the only way we could taste his wine and know what we were drinking).
  
  DO NOT pay for the wine tasting in advance.  If you want to venture out there (the drive is very pretty), plan to purchase a bottle

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  Posted on 11.14.10 Nancy M.

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  Went to the open house event this afternoon.  Had a flight of 7 wines paired with sweet sides.  The wines were ok, but not terribly to my tasting. Of the 7, one was good and 2 others decent, the rest I was not fond of.   The views are fantastic, but the house was a little crowded.  It was difficult to find a place to "be" and relax.  I liked that it was so close, and the host and staff seemed friendly.
  
  I probably would not go back on my own, but would go with a group of friends again.  Worth trying to see if it suits your particular style.

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  Posted on 10.30.10 Tim F.

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  What a treat on a sunny day!  Milan Vineyards is tucked away in the Topanga Canyons.  I loved the drive here-- although very narrow, and curvy-- it is way closer than Santa Barbara, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, and Paso Robles.  The place is located in a residential area.  You might get lost coming here, so come prepared with a printout of a detailed map.  Parking is also very tight.  
  
  We had the flight of 7 wines.  All were good, but what stuck out the most were the 'Maximilian' and the 'Poetic'.  We left with half a case.  Had a chance to meet the family, who are very hospitable and welcoming people.  The place did get a bit crowded but, considering the limitations of operating a wine tasting event at a residence, Milan Vineyards knows how to entertain.  Live music, assortment of snacks, and beautiful views...  I would definitely come here again.

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  Posted on 09.07.10 Stan Y.

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  Milan Vineyard is nestled in the beautiful Topanga Canyon on the Santa Monica Mountains.  I thoroughly enjoyed B. Alan's tour of the vineyard, and learned quite a bit about his viticulture techniques.  Before UC Davis, B. Alan --the main wine grower of Milan Vineyards-- begun experimenting with wine after receiving a wine-making kit as a gift.  Now, this advocate of sustainable wine producing is a wine-maker to the stars.
  
  The main grapes grown in the vineyard are:  Grenache, Sangiovesse, Mouvedre, and Syrah.
  
  My favorite wines at Milan were: Soliloquy, Duet and Poetics.
  
  The hosts --Mr. and Mrs. Rubenstein-- were very gracious and helpful.

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  Posted on 09.07.10 Carmen T.

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  I decided to try Milan Vineyards after a group got a good deal on tastings.  Although it was a 45+ minute drive for me, I'm always up for trying new places in different sections of the LA area and proceeded to purchase the tasting.  Because our group was so large, Milan Vineyards promised us an additional two tastings of wine.  We were told to be at the Vineyard at 1, but the hostess said they weren't expecting us until 3.  I know 50 people couldn't have gotten the time wrong, and she seemed quite annoyed that she had 50 people to deal with.  Luckily, as a group, we were accommodating and one of our group members ended up helping out with the tasting.
  
  The tastings in Milan Vineyards is really located in a huge house, not your typical restaurant or tasting room.  Our group had a large kitchen to ourselves, but I actually wished I could sit outside with the other people who had tastings, as the kitchen area had no fan or air conditioning,  and the room was extremely hot, especially with 50 people.  Luckily, there was a back door leading to cool air and a somewhat beautiful view of the parking lot and some trees.  
  
  As to the tastings, we all know that wine is a completely subjective experience, but I was very underwhelmed by the selection of wines.  Some wines were too acidic or sweet.  I found only two out of the seven wines I tried that I actually enjoyed, while the others faded from memory quite quickly (and in case you're wondering, enough time had passed by between me trying all the wines in order to distinguish one from another as I was not drunk, barely tipsy).  The bottles were quite expensive to buy, although I did buy one out of politeness as suggested by our group leader.  Also, I was annoyed because we were promised two additional tastings that no other individual person would get, but were cut off at seven with no explanation given.  
  
  Despite the hostess' slight rudeness in seeing there had been a scheduling conflict (on their part) with our group, the staff was very friendly.  The owner, who's name is actually Milan, was around to answer any questions and ring up orders.  The actual winemaker came to speak to our group and spent 20 minutes explaining the wine making process and answering questions.  Additionally, the place had amazing views and I loved the homey feeling of just chillin' inside a house and drinking wine.
  
  If you're around the area, not afraid of some steep uphill driving, and love wine, then give this place a try.  However, I wouldn't drive 45+ minutes to go here again and believe this is a one time deal.  There are much better tastings and vineyards out there.

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  Posted on 09.05.10 Erica R.

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  Nestled in the beautiful hills of Topanga, Milan Vineyards is an amazing vineyard that produces delicious wines. I attended a tasting this past spring and was impressed with the care and knowledge Amy & Milan (the owners) provided to all of their guests. My personal favorite wine? The Maximilian!
  
  Definitely attend an event at Milan Vineyards!

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  Posted on 09.03.10 Avi O.

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