Most visitors think they know Malibu: the beach, the highway, the real estate. Far fewer know it is also wine country, and it has been for nearly two centuries. Tucked into the Santa Monica Mountains just off the coast, the Malibu Coast AVA is small, family-run, and easy to miss entirely, which is exactly what makes an afternoon among its vines feel like a find rather than a tour. The estates are boutique, the pours are hard to get anywhere else, and the whole region moves at a slower, quieter pace than the wine country most people picture.
At Stay Awhile Villas, we have spent years sending guests up the right canyon road at the right hour, learning which tasting rooms reward a slow afternoon and which estates are worth rearranging a whole day for.
What Makes Malibu Wine Country Worth the Drive
Malibu has been growing grapes for nearly two centuries. The first documented vineyard went in the ground in 1824, on land that is now part of Serra Retreat, and by the mid-1800s Los Angeles County briefly led California in wine production, a fact almost no one remembers today. Prohibition and sprawl erased most of that history, and the modern revival did not begin until 1985. The Malibu Coast AVA itself was not formally recognized until 2014.
What the region does now, it does at a small scale. Roughly 46,000 acres of steep hillside vineyards catch coastal fog in the morning and warm sun in the afternoon, ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Rhône-style blends. Production stays boutique, most estates are family-run, and the whole experience feels intimate next to the tour-bus rhythm of Napa or Sonoma. Guests tell us it is the part of the trip they did not see coming.
Start on the Coast
The easiest way into Malibu wine country is not to go far at all. Two of the region’s best tastings sit right on the coast, the natural first stop on a morning that began with coffee and a walk on the sand.
Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio
The only oceanfront tasting room in Malibu, Rosenthal sits right on PCH and runs on beach-day time: a shaded garden patio, weekend live music, a Thai kitchen next door. The wines come from the family’s canyon vineyard just up the road, so there is real place behind the view. Settle in with a flight of estate reds or a glass of the Surfrider label and let the breeze set the pace.
- Rating: 4.4 stars, 238 reviews
- Address: 18741 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
- Best for: an easy first stop, beach-day tastings, weekend live music
- Local tip: walk-ins work on weekdays, but weekends fill fast, especially when music is on the schedule
Learn more about Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio
Summer Somewhere Wines at Fred Segal
Tucked inside the Fred Segal on Cross Creek Road, Summer Somewhere feels less like a tasting room than a glass handed to you at a friend’s beach house. The focus is coastal California rosé built for long afternoons, poured in a small, buzzy room where the winemaker is often behind the counter. Ask for the signature rosé flight, ideally in the late golden light before a drive up PCH.
- Rating: 4.7 stars, 12 reviews
- Address: 3822 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu, CA 90265
- Hours: Wednesday 1 to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday 1 to 7 p.m., weekends 12 to 7 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday
- Best for: a quick walk-in tasting, a shopping-stroll add-on Local tip: no reservation needed; pair it with lunch at the nearby Malibu Country Mart
Learn more about Summer Somewhere Wines
Head Up the Canyons
This is where a Malibu tasting day earns its reputation. The classic estates sit up Mulholland Highway and Kanan Dume Road, on hillsides that fall away toward the ocean, and each one is worth the ninety minutes it takes to do properly. If you build the day around one stretch, build it around this one.
Cielo Farms Vineyard
Cielo Farms is the Malibu winery people picture before they have ever been: a Tuscan-inspired estate spilling down a hillside, with vines below, mountains around, and a rustic barn pouring one small batch at a time. Midweek it turns quiet and nearly private, the kind of afternoon a seated flight in the Barn stretches to fill. Take yours out to the terrace for the late light.
- Rating: 3.7 stars, 245 reviews
- Address: 31424 Mulholland Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
- Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 2 to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday 12 to 9 p.m., closed Tuesday
- Best for: a seated ninety-minute tasting, sunset, couples Local tip: reservations are required, and weekends fill quickly with private events
Learn more about Cielo Farms Vineyard
Rosenthal Estate Vineyard Experience
Off Kanan Dume Road, the Rosenthal family opens its canyon estate for a seated tasting of about two and a half hours, long enough to settle in among the mountains with a curated flight of the Rosenthal and Surfrider labels. The property is small, so it never feels crowded, and it is the most scenic way to understand what the Malibu Coast AVA can do. Give the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the sparkling rosé their time.
- Rating: 4.5 stars, 287 reviews
- Address: Kanan Dume Rd and W Newton Canyon Rd, Malibu, CA 90265
- Hours: Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed Monday through Friday
- Best for: an immersive estate tasting, small groups of two to fifteen Local tip: reservation-only, and worth booking ahead for weekend afternoons
Learn more about the Rosenthal Estate Vineyard Experience
Malibu Wine Hikes at Saddlerock Ranch
Here the tasting comes to you, out on the land. You explore the sprawling Saddlerock Ranch, home of Malibu Family Wines, on foot or by open-air vehicle, pausing at vineyard overlooks and the occasional surreal moment, like the resident giraffe. The 4.9-star rating across more than 1,200 reviews comes down to the guides; go for the classic hike with wine and cheese, or the vehicle tour if walking is not the plan.
- Rating: 4.9 stars, 1,259 reviews
- Address: 32111 Mulholland Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
- Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, Monday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Tuesday
- Best for: an active tasting, first-timers, small celebrations Local tip: book at least a week ahead in peak season; the couples package is a favorite around Valentine’s Day
Learn more about Malibu Wine Hikes
Save This for a Group or a Celebration
A few of Malibu’s most dramatic properties are not built for a casual drop-in. They open by appointment, mostly for weddings, retreats, and private tastings, and they reward guests planning a milestone rather than a spontaneous afternoon. If the trip is marking something, these are the rooms to reserve.
Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards
Malibu Rocky Oaks is the view you have seen online a hundred times, and in person it stops you: a lone mountaintop estate with 360 degrees of the Santa Monica range falling toward a distant strip of Pacific. It opens by appointment, mostly for weddings and private tastings, and nothing else in Malibu matches it for drama. Reserve a private tasting and take the estate Cabernet Sauvignon out over the vineyard.
- Rating: 4.9 stars, 18 reviews
- Address: Kanan Road, Malibu, CA 90265
- Best for: proposals, milestone celebrations, weddings Local tip: access is appointment-only, so plan this one well in advance
Learn more about Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards
Cross the Ridge
No full Malibu tasting day is complete without crossing over the mountains. Two very different stops wait just past the ridge, one a curated sampler of the whole region, the other a group-friendly garden built for a longer, louder afternoon.
Cornell Wine Co.
Just over the ridge in Old Agoura, Cornell Wine Co. is the neighborhood spot, small, rustic, and unpretentious. Rather than one estate’s wines, it pours labels from several boutique Malibu Coast producers, so a single seat lets you taste across the region, and the historic Old Place restaurant next door is right there when the last flight turns into dinner. Order a comparative flight of Malibu Coast reds from three producers.
- Rating: 4.6 stars, 130 reviews
- Address: 29975 Mulholland Hwy, Old Agoura, CA 91301
- Hours: Thursday 4 to 7 p.m., Friday 12 to 7 p.m., weekends 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday
- Best for: sampling multiple producers, a flexible walk-in stop Local tip: walk-ins are welcome, which makes this an easy add to a busy itinerary
Learn more about Cornell Wine Co.
Malibu Wines & Beer Garden
After the original Saddlerock tasting room was lost in the Woolsey Fire, Malibu Family Wines rebuilt the public side as the Malibu Wines & Beer Garden in West Hills, a short drive over the mountains. A 1930s building opens onto a garden of picnic tables, craft beer, and the estate’s Saddlerock and Semler labels, with a calendar of silent discos and seasonal pop-ups. This is the one to save for the bigger, louder day, best with a shareable pizza on the lawn.
- Rating: 4.4 stars, 563 reviews
- Address: 23130 Sherman Way, West Hills, CA 91307
- Hours: Monday through Thursday and Sunday 12 to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 12 to 9 p.m.
- Best for: larger groups, celebrations, casual afternoons
- Local tip: reservations are strongly recommended on weekends and event nights; valet runs smoothly
Learn more about Malibu Wines & Beer Garden
Start Planning Your Stay
The best Malibu wine days are unhurried, and the right home base is what makes them so. Our Malibu vacation rentals sit a short drive from every stop on this list, with the ocean out the window and concierge support to arrange the tastings, the black-car transportation between canyon roads, and the chef-catered dinner back at the villa so no one has to think about the drive home.
When you are ready, browse our Malibu vacation rentals or tell our concierge team what you have in mind, and we will build the day around it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Malibu Wineries
Are there really wineries in Malibu?
Yes. Malibu is home to more than a dozen small-lot wineries and vineyards, most of them in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu Coast AVA. The highlights include Cielo Farms, Rosenthal, Malibu Family Wines (Saddlerock and Semler), Cornell, and Malibu Rocky Oaks.
Do Malibu wineries require reservations?
Most do. Cielo Farms, the Rosenthal Estate Vineyard Experience, Malibu Wine Hikes, and Malibu Rocky Oaks all require advance reservations. Casual spots like Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio, Cornell Wine Co., and Summer Somewhere take walk-ins, though weekends fill quickly.
What is the best time of year to visit Malibu wine country?
March through June and September through November are ideal, with mild temperatures, green vineyards, and lighter weekend crowds. Fall harvest is especially scenic, and many wineries build special events around it. Summer is lovely too, though evenings on the ridge can turn cool, so bring a layer.
Can guests do a Malibu wine tour without driving?
Yes, and it is the approach we recommend for a tasting-heavy day. Canyon roads like Mulholland Highway, Kanan Dume Road, and Mar Vista Ridge are narrow and winding, and no one wants to nurse a single glass across three stops. Malibu Wine Hikes handles its own logistics end to end, private black-car and SUV services cover full-day itineraries, and our concierge team can arrange either.
What kind of wine is Malibu known for?
The Malibu Coast AVA specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Rhône-style blends. Coastal rosé and sparkling wines have become signatures at several estates in recent years.
How far are Malibu wineries from Los Angeles?
Most sit between 30 and 45 miles from downtown, roughly a 45- to 75-minute drive depending on PCH traffic. From a base in Beverly Hills, plan on about an hour to the canyon estates.
