Artiste- Impressionist Winery & Tasting Studio

This is a unique and wonderful tasting experience. They encourage visitors to express themselves, so I followed their advice and painted my own picture and wine label. Oh, and the Grenache was great, a very nice aroma.

 3.75/4 3.75/4 (0 reviews)

Staff Knowledge & Friendliness  4/4

Amenities, Comfort & Cleanliness  3/4

Value  4/4

Wine Quality  4/4

Artiste is always our first stop when tasting wines in Santa Barbara. We have been members of their wine club for several years and have never been disappointed by the quality or complexity of their wines. The tasting room (which is now in Los Olivos, no longer in Santa Ynez), is large and fun, and tasters are encouraged to take their time and view the art while sipping wine. While the wines are a bit on the pricey side, they are great special occasion wines or gifts.

 3.5/4 3.5/4 (0 reviews)

Staff Knowledge & Friendliness  4/4

Amenities, Comfort & Cleanliness  4/4

Value  2/4

Wine Quality  4/4

I've had mixes experiences with Artiste. I think they have an interesting concept, but the management of the tasting room isn't as good as it once was. I've been up to some of their wine pairing events and they were really well run. I was a member of their wine club, but had problems with deliveries and getting my address changed, so I dropped out.

 3.25/4 3.25/4 (0 reviews)

Staff Knowledge & Friendliness  4/4

Amenities, Comfort & Cleanliness  3/4

Value  3/4

Wine Quality  3/4

I was a member of the wine club for about a year and finally cancelled. It seemed to me the quality of the wine had begun to decline, but again, that could just be me. I find it a bit frustrating that all of the wines are a one-off; that is, they are not produced year after year, but are unique blends. They are all non-vintage, and usually labeled "California", which means the grapes could come from any vintage and from anywhere in the state. Since the last few wines I received had a recommended drinking date several years in the future, it became impossible to judge the value of them. I visited the wine room to taste the latest releases and was not impressed. It could be that they were just too young, but at the prices they are charging, I just didn't think it was worth it anymore. The tasting room is nice, with lots of art, the same art used to adorn the labels. My impression is that makes a considerable contribution to the cost of the wine, however. It's an interesting concept, but it just doe

 2.5/4 2.5/4 (0 reviews)

Staff Knowledge & Friendliness  2/4

Amenities, Comfort & Cleanliness  3/4

Value  2/4

Wine Quality  3/4