Orfila Vineyards Tasting Room & Kitchen

This weeks OWL Club member highlight features a couple who we absolutely adore! Cassie and Todd Fowler are an amazing couple from San Marcos and Orfila is not just a place they visit, it’s part of their story. Us: Tell us a little about yourself! Fowler’s: Todd and I met through a mutual friend, but became close during his USMC deployment in 2007. We started dating as soon as he returned and ended up getting married at Orfila in 2014. We visit often (and sometimes bring our d...ogs Sasha and Tank), but are always sure to come by for our anniversary every year. Us: How long have you been an OWL Club member and what is your favorite thing about it? Before you became a member, how did you find out about Orfila? Fowler’s: I have been an OWL Club member since early 2013. I came to Orfila for a wine tasting with my sorority’s alumnae association and the tasting room staff asked if we were members. At that time, I was newly engaged, and had already decided Orfila was a likely choice for a wedding venue. One of my sisters looked at me and said, Aren’t you planning on getting married here? You might as well join! So I did, and we got free tastings! Shortly thereafter, Todd and I actually confirmed Orfila as our venue, and the rest is history! Before I became a member, the first time I visited, I remember seeing the sign up front that says weddings and thinking it would be a great location for a wedding (we had been dating for a few years at that point and were not yet engaged). It was meant to be! Us: Why is Orfila Vineyards & Winery special to you? Fowler’s: Orfila is not only the place where we got married, but it is one of our favorite places to be. We love to visit and take in the gorgeous view while we relax and enjoy your wine, especially with friends. Additionally, we have made friends with several people who have worked at Orfila over the years, so it is always exciting to see them and say hi when we visit. They have made us feel like a part of the Orfila family, and I truly believe that we are. Thank you Fowler fam for your support! We appreciate you and look forward to many more memories over the years!

We excitedly handed over one of our favorite whites, Viognier, to @meadiocrity.mead so they could work their magic to add their delicious mead to our wine. After a mix of this and a dash of that, we are excited to have a capsule collaboration of the Viognier White Sangria on tap at their San Marcos tasting room. Our Viognier is a white varietal that is known for its citrus and floral notes which naturally makes you want to add a touch of sweetness to it. By combining the Vio...gnier with the mead, it creates a delightfully light and refreshing beverage that is definitely sip worthy. Meadiocrity Mead decided to finish of the collaborative beverage by adding just the right amount fresh ginger which gives the drink the perfect amount of kick. Stop by their tasting room to sip and savor this specialty drink, it’s absolutely delicious and will definitely please the palate.

Friends of Orfila Earlier this week one of our employees at our Tasting Room & Kitchen in Oceanside tested positive for COVID-19. As a business that cares deeply about the safety and health of our employees and community alike, we are choosing to voluntarily shut down our Tasting Room & Kitchen in Oceanside for the time being. Following CDC guidelines, we will be sanitizing and disinfecting our entire tasting room and kitchen. We are providing our staff with a COVID test to... help us gauge when it is safe to reopen and also to make sure that the people we rely on are safe and sound. Orfila is dedicated to providing a safe environment for our team so we can provide a safe environment for you. As always, we will be following any and all CDC guidelines as we move forward and hope to be able to reopen as soon as possible. Orfila Escondido remains unaffected by this and will remain open for your enjoyment. We wish you and your loved ones continued health and happiness. For any questions or concerns please email us at [email protected].

With cooler weather coming our way, it's time to get out of the normal routine, adventure, explore, and create memories with those who matter most. There's absolutely nothing better than seeing our wine in the wild. Camping in Big Sur definitely makes us want to pack our bottles and our bags and hit the road this weekend. Thanks for the epic images, Josh Aguirre!

No tricks... just treats! Something spooky is on sale and you’re going to want to fly in to stock up and save. So make sure to brush off your brooms and come see us. Today only we are excited to offer 50% off single bottles of our 2017 Estate Syrah in both locations, at the Vineyard in Escondido and in our Oceanside Tasting Room & Kitchen until closing tonight. Happy #winewednesday!

This weeks OWL Club member highlight features Dominick and Katherine Boccia from our own backyard, Escondido! Us: Tell us a little about yourself! Anything you would like to share with us. The Boccia’s: We are originally from New York and made San Diego our home some 36 years ago. We enjoy the local businesses and Orfila is one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy some good wine in a scenic environment.... Us: What is your favorite Orfila varietal (past or current) and why? The Boccia’s: We prefer the reds and have several favorite varietals depending on the year. In the past Petite Sirah, Montepulciano, and Pinot Noir. Currently we enjoy the Tempranillo and Ambassador Syrah, but during these hot Escondido days lately we have enjoyed a nice chilled Fiano during the day. Us: How long have you been an OWL Club Member and what is your favorite thing about it? Before you became a member, how did you find out about Orfila? The Boccia’s: We found out about Orfila from a family friend who worked at the winery for many years. We enjoyed our visits there with her and decided to become members over ten years ago. Us: Why is Orfila Vineyards & Winery special to you? The Boccia’s: We enjoy meeting family and friends at Orfila and have celebrated several special events there. The staff is always welcoming, and the ambiance and scenery make it our special place to entertain and unwind. Its location is convenient, yet you feel like you’re at a vineyard in the country. Thank you to the Boccia family for your membership and support over the years! We are very thankful for you all!

We are excited to announce our Sip of the Season this fall and hope you enjoy it! Click on the link below to read how we morphed our 2018 BDX into a fun and festive drink you’ll love. https://www.orfila.com/uncategorized/sip-of-the-season/

Supporting local businesses and using local resources is the heart of how we run our Tasting Room & Kitchen is Oceanside. We are proud to say that a lot of our ingredients are not only made in house but our produce and bakery items are hand crafted and locally grown. Chef Luke strolls the weekly Oceanside Morning Farmers Market to see what is available from local farmers and makers to support their business and put a unique spin on our menu items. We love getting produce from J R Organics CSA Farm and our newest locally sourced item is homemade specialty buns from Chef William Eick’s Hokkaido Bread Company. We love being able to provide our customers with a fresh farm to table experience and pair those options with so many different wine options. From our kitchen to yours, cheers friends!

Celebrating #nationalbossday by highlighting our very own who keeps the laughs rolling and the wine flowing! We asked Justin, our GM and Winemaker, what his favorite Orfila wine is and without hesitation he pulled out one of our favorites as well... the 2017 Estate Full Fathom Five! Here's what he said about it: I would definitely pick the 2017 Full Fathom Five. Since the first vintage in 2010, I wanted to make a big red blend that represented our ranch and the San Pasqual V...alley. It’s our version of a Super Tuscan and the name is from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In the same passage is where the term sea change came from. It’s my go-to for a full bodied, balanced, food friendly red. Cheers to our boss and cheers to yours! Show them some love today.

Any time is the right time to eat at the Orfila Tasting Room and Kitchen in Oceanside. Get in, get down and get fed... and get your groove on with Alex Elisabeth tonight from 6-8 p.m.

Today only we are excited to offer 50% off single bottles of our 2017 Stem Head Pinot Noir both locations, at the Vineyard in Escondido and in our Oceanside Tasting Room & Kitchen until closing tonight. This light bodied Pinot from the Santa Maria Valley contains beautiful fruit focused notes of dried cherry and candied strawberry. It’s a lovely light wine to pour with lunch or a light dinner. Happy #winewednesday!

We are excited to introduce a new series highlighting OWL Club members. Our wine club members are the absolute BEST and we appreciate their constant support and love nothing more than putting our amazing wines in homes all across the United States. Our first club member highlight are Claudia and Claude Diamond, who are residents of both California and Winter Park, Colorado. They’ve been long time members and we are excited to have them kick off this series for us! Us: Can yo...u tell us a little bit about yourself? The Diamond’s: We moved to California from New Jersey 34 years ago and have a 33 year old daughter and a 29 year old son. 23 years ago we bought a second home in the mountains of Colorado and thankfully that home has a wine cellar so we can keep a nice supply of Orfila wines there. Us: What is your favorite Orfila wine and why? The Diamond’s: We love all of your red wines. After MUCH discussion, we decided that the Syrah is our favorite. It’s hearty, earthy and fruity but smooth! Us: How long have you been an OWL Club member and what is your favorite thing about it? The Diamond’s: We have been members of the San Diego Zoological Society since 1986. Visiting the Wild Animal Park on many occasions, we would pass Orfila. In those early days, we had a baby, I worked full time and Claude was going to school for his J.D. Visiting a winery was a luxury we could not afford and had no time for. Fast forward to the Spring of 1997, our daughter was taking a class at the Wild Animal Park and after the class we were returning home and I decided to finally stop at Orfila and buy a couple of bottles and have been returning to the winery ever since! We have been members for about 18-20 years. Claude has always enjoyed a glass of red and I prefer whites but Orfila’s reds have made me a believer and they are the only type I like! Us: Why is Orfila Vineyards & Winery special to you? The Diamond’s: Orfila’s setting is spectacular and the view is hard to beat! Orfila’s staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. They make it easy to order wine for friends or for ourselves no matter what location we are in. Erik always makes the process seamless for members!

Whether you're celebrating getting through just a regular Monday or are lucky enough to have extended holiday weekend - we are open and we've got you! Come hang with us.