Wine Tasting in Malibu: Review of Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio
When my parents come up from Orange County to visit me in LA, we’re always looking for new food and wine related activities.
Malibu actually has a few spots to wine taste, but I haven’t explored many yet!
I had been to the Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio in Malibu for a quick stop before, but this time we took advantage of tasting more wines, chatting with the bartenders, and enjoying the outdoor patio vibes on a busy Saturday.
Situated right on PCH, the tasting room has a stunning ocean view, cozy tasting room, and spacious picnic patio.
If you’re passing through on a road trip, or looking for a weekend activity in Los Angeles, I definitely suggest stopping by for a glass or two!
Honest Review of Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio in Malibu
Bumping with live music, food cooked to order, and a selection of tasty wines, Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio is a great place to spend the afternoon, or stop by for happy hour.
Living on the east side of Los Angeles, it’s more of a full-day excursion for me, and you can totally spend the whole day there!
Here I’m breaking it down for you by the things that matter most to me - the wine, the food, and the overall vibe.
The Wine
The good news is they have plenty of wine! Offering a pretty extensive selection, the staff is also friendly and lets you try basically anything you want before you commit to a glass or bottle.
You can also get a flight to try a few, but you can’t bring the flights outside to the patio - only glasses and bottles.
The tasting room is cute, but we went on a lovely weekend afternoon and wanted to enjoy some Malibu sunshine.
The wines are actually produced in Santa Barbara County. Los Angeles has some pretty strict laws about wine making within the county, so some local wineries source their wines outside of county lines.
The grapes behind the wines of Rosenthal are sourced further north, mainly in Santa Rita Hills, Edna Valley, and Santa Ynez Valley.
However, Rosenthal does have its own estate in Malibu Newton Canyon, which produces the Rosenthal Collection wines.
Their other label, Surfrider, donates a portion to the Surfrider Foundation to help protect our oceans. Wine and a good cause? Count me in.
We started out with a white and red wine flight in the tasting room. Flights start at $18 for four tastings, but the bartender usually gives you a few extra tastings to make it worth your money.
Our bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us way more tastings than we were allotted in the flight (I love when they do that).
My favorite on the list was the 2016 The Mix (75% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon). This full-bodied red exploded with overripe blackberries, baking spices, and tobacco from the oak.
Our bartender also let us sample a few off-menu wines, of which the Cabernet Franc was a standout (highly recommend asking to try this if you don’t see it on the menu).
For my first glass, I started with the 2016 G White Collection, a unique blend of Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, and Viognier - intriguing because it blends typical grapes of Spain, Austria and France.
In all honesty, I probably wouldn’t order this again, as it was lacking some of the refreshing acidity and brightness you’d expect from this blend, but it wasn’t bad!
Moving on to the reds, I tried the 2014 Syrah, which really hit the spot as the sun went down, warming me up with its cozy, full body, and notes of black cherry, vanilla, white pepper and bacon. My kind of wine!
The Food
One of the best parts about any wine bar is when you can bring your own food!
Honestly, I love to bring a picnic of cheese, crackers, and the like…plus, this can always save you money to buy some more wine!
There was a cook on the patio making some assorted street food, but there was nothing on the menu that really appealed to us.
This is a rotating service, so you can check out the calendar on Rosenthal’s website to see what kind of food they’ll be serving on the day you plan to visit. But since I didn’t try any of the food that day, I can’t speak to the quality…sorry!
Inside the tasting room, they also offer some light bites for purchase. We paired the wines with some Boursin cheese, crackers, and salami roll-ups. I’m always satisfied with cheese, charcuterie, and crackers, but these were a little over priced, so next time I’m planning on just bringing my own snacks.
Make sure you pack plenty of snacks if you’re planning on spending the day there!
The Vibe
Overall, the Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio in Malibu was a fantastic experience. I’d definitely go back!
The staff was friendly and helpful. They didn’t seem to be in a rush and were willing to have a chat with us about the winery and the wines. They also poured us some extra tastings, which is always appreciated!
The patio has nice views, and plenty of picnic tables and chairs. Even when the crowds came later in the afternoon, there was still enough seating outside for everyone.
There are live bands playing on the weekends, creating a fun and lively ambiance.
Some people got up to dance after a few glasses, so that adds some great entertainment, too!
The one thing I will say is that it is a bit overpriced, but hey, we’re in Malibu, after all. But it’s definitely worth visiting if you’ve never been, just bring your own snacks and grab a glass!
Have you visited this Malibu wine bar yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! And if you’re planning on going soon, let’s meet up!
P.S. If you want to get some wine tasting practice in before your visit, book a wine tasting with me!
P.P.S. You should try these 5 summer wines that are on the top of my list this year.
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