🍷 South OC’s Secret to Effortless Wine Tasting

If you’ve ever wished you could explore an entire wine list without committing to a single glass, two South OC gems have you covered, each offering a modern, self-paced tasting experience.

1. A Hidden Vine, Mission Viejo

At A Hidden Vine in Mission Viejo, you can pour your own wine from high-tech dispensers using a prepaid tasting card, just tap, select your pour size, and explore.

The setup lets you sample everything from Cabernets to rosés at your own pace, while enjoying a view that might be one of the best in town: the shimmering lake Mission Viejo.

It’s the kind of spot where locals gather at sunset with a flight, a few friends, and a flatbread to share. My personal favorite is the fig and goat cheese.

The atmosphere here is traditional with wood tables, and a lovely patio overlooking the lake. There’s also a wineshop and a wine club you can join.

Website
Address: 27772 Vista Del Lago Mission Viejo, CA 92691

2. Wine Experience, Dana Point

When I heard one of the owners of The Hidden Vine had left to open a new version we knew we had to check it out, so we went for our Anniversary.

Wine Experience in Dana Point takes the same concept up a notch. Their upgraded tasting machines feature a global selection, guided by an on-site sommelier who’s happy to talk pairings, vineyards, and vintages.

It has a full menu that encourages you to stay for dinner, or at least another glass and a wine shop and club.

The atmosphere seems more formal, sleek and modern.

Website
Address: 34137 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA 92629

Which One Do We Prefer?
The View: Definitely the Mission Viejo location. It has a large dog-friendly patio overlooking the lake. The Dana Point wine bar overlooks the road.

The Food: Wine Experience wins hands-down with its full menu and tapas-style bar. A Hidden Vine keeps things lighter with flatbreads and charcuterie boards.

The Wine: We’re calling it a tie. Both spots offer a smart range of selections at different price points, and we found glasses worth coming back for at each.

The Service: Wine Experience again. The owner Mike spoke to us at length helping us to narrow down what we might like. Despite many visits to A Hidden Vine I’ve never had anyone interact with me about my wine selection.

The Vibe: A Hidden Vine wins this one. It’s warm, casual, and full of locals chatting over wine on the patio. Wine Experience feels more modern and polished, bright, sleek and doesn’t (yet) have the same community feel.

Bottom line: If you love wine, you can’t go wrong with either spot so pick the one closest to home and start sipping.