Before I found AJA Vineyards, I didn’t know a tannin from a terpene. We wandered into the Santa Monica tasting room on a Saturday afternoon when we had planned to do something else entirely, and what was supposed to be a quick stop turned into a three-hour tasting led by Jenny, one of the staff. By the end of it we had signed up for the wine club. A few years and more visits than I have kept track of later, we are still members of Alec’s Club.
This is everything we have learned in that time: what the tastings cost, what to order, how the wine club actually works, what the member events are like, and the details most reviews skip, including the fact that you can bring your kids.
Where AJA Is and When to Go
The AJA Vineyards tasting room is at 1417 2nd Street, Suite C, in downtown Santa Monica, a few blocks from the Third Street Promenade. It doesn’t advertise itself loudly, and most people walk right past it. The ones who find it tend to stay for two hours.
It is open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday from 3 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and closed Monday and Tuesday. Reservations aren’t required, but I recommend them on weekends. Walk-ins are welcome at the bar or open seating, and groups of seven or more should call ahead. There are street meters on 2nd Street and a public parking structure (Structure 6) on the same block.
The Tasting Flights: What They Cost and What to Order
Every flight is five wines. When we went, the Classic Tasting Flight was $35 and the Estate Tasting Flight was $50. Order the Estate flight. The wines in it are the best AJA makes, and the extra $15 is worth it if you are settling in for a couple of hours anyway. There are also flights built around all reds, or whites and pinks, if you already know what you like.
Two money-saving tips from experience:
- Happy hour: Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., flights and select glasses were $5 off when we went.
- Buy three bottles: take home three bottles and they waive one tasting fee. If you were going to buy wine anyway, time it with your tasting.
The flagship is the FIVE Red, a Bordeaux-style blend that changes by vintage. The Sauvignon Blanc and the rosé are the ones I reach for on a warm afternoon. For a first visit, start with the Estate flight and let the staff guide you. They are very good at reading what you like and explaining each wine in a way that is educational without being snobby.
The Space: Plan on Two Hours
This is a seated tasting, not a stand-at-the-bar-and-move-along stop. There are high-top tables, low booths, and bar seating, and the room is intimate without feeling crowded. The staff talk you through each wine and the story behind it, and at some point you will look up and realize ninety minutes have gone by.
One serious note: don’t plan to drive right after. AJA’s pours are generous, which is part of what people love about it, and five generous pours will affect your driving. Take a rideshare, walk, or bring a designated driver. As a nurse, I have seen what happens when people decide to risk it.
Food: Order From North Italia
When we went, AJA partnered with North Italia so you could order pizza and charcuterie boards to go with your tasting. Do it. Wine is better with food, and a charcuterie board alongside an Estate flight is the right way to spend an afternoon. AJA also has truffle popcorn and potato chips in the tasting room, which are fine as a snack but not a substitute.
Yes, You Can Bring Your Kids
This is the detail I haven’t seen in any other review. AJA offers an Italian soda tasting for non-drinkers, including children. The staff told me personally that it is completely fine to bring our daughters, so Brad and I do a wine flight while the girls do their own soda tasting next to us. Most tasting rooms don’t allow kids at all, so this changes things for parents who love wine but usually have their kids with them on a Saturday. Call ahead to confirm, but it is a real program.
On the nights we want it to be just the two of us, AJA is also one of our favorite kid-free date night escapes.
The Family Behind AJA
AJA (pronounced “Ah-sha”) was founded by Todd and Heather Greenbaum, who have lived in Malibu for more than four decades. The name comes from their three children, Alec, Jack, and Amanda, and it is a family operation in the true sense. Amanda, a certified sommelier, runs the business day to day and oversees the wine club, and she was the one leading pours the night of the harvest party.
The estate vineyards are in the Malibu Coast AVA, and AJA hand-farms them without synthetic chemicals, with close attention to soil health and water, which matters in a region that gets only 12 to 16 inches of rain a year. The fruit comes from three named blocks: Pamela’s Vineyard (Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, planted in 2007), the Miracle Vineyard (the Bordeaux varieties for the FIVE Red, planted in 2013), and Ed’s Vineyard (Sauvignon Blanc, planted in 2018).
The AJA Wine Club: How It Works and What It Costs
The club has four tiers, each named after a member of the Greenbaum family. These are the details as they were explained to us; check with AJA for current pricing before you join.
| Alec’s Club (ours) | 3 bottles per shipment, 3 shipments a year, about $100 to $175 per shipment. 10% off additional bottles and 4 complimentary tastings a year. |
| Jack’s Club and Todd’s Club | 6 bottles per shipment, twice a year, about $230 to $350 per shipment. 15% off additional bottles and 6 complimentary tastings a year. |
| Amanda’s Club | 12 bottles per shipment, twice a year, about $520 to $650 per shipment. 20% off additional bottles and 10 complimentary tastings a year. |
There is no membership fee, and one membership covers two people. You do have to stay on for three shipments before you can cancel, with 30 days’ notice before the next one ships. Allocations are customizable, or you can let the winemaker pick. Every tier gets first access to limited releases and invitations to members-only events, and the events are the real reason we joined.
Member Events: Why the Club Is Worth It
The Fall Harvest Party
The Fall Harvest Party is a members-only evening at the Santa Monica tasting room. The year we went, it doubled as the launch of the 2020 FIVE Red. It was a small gathering, the new wine was excellent, and we got to talk with the people who actually made it, which is the kind of access you don’t usually get at a California winery unless you drive to the source. Amanda walked us through their growing practices and dropped hints about upcoming vintages, and before the night ended she and Jenny teased a holiday release event and a spring event at the estate. I left with three bottles, including the 2020 FIVE Red. Amanda mentioned only 26 cases were made.
The Annual Pick-Up Party at the Estate
The 4th Annual Wine Club Pick-Up Party was held at AJA’s private estate vineyard in Agoura Hills. Todd moved through the crowd pouring his very first wine, the 2011 AJA Proprietary Red, and watching him do it was like watching a proud parent pull out a graduation photo. Jack took us on a golf cart tour of the estate and explained how they manage the vines, and along the way we tasted the 2018 Chilled Syrah and got an early pour of the 2025 Wildflower Rosé before it was released.
Is the AJA Wine Club Worth It?
For us, yes. A private vineyard tour with a member of the founding family would cost upwards of $100 a person at a bigger Napa winery. Here it is just part of being a member, and so is having someone like Jenny remember what you liked last time and steer you toward what you’ll probably like next. It is also a small, family-run business, so joining supports that rather than a big commercial label.
If you drink California wine regularly and live within reach of Santa Monica, the math works. If it is your first visit and you aren’t sure the wines are for you, taste first and decide later. The staff won’t pressure you either way, which is part of why the membership feels worth having once you do join.
And if your weekends tend to get away from you, a wine club is a surprisingly good way to force a slower pace. You show up, you sit down, and for a couple of hours that is the whole plan.
Recreate the Harvest Party at Home
Pair the FIVE Red with roasted lamb, mushroom risotto, or a sharp aged cheddar. Or do what I’m planning: get a few friends together and taste a few AJA vintages side by side.
AJA Vineyards: Need to Know
| Address | 1417 2nd Street, Suite C, Santa Monica, CA 90401 |
| Hours | Wed–Thu 3–9 p.m., Fri 3–10 p.m., Sat noon–10 p.m., Sun noon–6 p.m., closed Mon–Tue |
| Contact | (310) 929-7828, info@ajavineyards.com |
| Tastings | Classic flight $35, Estate flight $50 when we went, 5 wines each. Get the Estate flight. |
| Happy hour | Wed–Fri, 3–6 p.m., $5 off flights and select glasses when we went |
| Bottle deal | Buy 3 bottles to go and one tasting fee is waived |
| Food | Pizza and charcuterie from North Italia, plus truffle popcorn and chips |
| Kids | Italian soda tasting for non-drinkers and children. Call ahead to confirm. |
| Time needed | Plan on two hours |
| Getting there | Street meters or Structure 6. Don’t drive after a tasting. |
| Wine club | Four tiers, no membership fee, covers two people, 3-shipment minimum |
Prices are from our visits and can change, so check with AJA before you go.
Read More on Culinary Passages
- Waymo Rides, AJA Wine Flights, and a Turn Dough Surprise
- Terranea Resort: My $249 Luxury Coastal Reset (Worth It?)
- Ultimate Kid-Free Activities: Best Exclusive Escapes for Relaxation
- Restaurants Without Kids: Where We Actually Go
Medical disclaimer: this article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please talk with a healthcare provider about alcohol and your own health needs, and always drink responsibly.
