NABU Wines is a very popular winery in the heart of Westlake Village on Townsgate Road, just west of Westlake Blvd. It also happens to be our favorite winery and is also my partner’s choice for getting her Fleetwood Mac fix. I come for the wine and she comes for the music and we are both happy! The exclusive mix of top-shelf premium wines, a tasting room that is welcoming and also designed for the enjoyment of rock music every weekend makes NABU Wines totally unique in our community and throughout Southern California. The clientele ranges from Boomers to Millennials, often all of them at the same time. Quite a mix! Small wonder that NABU Wines has consistently been voted Best Winery and Best Wine Tasting in Los Angeles County and Ventura County by The LA Times, the Daily News and the Ventura County Star Readers’ Choice Awards for several years up to and including 2023!
Greg Barnett, who along with his wife Janet opened NABU Wines in 2014, is a lucky guy. His work is his passion. Not too many of us can say that.
First came the wine. The grapes are sourced from St. Helena in the Napa Valley AVA and from the nearby Malibu Coast AVA. NABU Wines uses some of the best grapes from both AVAs and creates outstanding wine. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir from Napa and some unique and powerful blends from the Malibu Coast. Their Malibu Coast Backbone, a blend of Cabernet and Syrah, is one of my favorites. Greg has recently branched out into wine from Mendocino County with new and delicious Chardonnay and Zinfandel. The NABU Wines wine club is a great way to enjoy these premium wines all year. Get info on that at wineclub@nabuwines.com.
Next came the music. While he enjoys many genres of music, Greg especially loves rock and metal. He also has the knowledge and skill to have built out his tasting room into a first class music venue. Maximizing the amount of space with which he had to work, the equipment, acoustics and layout are remarkably effective. I remember my first visit several years ago. Greg was barely getting started on his vision for the tasting room as a music venue. I tasted the best of his reds and we became instant friends. I am a big red wine aficionado. Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and any combination thereof are my favorites. We listened to jazz on his outstanding sound system…all vinyl because Greg is a purist. He laid out his vision and years later, it is in full bloom.
Along with premium wine, NABU Wines features the best “cover and tribute bands” in Southern California. Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s era music is featured every Friday and Saturday night. Sunday afternoons are a bit more laid back with performances by electric and acoustic artists. And twice a month, NABU hosts two very special nights hosted by Giovanny Blanco: Every second Thursday, Truck Stop Mixtape, a singer-songwriter event where six performers share their original songs and the stories behind them and every last Sunday, it’s Sunday Night Live. A tribute night where the theme changes every month, bringing together musicians from all throughout the region often playing together for the first time. On music nights you can also order food to accompany your wine from top-notch food truck vendors.
Greg has also been a creative director and graphic designer for 30 years. He has created world-class posters for the bands that appear at NABU. The posters decorate the walls throughout the tasting room and add to the excitement and vibe that make the NABU Wines tasting room a Southern California “one of a kind.” And it is all right here in our Conejo Valley community.
It’s time to pay this special place a visit.
Winery and Tasting Room
2648 Townsgate Road
Westlake Village
805.778.1100
NABU Wines is open 7 days a week
On music nights reservations are recommended
Sunday through Thursday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
