We decided to stop at a family-owned winery during our road trip after seeing many cars parked along the highway. We assumed it must be a popular spot and decided to go for some wine tasting. The view of the winery was beautiful, but parking off the highway was limited. Additional parking was available in the gravel areas along the road, but be cautious when parking a low sports car, as there are rough spots with dips and larger rocks. Drive in slowly. Watch out for passing by vehicles, especially after your tasting.
When we arrived, the hostesses welcomed us warmly and seated us quickly near the DJ, who was engaging with guests, playing loud tunes from mostly the '80s. Most of the customers appeared to be local families and friends hanging out. The bartender was pleasant and welcoming. Most servers seemed friendly and attentive to tables, but we had to wait 15 minutes for our assigned server, Alex, to take our order. While Alex was pleasant, he spent most of his time prioritizing and working other larger tables, leaving us waiting for long periods between wine pours.
We came to the winery to sample some wines, and we were not disappointed with our selection, although we wished Alex would have more knowledge of the wines and take the time to provide us with more history of the winery. We chose to sample their range of whites and reds, and they were all nice except for the Zinfandel and one of the Chardonnays. We ended up purchasing a bottle of dry rosé, which we liked as a nice sipping on a warm day. Looking back, we could have easily served ourselves with one of the bottles purchased while we were there, which would have been a better experience. The menu had a variety of drinks, including whites, reds, mixed drinks, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as a couple of choices of crackers. We observed that many tables brought their own snacks and food, which seems to be permitted at this winery.
Overall, we were glad we stopped in to sample some of this winery's offerings. However, if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere without loud music, this may not be the place for you. We found it to be too loud and not the typical winery experience we were accustomed to. Unfortunately, the slow service by Alex made our first visit less enjoyable than we had hoped.
Wine and other offerings: 4 stars
Hostesses / Bartender hospitality: 4.5 stars
Host service by Alex: 3 stars
Ambiance: LOUD read more