If you like dry wines, you might like these wines. If you don't like dry wines, keep driving…read more Visited earlier this month because my husband loves to go wine tasting. I'm not a big wine fan so usually I'll do the slurp thing to taste the notes or take a sip or two and then pass my glass off to my husband, rather than dumping it. I've been to umpteen wineries around California, the US and internationally. This winery gives, hands down, the stingiest pours I've ever experienced. I could maybe get two sips out of a pour. And yet this tasting was $15 for 4 wines, but if you're a party of 6 or more, the fee for the same tasting goes up to $20 per person! Since when does pouring maybe a half ounce into more glasses warrant everyone in the party being charged $5 more bucks a piece? It feels stingy. I went to 4 wineries in the same weekend I visited Crū. J. Lohr in Paso charges $20 per person for 6 generous pours and a free pencil with herb seeds to plant at home. Eberle Winery in Paso does free tastings and yet have generous pours, free bottled water and a free tour of the underground storage facility. Quady in Madera charges $5 per person for a tasting and not only were the pours generous, we tried 7 wines, got to double back on our favorites before we ordered a half case. The server was nice and personable. I have no complaints about her. Overall it doesn't feel like a fun wine tasting experience when it seems like they're rationing their wine. While not the end of the world, there isn't much of a view for the outdoor patio because the tasting room patio is between the building and a fence with a road on the other side. If you're wanting to see vineyards while you sip, this isn't the spot for you. There was also a couple with a toddler at a table - with an iPad, playing a video outloud without headphones - while the parents were wine tasting inside, so just know that kids are allowed if that matters to you. March 2024

This lace is the best! Great wine and friendly people. Stopped in for a tasting and was quite…read moreimpressed. I'll definitely be going back!

Wine tasting plus tour was at $10 which was perfect for my husband and I. The tour was very…read moreinformative and the guy knew what he was talking about because my husband was throwing all kinds of questions at him. The area is cute and the ambiance was warm. Would come back for another tasting

We had a fabulous tour of all the moving parts of a winery. It was informative and tasty. Not an…read moreexperienced wine drinker, this changed my taste on wines. All were delicious, and I didn't get any headaches. I would definitely stop by again soon.

We had our company midyear event at Toca. I love how easy they made it for us to make arrangements…read moreto have our company event here. The grass area is so nice and lush. The best part for me was during the event sitting at the tables and looking out into the vineyard. The bathroom was super clean. The tasting room was really nice and appealing. Technically our job can't pay for alcohol, but employees that wanted to purchase their own alcohol could. The person working in the tasting room was very knowledgeable about every single one of their wines. They made it super easy for us to arrange our caterer to come and serve all of our employees and have entertainment. Everything was seamless. Set up to take down everything was great. Usually when we have an event, there's always a couple of people that will complain about something. No one had any complaints after our event they loved everything. They loved the scenery, the location, how relaxing and inviting the venue was. Everything If you're thinking about having an event here you will be very satisfied.

We love Toca Madera primarily for the atmosphere and service. We booked a tasting and my favorite…read morewas the Conmigo wine. Service was great and we loved getting a blanket and listening to the live music until the sun went down.

Great venue with fabulous vibes. Took a date here and had a wonderful time. We attended a hoedown…read morelast week- wine was great, service was fantastic, enjoyed watching the sunset while listening to music. Will definitely be back!

Such a charming little family-owned winery! The smaller, mom-and-pop atmosphere is truly what makes…read morethis place so special. The property is beautifully set up with chickens and cats roaming around, which made it feel cozy, relaxing, and welcoming. We visited with 3 kids, and it was incredibly family-friendly they even had board games available to keep the kids (and the adults lol) entertained while we enjoyed our tasting. We didn't have a reservation, but the staff was so accommodating and happily fit us in for 4 tastings while explaining how everything worked. The wine was fantastic and absolutely perfect for a hot day. We'll definitely be returning!

Cute winery in the Central Valley. The service was ok. The guy helping us didn't share much about…read morethe wines at all, just brought out the flight after we chose it. But the wine flight looked very esthetically pleasing. We were able to buy some meats and cheeses to put together a little charcuterie board. I'd go again if I had friends visiting from out of town as it's often a little cooler in that area. They have some great photo ops around there too.

Live music and great wine...need I say more. Loved the luau event. Great service. Bring a chair or…read moregrab a tabl

Joel, Nikki and the rest of the staff is top notch! Great wines and great prices makes this one of…read moreour fav wineries Their Cab is a fav. Roomie and I used the Red Blend as the standard-to-beat in Paso this weekend -- no other Red Blend came home with us -- next trip will be back to Madera! See you again soon Joel

With our baby shower quickly approaching we decided to reach out to a few possible venue options…read more We initially emailed San Joaquin with our estimated guest count and preferred dates. We heard back within a timely manner and we decided to check out the space in person before officially committing. Once my husband and I went in person we knew that it was the perfect venue as it was open and inviting. Not to mention the staff was fantastic and made us feel so welcome! I also appreciated their quick communication. The day of the event was just perfect! Their staff was so helpful and accommodating. You can tell our guests really enjoyed themselves especially having a host bar. Our event was in the spring, so even if there was a risk of rain having a covered heated patio space gave us peace of mind. I can't thank San Joaquin enough for all of their help and would highly recommend them to our family and friends!

Food was delicious. Great customer service. Our server was very helpful on providing suggestions…read moreon the menu and answering any questions we had regarding the sauces used.

Found another Central Valley gem! If you're ever in Madera,…read moredo yourself a favor and check out The Vineyard! They serve up dishes made fresh with quality, mostly locally grown ingredients -- and it shows! Tried their lamb shank and OH BOY... fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. You can literally taste the freshness. #CentralValleyEats #FoodieFind #MaderaEats #SupportLocal #FarmToFork #HiddenGem #FreshAndTasty #TheVineyardMadera #FoodieAdventure Meat lovers, don't sleep on this one! Tender, juicy, unforgettable. Bonus: Cozy vibes and friendly service -- what more could you ask for? 10/10 would go back! Forks up!

Ziveli Winery, Fresno, CA - December 6, 2025…read more We showed up at about 2 PM on a Saturday afternoon during the winery's Christmas celebration. There were lots of arts and crafts vendors there, and the parking lot was packed. Recognizing we might not have a spot to park, we parked out on the street to begin with. We walked in and saw the lovely vineyard grounds. There's a nice open patio area with nice lighting. They have a pizza kitchen and people were out front selling pies. It was very festive. We walked into the tasting room which was jam-packed. We told one of the wine pourers that we were with the Harvest Host. He directed us to be on the lookout for winery owner John, who was making the rounds greeting his guests. We got a couple flights of wine and sat down. Not long after, we spotted John behind the counter and went over to say hi to him. He is a super friendly and gracious host. He realized that the parking lot was pretty packed when we were there and told us that it would be clearing out a little later in the afternoon, so we did some wine tasting and chatted with John for about 15 or 20 minutes. We shared with John that we would be going to Croatia next May. He was super helpful in taking a look at our itinerary and giving us some feedback about things to be checking out while we're there. At about 4 PM, the parking lot cleared out and we pulled in our motorhome. It was a nice level spot looking out over the Vineyard. We had a very restful night's sleep. We definitely hope to come back again!

December 6, 2025 - Fresno, CA…read more "We stopped here as part of the Harvest Host program for RVers and was pleasantly surprised to find they were hosting a special event--a Christmas Market. There were several vendors offering a variety of items, plus wood-fired pizza, which smelled amazing. Even though there were quite a few people, we were able to grab a table in the rustic barn tasting area. It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and had a warm, festive atmosphere. We also had the pleasure of chatting with the owner, John, who was incredibly welcoming. We enjoyed a tasting of their wines, and bought a bottle of their delicious cabernet. Overall, a wonderful stop and a great experience."

October 8, 2025 - Madera, CA…read more This was our second visit to Ficklin Vineyards -- our first being several years ago. Remembering how much we enjoyed that first experience, we decided to drive a bit out of our way to stop by again. The staff was as friendly and knowledgeable as we remembered, making the tasting experience both enjoyable and informative. The port wines were excellent, and the fact that there's no tasting fee was a nice bonus. Also, they are dog-friendly! We enjoyed the visit so much that we joined the club, which includes three bottles twice a year (April and October). We purchased the April 2025 club shipment, featuring the Special Reserve Tawny, Adagio Port Blanc, and Roriz Vermelho Ruby. We are looking forward to the October Club release. Ficklin Vineyards is definitely worth the stop if you're anywhere near Madera! (I would recommend calling to verify their hours.)

They could improve customer service, no responsiveness, extremely hard to make reservation.read more

First of all wine was really good. It is a very pretty winery with beautiful trees and nice…read morecomfortable seating. Julie was very accommodating and worked with our group to make sure we were comfortable and taken care. We danced and all had a fantastic time. Will be back.

Tasting room associates are very knowledgeable about the wines. They are very attentive. You have…read morethe option to sit outside or in the rooms. Live music on the weekends (early afternoon to late afternoon). Charcuterie boards feed 2 people. You are able to bring your own food. No outside drinks. Beautiful location.