Black Hand Winery, Cambria, CA - December 1, 2023 We came in for a quick taste on a Friday afternoon. Owner/winemaker, Tom, was behind the bar and greeted us in his usual friendly way. We're wine club members. We only had about half an hour to taste, so we sped through the the tasting menu. This is a nice little tasting room with a bar and sofa, chairs, and table inside, and numerous small tables and chairs outside in a small courtyard that is enclosed on three sides looking out to the street. Black Hand does mostly red varietals, and that's what we tried on this day - Grenache, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cab. Sauv., Petite Verdo, and Sarah. Tom is a great wine maker, and we always enjoy everything he puts in front of us. The prices here are reasonable, and wine club members get 25% off their wine and 35% off on cases. Cost per bottle ranges from about $40-$50. Tastings are free for up to four people if you are member; otherwise, it's $15 per tasting waived with the purchase of two bottles. read more

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Friendly service and a spartan tasing room. A very skimpy tasting, less than a once of three wines (they were out of the fourth) for $15. Will not be back. read more

I bought 2 of the worst tasting bottles of my entire life here. They are all vinegar! I should have known better when there was no one in the tasting room on a Sunday at 1pm, and the employee just poured my tastings without offering any information about what I was tasting. Another huge red flag was that the bottles of the Acquittal wine that I got had the year blacked out with a marker. Never going here again A total waste of my money read more

Good Wine usually don't like Cabernet.from the South coast, but they're blind. And the straight cab is very good. Does not have a green taste to it but a bottle of the blend. read more

Black Hand Cellars - a hand holding a bottle of wine - Wineries Near Me - Cambria, California

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We were so happy to find this gem of a wine cellar!! The owner and winemaker, Tom, provided our tasting and was so awesome to chat with! Delightful shop with beautiful local art and gifts. The wine was delicious!! What a talented winemaker!! Tucked away on the main drag into town- don't miss it if you want a great local experience!! read more

Owner is super personable and wine and cider is amazing. Make it a point to come here every time we are in town.

We were able to stop in without a reservation - they do wine tastings on a first-come-first-served basis, which worked great for us. They have set up a nice tasting area on their patio, and we had a bit of shade on a hot August day, which was nice. We asked if the winemaker, Tom, was around, and fortunately for us, he was. We enjoyed talking with him, and sampling his wines and cider. A very enjoyable impromptu visit. read more

Black Hand Cellars - Nice outdoor patio for wine tasting - first-come, first served; no reservations required - Wineries Near Me - Cambria, California

Very few tables for outdoor tastings so either make a reservation or be prepared to wait. The wine tasting was a good price and you received a cup to take home. The wines had a good flavor and we ended up taking a number of bottles home with us along with their canned cider. read more

Pleasant visit to Black Hand Cellars today. We were seated to a tasting right away, the prices were great, wines were great and we ended up with a couple of bottles to bring home. Our pourer was the actual winemaker which was cool...you don't normally see that in a tasting room! Overall, great experience! read more

A really nice tasting area representing a small boutique Winery. We had a lot of fun tasted four different wines and a brand new cider that they are just producing all for about ten bucks per person I think it's worth the money and I believe if we would have bought wine we would have had the tasting fees taken off. We had the owners wife present the wines to us and it was really fun she told us the story of the winery and how her and her husband put it together and how she's trying to help support him in this venture. We enjoyed the dealmaker which was a Syrah in the sovereignty which was a wonderful tasty Chardonnay. read more

Black Hand Cellars - Just a fun little place with nice people - Wineries Near Me - Cambria, California

I showed up to this winery and they happened to be playing music. It had a very fun vibe. I started chatting with the gentleman pouring my tasting and he was so cool. Turned out he was the owner and wine maker. So down to earth and nice. Shared all about his wine and name behind the label which was an interesting story. Oh, and the wine was awesome too. Hope to return when I'm in the area again. read more

We came to Cambria with this business being our main focus. The website says open 12-5, their phone message says open 12-5. We sat in front and they never opened. We walked down the street to pass time, they never opened. Three days we tried and they never opened. Not to return to Cambria or this cellar. Poor business and I guess they don't need ours. read more

I'm always surprised at some of the little stores here in Cambria. They have wonderful local art, yarn, little restaurants and WINE! We were in town for a wedding and since we had a little extra time in the afternoon we decided to drive around and look for some wine tasting. It's interesting, I have never previously thought too much about central coast wines but I think that's just due to my lack of knowledge. The area actually has a surprisingly good collection of bottles that I have had that are unique and can really give some of the better known regions a run for their money. We stopped in at Black Hand Cellars. Their logo is awesome and is slapped on all the wine glasses. For $20 you can do a wine tasting mix of reds and whites. They change all the time, i'm told, depending on what is available at the time. We had a wonderful nutty, buttery white and a strong pungent red. They were a solid 3.5 out of 5 which in my book is pretty darn good. If you end up getting some bottles, your $20 is waived and you can be on your way. There isn't much else in the store to see so you're really there for the tasting. There are some frequent flyers there so they seem to have a loyal fanbase. I can see that based on the wines they have. I'm eager to try other wine locations knowing that there is such a variety of flavors being bred here. I look forward to my next visit to Cambria! read more

Popped in here midweek for a completely unplanned trip. It was already pretty close to closing time but the owner was so kind in accommodating us. Such a cool story and the space is really fun. Our favorite was the Grenache. Totally worth a visit! read more

We were charged a tasting fee, but the tasting consisted of about 1/2 inch of wine in the glass - and that was for a shared tasting. They had a device on the top of the bottles that wouldn't let them serve more. It was hard to even get an idea of what the wine tasted like. We wanted some snacks to eat, since we had decided to forego lunch. They charged us $12 for a vacuum wrapped plate that included 4 pieces of pepperoni, 4 pieces of cheese, 8 pistachios and 6 dried apricots. It was such a rip-off. We would never go there again! read more

Phenomenal Wine and Service from this boutique winery located right down town Cambria, the varietals here have been hand crafted with obvious care and knowledge down to every bottle. WELL DONE Black Hand Cellars read more

The Black Hand. It has the sound of some kind of criminal organization to it. The king of place Tony Soprano might be comfortable in if you catch my meaning. With the entrance a little away from the sidewalk and a dark interior that some might take to be intimidating it takes a brave sole to enter this establishment. Take a chance and go in you won't regret it. The woman serving my wife and I was on the feisty side, you could tell she had a sweet nature behind a bit of a gruff expression. She was what you might called feisty. She did know about the wines she was serving and the wines are good. Favorites included the GSM (Rhone style) Hit and Run and the Alibi Reserve, which was big and fruity and had a hint to smoke to it. Would make a good wine to serve with barbecue. They didn't waive the tasting fee even when we bought some wine, but I think I am starting to be able to deal with that. read more

My wife and I ran across this nice and quant wine tasting room wile on vacation this last weekend, about one or two exits south of the Hearst Castle. We were greeted by the owner and she made us feel right at home in her establishment. The wine was very tasty and at a very reasonable price. If you get a chance, and never been to Cambria CA off of Highway 1 along the coast. A very nice place to have a glass of wine! read more

We were in town for a few days, without knowing much about what is in Cambria. We did want to do some wine tastings, but did not feel like driving out 30 miles to Paso Robles... luckily we found Black Hand Cellars on the Main street of Cambria through Yelp. Black Hand Cellars was awesome. We were greeted by the owner/winemaker, we got seven tastings of his wine collection. He was full of energy, stories, and he was just so much fun. Although I am not an expert on wine, the wine was excellent - we had to get at least a bottle. We wished we had not bought one from previous wine shop we stopped - then we would have gotten another from this place. We truly enjoyed the tasting and the company we had at the Black Hand Cellars. Definitely recommended, and would totally come back again in the future! read more

What a lovely surprise while browsing the adorable shops in Cambria! Normally I steer clear of Paso wines. They are bigger than I prefer and tend toward being a bit unbalanced. However, on holiday and in need of a bottle of wine to share while sitting outside and looking at the stars, we gambled and walked into the Black Hand. Terrie was there and was welcoming and fun. My obvious disbelief at the possibility of a new Paso winery offering anything I'd like didn't daunt her. Listening to my preferences, she offered two wines that were hits right off the bat. Now, a few months later, I sit relaxing in a comfy chair after a steak dinner. I'm still sipping on the Black Hand Hit and Run, smiling with pleasure and remembering our vacation to Cambria. This blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache is no shrinking violet, but it has balance and didn't overwhelm dinner. The Black Hand was a secret group involved in organized crime. This Black Hand is secret and it's a crime to pass by when you're in Cambria. Stop in and enjoy what Paso can do when restraint is applied to lovely grapes. read more

Don't waste your time or your hard earned money here. I would not even call this wine, it was more like cough syrup. The only wine that was drinkable was the white on their menu. The wines are overly priced for the quality of what you're getting.. I have been perhaps to 300 wineries in my day and I will tell you that this is definitely one of the poorest experiences I've ever had. And to boot, they make you drink out of plastic cups seriously for a $50 bottle I'm drinking out of a plastic cup? Clearly when somebody comments on wine having a good flavor they know little of what they are talking about. My advice is keep walking. read more

Black hand is right in the heart of Cambria, Main St. While none of the wine selections stood out for us, we still enjoyed the quaint tasting room and friendly service. Black hand offers mainly reds and just a few whites. Tasting fee is $5 and if you want to purchase the cool wine glass, it's $6. read more

Had a great experience w/ winemaker Tom taking us through the tasting flight. Started out w/ a white and went on to taste his Grenache, Syrah and some blends. Really liked his Meritage. Very nice that he kept the place open past 5:00 pm. As we were finishing up, we convinced a couple more patrons who peeked in to stay and taste. Sadly, we didn't get a commission:) read more

I truly enjoyed all the wines we tasted here. The reds were not too acidic and were well blended..smooth. I enjoyed the Sovereignty so, we grabbed a bottle of that and some other gifts, because they have the coolest logo. Our winetender was super cool and helpful and he was very proud of his wines, as he should be. Good stuff. I cannot wait to get back to this little town and check it out more. read more

Black Hand Cellars is a cute little shop on the West End of the Main Street in Cambria. Their wine glasses have a little black hand on them which is the handprint from the owner's child which was nice. The cellar does have a bit of mafia past which the lady who served us told us a bit about. The wines did not impress my husband and I however and the woman who was pouring the wines didn't seem to know a whole lot about them. The wine is unfiltered so it seems maybe our palates weren't quite used to this type of wine and most of them were blended with Syrah which we also hadn't tried yet. For us, it had a very acidic taste and not very smooth. Unfortunately, we didn't purchase anything and went on to the next one. We did get a free wine tasting at another wine cellar which I thought was a great idea to support local wineries. read more

Love the wine, love the vibe and love the owner! We went to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and stumbled upon this gem and loved every minute we were in there. We purchased a couple of their wineglasses and smile every time we use them. I am looking forward to our next visit! . read more

I love how laid-back this place was, and I totally love the name of the place, and the names of all their wines. That said, I really don't have that much to say about it - we tried a good handful of wines here for 10$, but really none of them stood out. None of them were *terrible*, but to me at least, none of them were particularly memorable, either. I do remember thinking most of their reds probably needed a bit more aging or something - they were pretty tannic. read more

A refreshing surprise after coming from nearby campsite. It was a great price $5.00 for 8 wines (1 white, 6 red, & 1 dessert wine) & oyster crackers! Plus hershey chocolate chips with our dessert wine. However, access to a restroom would be nice. We bought bottle of c-note for $35.00. It was our favorite out of the 8. Easy to find & owner stayed open past closing, which was much appreciated. read more

What a wonderful tasting experience today. Great customer service by Terrie, owner and wife of wine-maker, and an outstanding line-up of wine. If you truly enjoy well made small production wines, you will not be disappointed. We purchased pretty much everything being poured. Can't wait to enjoy with friends that appreciate fine wines. Nice job Terrie and Tom...keep up the good work. Cheers, Todd and Megan We will be back! Wink wink. ;-) read more

Love it. Just had four bottles delivered yesterday. The tasting is only $10 and there is a friendly low key atmosphere in the tasting room.

Black Hand wines have been on our "Hit List" for many years. We just opened a Dealmaker 2012. Holy Buckets! It was great when we picked it up. It is fabulous now. Thank you for crafting beautiful wines. read more

Great stop for tasting or for a glass of wine. Very friendly and enjoyable and much more down to earth than most wine tasting places. Good tasting wine with creative labels. read more

Had a great time and some tasty wine and good company! One man show and he has mastered his wine making! Definite do over!

$10 to taste four wines (especially these wines) is an insult. Really an insult when you see the prices. After tasting at over 100 wineries in CA, I have say this is NOT the place to go. Go to Fermentations or Stolo (both are nearby) and save your palate for other things. read more

I randomly went in this place with my boyfriend when we were on our trip in Cambria and I couldn't have been more pleased with it! We are new to wine tasting and the bartender was very helpful and nice in directing us and informing us. He even gave us tons of suggestions on things to do in the area. If we're ever in the area again, we're definitely stopping by! read more

We were up spending a much needed weekend and decided to stop in for a little wine tasting before dinner. We were so graciously greeted by Jino. We asked if we could still taste because it was right before closing time and Jino said of course he would always stay open for customers. The wine was great, Jino was great, couldn't ask for a better experience. We were in Cambria for another night so decided why not go back again. If you are ever in the area and want good wine and friendly atmosphere this is the place to go. read more

We're excited about Tom's Cider! It's delicious and has some amazing specifications. Hands down ( no pun), the best and freshest cider I have ever tasted! It's always a must while visiting our " Happy Place " in Cambria to visit Black Hand Cellars! The wine is also top notch. Customer service is #1. The store is always decorated and has a lot to offer! Give it a try, U won't be disappointed. read more

Black Hand Cellars has a great collection of amazing red wines. This small boutique winery is family owned and operated and their tasting room in Cambria is a wonderful place to sample their wares. The winemaker and his wife are often in the shop so you can really find out everything you would want to know. Really cool glasses with a black handprint on them too! read more

Went there at noon. Sign said open daily at 11. Wasn't open. Maybe their wine is nice, but service is clearly poor. Next time, leave a note as opposed to leaving customers wondering. I'm only in town for a day, so this was your one chance to make a first impression, and it was not a good one. read more

Be careful here. I went there at the end of a wine tasting tour and I ended up paying for more than I had requested. Their wines and ciders are nice, but I ended up paying for an extra tasting that I thought was included with the initial charge and I bought one wine glass and was charged for two. I suggest going there first so they don't take advantage of you. read more