Beautiful vineyard. Also has great food selection and restaurant connected to the tasting room. Great wines! Overlooks a nice pond. Has some outside seating as well. read more

Chamard Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Clinton, Connecticut

Chamard Vineyard (and its events coordinator, Alexis) did a phenomenal job with our rehearsal dinner in June 2015! We rented out the barn area which was perfect and seperate from the restaurant and tasting room (and has its own bathroom) making it the perfect spot for a private function. It overlooks the vineyard and pond/fountain and made for amazing photos as the sun set. Not to mention that the food is amazing- thanks Chef Matt! (frites are a must, cheese boards cannot be missed). There are some different options and prices to choose from and everything is delicious. Loved the fun and different sides options like black rice instead of your average mashed potatoes. After dinner we invited additional guests to come and join from wine a cheese and Alexis and her staff built us bonfires at dusk which made the night very romantic and cozy. Lots of charm, great food & wine, courteous staff, and relaxing atmosphere. Easy to work with and a great place to create memorable moments. read more

Went here with some friends over the weekend. We got there early and went directly to the tasting room. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Loved the tasting, but not not all of the wines but I will say better than expected. Had lunch in the restaurant and loved it! Can't wait to return. read more

I've been only once. I think it's an enjoyable experience although a bit pricey. Food presentation was nice, wine passable. Facility is gorgeous, vineyards beautiful. I'll go back and have recommended to friends that they go. Please don't review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you're connected in any way to the owner or employees. read more

We arrived on time and waited a bit for our seating, not bad. It was busy. But waiting became the norm for everything, even a glass of water. They never brought any bread. The perfect oysters, were drenched with way too much mignonette sauce (no option for anything else was offered; they just slathered) It ruined the shellfish. My wife was brought a lamb saddle...without exaggeration, it was no larger than the face of a Tablespoon; my guests laughed out loud. The viogner white was good. They realized the disaster, comped the wine and brought us dessert and apologized for the awful experience, but they were not able to recite what was obviously wrong; I asked, not response, just sorry..... They said please try us again, we will do better. We brought our friends there from another state for a memorable experience.....it was. read more

On June 22, 2013 under the supermoon we had our dream wedding at Chamard Vineyards in Clinton CT. Thanks to Alexis Kelleher from Chamard, her wonderful staff and Katherine Pacholyk of Market Flowers it was everything we envisioned, a Tucson Style wedding. We had the ceremony in the Tank Room, dinner in the beautiful Red Barrel room and cocktails, dessert and dancing to live music on the patio, it was amazing. Our guest raved about all the food Chef prepared, especially the semolina dusted chicken with prosciutto ham, and the risotto with foraged mushrooms. Thank you Alexis, you were the perfect event manager. read more

What a great location! Another reviewer mentioned that it was reminiscent of France and I totally agree! I said the same to my wife when we pulled in! It reminded me of a winery in Provence that we visited! The service was above exceptional. We went into the tasting room with the intent to order some light fare and do a tasting. We sat at a table and when our server came by she explained that the tastings are normally only done standing at the bar. However, she said it was slow so she would pour our tastings at the table. I think what she was really doing was taking mercy on us as we had an elderly woman and disabled child in our group. Our server provided a comprehensive description of each wine she poured and was incredibly attentive even when the tasting room suddenly exploded with people! A class act experience! Not to mention some really solid wines! After we finished our delicious cheese plate, charcuterie, and tasting we ordered a bottle of wine and moved out to their outside deck to enjoy the view. I'm amused by the "wine snobs" that knock these wines. I guess some people's definition of being a wine snob is based on liking wine that they like rather than judging a wine against the standard established for wine production typical of the grape varietal. Chamard does use some grapes acquired from outside the state but they also have some estate grown varietals. While I liked some wines better than others, I found them all to be solidly crafted. I'm usually a sucker for Viognier although I wasn't a fan of theirs. That doesn't mean it was bad! It just wasn't my favorite. I'm hesitant to call myself a wine snob despite having visited wineries across the world and having membership in several well known vineyard wine clubs in Napa and Sonoma. If I do actually meet the definition of being a wine snob then I would say that this wine snob emphatically likes Chamard! read more

Let me start with I've been here before for wine and ambiance. However tonight I brought my husband for a long over due date night. We had a 7:30 reservation which we were 5 minutes late but sat promptly. Our waitress was a fresh and smiling face that was versed on the menu and specials with recommendations. I had been looking forward to the night out for a few days looking over the menu thinking about it and decided upon the veal, the most expensive item on the menu, however not by much, only a few dollars over the other items but it looked amazing. When it arrived an hour later with a side of charcoal cabbage and a veal cutlet that smelled of burnt oil lets say I was less than impressed. Our waitress was quick to realize that we were not pleased and swiftly tried to remedy the situation by taking my plate. Shortly there after she brought a new dinner that had a new side of less charred cabbage but still a grossly over fried veal cutlet, visibly brown and still smelling of oil. The manager came over and apologized for the inconvenience and comped our meal etc. At this point we are ready to leave and I expressed my desire to tip our waitress because it was not her fault. As most people today don't carry cash I say I need to put the tip on my card and our waitress has to go to the manager to figure out how to accommodate the request. THREE credit cards later, beyond embarrassing in the close quarters, returning each one saying "I'm sorry this one didn't work" only to find out that they were trying to run each one for 0.00 plus a tip which doesn't work were we able to tip our waitress for a job well done. The issue was that they realized that they had to run the card for an actual amount plus tip... So at the end of the date our waitress was shorted 1.80 of her 25.00 tip because the manager filled in my receipt for me. On a good note my husbands dinner the special, braised short rib over truffle mashed potatoes was delicious, seasonal and fresh; however if you have a seven item menu at 25 -30 a plate you should be able to present it in a palatable manner in stead of just a fancy name for deep fried, blacken charred crap on a plate. Maybe it was a bad night in the kitchen as our waitress apologized that all the dinner orders hit the kitchen at once but the table next to ours got the same dinner as me and I watched them push their food around the plate disappointed as well. I think I'll stick to a bottle of wine and heading on to a local eatery for snacks at a reasonable price. Overall I'm giving Chamard a two star because despite my husband's yummy meal and great service at the price point you should be wowed...with the limited menu it should be perfection ... read more

We went into the wine tasting room. Probably the most uninvited we've ever felt at a winery/vineyard. The waitress didn't Really explain the blends or the wines she just pointed to the menus and seemed had little interest in what we thought about the wine or what our interests are. Also we were there during happy hour (3-7pm) and she charged us full price. The deal was half price wine. So we went up to her and she said you can either buy another glass or get a refund. My friend did another glass and we said let us finish our glass and decide if we want another or a refund. So we walked out into the vineyard and took an hour. When we got back we asked for a refund and she just refunded $3 instead of $10 which was the refund we should've gotten on one of the red wine glasses, but instead got a refund on the $3 2oz. White wine my friend got. Anyway, just a strange and weird experience probably wouldn't run back there anytime soon. Probably never. The food at the bistro is good but rudys in new haven has a killer Burger for way under all that price and has more variety. The wine itself was good we had the Malbec it was nice, just wish we were indulged a bit more about wine. People go to tastings to have fun and experiment and learn more about the local wine. Now of That happened sadly. read more

Great wine...if you don't mind paying way too much for a tasting. Great food...if you don't mind waiting way too long for a table/service. I find myself deeply ambivalent about Chamard. As I said, the wine and food are great. The vineyards and views are beautiful, and the restaurant decor is quite nice. HOWEVER, they are perpetually understaffed, and the staff they do have are inattentive and a bit rude at times (probably because they are understaffed). All in all, you can enjoy a delicious meal and tasty wine if you have the patience to endure the poor service. My other recommendation is to avoid the tastings because they are foolishly expensive. Get a bottle because it's a MUCH better deal. read more

Won't go back. Tastings are way overpriced because they include the cost of the Reidel glass but the guy pouring just tells you the full price and doesn't mention its $5 less without the glass. Still overpriced without the glass. The "cheaper" tasting is all wines made from grapes they purchase elsewhere. This REALLY annoys me. You are a CT winery so grow the grapes here! Too many wineries don't put in the effort to find the grapes that grow well in their region. The finger lakes wineries are doing it, follow their lead! The "high end" tasting includes wines from their locally grown grapes. 3 of the 5 were red. Seriously! We all know CT red wine stinks. We just don't have the climate here to do it well so focus on the whites! The only white offered was a chard and a chard white port. Skip this one unless you need your passport stamped. read more

Called ahead to see if they were dog-friendly. I was told yes to come this weekend and we could do a tasting and eat outside. We got there, the lower bar was closed and the tasting room didn't allow us to taste anywhere but inside. Planned a fun day for our anniversary and we'll never return. I wish they didn't lie on the phone or make up for it when we got there and were disappointed. Letting an unhappy customer walk out the door is strange. read more

We are very lucky to have this gem of a place here in Clinton, CT. My wife and I frequent Chamard Vineyards. The atmosphere is awesome. Win is OK :) and their Burger is in my opinion the best item on the menu. Great place to go check out! read more

What an excellent place for a nice lunch just down the road from the Clinton Crossings! We enjoyed the Croque and gnocchi today with your choice of wine (by the ounces!) Desserts, a must when its a birthday celebration, were out of this world. I can imagine how lovely it is when the vineyards are in full bloom in summer. DO NOT pass on this experience!! read more

There is not an option for no stars, or skull and crossbones? Ok, one star will have to do. $15 for a 5 wine tasting is OUT-RAGEOUS. That's 30 to 90% more than any of the other 10 wineries I have visited in CT. And wine wasn't all that good to justify the inflated proce. All the wines offered had grapes in them from different countries. Not one of 15 dollar wine tasting had grapes from them. Then after the whites were done I had to ask for them to rinse our glasses before the reds (as they attempted to port red into the white wine leftover in the glass). And then at the end when I asked to rinse out the glasses so my mom could have them (they are included), they motioned to a separate table to do it ourselves, and handed us a bag for the glasses with no paper to put in or around them to prevent shattering from the ride home. I know I sound like a flippin' diva here (I'm a guy)- but overpriced, poor service (they were not busy), and sub par wine - yeah, I was not happy. read more

The lunch was amazing! I went with some girlfriends and one of their two month old baby and it was totally a great atmosphere even with a little one! We split the burger (highly recommend), flatbread and a cheese plate. The cheeses were great, although the portions could of been a bit more for the price. We also had a few bottles of the estate rose (which we all bought a bottle to bring home) and were very impressed. It was a great spot to walk around afterwards for a stroll before we left, and walk off the wine..5 stars! read more

Are you kidding me? This vineyard is two exits away from our summer home. Absolutely fantanstic. Wine awesome, food even better than the wine. Service impeccaple.You coundn't ask for a better afternoon.Can't wait to show off this gem to out of towners.If I could give 10 stars, CV would get it. read more

Went the the vineyards on a beautiful summer weekend, planning to meet up with some friends. Lovely setting, could not wait for our wine tasting. After taking a quick walk through the vineyard we approached the bar and waited to be served. We waited and waited and waited. One of the two bartenders tipped a full glass of wine over, half of which landed on my shirt, the other splashed in my face and arms. The bartender asked "was that your glass?". When I replied no, he continued to ignore for another 15 minutes. My husband and I left (me with a stained shirt) frustrated and very disappointed. Will never go back. read more

Love this experience in the spring/summer , the scenery and the ambiance are wonderful. Tried to have diner there on a cold winter evening in the Bistro and we didn't make reservations. The maitre de couldn't have been ruder and turned us away with numerous open tables. We did have appetizers in the wine tasting room and when I checked on those open tables during the night they were never filled. Obviously they don't need the business in the winter like the rest of the small businesses who are struggling through this very difficult winter season. As a fellow small business owner I would certainly not want this employee representing my business. It's a shame since we have always suggested and sent numerous people to the vineyard and I will hesitate now suggesting it. read more

Very disappointing. Visiting family and made reservations well in advance to have a lunch in the bistro. The only entree available was the steak and the service was terrible. No apology from the manager who sat in the wine room the entire time all of the diners waited for one waitress to set up all the tables and serve us. Very arrogant chef and waitress and just a sad experience. Hope they start to focus on service rather than just making money. read more

I had my 30th birthday party at Charmard. The staff was excellent. They were friendly, and helpful. The food was excellent- I suggest the hummus platter! The wine is delicious- and the scenery of the vineyard is breathtaking! Great place to hold any event or just visit for a wine tasting. read more

Did the wine tasting when we got there. They give you three white wines and two red wines all which are amazing. I've never liked a red wine before until I had the two from here. The white Cayuta stone cold wine is great. I went to dinner after the wine tasting and that also didn't disappoint. Had the cheese plate which was delicious, and I ordered the gnocchi which had a butter sauce, Spanish, mushrooms, and asparagus. It was one of the tastiest meals I've ever had. read more

probably the best wine made in CT. love being able to sit out on the back porch on a sunny day, enjoy wine samples, a bottle, and a snack from next door. we always have the charcuterie which is delicious and the wait Staff is always right there to help with questions or a refill. great place to spend a nice day. read more

Arrived at 817pm. Kitchen was already closed even though place closed at 9pm. Difficult to find any staff member. No explanation of wines during a tasting, just pour and run off (Avery). We were rushed out and left at 830pm. Would have liked to enjoyed out visit but not at this vineyard. read more

I loved a print in their gallery, and wanted to buy it. They did not have any when I was there. They said to call back, and they should have more. I did call, and Carianne helped me out! Not only was she friendly, and helpful. She went above and beyond what I think anyone else would do to make sure I got the print!!! Not only do I love their Vineyard, I can not say enough about Carianne and the service I received!!! read more

Near complete incompetence with our event. Constantly changing personnel who agree to one thing, take it back, forget, change the deal, agree to it again, send a contract saying something else, have a hard time saying the same thing on Wednesday that they did on Tuesday. And then to top it all off I have had to file a dispute with my credit card company because they simply charged more than the invoice without providing an explanation. I have been trying for six weeks with them to reconcile the charges and, as an institution, they are simply incapable of getting their act together. In addition, we ordered and paid for 4 cases of wine for our event but instead they gave us different, cheaper wines notwithstanding that we'd already paid for more expensive ones. Life is too short to argue about every last dollar but you can't help but feeling hustled. They just did it without explanation. I don't think it was malicious, they just can't or won't get their act together. All in all, the rank incompetence turned what should have been a fairly straightforward event into a stressful and time-consuming one. Wouldn't do it again. read more

Location and setup is great. Wine is mediocre and service is not impressive.

Went here last weekend with my boyfriend on a Sunday. They had just opened for the day, and we decided to do a tasting at the bar. $15 for 6 different wines. We didn't get to choose the wines that we tasted, which was kind of a bummer. He was starving and was excited that they had a farm bistro.. except it was still not open. Our server said they were a month and a half behind schedule due to a delayed permit. Hmm... recommend getting your cards advertising a bistro reprinted, management. So we got the cheese plate. It was good but needed more apricot jam in the center :). The wines were good, we walked around the grounds for a bit to get rid our buzz and then headed out. It was a nice atmosphere, some live music and a nice bar for talking and enjoying wine. Nothing crazy special though. read more

I have had some bad experiences at this business in the past. However I am happy to say that during recent visits I have had an exponentially better experience. The food in the bistro is amazing. A little expensive, but well worth it. The staff on the wine bar side seems much friendlier, and move things along a little better. All together, I have new found respect for this beautiful place. read more

Excellent service, very good food and their own wine. You will not find a full bar, so expect cocktails, beers or spirit. They only serve their own wines. We ordered reisling and cabernet bottles for the group table, both were excellent. read more

For a long time I've wanted to visit Chamard after hearing of great reviews from family and friends. When we got there, there was a wedding happening on their grounds, very nice scenery for a wedding. However, the parking was an absolute mad house, it was so stressful, people driving all over the place, no one outside trying to direct cars or anything. We ended up leaving, taking a breather, and then went back to find a parking space, which we did. It truly is a beautiful place, but once you walked in the doors to the tasting room/ restaurant, the whole atmosphere changed. It was very unwelcoming. No one was there to direct us where to go. When we finally got to the tasting area, there were 5 tasting servers behind the counter, and each and every one of them ignored us, multiple times. We were a group of 7 taking up the whole right side of the tasting area! None of them made eye contact, said hello, or anything, they just kept walking by dilly dally with one another. One of them even pointed to a couple behind us and said "you look thirsty, can I get you something?" We were trying to figure out if we did something wrong! They made us feel like we were inconveniencing them to serve us. Finally, one of us said can we please try the wine? A male server rudely put wine glasses in front of us and just started pouring the wine without saying what it was or telling us anything about the wine, winery itself, or atmosphere. Now, we've been to tons of wineries in the area, it's one of our favorite things to do, and we've never had any wine tasting service where they didn't tell us information about what we were drinking or at least take pride in their location. The servers were uneducated about what they were serving to their customers. We were not prepared for this type of experience here after all the good things we heard about Chamard. We were so disappointed, I was looking forward to a great time here. I highly recommend spending your day at another beautiful winery in the area where you can save some money, bring outside food, and leave with a complimentary souvenir glass! read more

Just had an amazing lunch at Chamard Vineyard! What a relaxing and beautiful environment to enjoy a great meal. I drove for 42 minutes just to have lunch here...well worth the drive! read more

Yesterday was my third time at Chamard, and I'm still so in love! Excellent wait staff and delicious food - highly recommend the cheese platter appetizer! Spent the afternoon sitting on the back dock with a glass of Stone Cold white and listening to a terrific cover band - will definitely be back!! read more

I was very persistent about going to Chamard Vineyards. My fiancee went along with it as it was the first time in weeks that we were having a night without our children. The wine tasting was great the server was very nice and accommodating. The restaurant wasn't crowded and it was a nice evening. Which ended in our engagement on the balcony outside of the tasting room. And if that were the end of the story I would be giving a 5 star review. Later I found out that my fiancee had called ahead to the vineyard and the hostess was very rude and said that the restaurant could not assist him in making the night very special for me as they all booked for the evening. He was very taken back by how rude the person at the vineyard was and more surprised given that the vineyard hostess parties and events and weddings! At the time I had been considering the vineyard for our engagement party but thought twice about it when I heard how rude the staff had been. read more

I have visited Chamard Vineyards a number of times. Being a bit of a "wine snob", I had not even considered the idea of Connecticut wines and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. First, their grounds are beautiful, as is their tasting room. They offer two tastings, $10. or $15. the difference being your choice of wine glass. For $15. you get a crystal glass to keep, which is pretty cool. Their wines were pretty good, the best I have had in Connecticut so far. The folks working there are fun, informative, and welcoming, whether you are a novice or a "snob". Chamard has some food available, mostly cheese, crackers, and other snack items. If you are hungry and looking for a meal, this might not be the place. They have music on Friday and Saturday nights in a converted barn which makes for a fine evening with wine available by the glass or bottle. Why 4 stars, not 5? Well, they used to allow you to bring food with you to eat there but not anymore. My wife and I would bring a sandwich or two and enjoy a bottle of wine on their deck overlooking the vineyard. Oh well, I guess they want to sell their snacks. Overall, I like these guys. They are worth a visit! read more

My wife and I decided to come to Chamard for a night in the "barn" for some good local music. The barn is their tasting room, and had a rustic unfinished appeal to it. The ambiance for the music was actually very nice and the crowd was lively and fun. We didn't do a tasting, deciding to have a few glasses instead. The whites were well priced and were tasty for Connecticut wines. The two we tried were both on the sweeter side. The fella behind the bar also gave us a taste of their chard port. The two estate reds I had we're a bit pricy but good enough that a bought a bottle to bring home. We also tried the food. The local cheese sampler was quite good, but unfortunately since no one knew where the cheese was from we couldn't take notes on where to buy more. Overall a much better experience than I thought it was going to be by the reviews. A bit pricy but with beautiful views, friendly staff, and a nice rustic "barn" to listen to good local music it was worth it. read more

I enjoy coming here with a few of my friends to share a couple of bottles of wine. We hang outside by the picnic tables. Wines are delicious, I haven't tried the food yet, but the scenery and landscaping is wonderful. read more

Best experience at winery on CT wine trail. Beautiful tasting room, with great wines, (even great red wines!) Food is great, staff is friendly, wine is priced appropriately. We will be visiting again next time we are back in area. read more

Came here to book an event , the girl that books the events is absolutely clue-less. She showed us dusty rooms to hold the events, and sort of rushed us through the whole process. The place is gorgeous, but needs SERIOUS dusting and cleaning. We later went up to have some wine and food. The food was very bad, and wine was nothing special. read more

This was my third try at Chamard and I definitely will not be returning. While I love the farm to table concept and the food is just decent, there were so many other issues that made our time unenjoyable. Let me begin. First, they had no record of our reservations and while we found seating at the high top tables with a senior citizen with a cane, they insisted the 6 empty tables in view for our 90 minute stay were taken. Server was adequate but apparently she felt we did not deserve to hear the specials that the other tables were offered. We were charged an adult fee for children's meal which consisted of a grilled cheese on stale bread and 5 berries. We spent $168 for 3 adults and 1 year old. My portion of Arctic char was 4-5 ounces at best with one scoop of rice and a literally 2 leaves of chard. A $35 steak plate with chips was mid grade quality, being generous. While it wasn't terrible, it simply was not a $35 meal. Parking was a nightmare, we got trapped twice by guests who felt it was okay to desert their cars in the circle. Don't even get me started about the charter buses parked in the driveway blocking the entrance. The bathrooms were a disgrace. It took ten minutes to get toilet paper and once I entered I cannot believe staff walked in, saw the conditions (I've seen cleaner bathrooms in Wendy's) of the facilities and has the nerve to tell me it was fine. If Chamard is going to hold large wedding events and keep their bistro open at the same time they need to restructure their parking, staffing and get more bathrooms. Thoroughly disappointed. read more