New Location For "Crystal Basin Cellars!" SITREP First off (to be absolutely clear), this is a FIRST REVIEW for Crystal Basin Cellars' New Location in Placerville, CA. Their old location in Camino, CA has shut down, but it would appear that all of our old Yelp-reviews have been *forwarded* to this Yelp business-site, making this merely a review-update, instead of an original review which it should be. Anywho..... THE SETUP Now located in Placerville, CA - a mere eight (8) miles from its old location in Camino - but now much closer to the business center of the thriving metropolis of Placerville - Crystal Basin Cellars has amped up their profile and marketing efforts to grow their business. Having been a fan of Crystal Basin Cellars for the better part of a decade now, I've thoroughly enjoyed taking my treks up here to The Apple Hill region of the foothills to take in the bounty of Crytal Basin that it wonderfully shares through it's vineyards, barrel rooms and wine bars. RELATED ENDEAVOR In addition to the winery itself, it should be pointed out that Crystal Basin Cellars has a "Crystal Basin Station" - it's stand-alone Wine Bar - located in the Historic Folsom Street district. MY WINE PICKUPS Owner Mike Owens signed me up to his White Wine Redneck Club last time I was up visiting him and the Crystal gang at their old Camino facility: I get three (3) wine pickups a year with 3 different varieties of white wine (my choice) for only about $60 each pickup (3 bottles, not bad!), all excellent wines. The last few times, it was far easier to get my pickup from their Folsom location when I was doing other stuff in Old Historic Folsom. However, this time, I wanted to visit this NEW location. It was a lot of fun to get the tour of the new winery facility with KZ, try some new wines (such as Renegade White), and do my Tri-Annual Wine Pick-up! EXTRA EXTRA! And I can't miss mentioning the awesome new line of mustards, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, spices, pretzels and other yummies you will find filling up the shelves. SO GOOD. And the wine during your tasting will wash down the yummies (and cool off your tongue during the tasting). THE LOWDOWN Make sure to check out this new Placerville location! (And while you are at it, if ever in Folsom go the Crystal Basin Station Wine Bar. read more

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We stopped in with friends who are club members to pick up their wine. Had a fun barrel tasting with Mike. Small and cozy tasting room. Enjoyed learning about their primarily red wines. Brought home half a case of varied vintages. The wine club is a good value. We were treated well and had a great conversation with other guests and the cellar staff. Lots of fun. Closed the place down. read more

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Crystal Basin: Where the Wine is Bold and the Vibes are Chill Tucked away in the Sierra Foothills like a hidden gem with a cork in it, Crystal Basin Cellars is my go-to wine tasting room when I want great wine without the snobbery. My husband and I have been members of the wine club for years and do kazoo caroling with the kids with them every year! This place is and amazing low-key--no pretense, pours and plenty of personality. The owner? Hilarious. Think part-winemaker, part-stand-up-comedian. The staff? Super friendly and genuinely happy to talk wine, life, or the weather in Camino. You'll feel like a regular even if it's your first visit. Now let's talk wine--because wow. Mostly reds (and they're all fantastic), but they've got a few whites that hold their own. Some standouts: Pommie: A pomegranate champagne that's basically a party in a bottle. Bubbly, fruity, and dangerously easy to love. I love them all! Just a few favorites: Dolce Bottino: A red with a name that cheekily translates to "sweet booty" . It's rich, smooth, and just a little bit flirty--like the wine version of a wink. Château Mau Faux: ( read that slow and twice ) The ultimate "any night" red. Whether you're Netflixing, grilling, or just unwinding, this one's your new best friend. Crystal Basin isn't just a tasting room--it's a vibe. Come for the wine, stay for the laughs, and leave with a bottle (or three... or a case) read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Always the right choice! Mike is an awesome host, Barbara is just wonderful, KZ is great & the wine is kick a!! Their new label, El Dorado Wines is so fantastic! If your in the Camino area, it's a must! 4 tasting rooms all in the same place so just park & mosey around & check them all out! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Our boss man! - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Crystal Basin Cellars, EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS! Our second visit to Crystal Basin Cellars was as delightful as our first 5 years ago. We were greeted by Mike [owner], he led us not only through a wonderful tasting but also an educational conversation on grapes and wine making. ZEE our pup also enjoyed a delicious treat tasting [pup friendly]. The tasting area is warm and inviting lending itself to a causal relaxing environment for tasting. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND if you are in the South Lake Tahoe area stopping by Crystal Basin Cellars and enjoying their wide selection of excellent wines. We left with four cases and will be back our our next journey to the area. Chuck read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Crystal Basin Cellars outdoor tasting area. - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Love their award winning wines! It's a must to come check out! Customer service was amazing! Mellissa and Mike are great to talk too! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Award winning wines. - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Very friendly staff, but I probably won't come back due to an unrequited rant about recalling Governor Newson by the owner. We were not particular fond of the wine - I didn't finish my tasting. We got a white and red sampler. It was well priced for the sample, and they let you try six wines. I liked "Dozer" best, and the sparkling. Still, i found their wines a bit lighter than I like, and though lots of bright red fruit and acidity, not much complexity for the price point. Also, we we treated to a long rant about how Covid efforts are arbitrary, no one wore a mask there, and lots if hatred spewed about Governor Newsom's "reign" of terror. I'll take my wine free of political hatred and pandemic denial, thank you. read more

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Delicious wine with great prices! Dogs allowed in tasting room too! Very affordable tasting fee and fun things to buy. Just right off the 50. The server was friendly and had a great personality. We'll be back!! read more

We spent a very enjoyable hour talking about and sampling a variety of wines. Chris was very helpful and did not steer or push us in any way. We will be back!! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - One of the non-alcoholic treasures we found. These have a mild kick that builds after you eat them. - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Crystal Basin recently threw open its cellar doors to welcome a group of enthusiastic Yelpers for a terrific midday tour. The event included some initial bubbly tasting, a few welcome remarks from the event hosts, then a stroll across Carson Road for some Zinfandel grape tasting straight from the vine. We then sampled some fine 2015 Zinfandel right there in the vineyard. Upon returning to the main barn where the cellar and tasting room are located, we had the opportunity to taste 2018 Zins from three different blocks and then the really fun part commenced: we got to play mad wine scientists and make our blends! The owner, Mike Owen, told us about the process of "punching down" to mix the macro bins of grapes, which hold a half ton of what is arguably the ~real~ magical fruit. After the official event ended, we bellied up to their tasting room bar and tried all of their offerings. Ended up with a half case and new members of CBC's Ascendance Club. Thanks, Crystal Basin Cellars! read more

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Ahhh man, whats not to love about this place? Delicious wine in Apple Hill? Count me in! I haven't been in this area for years and so glad I got invited to the Wine Yelp Event. Although I love drinking wine, I'm still very new and know little about the wine making process. Mike was super informative and was able to show us the vineyard right across the street from the place. We were able to taste the grapes straight from the vine! Whatt?? Being a new wine lover, I haven't developed a taste for red wines yet BUT after tasting a few of their samples, I had to stay after the event to do another tasting. I bought me a bottle of Merlot and the bubbly which were both yummy! I would definitely be back in this winery, despite the terrible Apple Hill traffic, my experience here was great. read more

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What a beautiful day to spend learning about the making of wine in the enchanted Apple Hill area. We were graciously invited to spend the day with a walking tour of the winery and an educational presentation filled with information about the wine making process and a chance to be one on one with the experts at Crystal Basin Cellars This is my first time officially doing the wine tasting thing and it was a pleasant surprise nestled along the trees in the beautiful Camino, California area. The winery itself has the amazing aroma of wine, grapes and oak wine barrels that I have learned last usually around 5 years or until they begin to leak. We tasted a multiple variety of red wines and got to see how the wines were processed and how the origin of the names of the wines were given. Mike the owner was very informative and answered many of the groups questions and even gave every one of us a Passport for future wine tastings. The winery also has lots of wine oriented items for sale. I definitely will be visiting again soon. read more

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Found this place through Groupon and it was my best Groupon purchase ever! Did a wine tasting and tour! Tried the wine from the barrels and learned so much about the wine process. I really like the bubbly, malbec, and dolce bottino. read more

This is by far the best winery I have ever been to and the wine was delicious! We got to go back into the barrel room for barrel tasting. Super educational, fun, different experience, personalized, relaxed, engaging and mind blowing. So FREAKING cool!!! The vibe here was super relaxed and fun! Delicious wines! Affordable tastings, bottles and cases. LOVED all the home decor and unique gifts! Super fun!!! Right off Hwy 50 AND delicious BBQ next door! Loved this place! We will be back for sure! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Barrel Room - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

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Very rarely do we stumble upon a place, forget about the wine, which is very good, and focus on the people who strike a chord. An appreciation of music and just fine friendly people. We bought the Groupon and did the barrel tasting early on a Saturday and were thoroughly entertained by Chris and KZ. Bought some futures and look forward to crossing paths with them soon. We took home a nice bottle of Zin, and strangely enough, a 1.5L for travel. Good times. read more

This winery has a positive, amazing, wonderful, happy vibe-but most importantly, amazing wine, staff and the best events ever!!! Never a dull moment we cherish The staff who are warm, friendly and soooooo knowledgeable!!!! We belong to five wineries and we bring friends from all over the United States and the world and this is always their favorite one! A must when you are in the Apple Hill Camino area any time of year there's always something fun going on read more

Like another reviewer stated, "I'll take my wine free of political hatred..." I concur. I have been a regular at Crystal Basin in the past, so much so that the owner, Mike Owen was one of my Facebook friends. In fact, we had planned to go back up to Crystal Basin for a visit in 2 weeks to replenish our wine supply. That all changed when I recently posted on my personal Facebook page about the Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. Mr. Owen posted a comment in response, to which I replied with a respectful comment. I was dumbfounded when Mr. Owen responded by saying "yeah, I hate women judges almost as much as you." Let this review serve as a warning to future patrons of Crystal Basin (especially women). I think the attached photos speak for themselves. The wine at Crystal Basin isn't good enough to subject myself to abuse from its owner. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

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This was our FAVORITE winery in the Camino area... in fact, in all of Amador and El Dorado area! The wines are all amazing, with smooth tanins, creative blends and amazing taste! We arrived about 1/2 hour before they were officially opened, but the lady welcomed us with open arms and immediately began pouring/sharing their wines with us. Her name, by the way, was Danielle, and she was an AMAZING hostess! We started with their Featured Red Wines, and then moved on to their Asendance Wines (blends) and ended with their dessert wines. And yes, they got a club membership out of us (see attached 5 photos of their menus and wines that I posted on Yelp)! As we were wrapping up our wine tastings, we asked Danielle if she knew of some good restaurants in the area. Lo and behold, we learned that Crystal Basin has a new Bistro located adjacent to their winery! For info about their bistro, please check out the Crystal Basin Bistro review. We loved this winery and not only was Danielle gracious, fun and informative, but the other staff members were as well! I highly recommend this winery in the Camino area! read more

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My babe and I were in Placerville doing some work, on our way back home (Reno) we decided to stop and had some wine tasting. The Place: It was a cute bar? I think there was an event going on at the cellar and we were just admitted at the bar. The bar has their wines, a great collection of all kind of souvenirs and goodies to bring home. We stood by the bad and asked to do wine tasting. The Wine: This is just my opinion (I do drink wine frequently and belong to a Wine Club in Calistoga) the wine was just OK, honestly I can't think of a sample I had that I could say it was great or delicious. I felt like waiting to see if the next one was going to be better or less worse. We first started with "Sparkling wine" was just ok, a little too sweet. Then the "Chardonnay" that one had no flavor, was like drinking old water. Then we had others...nothing nice to say. Finally we had the "Mystery Juice" and the Merlot I think that's the only ones I would consider buying. Other than that, I think is cool they make wine in bags, so you can bring them to places like the park or the lake. I heard they won an award on some wine at the State Fair but we didn't get to taste because we were not members. So maybe they do have good wine. We were just not lucky to try it. The Service: Service was ok, I understand a lot of locals go and drink there. So the guys giving us the wine didn't care to much to talk to us, instead he focused on his old customers. Later when everybody left he tried a bit harder to made conversation with us. Overall: 3 Stars, Cool place to hang out and drink. Wine wise, I was not impressed at all. I'm not a wine snob, I've had house wine from restaurants and never felt they were that terrible. read more

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We had an amazing wine tasting trip! We used a Groupon so we also got a tour + barrel tasting on top of our flight. The wine was great, something for everyone to love. Everyone who worked there was so friendly, even with our loud, bubbly group! The scenery was beautiful, tons of nice picnic seating, and a great time overall. read more

What a really nice winery. Jeremy and I spent a few hours there over the weekend. Of course the Apple Hill traffic was gnarly, but it was so worth the travel time to hang at this beautiful winery. We were very impressed with the quality of the wine, and how much love and energy the winery owners put into their vintners. Smoky, smooth, mellow, smooth, favorable, light, delicious are all words that come to mind when thinking about Crystal Basin wine. We are already talking about our next trip up. Had a wonderful time. read more

Relaxing way to spend a Friday afternoon. Excellent selection and very friendly, knowledgeable staff. Love the Pomme! Thank you KZ, Shawna and Chris. We also love that your dog people! Looking forward to visiting again soon! read more

Great wine and great people. They make you feel like you're at a family reunion. If you're lucky, you can do barrel tasting in the back room and buy "futures" at great prices. So glad we found this winery! Come check them out. read more

Visit Crystal Basin Cellars and you won't be disappointed. I am a wine n00b, but I loved it so much I became a member. The staff is so friendly and helpful, you can tell they like wine AND people. Every time I go there I make new friends. Also, they are always doing some sort of tour or special event. They even arrange some cool wine centered vacations like a European river cruise. I come all the way from West Sac to Camino because it's worth it. The prices per bottle are very reasonable. Also, there are other wineries and restaurants within a very short walk that they encourage you to visit as well. Christmas is coming, so I am definitely going to purchase some gifts there. Yay! read more

Been a club member for years. But have never had them ship to me before. They are running a special right now that was too hard to pass up. It was such an easy process. Sent an email to CBC, got a call from Mike, and wine delivered to my house all in less 24 hours. Can't wait to visit the winery again when all this social distancing stuff is over. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Wow! I cannot say enough about what a great experience it is to visit this winery and talk to Mike and his wife. The history and the passion they have for wines, the history of the region and the passion for what they do is evident in talking to them. A genuine interest in people and culture, stories to share and great wine to try. This is a great place to stop in and relax and enjoy the great flavor of what this region has to offer. I cannot say enough about what a perfect way to spend a few hours is than to tell you to make this one of your stops when touring the area. 5 stars. Well deserved! read more

We've been a part of the wine club at Crystal Basin for some time now. Though I understand this is a pretty unpopular opinion, I must say that Crystal Basin wines just don't (or rather, no longer) stand up to the quality of other wines in the region. We are still in love with their Barbera and the Merlot is quite nice, but all others are not great. A couple months ago, we went home with a case of Grenache that they were unloading for $100 (a steal!) We are suckers and it was probably our own naivety that got us in trouble, but the wine is pretty darn bad. There is heavy sediment in the bottles (we were warned ahead of time so NBD), but even after buying a special filter to pour the wine, it smelled sour and tasted so as well. We drink pretty much anything from economy liquor store wines to high-end vineyard stuff, and we couldn't stomach this stuff. Unfortunately, $100 went down the drain. I appreciate that a lot of people have had great experiences here, but we dont really click with the staff the way other reviewers have. Maybe it's because we've brought our 2-year-old here before, but the welcome has never been what we consider warm. Maybe solo tasters will have a better experience. read more

A couple of housekeeping items right off - this isn't the prettiest location in Eldorado County for wine tasting and it probably won't make any lists for weddings or event services. BUT, that shouldn't deter you from checking them out! The wine is absolutely wonderful and more than makes up for the grounds not having the breathtaking views of the places we visited over the weekend. Another note, Crystal Basin did not participate in Passport weekend, but my friend had been there before and if we had our tasting glass with us, they were still honoring the free tastings of the other Passport stops. They had multiple tastings set up at the bar and on barrels around the room. Since this was late in the day and our last stop for the weekend, we only tasted what we thought we would like. After twenty wineries in two days, our palettes were a little tired. What I did try was delicious, and a bottle or two came home with me. They also had a great area for shopping for that special wino in your life. One of the things I noticed about Passport weekend, is that most of the places we visited didn't have a lot of shopping. When we go wine tasting, we also like to look for unique gifts for our family, friends and of course, ourselves! So having Crystal Basin be our last stop was great. They had a huge selection of unique signs and wine themed gifts that we were able to pick up for our friends back home. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

I give Crystal Basin great reviews. I had a case of wine stored in my cellar and had some bottles when opened were questionable. I took several bottles back and Mike was very accommodating, he exchanged my wine for newer vintage. We spent 3 hrs tastIng had a great time. Mike and KZ were awesome, friendly and very helpful. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

We came out this way for the first time and it was a pretty good experience. The place is more bar like, it's got a wooden build & the walls are covered with wine humor. This cellar sells lots of little gifts and manmade stuff. I found a really cute magnet and bought it. The place is smaller but we came early, so it wasn't too crowded. The staff is super welcoming and friendly- they were very knowledgeable and happy to pore us tastings. The day we came was National bubbly day- they offered case sale and sale prices on champagne. And the overall tasting was free which is a huge perk. The first taste we tried was a champagne and it was delicious and marked as their favorite. We bought a bottle and received 10% off. The next five I tried I did not enjoy- I'm not sure, but the selection picked was just ok. I ended up giving my share to my husband. This place is located in a great central tasting area, I would suggest stopping by. read more

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Most amazing winery in the apple hill area. The staff is the most friendly people I have ever met and treats every customer like they are family. When I come to visit, I really feel like I've known then owners for years. They also renovated their sampling room which looks amazing. The winery is beautiful and modern. I tried barrel tasting and the wine is delicious. My favorite is the Merlot. I normally HATE red wine but this one is delicious. Overall, you MUST try this place. Amazing staff, amazing wine and prepare to have an amazing time! read more

We went to the Crystal Basin Cellars but didn't have a chance to stop by the bistro so this review will only be for the cellars. Came here one busy Saturday during Apple Hill season so everything was super crowded, except this place was kind of light. Even though they were slow, they had their "wine club" members in a small tasting room/ gift shop area and the rest of us at a tasting area in the warehouse. I thought it was kind of weird since when we were tasting there was a forklift constantly driving around behind us... And if we stepped away from the bar area we were constantly dodging the forklift. Ok..... I didn't end up tasting any of the wine because I don't like wine enough to pay $5 for a few small pours, but the other two girls I was with did, and they thought it was only ok. The two older people behind the bar weren't very friendly either or fond of conversation, so the whole experience was just weird and felt like we were a bother/in the way. I should have known to turn away when the tubs and tubs of fermenting grapes on the walk up to the tasting room made me want to retch. I just expected a little more when a good portion of their wine is $30+ a bottle. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Tubs of fermenting grapes on the walk up to the tasting room. - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

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We decided to take a trip to the El Dorado hills to find some good Barbera wines and maybe other things. I did some research on the area and Crystal Basin came up as having a gold medal winning barbera so we made this our first stop. It's also dog friendly, a must for us. When we arrived it was just a small room and the big area was not open. It was the winemakers themselves and they were super-friendly. Thye were out of the barbera but had plenty of good wines to try and let us taste from almost the entire list. They enjoyed our dog and parrot. We wound up joining the wine club as it's a very good deal. It's several shipments a year, and the price on the wine is very reasonable and they have some exclusives for members only. We've been back to taste once and they had the warehouse open and more people to help. There's the typical wine retail stuff, and they have their walls covered in it. It's provides great entertainment while walking around and tasting. Finally, they have all sorts of events going on, so plenty of reasons to make the trip from the bay area. read more

This place is literally the bomb.com! The place is adorable and the people that work here are fucking amazing !!!!!!!!!!! We enjoyed ourselves so much and everyone I mean everyone made us feel so special. I would recommended this place above everyone else. read more

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One of my favorite wineries! I drive up at least once every 2-3 months from Sac to get a few bottles of bubbly! They're a great value and the folks that run the place are very nice! read more

About a week ago I was at Crystal basin cellars for a beautiful event. It turned out to be a gorgeous place. It's located not too far from Apple Hill actually in the area of Apple Hill. The wines were astronomical! I totally wish that I could've tasted them all but I will definitely be back. read more

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Amazing experience here at Crystal Basin Cellars. My girlfriend and I were wine novices and the staff was very accepting and knowledgeable about their wine. At first we were inclined to only try their white wines. Ar the suggestion from Mike and Chris we tried and shared the white and red wine flights. Surprisingly for us, we enjoyed the red wines specifically their delectable Syrah, and petite sirah. Mike gave us a tour and let us taste other wines and had an amazing first wine tasting experience. Will be back with other family and friends when we get a chance. Definitely recommend to anyone that is experienced or not in wine to come here. read more

My husband and I have come here twice now and have had such great experiences both trips. Each time we've purchased a groupon, which includes a tour and tasting for two as well as a bottle. This winery makes so many different kinds of wine that there is something to please everyone. They're also extremely generous with their tastings, I probably tried 11 different wines if theirs. The wines were all affordable and their bubbly and Grenache were our favorites. My husband said that is probably his favorite winery he's ever been to. If you're making a trip up the mountains or going to apple hill we highly recommend making a stop at Crystal Basin Cellars! read more

It's rare to go to a wine tasting and fall in love with every wine they serve you. But as rare as it is, that is what happened when I visited here. Each wine had a bold and complex palette while still remaining elegant. Every single wine I tried would compete with the bigger mainstream wineries that are located in Napa. They also provide free snacks with your wine tasting which is a major plus. I also really like the wine tasting room at this place. It's set up with a retail shop that is full of unique fun wine related merchandise. The customer service is also excellent. The staff creates a fun atmosphere and are all very knowledgeable of their product and company. Even though the wind rivals all its competitors, their pricing is more fair than anywhere else. There are also a lot of perks to being a member of their wine club. I should also mention that the location of this place is a bit of a drive but not as bad as others and they have very convenient parking. Overall, I was so impressed with this place that I have since cancelled my memberships in Napa and have become a wine club member here. I also visit periodically and recommend this place to others. So if you are thinking about trying this place out, stop thinking and just do it. read more

I bought a Groupon for wine barrel tasting for four. We went in on Sunday 7/8/18 and had a blast. The gentlemen working the counter was awesome and really made our experience a great one. The wine tasted great and coming straight from the barrel is a must try. It really blew us away. If you are in the area you must try this place out! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

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