Great atmosphere, entertainment and wine. Great tour and overall service. Defiantly recommend

I love this winery. I have been an Ascendance wine club member here for a long time. That is their reserve wines - 2 bottles 2 times/year. However, they always let you "double down" and get two more bottles for an extra $50 and I always end up doing that. So I end up with 4 bottles 2 times/year. Their wine is super delicious, the atmosphere is fun and laidback, and the room is full of fantastic signs to entertain you. Crystal Basin now has a Bistro next door where you can taste MORE wine and get food if you like. I have not tried any of the food yet, but I love the wine :) read more

Crystal Basin Cellars was our first introduction to wine tasting and wine clubs and we're quite happy with them. We are by no means wine snobs, and that's the reason we like Crystal Basin. They are very schooled in their wines but they aren't snobs about it. I bought a Living Social deal that included a tour, a free bottle, and free food at the Bistro that sits just a few feet from the winery. The tour was amazing and interesting - and full of samples! Of course the samples led to a $200 futures membership in addition to a quarterly membership, but that's okay. It's fun to take a few hours and drive up to pick up our wines every few months. They treat their wine club members well. Their 2012 Merlot is one of my favorite Merlots! read more

OK, so the grounds are not pretty, the location is not the best, and there is no vineyard. It looks from the outside like you are at a convenience market with Andy Griffith in Mayberry. Let's get all of that out of the way. But in this unpretentious building lies the best secret in El Dorado County. So my wife and I arrive at Crystal Basin, and after arriving in the above described location, we enter the building, and our attention is immediately captured by a very tired yellow lab that sleeps with its various appendages going in seemingly impossible directions at the same time. Then the staff. They were so friendly. Not haughty, not stuffy, but friendly. They loved what they do and you could tell. And the wine. The wine was incredible. I'm not a white wine drinker, and my wife isn't much either, but *every single red they had was off the hook good*. I'm not kidding. My wife and I do wine tasting in every country we go to, not to mention we are trying to get to know all the wineries in El Dorado and Amador Counties, and we had not had anything like this. Not even close. Then the owner, a super friendly former accountant named Mike, took us around. One of his employees, Thea, let us drink straight from the barrels in the backroom. How cool is that? I asked Mike some questions about wine making and he took me off to another room and walked me through every step of the process, as if I was a potential investor. He was all to happy to teach me how it works. The guy was awesome. The whole staff was. At the end, of course we bought our first winery membership ever, and we intentionally did not take our first 3 bottles home because we wanted an excuse to come back! They've got a really cool concert schedule as well, and there is a pretty gourmet bistro they have next door that is pretty good with really reasonable prices and friendly staff. Also, they have barrel tasting events for members where you can buy futures. If you taste a wine you like, you can pay $200 now for a case from that barrel in the future. Pretty cool, huh? On top of that, they called us by name and the person who was helping us (Tanya, a very sweet lady) told us what date to come back so she could serve us again. Love this place, don't miss it!!!! read more

By far the best winery in apple hill area I have tried. This place sits behind two wineries from the street. The small shed tasting room shouldn't deter one from trying. First notice the full room. It's like a party. Greeted promptly from the friendly staff to the party. The staff give simple description of the tasting and what it covers. The tasting fee of 5 dollars goes to trying a good amount of the wines made by the winery. It also gets waived if purchases are made. Tasting begins with the white and sparkling to red and dessert. The various staff member take over to pour, educate, and help the party moving. Staff was well versed on products and history of various wines. Descriptors on the menu are correctly on point. There was something for everyone. Light crisp to bold and distinct. A few award winners. We had to call the tasting early as we had so much beverage volume before end. We enjoyed most pours. Pricing on the most wines were on par with the other wineries in area. 20- 50. Unless you are a member of any one of their six clubs. The wine clubs are also some of the better deals. I would consider joining on next trip. This trip we purchased two bottles. Bill was settled quick. Good: fun, attentive, friendly, delicious are some words to describe this place. Bad: a pinch difficult to locate without getting recommendation from another local business. A definite return. read more

This was my first trip to a winery, and I had a very good experience. My wife and I went with our daughters for their birthday along with some close friends and significant others. We were promptly greeted and had some of the best service by Kim and KZ. Kim spent a lot of time with us explaining the differences and what went with what as well as why. Thank you for the great memories. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - What a great day at Crystal Basin. Thank you Kim and KZ. - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

If you are seeking a good tasting of a plethora of varietals and blends.... head to the Basin. The staff here gets kudos for consistently hosting great events to spruce up a "typical" weekend. I have been here several times and have always thought they have good overall execution. From whites to complex reds, I enjoy the variety and most especially the blends they offer. They typically offer a barrel tasting for futures and have a nice offering of dessert wines for the holidays. Overall, Crystal basin is like buying a starter kit for newbie wine tasters. The learning experience is great with the wide range of wines in a relaxed, safe atmosphere. Once you discover your favorite grape, you can hone your taste for quality with other wineries. read more

We have almost missed this place, it is so unpretentious. The people there are the greatest, their wines were superb! We were invited to the barrel tasting in the back, which gave us not only an excellent tasting experience but also the best company. I wish I have lived near by so I could visit there every week. They deserve much recognition for their friendliness and quality of wine. BRAVO! read more

I love this winery! I work for a winery in Livermore, CA so generally other CA wineries offer me a nice discount (meaning I don't join clubs)...needless to say we've been club members for...shoot, probably around a year now. My fiances family lives in the area so we visit Crystal Basin whenever we visit fam. The first time we visited the tasting room we were treated like family. They took us back to the barrel room and let us taste multiple more wines than were on their already nice tasting list, and also let us taste from a few barrels. After this they decided they wanted to open up some bottles of varietals that had just been bottled...of course they wouldn't let us leave without trying these as well. We ended up staying at this winery for over an hour, and had an excellent time, and great service. The people here are so so friendly every time we go. Once we were coming up late and I really wanted to get our club release....they not only said it was no problem but also allowed us to bring our dog in and taste (and fed our dog a few pretzels)...everyone was happy! =) Oh yeah, the wine...well the wine was the stand out reason we joined the club. Definitely my favorite wines...I'd name a few, but really I love them all...I've never had a bad or just "okay" wine here. Everything is top notch. read more

I have to go with, I've experienced better on this one. There are a lot of wines to try. You get to try 16 tastings for $5(a fee which is waved if you buy a bottle). But the wine itself is mediocre. I was not impressed. The staff is nice but the place is very busy and chaotic and they end up being all over the place. The location is small and eclectic, there is stuff everywhere. Not a terrible experience overall, I just prefer my wine tasting experience to be more relaxed, with better wine in a nicer setting. But that's just me. read more

Was here for the Barrel Tasting 2011 and was pleasantly surprised with the wines and the friendly staff! A friend with us had recommended the place as one of his favorites and we were not steered wrong. I was in LOVE with the Malbec and I rarely fall in love at first sip! I hope I can find you in my hometown darling Crystal Basin!! Till we meet again! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

See all

This is the first wine club we ever joined around 12 years ago. Wine tasting here is an experience not just a tasting. There is always fun going on at CBC anytime you go. Did I mention the wines are amazing as well? Our favorite is Mourvedre. Mike, Melissa, Casey, Chris and all their help are super friendly and helpful. If you want to have a blast and drink some good wine I highly recommend CBC read more

I had a very negative experience during my most recent wine tasting tour. I had called earlier this past week and made a reservation for a group of 12 for Saturday afternoon, this was to be our last stop on our tour of the El Dorado/Placerville area. We arrived on time and when we walked in we were told that we had called and cancelled. This was definitely not true, perhaps they had my group mixed up with another one for another day or something, but instead of welcoming us in (they were not that busy) we were treated as an inconvenience. I'm sorry I just brought twelve people in to sample your fine wines and have a good time. Instead of brushing off the mix up, we felt as if we were not welcome to the tasting area. They demanded the $5 tasting fee up front, paid little attention to our group and didn't really follow up with us at all. Most of us felt so unwelcome we just decided to sit out front and relax. I'm very glad that we did not make a reservation to eat at the Bistro either, knowing them they would have given away our tables anyways. I would definitely NOT go back to this winery Our first two stops were MUCH more friendly, beautiful grounds, clean and welcoming. Crystal Basin was simply a warehouse with a small dark and dingy tasting area. read more

I don't think we've ever had this much fun at a wine tasting. The wine folks were all hella funny and ready to pour! Not once ounce of snooty.. not one person behind the bar had tude.. everyone was happy and ready to make us laugh and...well..drunk. Huge list for the tasting for $5, which happily gets waived with purchase. This was the 2nd winery of the day and thinking back, it felt like the 4th since I was pretty lit up upon leaving. We left with a Port, Syrah (one of the best I've tried) and the Chardonnay. . We joined the wine club, so we'll be back damnit! read more

I went to a wine and food pairing here with a friend who is a member. I really enjoyed the experience, everyone was very friendly, I enjoyed most of the wines and all of the foods. Something very important to me is how snobish the staff is, and these people are still very down to earth. I don't know how much the event cost because as the guest of a member, I was free....I like that they had one of the winemakers there, I asked him a lot of questions more because im interested in the chemistry of winemaking, and he was very knowledgeable (although some of it was over my head.). Great wines, it was a while ago so I don't really remember all of the details of each one, but I know I bought a bottle. read more

Carson Road and Crystal Basin in particular is one of my favorite places to head during the summer to escape from the heat. Everyone at Crystal Basin is friendly and willing to educate you on the wines you are tasting. They host live music next door at the Bistro on the weekends. The food is delicious and the prices are not high. If you need a mini escape...pack your sunscreen, and plan for a fun day of music and great wine. A tip when you visit... the Ascendance wines are my all time favorites. Also, try a bag of Meau Faux it's delicious and easy to travel with. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - They had 3 liters of Chateau Meau-Faux in stock. Mo Meau-Faux for me woo hoo! - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Crystal Basin Cellars is a total must! Be sure to come in on a Tuesday ask for Kim she is a beautiful person! She has a gift of gab that's for sure, get it Kim! She's also 420 friendly, whatever that means. The wine was amazing and there's nothing we couldn't drink! We love Kim!! (: read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

I live near Crystal Basin and drive by every single day. I finally decided to order food to-go yesterday and have a night in. THE FOOD WAS GREAT! They had lots of accommodations for vegetarians and people who are gluten free. The staff over the phone as well as when I went in to pay were incredibly professional and friendly. I plan to go back for their live music soon! read more

We went it here just to kill a little time and more than 2 hours later we left, buzzed and happy. Best deal I have ever seen for wine tasting. $5, and I probably tasted 15-20 wines, and never even got to the whites. The employees were super nice and offered us food to pair with the wines, and also invited my girlfriend and I to join them in their employee BBQ. We were also invited into the cellar and tasted wines directly from the barrel. Ibought a case of wine, and I will be back for more. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

Now to be completely open and above board, these guys are clients of ours BUT having said that, if I didn't love their wine and hospitality, I wouldn't post it here. We are wine club members and attend most events. Mike, Melissa and crew rock and the Renegade Red made my wife a red wine lover (so much so that we buy this stuff by the case!). So not snobville. Small and unpretentious. Good job all. read more

I would like to respond to Daniel K's review. I was on the tour bus and witness to the interaction. He was very inappropriate with the staff at the winery. This was by far the best stop on the tour and it was ruined by this driver's inappropriateness. The staff at this establishment are top notch and aim to please. Thanks Kim for a great experience. a wine tour has been on my bucket list for a long time. Also, return policies are what they are. For example, the morning of our tour we had someone in our group that was ill. I called the tour company and they said policy was, it had to be cancelled within 24 hours in advance. That is fine, I didn't make a scene, I Just accepted what policy was and moved on. When I am back in Tahoe I will visit this winery again!!!! It's that good. read more

What's great about this winery is it offers two different kinds of wines - the usual suspects of merlot, zin, cab, etc AND beautiful blends!! The regular wines were good, but nothing amazing. The blends on the other hand - FANTASTIC!!! So good we decided to enroll in the Asendance Wine Club. There are only two shipments a year but are about $60-$75 per. Another FAVORITE - "Bubbly." Even as a red drinker, I enjoyed it. At least give it a chance. You may be surprised!! :) Oh and check out the sauces!! Apple Bacon made my mouth water and belly hungry. read more

Love this place. Just sign up for the wine club and then stop I'm here every trip up to the lake to wet your whistle and grab a bag of Meaux-Faux. then go grab some food from the bistro or some trinkets from Snowline before you hit the road. great wine and excellent staff. read more

This place is lovely! The atmosphere is welcoming, fun and cheerful. I love the staff as they are always so good to my Yorkie and I. Should you have a Dog(s) and bring him/her wine tasting with you like I do, this is the perfect winery! They are very dog friendly as they have a beautiful Lab. This is clearly the perfect winery to stop by on your way to or from Apple Hill! Cheers! read more

Possibly my favorite wine place in Apple hill. The wine itself is all pretty solid. The first tasting area is very small but tons of stuff to look at. They also have barrel tastings sometimes. I enjoy this place and will visit everytime I go wine tasting in apple hill. read more

We came at the last minute in the day, which I really try to avoid doing, but the staff was still really friendly, so kudos to them for that. The wines are really nice here. The flavors are very bold compared to many more traditional wineries. Many wines have a more subtle way of conveying their flavors but the flavors in Crystal Basin wines are really bold and flavorful (the server called it "fruit-forward"). This may not appeal to all wine drinkers, especially more traditionalist ones, but my girlfriend and I are just casual drinkers so we really appreciated the more fruity taste. I really liked the Zin, which is not a grape I usually like, exactly because the wine really popped in the tongue. The tasting area is really tastefully done with wood everywhere and it's recessed inside a little which is nice because it separates you from the rather busy road just outside. They also have cigars to go with the wine. I didn't get a chance to try one but it's something I like to see. My one complaint (and it might seem like a silly one) was that the selection was intimidatingly large. It can be hard to keep track of everything you've tasted or even decide what you want to taste when you take a look at the list the first time. Obviously not anything that should keep you from coming here though. Highly recommended. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars is my favorite winery hands down. I am a wine club member at several wineries and enjoy wine tasting as often as I can. I have gotten to know several of the wineries in the area, as well as their staff and owners. I have an appreciation for these small business owners who have found a way to succeed in the very risky and expensive venture of winemaking. Part of CBC's successful formula is great customer service, paired with a wonderful tasting environment and a wide variety of excellent wines. They work hard at creating events that are amazing and seem to always have something going on. I love bringing friends to this winery because guests are always treated like friends. I send friends there all the time and have never heard anything but positive compliments back from them. Their Bistro next door is AMAZING as well. The Bistro makes for a great place to get some much needed gourmet food (at extremely reasonable prices) into your belly while out wine tasting. Their small plates are perfect and reflect the pride and care of the management and staff. Well done!!!!! I'll be back soon!!! read more

Great place to go if you are looking for wine tasting at the smaller winery. The wine is wonderful. The tasting room staff are friendly and helpful. We had a chance to taste from the barrel which is always a hit and we have learned so much from the winemaker Mike who loves to share some things on blending and varieties. Overall great experience. read more

5 STAR REVIEW...... "Big Mistake" he says "we shouldn't of stopped here." "Oh my gosh....Why do you say that?" I inquire "Because you never stop at the best place first and taste your way down." "Oh!" (snicker) If you want great wine with a beautiful, rustic setting and a "long lost friend" feeling, go no further than Crystal Basin Cellars in Camino. Every time I go here, they ALWAYS make me feel like VIP. How is it that you always know my name?!?! Thank you for always welcoming new friends (and future wine club members, ha ha) like family, thank you for hours in the barrel room tasting and laughing, thank you for winery dogs, thank you for the BEST future release parties (PERIOD!), thank you for making yummy yummy wine year after year and for making the simple joy of sipping a good glass of vino (or 3 or 7) THAT much more enjoyable. Cab Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, to the Renegade Red....throw in some Ascendence and Triumphant......the list goes on and on. (I'm sure the white wines are good too, but as you can see, I'm a Red kind of girl). If you need any more reason to go, Check out their event calendar and plan a tasting around on of their many events held throughout the year: http://crystalbasin.com/pages/cbc_events/events_calendar.html Nothing short of spectacular. I raise my glass to you Crystal Basin. ......now, who drank my last bottle of Pinot???? read more

This place is adorable! Staff is friendly and dogs are welcome! The wine is delicious and the tasting fee is very affordable! read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

I've been a wine club member & consumer since the very beginning of Crystal Basin, have served the wine to friends & family in the US, in Europe. French style California wines, attractively priced, great variety. Beautiful location, an easy journey from Lake Tahoe or on the way to Tahoe via 50. Highly recommend. read more

Always a fun day visiting the winery. The staff is real friendly and the wines are consistently good with plenty of varietals. Definitely a must to experience the best in El Dorado County. read more

Have to say what a great company. Was a little back logged on wine club. They come up for a taste and cruise special. I asked can they bring my wine and they said you are hooked up. From CA to NV they got me my wine and I love talking to these people. If you are in CA or NV it is a shame you didn't join them. read more

Crystal Basin Cellars is by far our favorite winery in the El Dorado Hills/Apple Hill area. Their wine is amazing and their staff is too! We came down for Nevada Day the past 2 years as well as a wine event in April and CBC has gone out of the way each time to make our visit fun. Their entire demeanor as well as dog friendliness and atmosphere is the best, bar none. We joined their wine club and can't wait to start getting through some of the bottles we took home! Their bistro next door is also excellent and has great food. Plus, their event schedule is always packed full of fun things to do. Seeing as we're not far from the area, we'll always make CBC our first stop when we visit. read more

This winery has got to be most kid/dog friendly winery in Apple hill. Upon arriving my kids were given chalk to use on the winery floor while mommy and daddy tasted wine. They let us bring in our dog which I have not seen before. Picked up a couple bottles and look forward to coming back. Very reasonable $5 tasting fee returned with a purchase. read more

Very bad service. Must have been having a bad day. Unfortunately, it showed in their hospitality.

This place has the most amazing wine! If you like reds... You gotta stop by. Kim was absolutely vivacious and lovable wine tasting aficionado ever! She made our experience so much fun. Go see her on a Tuesday for a treat read more

Crystal Basin Cellars - Amazing wine tasting with my beautiful mommy! - Wineries Near Me - Placerville, California

We stopped by here on a whim while we were spending the day in Apple Hill and boy, am I glad we did. The man working the tasting counter was boisterous, funny, and really entertaining. The prices were reasonable, the pours were actually dangerously generous, and most of the wine we tasted was really delicious. We weren't here for very long but we would love to come back and spend more time. It was pouring rain the day we came and that tasting room is a bit small for the amount of adults packed in there. read more

Had a groupon for tasting and a tour figured eh why not. My wife hates wine and pretty much despises it for the most part, but to both our surprises she love most of the brands she tried tour was great wine was great heck I even signed up at a member i liked it so much. I can't recommend it enough! read more

This winery was our first stop. The girls I went with said that the pourer wasn't very friendly and gave me attitude because I wasn't paying attention (I was the DD) however it does get four stars because the owner was awesome and gave us an impromptu tour of their wine creation process and discussed how the wine is made which was very information. He was super knowledgeable, very friendly and not pretentious. Exactly the type of family winery you want to support in Placerville read more