Our friends are members and took us today for their wine pick up. We tried their Sangiovese,Malbec,Vignon,Port,Pino & Shiraz.Loved it (and the prices!) so much we signed up for membership. The grounds,people and prices are amazing! They had a band playing today and a Mexican lunch too! read more

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Drytown Cellars: a laid-back Amador County winery!! Located in Drytown, California, one of the larger and rowdier mining towns in Amador County during the Gold Rush era. Drytown Cellars is part of the historic Vaira Cattle Ranch homestead, and the tasting room has a really relaxed, down-to-earth feel. Service: Friendly and warm Parking: Plenty of free parking right on the property Restroom: Clean and decent The wines: They focus on Sierra Foothill grapes, especially bold Amador County varietals like Zinfandel, Barbera, Sangiovese, and Petite Sirah. I enjoyed the selection and liked that they showcase the local wine region. Ambience: Rustic, casual, and definitely not pretentious. There's a large communal table that can seat up to 20 people, plus a cozy bar area. The walls are covered with award ribbons from winemaker Allen Kreutzer, which is a fun touch. The tasting fee is only $10, and it's refundable with a 2-bottle purchase, which makes this a very affordable stop compared with some of the bigger wine regions. The staff and owner were welcoming and made the experience feel more like visiting a local winery than a commercial tasting room. My only criticism is that some areas of the tasting room look a little rundown, and the décor could use some updating. Overall, a friendly, affordable, no-snobbery wine tasting experience if you're exploring Amador County. read more

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Great wine, great atmosphere and great hospitality. Views are also good. We really enjoy this winery. read more

We go to Drytown Cellars at least 4 times a year from the Bay Area (Sonoma County). Great ambiance. The owner Allan and his staff are so pleasant and welcoming it is a pleasure to taste their wines and enjoy their company. I would highly recommend this winery. read more

Extremely lovely setting. Thank you very very much for being so affordable and truly appreciate your selection of wines! Wide range and some really interestingly fun ones!! We will definitely be back!! read more

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Everything about it! Great staff, music, friendly and reasonably priced wines. I love this place! I especially love it when Joe Bellamy and the Blowbacks are there! Awesome music and always generous with their wine selection and prices! read more

Had a wonderful time at Drytown Cellars. They have a large variety of wine at very reasonable prices. We bought 6 bottles and had the Dolcetto the other night. It was very good and ranked right up there with some of the others we have enjoyed. We will make this one of our spots. read more

Stopped into this lovely venue this afternoon. Amazing service, great wine, and what an amazing view!! Don't miss out on the cheesy bread!

We had a great experience yesterday at the winery. We did a little road trip for my birthday and stopped for some tasting. The employees were friendly and treated us so nice. The wines were delicious. We would be coming back! read more

Drytown Cellars - a plate of food and a glass of wine - Wineries Near Me - Drytown, California

I really enjoyed this lovely place and everyone was so nice and welcoming. Can't wait to go back and have some wine

Yesterday, the day after Christmas, we made this our first stop of the day, and it was a good call. We were the only people in the place, and when that happens it is quite often a very good thing. If you haven't been here, know there are a plethora of wine options, and they are all tasty. On this visit we really enjoyed the 'red on red'. It was a different blend than last summer and it was very good for the $10 price. Again, as I mentioned last time, this is not a real 'high maintenance" place. While we were there this time we got to watch the owner working on the bottling line, and we even had the chance to visit with him briefly. He was very candid and comfortable to listen to. We tasted good wine, met the guy that made them, spent some money, and all is good. read more

Okay, I'll admit I don't know much about wine; just what I like. I had the luck to go here with real wine people and sat in on their wine club tasting and then started tasting myself. I ended up with several favourites (two on sale) the Sangiovese and the Barbera. The Petite Sirah is yummy - WOW. If you like white wine I found the Pinot Grigio lovely. What's nice here is you can taste several wines and they'll open one if you ask. As I'm not a real wine person in that I just know what I like - so I didn't give them 5-stars. Judging from the number of ribbons on several walls they have many many award wines. The setting is lovely and the dogs are a hoot. This is a family setting by serious wine makers. Definitely deserves a visit. read more

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This informal, friendly tasting room is one of my favorite stops when in the Amador area. Allen, the winemaker, has an extensive lineup of wines that you can sample and choose from. I find it a dangerous stop: I seem to always leave with at least a case of wine. Come here if you don't mind being greeted with a relaxed smile and one or two winery dogs somewhere close by. (Try their port dessert wine!) read more

We chose Drytown because it was one of the only wineries open in the area on the day we were there. That said, we were so, so happy we stumbled into this sweet little spot. Upon entering, we quickly realized that this was not your typical winery. It is very, very relaxed, and there were THREE dogs roaming around. It was a true dream. The owner of the winery was helping another group, but he was quick to greet us and get us started on whatever tastings we wanted. I will repeat: What.ever. tasting. we. wanted. Really. There were no "rules" or pre-set tasting menu. If they had a wine on the list they were selling, you could try it. The owner even let us taste a zin that had been bottled super recently so we could taste the difference between newer and "older" zin. It was amazing. As I said, this wasn't your typical winery experience. It was a super relaxed and the tasting room really isn't much other than a couple of bar stools at a counter. But, don't let the rougher interior stop you because the wine is delicious and not too expensive and they are SO kind. Would highly recommend! read more

Great wine-tasting experience overall.This winery is in the city of Drytown in Amador County in gold country.it is nestled in the mountains and you see herds of cattle grazing on the mountains.There are 2 dogs there who like you to throw the ball for them, but they pay more attention to people who are eating.You see an array of ribbons they have been awarded in the main building,which has wine storage in it.Friendly service and lots of good wines to taste.There is quite a variety.The prices were good when we were there--i don't remember anything on sale as some have mentioned.It's a good place to take guests. read more

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Our time to Drytown Cellars, we were greeted immediately by a furry 4-legged host. We had a tasting of reds and mixed red and whites. We also ordered a cheese plate. The wine and cheese was very good. One of our favorites Reds was the Red On Red, a blend. Overall our experience at Drytown was great. Affordable prices, friendly hosts (dogs and people) and good wine. We will definitely be back!! read more

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Stopped here randomly on the way back to town, and they did not disappoint! The wine is delicious and, most importantly, reasonably priced. Everyone was friendly, including the winemaker. They have a very delicious very unique dessert wine. Needless to say, I joined their wine club! read more

Received my case of wine during the shelter in place! Best day of my week! Super affordable, great wine and free shipping! Thanks guys! read more

By TOTAL ACCIDENT we crashed a private party here, while wine tasting in the area. Owners were TOTALLY hospitable and understanding. Gorgeous views of the rolling hills and even better wine !!!!!!! Thank you for the hospitality. We will definitely return. read more

We've been here twice and some friends have been here several times. Love the place, the view, the ambience and, of course, the wines. It's low-key with no pressure to buy or to leave. Seating is indoor and outdoors, but we always prefer the latter because of the view. We will definitely go again! read more

Drytown was our first stop on our way out to the winery circuit. We stopped in, hungry for lunch and thinking we would make a quick stop. No... no quick stop for us. We went through tastings of everything they had-- from a cheerful and knowledgeable server at the front entrance-- and liked just about everything. A lot. So much, in fact, that we bought about four bottles each (remember we're filling up ONE case for the trip), and it was hard to decide which to make our four. We also really liked the friendly, "working winery" feel to the place (there were people doing stuff to wine just behind us), and we had lunch at a picnic table out back-- which had just a stunning view of green hills in the surrounding countryside. The owner stopped by and said hi. He had on gloves and a grubby T-shirt because... he WORKS at the winery. In the end we got a bottle of the Granache (and I usually don't like Granache), the Cabernet (from an area not known for its Cabs, but I thought it really had something), the Chardonnay (billed as a chardonnay for people who don't like chardonnay... which I do), and the "Red-on-Red" (which for $10, is a great table wine). If we had more space we would probably have filled up our case right there. What can I say. But.... this was our first Amador winery, right, so maybe they're all this good? Nope. Not really. This was one of the only ones that we would be sure to visit our next trip out. It had the right balance between unusual, good wines and a price point that said "hey, we're not trying to be Napa.... buy two, and drink them this afternoon." read more

Drytown Cellars - Lunch at Drytown - Wineries Near Me - Drytown, California

We were on our way back from Sutter Creek and saw a lot of cars parked here so we turned around. So glad we did! This place was awesome, the Pinot Noir was my favorite followed by the Charbono. I don't remember the exact name, but there was one wine with Chocolate in the title that I was surprised to like. It was like a Port, which I typically do not care for. Great wine, great servers. We'll be back! read more

Drytown Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Drytown, California

LOVE this winery! Went here for the Amador County's Harvest Wine Festival and was super impressed with their food and wine. Their tasting room is large, pretty modest but the wines were fabulous. Great idea to have chicken and beef out for tasting along with their wine. Friendly staff and we left with 3 bottles in hand! read more

Fabulous Spring Pick-up party for wine club members and anyone else that showed up. As always, excellent wines, (best in all of Amador County of you ask me), lots of food and live music. Weather and setting was perfect. Drytown just gets better with every visit. Go to Drytown Cellars and taste, then go to any other winery in the area and do the same. You will come back because the wine at Drytown can''t be beat. Stay over on a Sunday night and visit the Drytown Club for outstanding blues featuring Drytown Cellars winemaker Allen Kreutzer on the drums. www.drytownclub.com read more

The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They clearly enjoy wine and the process. More importantly, they make exceptional wine. We were lucky enough to try all of their whites and there special blush wine, inspired by the owner's dog. Each wine was special in its own way, and each one was far superior than most wines you would try in Napa or Sonoma. Sadly, they only distribute locally so you must go to the winery...but it is totally worth it! And they are open daily, so there are plenty of opportunities. Also, they are dog friendly, which is a huge plus in my book. 4.5/5 read more

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A work buddy was constantly talking about Drytown's Reserve Barbera and finally brought a bottle for me to try. I absolutely loved it and decided my husband and I needed to visit! We went several months ago and loved the quality of the wines (especially the reds), the down-to-earth atmosphere, and the dogs! We joined the wine club and just picked up our second shipment. Great to have such a wonderful place less than an hour from Sacramento. read more

We have been here before and had a great time, but we must have gotten the wrong tasting room person. We are big wine people, and are in town to buy for an event and the upcoming holidays. The older woman helping us was so curt and not chatty, we felt like we needed to just taste and leave. I enjoyed their sparkling and the movedrèè, but most of the whites were a bit earthy for my taste. Next time, I'll just pick a more friendly tasting room staff. read more

Great wines that are AFFORDABLE. Small tasting room allows you to sample many different wines without charging a tasting fee. These are award winning wines, without the jacked-up prices you find at some wineries. Allen, owner and winemaker, excels at wine making, but is as down to earth as they come, so his wines are reasonably priced. Looking for a glitzy tasting room, go somewhere else. Looking for reasonably-priced fine wines, stop and sip here. read more

We love their Grand Cuvee Brut ...California sparkling wine. We are not fans of sparkling wines but this one is so good. We always buy lots of them and they go fast. read more

Drytown Cellars - Wineries Near Me - Drytown, California

Right off hwy 49, you might get rear-ended pulling into the property. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LQnP1XiXO4bSJ8LbsSKVTQ?select=hQ8B1ccOdq4UyhWyaXdYHQ The wines I will get to...but first the owner needs an introduction. Allen Kreutzer is right out of a novel. Something Hemingway might have written. Allen is unique, winemaker, father, entrepreneur, drummer in a local band and just missed being a child of the 60's. Ask him about Woodstock and he will engage you like a old friend. We need more Allen's in the world - just not too many. Allen was in the back around some barrels when we got there. He was copiously drinking from three glasses at a time - must have been blending. We were unnoticed for awhile but that gave us a chance to nose around. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LQnP1XiXO4bSJ8LbsSKVTQ?select=FMYjaqmxZGoQRYHce0wIbQ Allen spotted us and quickly came up. We noticed a few unlabelled varietals had splashed on the front of his t-shirt. We knew we were in the right place. He started pouring two glasses about 1/4 full from a non-descript bottle and asked what we thought of it. We liked it and he mumbled something about what wine he thought it was. Then a few stories about life were exchanged. He got into the real line-up of wines and splashed wine on the counter everytime he poured a glass. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/LQnP1XiXO4bSJ8LbsSKVTQ?select=o1Gu1WjaeHb6LsTpZNHswg He explained his view of the business and how he runs it. Another 1/4 glass for both of us and a few more stories. Allen explains that his wines are of a higher alcohol content than typically you find with these varietals. A few more splashes on the counter top as more 1/4 glass tastings continue. Allen is now finding bottles in racks and under the counter to augment the nine tastings we have already had. There is a dump bucket but neither of us are using it. Noon turns into 1pm and more people drive up, but not for tasting, but for cases, yes cases of his wine. All of his wines are between $12 and $20 and his club members get discounts from there. The wine club is 3 times per year with only two bottles per shipment - Allen's way of doing business. Allen has vineyards, buys loads of grapes and makes wine for other wineries who put their labels on his wine. He selects from all of his activities and has his own Drytown label on a lot of reds. As best as I recall, we tasted (not in this order): NV Vaira Ranch Red 2009 Syrah 2007 Grenache 2010 Primitivo 2010 Tempranillo NV Red on Red 2010 Muscat Canelli 2009 Reserve Zin 2009 Barbera NV Vino de Mocca and others We bought the Reserve Zin and Vino de Mocca. The Red on Red was a big value along with the Tempranillo & Barbera. If we went back, we would buy a broader range from him. Vina de Mocca needs some explaining. It is an 18% dessert wine made with coffee beans, cocoa beans and oranges added. Stuff crystallizes at the bottom of the bottle. It is like nothing else in the wine world. Leaving Drytown Cellars was not easy and we had to eat & wait about two hours before re-starting our wine tasting of Amador County that afternoon. Whew! read more

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We wandered into the tasting room a couple of months ago. A fellow who was purple from head to toe greeted us--the owner, it turned out (they had just begun to harvest). My VVSP and I have a theory, which goes something like this: the crappier looking the winery, the better the wine. Drytown was no exception. Unpretentious. Dogs, small children and locals wandering in and out. Some terrific wine, particularly Italian varietals, at very reasonable prices. I intended to review this place as soon as we returned from our Amador County weekend, and I forgot until tonight, when I unscrewed the cap on a bottle of their Primitivo (and with grilled chicken and rosemary, it is spectacular). Folks, this is seriously good wine. I recommend that you try them. Next time I make a trip up there I'm leaving plenty of room in my trunk. I'll be buying cases. Now, my little primitivo, where did you go? Ah, yes--there you are... read more

My boyfriend and I were in nearby Sutter Creek at a BnB, and we decided to go wine tasting. We ended up at Dry Town Cellars because a) it was close, and b) they were open. So...here goes: WINE TASTING The tastings were free, and we tried all the wines they carry. Honestly, I was impressed - both their whites and reds were very good. Also, BIG bonus - my boyfriend is partial to Malbecs, and they have some that were maturing in barrels, and let us have a taste. We both particularly liked the Petite Syrah and the Sauvignon Blanc. What both of us enjoyed was how down to earth the tasting was. The guy pouring the wine was happy to supply us with a bit of local history about Amador county and Dry Town, while letting us enjoy the wine and most importantly, letting the wine speak for itself. As he put it - everyone's palate is different. PRICING Cheap, which was nice - we bought a total of 12 bottles, which came to $160. The cheapest was probably the rose at $10 - I bought a bottle to make some yummy sangria with later. However, the wine was quite tasty on its own. We also got several bottles of Petite Syrah. The most expensive bottle was around $30. Most were somewhere in the middle ($15-20). We also got two bottles of Vino de Mocca, even though that one comes from Kirigin Cellars. Good stuff. All in all - definitely coming back! read more

Probably the closest winery to Sacramento so it made sense that I hit it up first. Damn good Barbera, I took some of that home. Many of the bottles have a fun local story on backs of wine labels. There's a roaming dog and you can clearly see the bottling operation going on across the bar. This place is super casual and there's not much seating so I wouldn't recommend it for groups. The wine was affordable and good but not close to my favorite in the area. I could see this place being good for beginner tasters. They can see the operation happening, it's not busy so they can bend the pourer's ear and ask questions and the prices won't intimidate you. I liked that out pourer told us where she buys her wine in the area. Just overall a completely non pretentious vibe and a fun time for a quick afternoon tasting. read more

I was really looking forward to this place based on the reviews, which are clearly stellar. In my opinion, this place might deserve three stars, but not more. Free cheese while we were there, but that's generally a sign of bad wine (the fat coats the tongue). I bought a bottle of white, thought some of the other wines were okay. I felt like this place made okay wine, but needed some growth and discovery of their own style. Everything we tasted seemed like it has sort of been left to do its own thing, and that thing wasn't very exciting. Also, their port was TERRIBLE. It was a port infused with coffee, chocolate and orange. Wow. Also, this place gets LOUD when there is any sort of group. Less than 10 of us, but I could barely the people I was standing next to. Definitely not set up for groups with the lack of insulation and the small pouring area. Would have been nice if the wine hostess had moved around the room to pour tastings since the couple sitting at the tasting bar made it nearly impossible to get wine or cheese. Might try it again, but I won't rush to get back. read more

Really bad customer service from the heavy set lady with black hair! She even over talked the little blonde hard lady. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy. read more

My friends and I stopped by here on a Wednesday and this was our first time here. We were greeted by the owner, Allen. This is a casual place with free wine tasting. Allen was down to earth and was very knowledgeable in the wine industry. I would recommend the Red on Red wine! Most of their prices were pretty reasonable. read more

So, I get the whole Covid/ Pandemic going on, but sheesh. Well, my boyfriend has been coming here for 20+yrs, spent thousands on their wine. Today after a small trip from Pine grove, on the way home we've decided to stop here. We wanted to do a little tasting and see if there was anything we wanted to take home for our dinner. Upon entering, me and my boyfriend were still deciding if we wanted to do the tasting because of the sign before entering stated there was a $5 fee for tasting. No biggie. After entering, not even couple inches from the front door shutting behind us, we were yelled at with a tone as if we were lost, " CAN I HELP YOU?"... I mean, we're at a winery, we are not lost. There was no, "Hi, how are you?" "Welcome in"... Literally no social mechanism. Then we got to the counter and the women came up and yelled again, "HOW CAN I HELP YOU?" Mind you, there was no one behind us or no one in front of us. Anyway, my boyfriend said to the women that it was my first visit and he said, he used to come here a lot and wanted me to taste what they serve to take home for our dinner. The women yelled back " we charge $5 for the taste and we do not waive for the purchase" and I'm looking at their little menu and looked over to my boyfriend and asked what he wanted to do. I was already thrown off by the first yell but I let it go. The second yell, when we got to the the counter was a no go because she was giving a vibe as if I was not welcomed. I'm not saying she was racist but I just felt it. So, I looked over to my boyfriend and he, I can already tell did not like the woman's "welcoming." He told the lady that he had spent A-LOT of money in this place and he was not paying to taste. He said, "sorry and thank you" and we left. We will not be going back. We went down to Pokerville Market and picked up a yummy wine from another winery. We did see the endcap of the five shelves of dry town wines. Perhaps if they were more friendly and welcoming, they could actually sell their wine at their winery. I wanted to give this is 0 rating but it wouldn't let me. read more

Drytown Cellars was my final stop after a long afternoon in Amador wine country and man am I happy that I stopped!!! The owner/winemaker and his wife were fantastic and they made the tasting room feel like a party! I think we left with 4 bottles of wine that day and I will say the Cab Franc was WOW!!! It's so worth the visit to Drytown and you will be missing out on some fine wines if you don't go there. read more

Drytown Cellars - Buddy - Wineries Near Me - Drytown, California

Drytown Cellars is a must go to spot when you are in the Plymouth area doing some winetasting.We enjoy this sweet little find because the people are the most casual and friendly folks.The owner & winemaker, Allen and his wife Suzanne are such a pleasure.The wines are some of the best out there for the price.Especially fond of the Reserve Zin,Cab Franc,Red on Red and Primitivo.Oh, and if you like dessert wine,the Vino de Mocca is DELICIOUS.Friendly dogs with kids and adults.The winery is just off Hwy 49 and Hwy 16.Add it to your list !!! read more

This was one of my favorite stops on my wine tasting weekend! Everyone was friendly and accommodating. Every wine for sale can be tasted! They have an extensive selection of reds. I found several that I liked and the price point is so good I took home a case. It is a very relaxing non pretentious environment. I will for sure be back and highly recommend them. read more