WHAT!? WE'RE NOT IN PASO? First off, Bret Engelmann is a pretty swell dood, plus his fiancé Elainea likes MGMT. 100 bonus points awarded on first impressions alone. THE OWNERS // As part of the party planning comity this year, we decided to have our annual office summer event here at Engelmann's. From the initial phone call to the last drop of VOV poured during the tasting, Bret and his staff were professional, informative and friendly. It was really interesting hearing the background story behind each wine. He seemed sincerely eager to tell the stories, even though I have to imagine that it must get old singing the same song over and over again. But if it was, he didn't show it. They also had the tables set up and reserved for us. Besides the catering, all we had to do was buy the cases and show up! THE WINE // I'm not gonna lie, I love wine and consider myself a avid connoisseur, but unlike most I'm the kind that tends to favor bold fruit flavors and a little sweetness. I am not a dry, peppery fan at all. So if you're like me I should note that none of Engelmann's wines are sweet. On purpose. Not even his white or his rosé. That being said, and noted, I liked them all except the Rio Samba Rosé and the Platinum Mulino (a Sangiovese base which most everyone in my office loved!). Even the non-sweet white (Summer Quartet) was delicious! I can seriously see myself enjoying each of these wines at home. My top 3 OF THE EVENING? The Zinaz, the VOV, and the Ashley Cab. Amazingly none of which are part of the "Platinum Series." (It also goes without saying, the dessert Syrah is to die for! But that's a whole 'nother story.) THE ZINAZ // Interestingly enough this is my NEW favorite discovery of Engelmann's that is actually a blend of my OLD favorite the VOV. It's a 50/50 mix of the Very Old Vine Zin and Syrah. Like I said before, I'm a jammy fan, not a dry fan. But the blend of the two is absolutely amazing! Maybe it was because it was the 10th wine down the list, but this actually tasted sweet to me...even sweeter than the VOV by itself. NOTE // Unfortunately they were sold out of the Gravel Pit Syrah and the Two Horse Syrah so I was unable to enjoy those. I'm sure there's a reason they're sold out! Needless to say, I'll def be coming back for the Friday events! I can't wait!! Especially since it's like 15 degrees cooler than the city out there! Would I come back? Duh dot com. Would I recommend? Yes. Would I take a date here? I intend to! Favorite varietals: Zinaz, VOV, Ashley Cab, Cab Shiraz, Dessert Syrah! read more

First time there to watch Outlaw Mariachi. Hot day but all the trees around provided plenty of shade. The prices for some things were a bit much but overall had a great time. Will definitely cone back read more

Doc's Holiday performing tonight! Great local Valley band. Great way to beat the Fresno heat. So close and yet, another world. Wonderful venue, pleasant crowd. Preferred parking for motorcycles. Plus+ Large grass lawn. Bring chairs, blankets or sit! Temperature dropped about 15 degrees in the yard! Wonderful! Great lighting! It really adds to the "old town" or rustic feeling. read more

Outstanding! If you know and love wine, this place delivers. If you've never had a sip of vino before they will politely educate you and help you to discover what it is that you like. The only negative thing I have to say is that it will develop expectations that, with the exception of LoMac Winery, other vintners will not be capable of providing. read more

This place rocks....Friday nights are simply the best times. The owners Bret and Elainea are wonderful people and they have surrounded themselves with talented positive people. Makes me feel relaxed when I am there. read more

Engelmann Cellars - Relaxing and enjoying good music, Great wine and wonderful friends! - Wineries Near Me - Fresno, California

Let me say, I had a really good time. After two glasses of Sangria and damn near a whole bottle of wine to myself, who wouldn't. BUT... I have a problem... I will explain. The Friday I went was announced as a 90's music night. I LOVE me some 90's. The alt-90's festival at another well known winery in the area (some would even say their direct competition) was incredibly. I was riding that music high for a week. So I was naturally very excited for this one. Kristen, you silly girl. The band they booked, was not at all a 90's cover band. This was 80's hair rock all the way. Think Guns N Roses (which the played, from 1987). Think John Cougar Mellancamp (which they played, 1982). Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl, 1967. Several songs from the last 10 years. And the songs he DID play from the 90's, he used a bit of artistic flair on. Think Green Day, with a lot of 80's rock "ugh"'s and "yeeaaahhhh"'s. To the point that some of them were hardly recognizable. His voice was higher, so he kind of totally ignored the songs that he could've sang, like maybe any Sublime, Semisonic, Blind Melon, The Verve Pipe, Offspring. There in fact was a time where he said, "So they billed this as a 90's night... I'll do my best." Are you effing kidding me? WHY WOULD YOU BOOK A BAND THAT DOESN'T PLAY 90'S MUSIC, FOR A 90'S NIGHT?! His jokes about how inept they were didn't stop there. After a few songs, he said "This song is from (he rattled off some date in the 90's). And that's totally untrue, I have no idea when this was done." He asked for requests or ideas from the audience. He started one song and said, "How about some STP?" and when he ended, he said, "And that was Better Than Ezra." WELL WHICH WAS IT?! Please tell me, because you took some liberties with many songs so I honestly have no idea. Half way through the night, I was wine drunk enough to calmly put my disappointment aside and enjoy the night for what it was; drinking with new friends and enjoying music. I was able to do that, and at the end I was a big sweaty mess from dancing TO THE NON-90's music. However, it was a big let down as I was PUMPED to hear what the announcement stated, and instead was listening to an alright cover band chop up my decade of music and put it in a party song soup mix of sad. The service, wine, grounds and everything else was great. I'll actually be back this Friday for the 80's night because I've seen the band that is playing before and I know they're fantastic. But it'll be a cold day in hell before I trust them again with 1990-1999. read more

They have music on Sundays 2-5. Was good today. There was a food truck so that was nice. . Lots of room for social distancing. Server was knowledgeable. Wine was fine but really that's not why we came. Dog friendly. A very please day. read more

Local winemaster, Bret Engelmann has turned the family winery into a destination for good times! Wether it's for a wedding, an outdoor movie, or live music, this winery goes over the top to ensure that your experience is The BEST! Elainea Engelmann, Brett's stunning wife is a Supreme Organizer and always is on top of everything, so your event will run smoothly! Did we mention the wine? WOW! Award-Winning local wines are putting Fresno on the map! p.s. -You can also pick up their wine at Costco! read more

Their Zinaz and Mulino are delish!

Came for a picnic for my wife's birthday. Tastings were all good and the bottle of very old vine Zin was excellent. The crazy george look alike pourer was friendly and knowledgeable. Third visit and we'll be back for Fresno's best winery. read more

I met the owners of this winery and they were so welcoming and affable. There was great wine, a wonderful atmosphere, and such fun people. I can't wait to go back. read more

If I could give a 0! Poor service, poor bartender services. The guests for the wedding was servicing their own drinks, the bartenders was bugging and nagging the party planner on cleaning their area. They keep your deposits even when shit was cleaned with a video proof!!!. Lol. Charges you 500 for date changes when it was out of your control when it was a state mandatory shut down due to covid! Owner will not speak to you or call you about the issue rather argue through email. The wine sucks! My uncle bought 100 bottles and we are for sure did not receive 100 bottles. Even after we tipped them extra 200. They wanna keep the deposits when shit was cleaned the night before and the early morning with a video proof! If you're booking for a wedding, save your money, their wine sucks, bartenders does not do their jobs you will.hsve complaints from guests like we did our guests said the bartenders were not nice or pleasant. Even the wedding planner and their crew said the workers were rude, and nagging them to do shit that they were already doing! Unprofessional read more

gotta support our local wines! engelmann cellars is a nice place, way the heck out there but well worth it. staff is always friendly and always take care of you you can get really any type of wine there. they have a nice selection of varietals. if you go on fridays during the summer you can enjoy a nice time out at the tasting room, and also enjoy a movie later that night. read more

Went for the live music on a Friday night. The ambiance is incredible. Wine is on point. We had a really good time and will definitely be back. read more

A great way to spend an evening in Fresno listening to one of the great local bands like Trey Tosh or Mofo Party Band and enjoying some of the best wines produced on the West Side in a reserved table setting or bring your own lawn chairs. Watch the great sunset through the prism of the water tower pump and enjoy the cool breeze with friends to great music. read more

Staff was inviting and informative. Tour starts the moment you walk through the door. Glad we stopped by, and definitely will be back next time we are in the area! read more

My favorite GO TO winery. Everyone is so friendly. The wine is great and always weekend entertainment. The wine club has great benefits. Out of all the wineries in the area, this is one of the great ones. Pack a picnic lunch and stay awhile! read more

Englemann's is a beautiful place to spend a Sunday in spring. Relaxed vibes, music, and good wine. The best part about the experience is Alan, the wine connoisseur. He is very knowledgeable about the wines, has wonderful customer service, and is our go-to person at Englemann's. He should be promoted! read more

I can't believe I haven't wrote a review for this winery yet. My bf and I came here back in April and went wine tasting in the area, and picnic, very new to the area.(Bf working in area for AT& T since February) We tried 3 wineries this day. This one, Milla and his Brother's place(Can't remember the name- unfortunately we weren't impressed with the bro's place). I have to admit, we were completely impressed with this winery. The owner, Bret, I believe, was completely nice and talked to us for a long time. Told us about their wines and knowledge, Cabs are excellent. He really takes pride in his wines and been in business for many years, hence he's my age in his early 40's. Now we haven't been back yet, because of work getting in the way, but I follow Englemann on Facebook and they have bands every Friday night with food and such. I'm hoping next time I'm in Fresno area, we will make another trip to this vineyard and on a Friday night. (Live in SC mtns which we have great wineries too here) I found a gem in Fresno area with alot of their wineries there. Thank you for your hospitality and keep up the great work. Love this place. read more

We went out on a Friday night when there's no cover. Had a great time! Band was good, wine was good, food was good. What more could you ask for? read more

Summer Friday Night Wine Tastings should not be missed! Especially when Dusty Buns provides the food and King Sugar provides the music.

I wish I could give more stars!!!! We visited this as our first stop during a bachelorette wine tasting trip and had the BEST time! The wine was fabulous, the guy pouring (Phil) was so helpful, interesting and all around wonderful. We loved so many of the wines he poured and really enjoyed hearing about how each was different and what made them each special. We had a surprise visit from the owner's mother who came out with some yummy cheese, crackers and salami to enhance our visit. We sat on the patio with our treats and vino, enjoying perfect weather with beautiful scenery and wished we could stay there all day! It's hard to say whether this is the perfect place to start wine tasting (because they have so many great kinds of wine that you'll want to give your full sensory attention) or the perfect place to end the day (because it's comfortable, beautiful and ideal for an afternoon). Whatever you do, DO NOT MISS THIS STOP!! read more

This place is great! Came here with my buddy and his family. Customer Service was as soon as it can get. The staff recommended we pick up certain bottles at a local Costco but we ended up picking up the bottle at the winery to support the small business. We bought the RS and the sommer quartet. Great environment and would love to come during their live band! This location is clean (even the porter potties - WOW!) We went to Costco after to pick up some steaks. And the combination was just perfect. Highly recommend this place to come and relax. read more

I love this place! My sister and I went here at the end of September for wine tasting. It great, I ended up purchasing a bottle. After our wine tasting we relaxed at tables outside. It was beautiful and peaceful. I will definitely be back! read more

This was a fantastic first stop. Brett Engelmann is a knowledgeable and cheery vintner who was happy to share a nice long list of delicious wines. I'm more of a light/sweet body kind of person, which happened to be what Brett made this year, so many of his wines available for tasting were flavorful, fun, and lighter. These are nice to sip on a hot summer day. Their tasting room is small, but they are in the process of remodeling, so when it's done, he said it the table should be 25 feet long, which will accommodate a lot of people for the upcoming holiday season. Another plus is there are 3 (or 4, I forget) other wineries within 2 miles so you don't have to drive a lot. More tasting, less driving! read more

Such a fun place to go to drink some wine! Their Friday nights are fun with great music! Although their wine is pricey if you buy it at Engelmann's. I always buy mine at Costco (10 dollar bottle versus 20ish at the winery) and they let you bring it in because it is their wine (just no other outside alcohol). Not a bad deal by doing it that way! But such a great place to go to! read more

Very nice facility, staff is nice, wine is okay. But the Porta Potties are a disgrace! It's not like we're at Woodstock. Please, get real bathrooms before someone calls the health department. read more

Was so ready to enjoy Jungle Strut - Santana Review tonight. Concert was slated to start at 6pm and did not start until almost 8pm. Once they got started music was great, group was entertaining but after only a few minutes they decided to take a 30 minute (or longer) break! When they came back to perform they only performed a few more songs and in the middle of their last song they all of a sudden stopped playing :-/ They told us they couldn't go over and the music came to a screeching halt right in the middle of a song. Very disappointed with the Very Late Start, the Extended break the band took and their sudden ending. We always enjoy coming to this winery but not sure what the heck was going on tonite with this band. Very disappointed! read more

Had a great experience working with Elainea To make custom wine bottle labels for my sisters 30th Birthday. I live in Las Vegas and found Engelmann Cellars online and emailed her about creating a custom label and she was very helpful. My sister loved the bottles!! My brother in law took her to a wine tasting there and said they provided great service, nice people, clean environment and very knowledgeable about the product. I'm going out to visit them over thanksgiving and she is saving her gift bottles so we can drink them together! All around great winery! read more

Great wine. Amazing atmosphere and Bret is the best there is! Love when I get to spend a Friday night here.

Beautiful place, friendly staff, great wine. Spent an incredibly relaxing afternoon here. Can't believe it took us so long to visit. Escape from Fresno within Fresno! read more

Go for a glass of wine! The tasting room remains open to the public until a set time, so be sure to plan your event to accommodate this.

My husband and I spent over an hour and a half chatting with Bret, learning the history of the family vineyards and tasting all the Engelmann Cellars' wine...there wasn't one we didn't like! We came home with a Zin and Rose and a very tasty port...looking forward to enjoying them in the near future. Wish we lived closer to be able to attend a Friday night party on the beautiful property. We'll be sure to stop by again on our next trip to Fresno from Santa Clarita. read more

Alright, so I came here last night for nostalgia purposes to re-watch The Rocky Horror picture show and ideally drink a glass of wine and maybe some sangria. The wine and sangria I like so far and would be willing to try their other varieties of wine, which is saying something since I am not a big wine person. However, my one pet peeve I had about this event was that their was no announcement of what food would be served at the event itself even the day of. Also, when the bf and I did show up looking for food it was the same food truck used for the mothers day event. My constructive criticism to whoever is running these events please book more than one food truck and after you have done that advertise it in advance via the various social media sites Instagram, Facebook, etc. This way the food trucks get free advertising and more potential customers if they come to the event in question. Also, your wine is good, so the more varieties of food you can have with it the better. Finally, Fresno has food trucks in the double digits when I last checked even with dusty buns going bankrupt so their should be other food trucks willing to do movie events or live band gigs where people just want to eat, hang out and enjoy good food with music/or a movie. Also, believe me I will be more inclined to go to an event if I know that that the food for sale by a vendor is not by TBA. read more