Excellent wines! We were introduced to Hatcher by our friends who are wine club members. For our first introduction to the winery, they brought us along to a dinner event where past vintages were available for sale--it was a great time! Since then, Chris and I have visited a handful of times, and we are always impressed! I am very surprised by the negative reviews related to customer service--I have always had a very pleasant experience at Hatcher. Depending on what you are liking, they will sometimes pour off the tasting list if they think you might enjoy something different. Plus, they are dog friendly (which is an automatic plus in my book!) Our favorites are the Tempranillo (we bought a few bottles of the 2002 which was amazing, but the other vintages are great too!), the Cab Franc, and the Zin. Of course, I am giving it a 5 star rating because, in my opinion, pretty much everything is great :-) Hmm...I think it's about time for a trip to Murphys... read more

I'm posting this less than 5 minutes after being turned away while other customers were in the room tasting. No matter how good your wine is, if your staff are treating customers poorly, they aren't going to buy your product! We had been looking for Hatcher and finally found it at 5:05 pm. There was no signage on the door indicating the hours of operation and the door unlocked. When we walked in we were greeted with an "oh we're closed!" The saracastic response came across as, "I know I left the front door open but don't really feel I can help one more set of customers". I can see why others have been less than impressed with this tasting room. Words of advice: either put your hours of operation on the door or lock it when you're closed. read more

2 blondes and1 brunette walk into Hatcher tasting room, the dog gets more attention than the ladies....what is wrong with this? Love Hatcher wines but the time I spent at the tasting room makes me want to never buy anything again. read more

Downtown Murphys wine tasting room We visited Hatcher in April 2007. I had contacted them in advance to confirm that our retrievers would be allowed to be in the tasting room with us, which they were. They really liked this location because it was dark and cool in the room. The wine was very good. We purchased several bottles. We also purchase Hatcher wines when we see them at stores in our area. Why the 3? The pour-er was more interested in flirting with a local gentleman than paying attention to her potential customers. She didn't know where anyone was, we had to tell her. We felt as if we were intruding on her time. We'll be back soon and see how they do then. 11/25/07 Good wine, however again the person pouring was a big turn off. He (Sewell) was much more interested in SELLING the wine club to a young couple rather than pay attention to the other 9 people attempting to taste his wine (I believe he is a partner in the winery). His whole demeanor spelled ego trip. So sad because we do like their wines. Hope they find customer facing employees who are more pleasant in the future. read more

I have yet to leave Murphy's without several bottles of wine and I seem to have more Hatcher inventory than any other vintner. I'm a red girl, and this winery does not disappoint. While their Cab doesn't compete with Napa, it is very drinkable and only around $19 Their Zin and Sewell are worth your time and still under, I believe $30. I like their Barbera as well. Speaking of Sewell, the brother not the wine (btw, the wine is named for their Dad not the brother....someone correct me if I'm wrong), is often found pouring flights in their little tasting room "cave", and he can be a bit off-putting. But don't let him dissuade you from this wine. He's very knowledgeable, and I think he appreciates if you don't let him intimidate you. Overall, this is a great little winery, in a great little town. You can totally tell they love what they do and you'll love what they do too! read more

I love going to taste wine and having everything you try be amazing. That's what it was like when I tasted at Hatcher. Being from Livermore I can get pretty picky about my wine but this place really stood out from the rest in Murphys. Besides that quality of the wine, our server was very frienly and informative about each wine. Even though it was a little busy, which is to be expected in a Saturday afternoon, we never waited more than a minute for our next wine. We left with two bottles and intend on buying more. It's only a shame they don't sell to any wine murchants in the bay area. FYI: Hatcher's tasting room isn't easy to find. It isn't on the main drag of downtown. It's tucked away, behind a downtown store. I would hate for someone to miss out becuase they couldn't find the place. read more

Wine is ok. Not too impressed for the arrogance that we encountered. Wine server basically ignored us while doting and kissing *ss over a group of wanna-be's. We were dressed in jeans...casual...but should not judge a book by its cover. We may have purchased more, but as I said, other wineries in the area have better wines for the prices. It was rather sickening...other wineries in Murphys'...we'd purchased 5-6 cases we'd rolled out on a dolly...we will return to those places. Ironic that server claimed he didn't drink California wines, only French wines, yet he was serving and selling California wines. Apparently, he'd never seen Bottle Shock. He also poo-poo'd on Santa Cruz/Capitola restaurants. Are you kidding me...we live in the region...and the fare is phenom! read more

Wow. This guy was so rude I can't believe it. I came in with a group of 8 people and the guy wouldn't serve us. He said "why would you come in here with a group of 8?" I asked "Would you like us to go somewhere else?" And he said yes! What? What kind of business does that??! So we all left in shock. I can't believe it. Whatever...we are next door now at a different wine tasting place. I've never been treated like that at an establishment before. I'm kind of sad. That ruined the mood of our good time. read more

The wines are delicious. But the owner was rude and belittling. I won't be back. And I'm sure he doesn't care. The owner was super rude to us and he laughed about it. Patrons accept it. No. You need to be nice! read more

Rasta, the dog, was the highlight. She was flirting with us all and Sewell, her master, was showing us the tricks she'd do. Having said that, I liked all the wines in this little basement/cave of a tasting room, especially the ice-wine. I liked Sewell - he's one of those gruff dudes who's a bit of a softy underneath. I can see that he might rub some people up the wrong way, and he's definitely a bloke's bloke, but I thought he was funny (in a dry wit kind of way) and very nice to us. read more

I'm posting my review here, but the address above is for the winery itself, while the tasting room is at 425 Main St. in Murphys; and they charge $3 for the tasting -- refunded if you purchase a bottle. Note that my star review is based exclusively on the experience, the atmosphere, and knowledge of the people at the tasting room. I'll give my opinion of the wine, but what I think is great, you might think is crap (and vice versa). So, here's why it gets 5 stars: went in on a Sunday, and ended up being served by Sewell, the wine maker's brother. Despite the large crowd of people there for the tasting, he was doing a remarkable job of not only keeping up with who was where in their flight (only saw him make one mistake -- and he caught it before anyone else did), but the different conversations he had going on with each different group. Of course, he knew all about the wines, and did a great job of chatting people up while also passing on useful tidbits. Without getting into details, it was also clear that he knew how to communicate non-patronizingly with people who spoke as if they knew a lot about wine, but clearly didn't. Now, for the wine: I'd had the Zin the night before at V with dinner, so I already knew there was at least one wine there I would really like. Ultimately, I think I ended up liking 4 of their reds (the Barbera, Tempranillo, Zin, and Cab Franc), and their dessert wine is absolutely fantastic. I ended up buying some of the Trempranillo and the Zin. While I liked the Barbera, it didn't seem purchase worthy; and the Cab Franc was good, but it's really just a bordeaux varietal, and I think you can get better bordeaux wines in that price range. If I was rating the wine, I'd give the Zin 5 stars, and the other three 4 stars. the Ice wine is phenomenal, but at $32 for a 375, it's hardly a bargain. Bonus star: the brother who was working the tasting room, Sewell, lives in SF. So, if you place an order with them, he can arrange to deliver it to you personally, saving you both time and money on shipping! read more

What a lovely surprise. Nice people, cool tasting room, but most importantly, really good wines!! This was our last stop, so we hadn't intended on buying more wine. We could not resist. We bought a mag of one of their Zins and a couple of bottles of Barbera. It was hard to chose. This will be a regular stop when we are in Murphys. read more

Another must-stop on my Murphys wine tours. It really is in a cool (both literally and architectural-design-wise) spot, which appears to be an old jail or bank vault or some such. Wonderful Grenache Rose and Cabernet Franc. If it's a busy day, you WILL have to corner someone into providing you with tastes -- especially when there's a giant bachelorette party or something in there. That's a little frustrating -- no one likes to be ignored -- but hey, it's an opportunity to hone your assertiveness skills. As another Yelper wrote, there are spots around the Bay Area (such as HMB Wine & Cheese) where you can find their wine. That said, their wines are on the pricier side -- of good quality, but I'm always a little surprised that they charge Napa prices for off-the-beaten-path wine. read more

This is my favorite wine in Murphy's. The last few times I've gone to Murphy's, I've bought more wines from Hatcher than anywhere else. I like the fact that the tasting room is a little off the beaten path so it feels less crowded than some other tasting rooms. The tasting room is pretty cute but ultimately I had the same experience as others regarding the service. It was just aight. (brother of the owner I believe...he was basically complaining about working which I have a really hard time with...lots of people want that job I'd venture to guess). I HAVE been here previously with the actual winery owner on a slow day and he was delightful, very knowledgeable and attentive. The dog who hangs out here is adorable and super friendly. TIP: Don't go here if you're allergic to dogs! Bonus: it's located across the street from my favorite spot for lunch. I could tell you the name of it...but then I'd have to kill you. sorry. read more

DNR- Do Not Return. I guess all the negative comments fall of deaf ears since the grump ass owner is the wine server. While walking down the stairs to this hidden tasting room we came upon a dude on his phone. Once inside he did apologize for being on the phone, saying he's so busy and everyone needs him, oh please-insert eye roll... Finally got around to pouring a flight, but all I really wanted to do was taste the reds, did I tell him that, yes! He didn't listen so we went along with his spiel. In come a couple picking up a few cases and everything stops. Everyone at the bar is now invisible to him except these people and he's telling them what a deal they are getting- chuckle. There are three other couples tasting and we all looked at one another like, WTH? Thankfully, his young assistant took over and was very pleasant. We couldn't believe people were buying cases of reds, they tasted very pedestrian (no body), and so was the bread... Actually, the bread was better than the wine. This place gets a one star because he didn't charge us a $10.00 tasting fee. Sorry, no likie on Facebook. read more

Worst wine tasting experience ever!!! The owner acts like he is doing you a favor giving any wine to taste - and he charge $10 to do it. Then wants to sell you bread. Very unimpressive wine. With so many great and friendly tasting rooms to visit in Murphys, dont waste your time and money here. He yells at people, makes you stand around while he takes phone calls and ignores everyone and dont you dare mention to him that is rude of him cause he will kick you out. read more

Really am a fan of these reds. Don't claim to know everything about wine.. but I do claim to know when it tastes exceptional. I admit being well lubricated my first time in, but I have returned several times over the past few years. I have declared this place to pour some of best wines in Murphys. (Bodega Del Sur and Newsome Harlow are great too) Lighten up a little about the pouring room-cave! If you need to bond with or be treated like royalty by the people working the tasting room, I'd simply go somewhere else. read more

Hatcher is easily my favorite winery in town. They're super friendly and inviting and make you feel comfortable. We always leave with a ton of wine too because it's so good! read more

Horrific experience. Four of us up from the Bay Area to visit family and swing by to join their wine club. The discounting was a bit confusing but instead of assisting us and helping us understand, this drunk older guy behind the counter told us he didn't need our business and didn't want us in the tasting room...why? because we were speaking too loud to him. Huh? Wasn't worth the energy since he was under the influence of something (as no sane person would have done that). We asked around town and everyone mentioned the same thing about this guy. What a shame; not sure why Matthew Hatcher keeps him around. Unfortunately, the wine IS respectable otherwise we wouldn't have come up from the Bay Area, but please, lose the arrogant a*hole in the tasting room! read more

First off I want to state that we have been customers since 2010 because of the excellent customer service that Sewell has provided to us. Yesterday we tried their new roses. The Zinfandel Rose is to die for!!!!!!! Seriously the best rose I have ever tasted! It's seldom that one of their wines doesn't hit with us and we have spent a small fortune on their Barbera and Grenche Rose. The Viognier is totally awesome as well. Sewell, we thank you for your exceptionally great customer service over the years. read more

First, I want to start off that I have been coming to Murphys for years to go wine tasting; I visit about 5 times a year and I always go to Hatcher and I always buy wine from them. However, my last encounter changed my entire perspective. I was with a group of women, and Sewell either ignored us or was so inappropriately rude that most of the group decided to not taste and wait outside. He actually went so far as to push one of the people in my party out of the way so he could walk past us. He also laughed in my face and refused to serve me because he was mad I wasn't tasting the same wine as the two girls next to me, who WEREN'T WITH MY GROUP. It was too inconvenient for him to serve us different wines I guess. Needless to say I will not be coming back, none of the 9 other women in my group will be coming back, and every single one of us has told everyone we know not to go to Hatcher. Oops.. great way to lose business and long-time customers. Guess they don't care? My advice: if you're with a group of women, avoid at all costs! If you're just with your significant other, you should be fine. Try Newsome Harlow or Vina Moda instead. read more

Hatcher makes some of the best wines in the Sierra Foothills and is definitely one of the top spots in downtown Murphys to visit. The winemaker, Matthew H., seems to have an almost preternatural ability to locate area vineyards that consistently provide top quality fruit, which he then turns into aromatic, rich, and food-friendly wines using a mix of styles and barrel aging in French, American, and Hungarian oak. The Viognier, aged in barrel and allowed to underground secondary (malolactic) fermentation, is excellent, as is the late harvest Viognier ice wine, an absolute pleasure for anyone who enjoys European-style white dessert wines similar to Sauternes, Condrieu, or Tokaji. Hatcher's best reds include Barbera, a Shake Ridge reserve Zinfandel, and an outstanding Calaveras County Tempranillo, usually available in older vintages (currently 2012, 2011, etc.), and there is an extensive list of library wines for purchase as well. In addition, Hatcher wines are competitively priced in the $20-30 range, often 10-25% less per bottle than other wineries in Murphys. They are also available for sale at local restaurants, grocery stores, and wine bars, and the web site includes a long list of other locations in California where Hatcher wines are sold. Wine club discounts and offers are also extremely attractive. The main criticisms of Hatcher on Yelp that account for its relatively low, 3-star median rating have largely to do with the winemaker's brother, Sewell, who is often present in the tasting room, heroically handling large crowds of insistent tasters either on his own or with a small number of assistants. Sewell, who is from San Francisco originally, can be fairly outspoken when it comes to things like his brother's wines and professional sports rivalries, and his brusqueness may rub some visitors the wrong way, especially if you catch him during a bad time. But the Soup Nazi he is not. If you have any experience living in a big city, you'll have no problems adjusting, but if you're a particularly sensitive person, you might want to avoid confrontations and just focus on the extensive list of wines being poured, which on my visits have been very, very good, both in terms of quality and price. Tastings are $8 for 7-8 generous pours, and the fee is waived with one bottle purchased. Check it out when you're in town. It would really be a shame to miss! read more

I thought it was a bit pricey......but when compared to Napa it's not. Their Ice Wine, a Viognier grape was so amazing. Buy it before it's all gone. Hopefully a zillion tourists won't take away this cute town. read more

Out on a fun day in Murphy's and we, decided to visit Hatcher, what a mistake that was. We walk in and they have 2 dogs, 1 tied up and 1 running loose. When we came in with our dogs the dog that was running loose wanted to play with our dogs and it started barking. We told the man behind the bar that it was ok that they were just wanting to play and he said it would be quieter if we left. After reading so many bad reviews about the customer service skills this man is lacking in, I'm shocked he is still employed by Hatcher family or not! This man needs to get out of the tasting room and go work in the vineyard so he doesn't have to interact with anyone Needless to say we didn't taste or buy anything and if I could write a review with no stars I would.. Thank goodness there are so many great wineries in Murphy's that know how to treat customers and they're 4 legged family. read more

This is another great little winery with a killer tasting room. The twice a year release parties for wine club members rock! You get to taste all their wines in a great outdoor setting (including library wines) accompanied by great food. Once you get past Sewell's edges you realize he is a good guy and passionate about their wine... read more

Loved this place! Bf and I stopped by during our weekend stay and the wine was phenomenal! We purchased a few bottles. The attendant was great, he was very knowledgeable about wine and pleasant to interact with. read more

Was there last Monday....which in itself is awesome that they are open on a Monday...the wine was great and the tasting room is so awesome. It's downstairs in a basement with stone/brick walls, beautiful counter, etc. The tasting list was well worth the $8, at 8-10 wines. The wines were all wonderful and unique, we bought several. Sara was fantastic, attending to us and another group with ease and great conversation. Heard the rumors about the owner, he wasn't there and the wine is worth ignoring if he was. Definitely going back. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit today! The wines were great as usual and the host and his trusty sidekick Lola were entertaining and informative. Will definitely visit again next time we are in the area. read more

Decent wines but terrible tasting experience. Sewell was cocky, pretentious and seemingly uninterested in engaging with non-wine club customers. He was actually quite rude, pointedly ignoring us and dismissing our questions. Seriously....who in the wine business can't answer a simple conversational question about what kind of wine they themselves enjoy?? If you can't think of a single wine or a story about it, MAKE SOMETHING UP! We're a polite, fun, and easy-going group and the encounter at Hatcher was disappointing and quite surprising. I doubt you could get away with that behavior for long in Napa, let alone Murphys! There are better wines and much better experiences. I recommend Irish! read more

The guy at the bar is really rude. All other wineries in Murphy's are so nice and accommodating! This guy was a different story. He was so rude to us. We had a group of sober people that liked to talk a lot, he automatically assumed that we were drunk and treated us like dirt. We will not be going back to this winery again.... But we love Murphy's and go here all the time. See to next time.....not! read more

Rude, rude, rude. So unprofessional, we walked out after a couple of minutes. It was actually for the best, we tasted at a couple of places nearby and joined those wine clubs (Vina Moda and Villa Vallecito). Couldn't tell you how Hatcher wines actually tasted but couldn't imagine that great if all the people working there are so miserable. read more

Went here a few weeks ago with about 6 of my girlfriends. Have been there several times before and had great experiences. Wine is very good. However this time was a horrible experience with the man behind the counter. Very rude and flat out disrespectful. Was very inpatient when we wanted to take a picture and told us He wasn't there to make Friends. Well we weren't going to put up with being talked to like that So we left. Getting the door slammed behind us. He then called another tasting room down the block and told them we got kicked out. I will Not be returning there. I feel They will lose alot of business if He continues to serve there. Do They Not understand great customer service improves sales and business? So disappointed. read more

Horrible service. Completely ignored by server. Love Hatcher but would never buy anything at the tasting room. Left before we tasted all the wines. That's $24 I'll never get back. read more

Guy behind counter was a douche bag. I can't even remember what the wine was like because we waited close to 20 minutes before he even acknowledged our party. When two other ladies came in, he told them to leave because they were having "too much fun." Don't come here. There's no shortage of other fine vintners in the area. read more

Sarah was very nice. Casual, not pushy whatsoever. Every wine we tasted was good, and let us taste one additional before we purchased. The port and ice wine are a must try. read more

What a great hide away discovered by a girls birthday trip to Murphy's. We were late in the day, but they made us feel welcome and right at home. We had a great time. Sewell was very charming and even made us laugh with a few of his jokes that he had up his sleeve. The Reds were exceptional and I purchased a case since I'm not sure when I will be back in town. Great Find! read more

I'm divided on how many stars to give this place. Although I enjoyed most wines that were poured, and bought a bottle, we were up looking for a new winery for membership. This place left me feeling weird as although the woman working was friendly and explained a little about the wines being poured, the man was curt and rude. He would pour and walk away. I get that I can read the paper about the wines, but really prefer to have it explained. Also I tried talking to him several times and was completely ignored. Well, so much for this winery being added to our new wine club membership!! read more

Such amazing wine! My favorite in Murphy's! Customer service is great! A sense of humor goes along way for me

My wife and I have visited wineries and wine tasting rooms in most appellations in California & Oregon for the past 25 years. We visited Murphys for wine tasting on a Thursday, to increase the likelihood of discussing the details with local winemakers during our tasting experience. Hatcher is a gem! Sewell Hatcher treated us to an extensive tasting sequence of his wines. He readily shared his wealth of knowledge of his wines, as well as an insightful description of the winemaking practices in Calaveras & Amador Counties. He graciously opened a bottle of 2014 Granache (despite the fact that he was almost sold out) that was absolutely heavenly. We bought several bottles on the spot. We'll definitely be back! read more

Walked in and pushed out. I guess 6 people with money isn't wanted. Not that the place was bad. Never got to try anything. The person behind the bar was rude and more concerned with getting home by 5 not helping till 5. Went to the room two doors down and had a tasting and out the door at 5:02 great experience at Tanner! read more