crystal basin cellars

I found this place thanks to my best friend that stopped to get a soda but knowing me and looking at the road signs she mentioned to wine tasting and well, we had to. It was busy specially Sunday so yeah but still people managed to help me and get a great experience, I enjoyed the wine and I ended up getting some, I totally recommend this place if you are on your way or back from Lake Tahoe, good wine and great people! Cheers!!

Went here for a CAB and CRAB feed and had a great time. Had never been here before and all of the employees/staff were very nice and accommodating! Tasted some wines first and then went in to the dinner. The food was fantastic and plenty of it! Had a great time! On your birthday they give you your age percentage off on any bottle of wine! I got 52% Hope they do this event again. P.S. Oh and the wine is really good too!!!

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.

We had our holiday party at Crystal Basin and it was wonderful. The location was warm and inviting. The food was fabulous. Would have it there again !

This was our first trip to the El Dorado Wine Region of California. Two months earlier we had been to Napa and Sonoma and eight months before to Temecula. These regions definitely have competition to be wary of.The staff at Crystal Basin Cellars were fantastic, they were very friendly and knowledgeable about their wines. The sampling in the tasting room was great and it got even better in the barrel room. The tasting fee was definitely worth the many samples and it was waived when we purchased our wine.Their Bistro in the adjacent building was a great way to end a late morning and early afternoon of wine tasting. They used locally grown ingredients to produce quality and affordable appetizers and entrees.Their wines are fantastic and we only serve them for special occasions.The funnest winery we've ever been to! Already planning on returning next year.

Crystal Basin Cellars was not on my original list of places to visit, however, because others were closed, we stopped in. The wines were so good that we joined their wine club. And the owners were a hoot! Relaxed casual atmosphere. If you're in El Dorado county doing wine tasting, I highly recommend that you stop in and taste. You won't walk away empty handed.

One of our absolute favorite cellars in the Sierra Foothills with a wide variety of award-winning, gold medal wines from major wine competitions. On my first visit over 3 years ago, I immediately became a member after savoring their luxurious Reserve and Ascendance wines. The reds are just awesome, am partial to the Cab Franc, the Pinot Noir, or the Victorie. You really can't go wrong with anything here, there's something for every taste and every budget. The staff is extremely personable, funny, passionate about their wine, & highly committed to showing everyone a good time. Highly recommend a visit!! Get on their mailing list so you can stop by for special events (barrel tastings, concerts, passport weekends, etc). The Bistro next door has fabulous, upscale, fresh food for picnics or sharable plates after tasting -- fun, casual spot with fine dining at down home prices.The gift shop alone is worth a visit! Lot of fun, funky wine souvenirs, signs, accessories for any occasion. This area is Napa 20 years ago -- no pretentious or bustling crowds and great value for the money. Just good people making great wine for good times.

The staff at Crystal Basin Cellars are very friendly and welcoming. Although this was not our first wine tasting experience, this was the first visit to this tasting room for us. It is conveniently located, has a great selection of wines to taste and they provide generous samples. The wines are of very good quality and the staff are very knowledgeable of the wines provided. This tasting room has an onsite Bistro, which serves very tasty and well-prepared foods. The bistro also offers cheese-wine pairing. This would be an excellent getaway for a weekend afternoon...bring a picnic lunch or purchase lunch at the bistro and pick up a bottle of wine and enjoy! We definitely will be visiting again.

Crystal Basin staff and owners know how to show their guests a good time. Don't miss the opportunity

Crystal Basin Cellars is one of our favorite wineries in the State. We have only been going there for 3 years and are wine club members. The wines have been excellent, with some outstanding red blends. You must taste their wines, as they are often not what you would expect. They have had a Merlot, that was very complex and drank more like a Cab, and a Cab that was very soft yet still had the cab taste. My favorites have been the GSM blends. The tasting room is small, but the service has always been very friendly and helpful. They are proud of their wines (as they should be) and often allow barrel tasting. I have purchased four cases on futures and always wished I had purchased more.Crystal Basin Cellars is a must stop when you are in the Placerville area. Try their Bistro next door for some great food.

We planned on tasting at all 4 of the wineries in this little area. I had so many tastings at Crystal Basin that I didn't want to do more tastings. I'm used to 4 tastes. This place said they had 15 wines. I didn't count how many we actually tasted, but it was a lot. Not only were the tastings abundant, they were yummy!! The alcohol content of these wines is very high for wine (15%). The staff were very nice. They have lots of signs with cute sayings for sale.

Our group of 8 came to Crystal Basin Cellars from the suggestion of 1 of our friends who lives in the area. We purchased a Sweet Jack deal for 6 wine tastings, tour, 1 bottle of wine, and 4 plates at the Bistro next door. Our friend was able to piggy back on our deal since he is a wine club member and there often.The tasting room & wine facility are in an old building with a barn feel with old wood walls. The tasting room is a bit small with space for maybe 15 guests. There is a second tasting bar in the barn but it is only 6' long. You can easily walk around between rooms & outside. There are a few tables & chairs outside, Down the stairs towards the bistro is a large grass area with about 6-8 picnic tables. On this October day is was perfect weather in the upper 70's & full of sunshine. The wines are very good. Everyone's palate is different and we all have our favorite varietals, so I wont judge the wines. I'm not a big fan of oaked Chard, but their unoaked Chard was pretty good, and I'm a Red guy.The tour is average as all we did was go into the barrel room. My only negative was the man who we had in the tasting room & guide. He tried too hard to impress us with his average knowledge, and several times was incorrect. When we were done with the tour & tasting we got some wine, went to the picnic area, got our food from the bistro (see separate review) and enjoyed the food & wine for lunch.I would highly recommend this winery if you are in the area.

If you or friends have wanted to try wine tasting but were afraid of appearing like yokels, you should try Crystal Basin, where being unsophisticated is not only not frowned upon, it's celebrated! Friendly bar staff will take you through your paces on the wine list, which includes some very serviceable reds. They even sell a Redneck wine in its own bag. A thoroughly enjoyable stop if you are looking for some low-brow highfalutin fun, often including live music.

if you choose only one winery in El Dorado County to become a wine club member, this is the place. The wide variety of reds is outstanding. Be sure to go tasting in the barrel room.

Crystal Basin is a gem of a find and a great place to bring your wine drinking or newbie friends. They make a wide variety of red and white wines and with the new sparkling wine our party of 6 was able to find several wines each that were worthy of purchase. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and they offer barrel tasting and discounted future sales. We have attended a couple of events there and they are a blast.