We had a magical day with John! Ended up a private tour because no other couples had booked that…read moreday so we had John all to ourselves. He's knowledgeable about wine without being snobby. He is a local and has great stories that made the day fly by. We explored five wineries and each had between 5-15 tastes! Next time you're in Tahoe try this unusual option and you'll be in for a treat.

9-8-15 What a great…read moretime. I've gone tasting before, but the experience was fantastic. John picked us up at about 9 in the morning, and drove us around till 6 that evening. We stopped and and enjoyed 4 different wineries, and lunch ( which was the best food i have had in a while). So many styles of wine that i never knew existed and john's knowledge about each one was "top of the class". Thanks John for going above and beyond!!! Heather Smout

Another fabulous find for us in Jeff Runquist Winery. They attended the Amador Four Fires festival…read more This festival provided insight into some amazing wines and Jeff Runquist is one of them. This winery sources wines from 12 different appellations. This means you have tremendous access to fantastic wine regions across California and wonderful varieties to tempt your taste buds. The tasting room was clean and welcoming and the day we visited it was member pick up day. The wines we tasted were fantastic and we purchased quite a few. Membership is available and several levels to choose from. I would recommend this winery. The festival provided a fantastic opportunity to taste these wines and others as well.

This is my absolute favorite winery in Amador County!…read more Honestly the best spot for red wine tasting‼ It was only $10 for six tastings, and they even offered free snacks that paired perfectly with the wines. Super affordable!! The staff were always so attentive, friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. I loved that they did full service pours. It made the experience feel extra special. I've really been enjoying the 2023 wines lately. There are so many great ones from that year! Many options available here (as of November 2025). ※ My Favorites (as of Nov 2025): * 2023 Pinot Noir - absolutely my top pick. It pairs perfectly with the apricot! * 2022 Sangiovese - amazing with cheese. Even my husband, who normally prefers white wine, really enjoys the reds here.:)

The wine was good. I liked the Viognier, and purchased one for home. Service was excellent. Very…read morefriendly staff. Lovely indoor/outdoor winery. It is on the small side, so I would recommend reservations. I believe they do have one special room they rent for overnight stays too.

Great wines and an even better patio! Such a great spot to hang out. Every one is nice and the…read moreowner is always there. We've been twice now and really enjoyed ourselves. We recommend the charcuterie board as well. We haven't had their normal food (which I believe is only available on weekends) but it looks tasty! Maybe next time.

Great experience. Wines offered were great, customer service was top notch friendly and attentive…read more Two hour cruise from South Lake Tahoe to Emerald Bay. The small boat was a 1953 wooden boat with a lot of character, and seating was limited to 11 passengers so it was a more intimate setting. Highly recommend!

What a fun and scenic tour of South Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay! This was truly the way to show…read morefriends a great time and showcase the south end of beautiful Lake Tahoe. Lexi did an amazing job relaying the history of the boat, describing each wine we tasted and offered a plentiful amount of entertaining stories during our tour. Everyone brings their own Charcuterie or snacks, but are treated to an amazing assortment of wine as you slowly motor out to Emerald Bay and Vikingsholm. The boat, the Golden Rose, is a historic and restored 1953 Chris Craft Venetian Water Taxi. There's a larger story behind this boat, but better left to Lexi to tell you. Very enjoyable time and I would not hesitate to bring more friends back! The wine tasting list regularly changes. I included a photo of the wines we tasted, but your experience and wine list may vary. Enjoy!

Absolutely beautiful outdoor area that is perfect for spring weather! They don't serve food here…read moreso you have to bring your own. It is also dog friendly inside and outside as long as it is leashed. They also have 6 different sparkling wines to select from for $10. You pick 5 but they let us taste the 6th for free.

Cupcake was fun. That was our tasting host's nickname…read more It was Nevada Day weekend and every winery is swamped for three day. But Cupcake was a pouring genius and making everyone welcome. The tasting room and wine shop has a bit of an Italian villa vibe. The huge back lawn was beautiful. We chose to stay inside since outside service was limited that day. The bottle labels and wine names were entertaining in themselves. With an extensive list it was hard to choose a few to try. I started with three of their five sparkling wines. The Almond, the Peach, and the Strawberry. I have an office full of girls that enjoy their sweet bubbles. So they got some that day. For me, I like the reds. Julie Ann Barbera, Sienna Mourvedre, Morgan's Nebbiolo, and Naughty Bawdy. All great, but Naughty you have to try on label and name alone. Plenty of parking in the front.

The major feature of Starfield Vineyards is obviously their vineyards and gardens, but this…read morememorial weekend, their pizzas were a highlight!! My personal favorite was the Artichoke Florentine because the mint pesto is so refreshing for the summer. I also appreciate the low alcohol options, as it allows me to join in the fun despite my alcohol sensitivity. The vineyards and gardens are spectacular as usual; I highly recommend the main lake trail/loop for the shade it offers during the hot summer. The turtle pond is secluded and pleasant, but it's further and lacks shade, so I recommend bringing a parasol.

I took my husband out on the town for his birthday, and Starfield was one of our first stops--what…read morea fabulous choice. The ambiance, the guided experience, and the overall vibe were exactly what I had hoped for. Our waitress was exceptional--knowledgeable, incredibly friendly, and she made us feel right at home. We truly couldn't have started his birthday any better. As for the food, I was a bit bummed that there wasn't a lunch or more robust meal offering. It slightly diminished the overall poshness of the experience, as we would have loved something beyond charcuterie while enjoying the wine. That said, we still had a wonderful time--and even became members--so that says a lot. I do hope they expand their food options in the future. If you're looking for a great atmosphere and delicious wine, I would absolutely recommend checking them out.

This was our third visit, and it just keeps getting better. Tom's wines are consistently…read moreincredible, and the hospitality makes you feel genuinely welcome from the moment you arrive. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the wine and the overall experience. If you're looking for a new winery to try, this is absolutely worth the visit--and even if you're not, it's still worth going out of your way. Highly recommend. We'll definitely be back.

Great wine, beautiful setting and wonderful service. Plein Air has it all! Hidden gem in Amador…read morecounty. I highly recommend checking it out.

Such fun afternoon! We're new members of Helwig's winery club…read more Came by to pick-up our 3 bottle, quarterly order (if you pick-up, rather than have delivery, you can select wine options) and paused b/c of warm welcome from Kaitlin! We immediately felt accepted into a holiday party of unexpected fun! She listened to our 3 holiday gatherings ahead and recommended 5 selections of samplings (free for wine-club members). We discussed each sampling and selected 3 perfect matches! Thank you Kaitlin!

Total gag! What a lovely vineyard! Friends invited us as a party of 8 for a tasting. The vineyard…read moreis absolutely breathtaking with lots of photo op opportunities. We began pretty promptly and Garrett was our Taste Associate who took excellent care of our party and accommodated those who did not like the preselected wines. Garrett provided some education, answered questions, made pairing recommendations, and explained wine care at home. Get the chips. Don't ask any questions, just order the house made chips! The weather was perfect, nice and warm and the tasting room was full of happy patrons. The afternoon felt like one big, chill party in nature's backyard. I've already told friends they must visit. Thank you for the hospitality, Helwig Vineyards team!

Where do I begin? Black Oak Mountain Vinyards is one of my favorite wedding venues to DJ at. They…read morealways do such a great job providing an awesome wedding day for their couples and make everyone feel like royalty. The views are unbelievably beautiful and the options for guests to take pictures are endless. Black Oak Mountain Vinyards is one of the number one wedding venues in Northern California hands-down! Also, the staff is genuinely amazing at making you feel at home and welcome. It truly is their pleasure to serve you. Black Oak Mountain Vinyards definitely deserves a full five star review! There are no negatives about them! - DJ Grant Petersen

There were quite a bit of major things that didn't go as planned. I understand that nothing is…read moregoing to be perfect, but I believe that the things that didn't go as planned were avoidable. For example, Meat bees (we should have had been pre-warned about the bees. We would have opted to have the reception inside had we been made aware). Many guest told us that they couldn't even enjoy the food because their plates were swarmed and they were afraid to sit outside due to the fear of being stung. *Although most of the guest were shuttled from the barn to the home and greatly appreciated, my 90 year old blind grandmother had to walk up the dirt hill to the ceremony after my mom was guaranteed/approved that she would be "golf carted" up to the top of the hill by staff. I was told she was very terrified. *Guest were allowed to wonder around in the backyard before the start of the wedding and a few of them were able to see me through the master bedroom windows. I thought the back of the house would have been sectioned off to prevent me from being seen. *There was a visible trash can next to the table and entrance of the barn where guest walked in. Unfortunately, the trash can will be captured in my pictures. I thought the trash can would not be right next to the entrance. *I spent hundreds of dollars on candles and they were not set out at dinner nor at the walk up/stairs entrance to the wedding ceremony. (Candles were the theme of my wedding). I thought I made that super clear that that was what I wanted. * I bought a ton of plastic silverware to be placed next to the cake for the guests. My sister had to ask a staff member for forks. The staff responded to my sisters question by stating that the guest were told to keep the same fork they had for dinner for the cake, which was unacceptable. *No prior notification of when the house workers/staff would enter the home. There were a few occasions when Shana entered the home without announcing herself and she was in the laundry room standing quietly. She stated that she was doing laundry but when I looked in the washer and dryer, there was no laundry in either machine. This was early in the morning so most of my guests were still in bed and the laundry had been done the night before by Anna. We were uncomfortable and unsure as to why she was just standing in the laundry room. Also, the morning of checkout, someone even took the bedsheets off the bed when I went back to the master bedroom to lay down for a moment. This was approximately 2-3 hours before check out. I was hoping to relax for the last couple of hours before we vacated the premises but was unable to. Ultimately I don't think the quality of service measured up anywhere near the amount of money we spent of this venue that didn't include any decorations. We were aware nothing was included but with the cost alone we expected we'd have more prepared staff. Me and my family which included more than 10 people helped set up night before and day of wedding up until we literally had to walk down the aisle. I thought BOMV staff would be more prepared as they do weddings weekly. Remember no plates, silverware, or napkins for guest. PLEASE TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION. Your wedding is so much more than a pretty view. All photos attached are decor I or my family bought and own. Not one decoration will be provided by venue.