This is a really cute winery with lots of seating and unique wine. I had the piquette which was sparkling and tart. Loved the bright pink shade as well. Would recommend for a ln afternoon get together with friends! read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Piquette - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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A little urban winery with back and front patios. They offer really unique and well-produced wine. Came for a break between jobs near by and enjoyed two glasses of the Greco Bianco. This was s totally new varietal for me and its so unique with beautiful color. They do offer little snacks but its more of a curation of prepackaged things that they them bring to you to open and enjoy vs a kitchen where they're producing the food themselves. Prices a little steep but I think thats just bay area things.... read more

We used to like this place enough that we were actually members for several years, but definitely not anymore. The biggest reason is how extremely unwelcoming most of the staff are. We regularly felt ignored, talked down to, or just uncomfortable. We also got repeatedly over charged for things and would have to get it fixed. We went back for an event today for the first time in 5 or 6 months, and were reminded of why we stopped all over again. We got 2 glasses and the pours were tiny, and we got over charged TWICE. Even after catching it the first time, they messed it up a 2nd time that we noticed once we saw the emailed receipt. I just can't go back counting on an unpleasant or frustrating experience almost every time at this point. read more

This is a bonded winery operating in a largish warehouse in northwest Berkeley. There are several similar businesses in the area, having in one way or another benefitted or been assisted by D/G's vanguard development. You might wonder why a factory to process grapes would locate in an urban area rather than near the actual farm where the crop grows. Must be a reason as "urban cellars" like this are now in or very near most larger cities around the country. The reason is the tremendous marketing advantage siting a winery where millions of wine buyers already are, rather than hoping some of them will drop by while driving through remote vineyard country. And, as microbreweries discovered longago, you don't have any competition if your product is the only one for sale there. But actually making wine in a place like this isn't always the agenda. Many "urban cellars" outside California don't ferment fresh grapes at all, but are bonded literally as wine "cellars," bringing finished wine in bulk made elsewhere and bottling it on site. A few large oak barrels and tanks create a cozy environment where people seem to feel like partying, and of course the wine is there already. But make no mistake, Donkey/Goat does in fact make its wine on site, the question is why do that here? Because part of its business is to rent the place out for private events. For this, D/G's location seems to make more sense as an excellent venue for private events: weddings, reunions, celebrations of all kinds... funerals? all things considered why not? Nothing new to much of this. Wineries were common in all big east coast cities in the late 1800s, to serve a market suddenly exploded by the wave of newly arrived immigrants from Europe. As a matter of fact, my very first winemaking job was at a century-old facility (since closed), Shapiro's Winery on Rivington St in the lower east side of NYC. Shapiro's claim that it made "wine you can almost cut with a knife" was due to a massive load of sugar blended in prior to bottling. This may be anathema to most wine drinkers but hey, it fit the flavor profile of the local grapes, frankly better suited to make jelly. Now, perhaps some of you out there are wondering, "is this guy for real?" Like, why would he emerge from grad school in enology at UC Davis just when the 1970s wine boom began, only to work somewhere in the bowels of drab and dirty tenement district of lower Manhattan making "manischewitz"? Well for one I was just a kid, figured rightly I could always roll barrels of cab around in Oakville after I got to the advanced age of, say, 30. For two, at that time Manhattan had (has) a draw on me, like a hapless moth in self-destruct mode, drawn to candlelight. Ever-powerful, it would be the energy driving pop culture throughout the 70s, as San Francisco had in the 60s, and I'm the first to admit to being a lemming. And for three, I'm a cityboy, bored easily, given to cheap thrills, street life, loud music and crowds, weird cultural practices, and abhorred things like graffiti (Street art in the 70s by Basquiat et al was the best ever, or worst depending, with every car hurtling down the tracks of the IRT a work of art.) So back to Berkeley and this day's Donkey/Goat winery event titled "UNFILTERED". The raison d'etre of this presentation, and seemingly of the D/G winery itself, is to demonstrate sensory differences, if not advantages, by avoiding contemporary wine industry practices in order to make "natural wine". There are in fact a few dozen additives allowed for use in winemaking by the US Treasury's Alcohol Tobacco Tax/Trade Agency. These are used to assure complete or controlled fermentation followed by rapid clarification and stabilization afterward. All are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) for use in common practice. There's honestly NO issue to be made about toxicity here unless your intention is simply, perhaps for commercial interests, to stir up paranoia about "chemicals in your food!". It bears mentioning that alcohol, the MAJOR component of wine aside from water, is indeed carcinogenic and in many other ways quite dangerous to your health. But of course there's no objection about alcohol in wine, it's "natural". Go figure. read more

Wonderful rustic venue, helpful staff! You're surrounded by huge barrels of wine- this is a working winery, a true hidden gem in Berkeley! read more

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Donkey and goat winery hosts various vineyards and food vendors during their First Fridays event, where several booths are set up with various high quality wines and selection of locally sourced and made foods. The ambiance of this event is incredibly nice, and lots of people come to meet with friends and try some new wines. Though I haven't been to the shop itself, the event is really great and I would highly recommend it read more

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My sister, pup and I came by on a Friday afternoon. It was fairly quiet and we grabbed an outdoor seat in the sun. We got a bottle of the Enza Pinot which was really delicious. The servers allowed us to try two others before we decided on this Pinot (clear winner!). We also grabbed some goat cheese and olives. Serviced Picnic style. It was very chill, enjoyable, quiet and great overall. They also took a photo of my dog for the "do not serve (grapes) wall", which is adorable. Will definitely be back! They have some block parties with food trucks, so going to check that out! read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Donkey and Goat Winery is a fun place! The wines are natural, so be ready for a more rustic pour. They have a big wide open tasting room and a large outdoor patio. Also, they bring in a guest winery. I came specifically to taste the award winning "Stolen Owl", where else can you taste a 96pt, $180 Cab for free! Great location and a great guest pour, you cant beat that! read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stopped by for a few glasses of wine with a friend and was told that we needed to provide my full name and email. I said that I didn't wish to join the mailing list, and the young man behind the bar said that the system required him to enter the info for every order, and that they absolutely will not send me any emails. I didn't believe him, but he seemed honest and we were thirsty. Sure enough, I've now received several marketing emails from D&G within one week's time. I'm sure I can unsubscribe, but totally lame business practice to straight up lie to your customers! Also, the wine was pretty meh. read more

We hosted my husband's birthday party at the Winery last Friday night. I can't say enough what an amazing experience we had celebrating a big milestone with family and friends. From the planning stages to day of coordination the staff at D&G were amazing. The winery staff has a family-like feel and really prioritize making guests and their events a success. Whether it was welcoming our guests, helping decide on table layouts, or managing the flow of the evening, they had it all covered. I would HIGHLY recommend hosting here for a special event. We can't wait to come back soon :) read more

I'm from out of town and found this cute gem. Loved the atmosphere and wine! They had so many natural and interesting wines, plus there were many flights to choose from. The outdoor seating was spacious and they had vendors for food. Definitely recommend if you're staying near Berkeley/Oakland and want a cute wine tasting without driving too far or going to SF. read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Outdoor seating - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

My friend brought me here. She warned me that they had been racist against her black husband before so we walked here without him. DeClan claimed we were too drunk to get a flight each. We were not. We were the only women of color & I had never been here. I have NEVER been anywhere where racism was so egregious. I am friends with many bar tenders. I have seen people be cut off when they are visibly drunk. I have never been in a position to ever be told I'm too drunk. My friend was not too drunk. We were louder than the crowd for 2 seconds because we haven't seen each other in so long (I travel a lot and this is the first time I've seen her since Morocco + India, so we're excited to spend time with one another). We came next door which is much cuter anyways and had Cuban food on Saturdays aka my favorite country I've traveled to. So, I guess they do hate people of color, especially if they have money to spend. read more

Everything is good except the wine prices too high. I paid for $20 for a glass of wine (including tip) and this just made me feel uncomfortable for the location and place ambiance. I think the prices should be reasonable to come this place again. read more

I recently hosted an event at the winery and I am blown away by the attention to detail, care, overall atmosphere that was created. Rachael and Cliff helped to curate a beautiful experience! We stayed in close contact throughout the planning process and they were also flexible when some unforeseen last minute changes needed to be made as well. I cannot wait to visit the winery again and host another gathering! read more

Dog friendly, outdoor benches were welcoming and the server was fantastic! The chardonnay was our favorite and we snagged 2 bottles to go. It was quite lively even though it was a tad cold and sprinkly, and we were able to sit inside with my dog though we started outside on the benches. :) read more

Wine was good, but their cheese was the real star during our visit. Typically I don't love goat cheese, but their gouda and cheddar were absolutely delicious. read more

I've heard great things about Donkey and Goat and was surprised to find myself feeling like it was a 3.5 star experience. I can see why people would rate the space highly, with their spacious patio complete with fire pits, board games, and cornhole. Apart from that, was a little bit disappointed. Don't order a glass-- come with friends and split a bottle or two ($10 corkage fee). I ordered before meeting up with my friends and felt silly when I realized I had spent $12 on a glass while five of them had split a bottle for $28. While I appreciated the bartender letting me try two different reds before picking one, I didn't feel like the wine was good enough to justify the price point on glasses. We ordered cheese, crackers, and prosciutto to go with the wine and were very surprised when we were literally given boxed crackers and packaged cheese and meat, still in their packages. At that point, I wish I could have just brought my own cause it would have been the exact same thing for less, but outside food is not allowed. Really wanted to love this place but probably won't be back. There are too many other great wine and beer tasting rooms in the area and I wasn't satisfied with this experience. read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Tasting menu - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

rachel was exceptional with her customer service. we had an accident with our reservation but she made it work for us and handled it very professionally. i'd be happy to come back again! read more

The staff that pours the tastings is very attentive, entertaining, and a pleasure to engage with. They produce an interesting variety of ones to please any palate. I would come back again. read more

Ya'll don't know how luck you are to have places like Donkey & Goat just waiting for you to visit. I love it here and, not gonna lie, definitely came in 4 times the last time I was visiting. Their Pet Nats are what float my boat, so I definitely go out of my way to get those because they're so dang delicious. I'll miss you, Donkey & Goat. See you in a few months! read more

Excellent wine, flavor profiles are a rare find for us and we love them! Beautiful outdoor patio and lovely indoor tasting room. They are very kind and knowledgeable, we love this spot. read more

Donkey and Goat, located in the heart of Berkeley has some of the best wine samplings I've tasted. When in Wine country(ish, not quiet Napa), do as the winos and play bocce and sample wine! read more

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I love this winery. Their wines are interesting, "funky," and very enjoyable with or without food. I also love this winery because it is a comfortable place to hang out in. Like other West Berkeley wineries, you don't have the polo shirt with a big wallet vibe. This means the people who work here treat everyone kindly and with genuine friendliness. They have a lovely indoor and outdoor space. You will see a couple of gal pals chatting conspiratorially in the corner. You will see a table of youthful people sharing a bottle of wine and playing a strategy game. You will see a family with young kids playing Chutes and Ladders, tasting from a flight between spins. You will see a new couple laughing over bocce ball. It's these kinds of comfortable spaces we need more of--world class wine combined with a welcoming place to enjoy the wine. Yes, they have the traditional winery stand-up tasting counter, but after that first visit, you will be coming back for more. read more

Nice street party on first Fridays. They close off the street, have food tents, and music. read more

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This place is amazing! The sparkling wine is really tasty and the ambiance is lovely. Great for families with littles and ample outdoor seating. Great vibe. A gem! read more

If you're a fan of natural wines then look no further. This place is amazing, great ambience, great place to bring friends, families, kids and pets. They have food pop ups on the weekends. Their first Fridays are simply the best. Great food pop ups with DJ spinning. If you're in town but can't make it up to Napa then this is the place for you. Service is friendly and they're very accommodating. read more

Very cool place. Natural wines (which are quite a thing now) and some wines from grapes you may not have heard of but, as it turns out, there are more than 5 kinds of grapes and you should try as many as you can. The tasting room itself is unique in that there's a counter, an indoor seating area as well as outdoor space. It has the feel of a craft brew tasting room. It's dog friendly (well, they were very friendly with our dog) and a really great vibe that came from a a welcoming staff and a laid back clientele. If you find yourself in Berkeley and want a very cool mini-wine tasting getaway, come on over to 5th Street and hit up Donkey and Goat and Broc Cellars right next door. Lori C and I agreed that we shall return. read more

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Yelpsop's Fables: the biodynamic bears One day in January, on the eve of a heavy winter's rain, two bear cubs arrived at the Donkey and Goat tasting room. They started out with a white blend from the Sierra Foothills, then a skin fermented Pinot Gris from the Anderson Valley before digging into a meaty, berry-rich, seven varietal Rhône red blend called, appropriately enough, "the Bear." These wines were very wild in taste and texture. Wines fit for adventurous creatures like bears. Wild yeasts. Unscientific methods. Random barrel aging. Who really knows what will happen when the bottle is uncorked? "Wow! What colors!! What aromatics!!! We bears appreciate the feral qualities of these wines," said one bear to the other. "I agree!" The reply came from the other table. "Look, it's Minnie Mouse! I follow her on Instagram," said one of the bears. "We don't see many rodents in tasting rooms these days. What's a celebrity mouse like her doing in a place like this?" he wondered. "I'm on a blind date with Oski," Minnie explained. "But he hasn't shown up yet. Ever since Mickey came out, I've really been into bears. And natural wines, if you must know. I went out with Smokey last month, but all he wanted were cult Napa Cabs and Dry Creek Zins. Hello!!! It's 2019! Not the 90s!!! And Paddington? It was all Bordeaux and Barolo all the time. How decidedly English! Boooring. And what's more, he stank in bed. Stank! You think he'd wash that coat once and a while, but no ..." Minnie sighed, rolled her eyes, and laughed at the thought. The bears nodded their cute little heads in agreement. "I once dated this grizzly dude, Kodiak, based on his Tinder profile," the mouse continued. "Big guy, you know, from Alaska. We went to Broc down the street for a tasting and guess what? He tried to EAT their winemaker!! Definitely NOT a fan of Chris' Cab Franc pet nat. Plus, he was all like, 'Semi-carbonic whaaaaaat? And what the hell is Valdiguié, anyway? Isn't that some sort of oil tanker that crashed and spilled its guts all over the place???' What a tool! At least he paid for both tasting fees. But I didn't feel the need to put out. I hooked up with the 'Brockster' instead. Totally worth it!" Minnie took a long swig of old vine Carignan. She burped audibly and munched on some cheese. "We love Donkey and Goat wines," said the two little bears. "Actually, we love donkeys and goats, too, especially in Indian curries and spicy Jamaican jerk sauces." They licked their lips and growled. Minnie looked nervously away. "By the way," the bears continued. "We've heard from some Berkeley friends that Oski is very open minded about biodynamic wines. He is all about organics. And he supposedly loves the orange ones." "Cheers to that," said Minnie. "But with Jared and Tracey, it's not all about the 'orange is the new white' thing. That's just to get good press in Decanter and shout-outs in the NYTimes by Eric Assimov [sic]. They can do traditional varietals well too. The Anderson Valley Pinots here are pretty great. Ditto their Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Who knew?" The bears clinked glasses and smiled. And hoped that Oski would show up for his blind date - soon. Moral: Natural wines aren't always as odd or esoteric as you might think. Sometimes they just taste good. Maybe more acid, maybe less ABV. Maybe a bit of barnyard on the nose and some weediness on the tongue. But tasty stuff. And you don't have to be a bear to love that! read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Inside the tasting room. - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Definately some very different wines. I love how they gave some colorful factoids about the wine, the owners and the property as they poured. My advice is to come on a warm day and enjoy the live music, and sips. read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Unfortunately it was raining, so we weren't able to enjoy the outdoor space. But, ended up having a lovely tasting inside. Started with their featured December flight which included: 2020 Grenache Blanc, 2020 Ramato Pinot Gris, and 2019 The Bear. The pinot gris was refreshing but my favorite was the bear! read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - December flight - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very tasty wines and kid friendly. There's also an outside area with games and a sandbox for the kids to play in. read more

This place was alright. The tastings are $15 and that fee gets waived with a $40 wine purchase. These wines weren't my taste, but I don't mind that. The service here is pretty mediocre. We came during a slow time and it took some time for each poor. They didn't talk to us too much about each wine and we felt like they were just rushing their time with us. read more

Donkey and Goat Winery - Wineries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I needed a gift for my sister and I've always wanted to try this place so I drove out to Berkeley to grab a few bottles. Because of the current times, I stood at the door and a incredibly nice lady came to greet me. I ordered a few different bottles and she let me know to chill them before drinking. The whole transaction was easy and welcoming. My sister and I also really enjoyed the wine and love that they are natural. We would love to visit this place again in the near future read more

Great natural wine, nice relaxed ambiance. Friendly staff. Must try for natural wine lovers and explorers. First Friday events are an extra bonus! read more

I was really disappointed with how I was treated at this establishment. A friend and I went to a first Friday event that included wine tastings and pop up food. We ultimately enjoyed a bottle of wine (which was perfectly fine) but getting to that point was difficult. Other customers were treated with patience and kindness while the person behind the counter talked down to us, rolled her eyes, and made the experience incredibly unpleasant. I asked for a menu to review the wine options and she responded "the list on the wall is what we're pouring tonight so if you don't want that then I don't know what to tell you." The worst of it came when we asked to buy a bottle and she responded that she couldn't let us taste it then stared blankly at us. Incredibly unprofessional and honestly: unkind. I didn't feel welcome and that's a difficult position to be in when you're simply trying to enjoy an evening out. Ultimately the venue itself was cute and I certainly noticed people enjoying themselves. Maybe you have to be a particular kind of person to be welcomed but it seems like a problem management should address. read more

This was such a cute winery in Berkeley to pop into! We had a lovely tasting with a friendly host who knew a lot about the wine. We ended up buying 2 bottles of white. read more

Thanks Sunny for a bright & fun tasting of your interesting natural wines. This winery is in a cool urban space in Berkeley. D&G is committed to fresh, clean, natural wines and they continue experiment with varietals and winemaking techniques to improve quality and purity of their wines. Keep up the good work and good fight for healthy wine! read more

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Thank you to all the folks here that helped make my moms 70th bday a fabulous one! Despite COVID we had an incredible outdoor event, the entire winery to ourselves, delicious wine and of course awesome food (from Rick and Anne's another awesome place). Everyone was kind and helpful and I will always be grateful. The best wine- and a funky but super easy atmosphere. Thank you! read more

My now husband and I hosted our rehearsal dinner at Donkey & Goat winery a couple of weeks ago and I highly recommend them! First, the wines are outstanding and all our guests are still raving about them! We did paella and a DJ and they were able to accommodate everything. Erin is so great, super thorough, friendly and organized! The reservation process was really easy and she was there the day of the event to make sure everything went smoothly. The venue itself is so fun, there is a great outdoor patio with picnic tables, games and a fire pit. We were able to enjoy dinner outside and then dancing inside until the end of the party! I would host other events there anytime! read more

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The D&G tasting room is fun for the whole family, plus a great cheap date option as well. This can't always be said of popular wine country destinations in California like Napa, Paso, Santa Barbara, or Healdsburg. Most bottles vary in price from around $25 to the low $40s, but you can also order by the glass for less, and a $15 tasting fee is waived with $40 purchase. The main reason why the tasting room is so versatile is that, when not the height of the harvest season, the entire back of the facility is open for guests to explore. Wooden tables and bench seating, plus complimentary use books, blankets, and board games (including a huge connect four set) ensure a few hours of escape from the urban environment that surrounds you. Musical performances take place most Sundays, with special First Friday evenings featuring local food vendors and artists. No, it's not an ultimate weekend getaway in Saint Helena, Anderson Valley, or Los Olivos, but it's exciting and rewarding nonetheless. D&G is a Bay Area natural wine specialist with a particular fondness for Rhône varietals and idiosyncratic blends, sourced primarily from organic vineyards in El Dorado County, Anderson Valley, and various other sites in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa. They ferment in wooden vats, concrete eggs, and terra cotta vessels, avoiding stainless steel and plastic in favor of older methods inspired by artisan producers in Europe. This means they don't use modern techniques like pumpovers, extended maceration with heat, cold temperature stabilization, and pH adjustments to balance their finished wines. Their house style is to make lower alcohol, brighter, leaner wines with little to no oak influence and that are suitable for early release, similar to a Beaujolais Nouveau or easy drinking (but well made) Friulian wine. Skin contact for whites and no filtration or fining can produce cloudy or orange hued wines, not unlike a hazy IPA or unpasteurized cider. The exceptions to the rule can be outstanding, however, like the delicious 2014 Fenaughty Vineyard Sierra Foothills Syrah and the elegant 2014 Vare Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are aged for several years in barrel and bottle for release. These ended up being my favorites, and both are worthy of cellaring at home to develop additional nuances, as is the case with the Chardonnays made from Napa Valley and Mendocino Ridge vineyards. I think the D&G style would work well with Loire varietals like Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc, with Gamay, and Austrian grapes like Gruener Veltliner, Zweigelt, and Blaufraenkisch, or lighter Italian reds like Dolcetto, Frappato, Schiava, Schioppettino, or Barbera. These grapes can hard to come by, as they are prized by other trend-setting California winemakers. And the European versions made in comparable styles can be had at Kermit Lynch or a local natural wine bar for less. My sense, based on what I learned from an initial visit, is that D&G isn't out to make a fortune or take the wine world by storm. They want to make soulful, healthy wines and have family fun doing it. More power to them for making the many sacrifices and efforts needed to pursue this mission so successfully! read more

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