You've probably seen Blade Gin or Rusty Blade Gin around the Bay. These two gins (and more) are…read moreproduced by Old World Spirits which operates out of a garage in an industrial park in Belmont. Don't judge just because it's an industrial park, this place is a tight, efficient operation and makes great use of it's space. It's got a huge copper still that makes everything from gin to rye whiskey to brandies to absinthe. On Friday nights you can get a tour and tasting for $15. Because of California law, spirits cannot be sold at the distillery, except wine/grape based brandies. The Blade gin is a citrusy gin with a lot of complexity but not much strong juniper flavor that turns most people off. The Rusty Blade is the same Blade gin that is aged in barrels which brings out more cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. It's very much a winter spirit in my opinion. The pear eau de vie brandy really packs a punch with a lot of great pear flavor and though I'm not really a fan of eau de vies this one is a great one. Also, make sure you try the walnut liqueur, based on a Croatian family recipe, for something different. Finally, yes, absinthe, real absinthe, is now legal in the US and you can taste La Sorcière here. It's a great traditional absinthe with a lot of anise flavor. The distiller who gave us the tour and the tasting was really nice and knowledgable. It was a great experience and I encourage everyone to visit once.

In order for you to enjoy a tasting here, you need to enjoy straight liquor old school style…read more Seeing that I drink just about the peatiest Scotches out of Islay, this was no issue for me. For some of my friends, not so much :) Tried the following: -Pear Brandy - 2 different Peach Brandies -Blade Gin -2 Absinthe -Framboise liquor -126 Proof Brandy now the last two weren't on the flight list but the owners were such nice guys that they started pulling stuff out of the reserves to entertain us. That is good hospitality. I suggest you patronize them on the service alone and it's nice that they make some solid products to boot. The crowd was much rowdier than I had expected but then I realized that Devil's Canyon event happened at the same time so I'm sure you're getting some of that crowd too. Though I guess it was interesting and good people watching to see what is normally straight, boring Belmont turn into a raucous party.

Was looking for an afternoon cap before heading home and we were walking around downtown Saratoga…read morehoping to find a place that was open before 5 PM and we found Roudon-Smith. Al the owner was there working and happy to serve us! My girlfriend and I shared a tasting, it comes with 7 wines. I believe 2 whites, a rose, and 4 reds. Most of the wines he was serving were vintages and the some of the case pricings he is offering are great deals! I really enjoyed the lighter wines, the Voigner, Chardonnay and the Rose were quite good. I bought a bottle of Chard and Rose, and looking forward to opening them on a warm sunny day. Wish I grabbed two of the Chard but I work close by so I can drop in again.

We wanted to go to wine room walking distance from our dinner in downtown Saratoga…read more This place is small and bare bones with a short bar and some high top tables for two, but what really makes it experience is the owner. I wasn't expecting to be there for more than an hour, but he really walked us through and told stories about every wine on the flight which I enjoyed. (It bugs me when they just dumped wine in your glass and have you read the description on your own) Seven tastings of whites and reds for 10 bucks!! I had read reviews of someone complaining that they were mostly vintages, but first of all the wines arranged from 2013 to 2023, and secondly there wasn't a single wine on the tasting that I didn't enjoy. Even the Chardonnay, which is typically my least favorite type of white wine wasn't too buttery. At $10 a flight I didn't feel compelled to buy out my flight but you can with two bottles which we ended up doing since we enjoyed the flights. The bottles were really affordable ranging from 25 to 35 . I really couldn't decide between the Cabernet franc and the Zinfandel which were both complex yet with an easy finish Overall, a really nice experience to have before having dinner in downtown Saratoga

this place is closed - they should update it here! went over sete for a wine tasting but no success…read more(didn't know it was abandoned until we get there)

If you and your friends and/or family are looking for a wine tasting "experience" that you won't…read moreforget, look no further - Charles Usher Wines is the place! My friends and I had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen and Loren at the 2014 Saratoga Holiday Wine Stroll. We were not familiar with the wines, but were extremely impressed after tasting the wines. I even ended up ordering a case of the "Seven is Heaven" Cabernet Sauvignon for some of the folks in the office for Christmas. Kathleen and Loren had customized labels made for me - rave reviews from all who received a bottle. Yesterday a group of 16 of us had a wine tasting experience of a lifetime. For a group who considers ourselves to be "professional wine tasters", this says a lot. When we first arrived, we were greeted with such a warm reception by both Kathleen and Loren. They made all of us feel as if we were family. As soon as we walked into the tasting room, all the oohs and aahs could be immediately heard. The tasting room and views are absolutely breathtaking - beautiful views of the mountain and vineyards. Loren wow'd us with his extensive knowledge of wines and endless number of "fun facts". Such an educational experience! Kathleen made certain that none of our glasses were empty. Definitely a "bottomless wine tasting". Oh, and let me not forget to mention the food! Endless varietals of cheeses, meats, olives, olive bread, dried fruit, nuts . . . . . Seriously, thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Every wine on the tasting line up was excellent however, my personal favorites were the barbara, the syrah, and of course the "Seven is Heaven" Cab. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this tasting experience. This is a tasting experience that you won't want to miss!!

Just plain great…read more Nice people, exceptionally good wine, very reasonable prices, and they're local to the South Bay.

I really enjoyed this winery. It was unpretentious. They served 3 wines, a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir…read moreand a Cabernet Sauvignon. I enjoyed the Chard and the Cab. But I'm not a pinot noir lover. The wines were reasonably priced. My friends were going to buy the chard but everyone must have liked it... they sold out. People there are extremely friendly. The gardens beautiful even for fall. And for passport weekend they served rosemary bread and a triple cream brie. Even if they didn't have wine, I would come here for bread.

Great little distillery with options to taste, buy a drink, and/or get some food. Nice outdoor…read morepatio to relax.

This place does not exist. At least not at the advertised address. There were apartments and a…read moregarage wine tasting but no distillery.

Best wine ever! I recommend it to all wine lovers. Best wine ever. Wonderful people and great…read morewine maker. Katherine's son*****

There are a lot of wineries in the Santa Cruz mountains. Many are very good. A few are stellar…read more Kathryn Kennedy is is a class of the ultra stellar. I have been a fan of this winery since the early 80s. Some of my most memorable wine experiences include these wines. Marty Mathis, Kathryn's son and owner/winemaker is an artist. Originally known for their Cabernet, make no mistake, any bottle with their name on it will impress and be memorable. Their bubbles in it opinion are as good as it gets. I think one would be hard pressed to classify them as domestic. They are classy. These wines are small production. Seek out these wines. If you ever see an event where you can meet the winemaker, go! In the Santa Cruz mountain appellation there are a few wineries that set the benchmark, these folks are one!

Visiting Naumann Vineyards and meeting the owner, Don Naumann, was such a treat. My friend and I…read morewere visiting from out of town and he made us feel so welcomed! The wine tasting was affordable and the wine was excellent! He kept our glasses full, shared laughs with us, was very personable and knowledgeable about his wines. I told him I like to take pictures and he welcomed the idea. He even got in a few pictures with us. Just make sure when you get to Naumann Vineyards walk to the back of the building. It's a house so don't leave, you're going in the right direction. You'll see some great views of the Cali from this vineyard. I highly recommend everyone visiting Don and tasting his delicious wines at Naumann Vineyards. Tell him Juana sent you.

Great winery that is family run which I appreciate. The views are amazing and the Merlot is to die…read morefor.

Very nice customer service and very good selection of beer and alcohol…read more Nice Excellent

Wonderful amazing customer care and very helpful. Was just there a few days ago and was met with a…read morewelcoming service and you'll find whatever you looking for with liquor