Great place to stop by after hiking at Henry Cowell, Fall Creek, or Loch Lomond. They have picnic tables outside; you can bring picnic gear and buy a bottle. I was most impressed by the port wine $65. They fortify it with spirits from St. Georage. The 2017 Pinot Noir is also very bold, complex, and juicy. The ciders are exceedingly dry. If you want sweeter, go for the pomegranate. On the weekends only, they do slushies; a wine slushy and a cider slushy. read more

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We had planned on staying the night since that's something your winery offered. Everything seemed fine until we were asked several questions about our dogs, who are super friendly. Then we were asked if we would have them off leash. We said no because we don't feel comfortable doing that for our dogs' safety. The moment we said we would be keeping them on leash, we were told, "No, you can't stay here." Before that, it was okay for us to stay, but apparently only if we agreed to unleash our dogs. You can do what you want with your pets, but we don't deserve to be discriminated against because we choose to keep ours safely on a leash. At this point, I will never support your business again, and I will be sure to share our experience with others. The way we were treated was not okay. read more

My sister acquainted me with this winery when she stayed overnight here with her friends in an RV. The place is conveniently located by hiking trails surrounded by redwoods, and the Wild Roots market. I'd suggest stopping by the market to pick up some food to enjoy at this winery. They have a large patio and seating areas, and there's even a small picnic table for little kids. The place is very rustic and not stuffy at all. We came by on a Thursday, and were the only ones there initially, so we got special attention from the owner John (who refers to himself as the wine shepherd). My husband, who prefers Pinots, got to taste several wines that were not on their tasting menu. John opened new bottles just for him. We sat out on their patio and enjoyed our lunch while John came by every so often to pour the next tasting. We ended up buying 4 bottles, not just because of the special treatment, but their wines are actually good. They also have hard cider, but we didn't try any. By afternoon, the place had filled up. It was a very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. read more

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Nice place to hang out after hiking- they do make and offer ciders and wine to try and enjoy quiet nature read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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We stopped in here for a tasting as we were camping on the property. You can book the campsites on HipCamp. I loved the idea of staying on the property of a wine tasting room. The wines offered are mainly red wine (a tasting is $25 a glass is $15). They also offer plenty of cider on tap and you can also do a tasting of those. The wines were good, I'm more of a Chardonnay lover but I was still happy to try their offerings. The service was good, only the host/owner was working but he was able to serve a pretty busy tasting room quickly. There is plenty of parking and a clean restroom. They also do private events. The owners dog is also there and he was super friendly. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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I give this a 3 since I wasn't really welcomed when I arrived. The one gentleman was more concerned about speaking to the other customers that he didn't even acknowledge me until after the woman did. Also, neither of them offered to check on me nor cared that I was leaving. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Choose your own flight - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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Great atmosphere and super friendly. We sat outside and tasted hard cider and a flight of reds. The prices were reasonable and the wines were good. Fun relaxing place to hang out read more

We had booked a night at this facility through Harvest Host. The check in process was easy, with the owner guiding us out to where they allowed the over nights. It was a very pretty tree filled shaded area with plenty of room to spread out. On the particular night we were there, there were about 5 other campers. This site also provides a clean port a potty and hand wash station; many harvest hosts do not do this, as they expect you to be self contained. This was a nice touch. The tasting room was nice & we tasted some wine and cider. As a Harvest Host member, we would stay here again. read more

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This place was adorable. Small, quaint local winery and dog friendly. We were on a drive to Beauregard and I noticed a sign for wine tasting on Felton Empire Rd. I convinced my husband to stop on our way back home and so happy we did, the couple who own it are so kind and a pleasure to chat with. We will definitely be back with friends and our pup in the summer! Not only do they have wine, but ciders too. I brought home a bottle of the Petite Syrah, yum yum. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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Hidden gem off the beaten path in Scotts Valley. They have patio seating area much larger than what you would expect from a small winery. In addition, there is a Garden with walking path to welcome visitors and extra space for food vendors. I imagine during warmer months they can provide live music as well. Shaded patio and seating area with picnic tables overlooking what used to be a vineyard. Come here for a glass of one of their well balanced Pinots and you won't be disappointed. read more

This place is pretty neat. It has a great history and awesome views. The customer service was phenomenal! Definitely try the Zinfandel! Yum! read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Tasting menu - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

Hallcrest gives a very nice tasting experience and the host/wine maker was very knowledgeable of the history or SantaCruz wine region which added a lot to the experience. There were a lot of red wines available to taste and thankfully they had a bottle of port opened for us to try. read more

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Very inviting location in a quiet valley where you can hear the train in the distance at Roaring Camp. The wine is fantastic and ciders are great alternative. The owners, John and Lorraine, are friendly. They even let you bring your own munchies to go with your wines. We have been members for over 10 years after I had a birthday there from a local auction. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

Small and quaint and very friendly. Beautiful deck and view! Very open to letting us try a variety of wines.

Impossible to contact. No phone number and numerous emails got no reply. Wine and cider were Wonderful but the attitude of the whole place was very uncaring. Probably won't go back or recommend even though their products were Awesome! read more

I'll be sure to return whenever we're in the area. The kids had a great time with the jumbo jenga blocks. Fortunately went during harvest and saw the grapes getting processed. The workers happily let the kids get up close and ask questions, sample the grapes, etc. Had the flight. Pinot and chardonnay a little acidic but good, zin was pleasant, a little too sweet to my liking. Bought a bottle of the pinot. Ciders also interesting, tried the pomegranate, was not disappointed. Great way to unwind for a couple hours if you're in the area. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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Nice spot to enjoy some great wines. Looking for a place to relax with a chill atmosphere?? This is a cool spot. I'll swing by each time I'm in the area. read more

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I really loved spending part of my day at Hallcrest!! They have really great wines, a friendly staff, and a beautiful space/seating area. I went on a weekend when they had another event going on at the side of the building so there were a good amount of people there but it wasn't so crowded that I couldn't find a seat. My friends and I each did a tasting and then enjoyed a full pour out on the deck. The only thing missing unfortunately is a view of vines, but one of the owners told us they had recently struggled with diseased plants. I hope the situation resolves and that they are able to start planting again because it is truly a beautiful property! read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Ordered one of the pinot noirs from the tasting flight as a full pour (this was after a few sips!) - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

Great small batch winery. Labels are still applied by hand. Many organic wines, old world style wines made by folks that know how how to make great wine. Usually old world wines aren't this good, thanks Hallcrest for doing it right. read more

While visiting the area I saw that Hallcrest did Cider tastings. I was really interested in doing something other than a wine tasting and they were Dog Friendly so my hubby and I stopped by. It wasn't what I expected. It's in a residential area with a sign on the street so you can find it. There is a small parking lot a short walk from the tasting room. There is one "handicap" spot in front of the tasting room but the sign is concealed and it's a small space next to a fence. It's a tiny place and they don't have food, but you can bring your own. We went on a Monday afternoon and there was no one to be found in the small and rustic tasting room. I stood there for a while before a man in rubber gloves pushed open a door and said he'd be right with me. Waiting...waiting...finally a friendly woman comes to help me. Cider tastings are $10 for 4 tasters. I was told the ciders are not sweet. What?! Okay I'll try, but when I asked for suggestions the woman said she worked in the office and knew nothing about the ciders. I decided on original, pomegranate, tart cherry & black current. Pomegranate was the most palatable, but I wasn't a fan of bitter ciders. Maybe the wines are better, but I didn't try any. There wasn't anyone to help me if I wanted to. The patio wasn't bad but could use some upkeep. The umbrella provided nice shade and it was peaceful to sit and look out over the field. I wish I liked it more because I was looking forward to it. read more

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Loved wine/cider tasting at Hallcrest! It was easy to get to, there was plenty of parking, the wines were good, the service was great, and there was a cute winery cat named Pinot. Overall a really great experience and I look forward to coming back in the future! I was very impressed with the vintages of wine they had as well, plenty of 2013 wines, nothing that I tasted needed to lay down for a few years which can be hard to find in the Santa Cruz mountains. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Pinot the winery cat and the pomegranate cider - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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Went to this cute little winery yesterday and had a nice time. I really liked their Zinfandel. If I were to return I'd order a bottle of that and skip the rest. The staff was really nice and the ambiance was cute. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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This review is about events at Hallcrest Vineyards. There's more bad than should be possible from the location. The vineyards themselves are in a beautiful place in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but the event venue is in the back behind the vats and feels like the farm boneyard. That's OK, but the stage / audience arrangement is horrible for acoustics and especially for viewing. The stage is raised about 6" and is at the uphill side of a slanted paved audience zone, and the seat rows are aligned at a 45 degree angle to the stage, so it's difficult enough to see to begin with, even with a small audience. If you get there early, you have a hard time finding two adjacent seats with a decent view. That's hard to bungle in such a small space, but there it is. But here's the kicker (and the reason that I write this review): As people arrive 30, 40, 50 minutes late, the talkative gate keeper brings in extra chairs, and he puts them right up front, completely blocking the view of people who chose their seats before the show began. Now you see the show, now you don't. Annoying? Very! People intrinsically don't like other people taking cuts, especially when it blocks what they paid to see, and there's nowhere else to sit. It ruins the vibe and distracts far too much from the music. Simple solution: Set up all the chairs correctly before the show begins and let people know what they're getting when they sit down. How hard is that? read more

Went for a hike at Henry Cowell and saw a sign that this vineyard was nearby. My bf and I thought it'd be cool to check it out after our hike. We went for the tasting menu and loved it! The gentleman that gave us the tasting was so kind and really funny with his descriptions of the wine. I was pretty sold after trying some if the wines to buy some bottles hahah (buy some bottles and get the tasting free - like sure, why not!!) read more

Our 2nd wine stop after a failed attempt to go hiking in Davenport. This was a great stop after Beauregard vineyards and on our way home to San Jose! The winery had a cute outdoor patio and everyone we talked to were friendly and passionate about wine! Also, their wines were delicious! They also had an amazing cheese and cracker selection. Maybe I was hungry, but the garlic herb goat cheese and truffle brie went really well with their signature reds. Lotta fun hidden wineries on this side of Santa Cruz mountains to check out, and this was one I really liked! read more

We loved both the wine and the setting! Keep it up, Hallcrest! It was our first time and we're coming back.

We love this place and hope it makes it through the terrible fires. It is truly the most chill, relaxed winery in the area. Great wine and nice friendly people to chat with while sipping excellent wine and cider. read more

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We visited month ago. Beautiful deck setting , where you can have wine tasting. Very knowledgeable older gentleman served us wine. We liked the experience so much, we became members. They make organic wines too. And they make ciders, you can have a cider flight tasting too. read more

What a lovely gem in the Santa Cruz mountains. The owners were lovely and shared time and expertise with those who were there. I loved the dog friendly patio and the lovely wines. We will definitely be back for a visit in the near future. read more

Nice space, good wine. Unfortunately they don't enforce or even bother to encourage responsibility in the pandemic. Over 100 people here enjoying the grounds and love music (no problem with that) but not a single person wearing a mask. Shame read more

Hallcrest such a good winery!! The staff is always very friendly and helpful--Shane has some great recommendations. We have never been disappointed in any of the wines we've tried here! I really like their ciders too because they are drier and not super sweet. Sometimes on the weekend there will be a pop up food stall, but if not you are allowed to bring your own food. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine sampler flight - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

A vineyard that does wine flights...AND cider tastings?! Hold up wait a minute. Came to Hallcrest after a nearby hike in the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, about a 3 minute drive away. Our party of six had a fabulous time here even though this winery is on the smaller side, with a gravel parking lot and a few communal tables on the patio for wine tasting. We spoke with John the owner and the two winetenders for the day--Jane and Reyas (sorry, I definitely misspelled girl!) during our entire tasting. Everybody there was personable and warm, although the small tasting room and large space on the patio makes it harder for the winetenders to do their job and get tastings our efficiently. There were lots of locals that came here in small pairs or as a small group (the party next to us seemed to be celebrating a birthday). I also saw some kids here and there, and a cornhole game to keep the little ones occupied if you have any. I'd advise bringing your own cheese and crackers or just little snacks to munch on. Water is provided in serve-yourself format, and they also had a cute little basket of organic apples that were free for the taking. Vibes are quaint, slow and relaxed, and the view isn't entirely the best...but the small town community is very strong at the winery. Tastings are very affordable at $10 or $15, depending on what options you pick. I loved my entire Pinot Noir tasting and were happy that they had Pommard pinot and sourced their grapes from SLH as well as Santa Cruz Mountains! I also had a sip of some Zin and the ciders and boy the Pomegranate cider and the fresh-squeezed (yet to be named) ciders were my favorite. We also loved that Hallcrest has an entire Organic wine LABEL! LABEL!!?!? Yes, John has a fabulous UC Davis background, and that sort of science just doesn't go away. If you're looking for a winery's first of its kind's delicious California wines, come here. Fabulous personality at Hallcrest with beautiful pinots (I took home the Pommard because I'm obsessed)! With its lack of social media influence and yelp traffic, I can see why this is a local's "hidden secret." I'd advise working on providing free wifi and more information about the history of the winery (which Jane so brilliantly explained) for the public to read. I would love to come back and see how Hallcrest progresses! read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Small but homey tasting room - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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It's hard to beat spending a day wine tasting in the Santa Cruz mountains with close friends and great wine. I love everything about Hallcrest from the relaxed environment and the down to earth staff to the beautiful grounds. They have a diverse selection of wines for any budget and any pallet. My favorite thing about spending a day here is the patio. They have the perfect setup to soak up the sun while enjoying a wine tasting. Best of all, they allow you to bring a picnic, which is the perfect way to enjoy your tasting to the fullest. Hallcrest is one of my favorite getaways in the bay area, a place you are bound to fall in love with. read more

Amazing cute little vineyard and wine/cider tasting. Service, it was okay. I really enjoyed all the human connections they tried to make but I could tell this small mom and pop place wasn't used to handling big groups (we had a group of 6) one girl in particular was really flustered taking our orders and checking IDs. BUT! even though their service wasn't on par and they spent way too much time chatting' it up versus making sure people get what they want (like pay and leave or make an order), the good convos, adjustment of patio, and of course the cider and wine really saved the day. My friend works at a winery and they were nice enough to give her a 20% discount when she bought a bottle of wine. Tasters, a great little deal: 10 bucks for 4 cider's, the fresh brew was the best one, then cherry, then pomegranate. There is a 10 buck wine taster and a 15 pinot taster. Also great. One bathroom! Around the corner. IF it gets super hot, ask them early on to change the position of the umbrellas, it aint worth it having hot cider or wine -- or sunburn. Theres also a cute cat that was just lying around. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Cider flight $10 the first bright orange is fresh brew - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

Very nice setting near the woods. Loved the small production wines versus commercialized big named wineries.

This is an older and possible not one the better known local wineries what brings the awesome. There is tons of off the road in parking along with a dozen or so spots in the semi official lot. Usually the lot doesn't quite fill up but this spot is growing in popularity and you know how it is every once in awhile everybody gets the same idea at the same time. On peak days you'll be pulled off of the gravel over dirt access road. Also note that the while there is a nice road facing sign that lets you know where to turn, it's not the kind of thing you'll see in time if you are driving super fast. When GPS lets you know that you are close slow the heck down. Felton empire road isn't a great spot for u-turns. The walk in and the patio look over a set of fields which when green are quite lovely. The inside area sports some really rustic decor, and the patio searing offers a lot of choices. There are bar stools, picnic tables, patio furniture both old and new and even some counter seating-both inside and out. the inside wall is just covered with awards that the wine has won. While this winery no longer grows it's own grapes -they do have a strong focus on organic product. No artificial ingredients are used. The wine itself is good verging on super fain, but they also have a range of extremely very excellent ciders as well. I don't mean to disparage the wine by any means, but when you come the ciders are very much worth a taste as well. They don't have a kitchen, but there is no limitation on what you want to bring in foodwise. Do note there are no fire pits or any other food prep facilities, so no cooking or re heating on site. So the wine is good, the cider is excellent, the view is pleasing and overall this is some of the most mellow times you can have in Felton. read more

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Great wine. Friendly tasting room staff. Organic choices too for those who might be sensitive to sulfites. Good place to visit and have a glass or two. Beaultiful location. I loved their pinot noirs. There wasn't too many other items that stood out, but the pinot is good and thats what they focus on. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

We stopped here based on the recommendation of a co-worker. After a satisfying hike at Henry Cowell SP, this winery was just a short jaunt. The property is open and pretty. Our party of four tried the Pinot Noir blends and enjoyed them all. We wasted nary a drop! Our tasting room attendant was engaging, full of information, but not pushy. We ended up purchasing a few bottles of wine and drinking a bit of cider out on their patio. Thank you for sharing your wine, clean air & property w us!! Cheers! read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - From the patio - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California

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Hallcrest Vinyards is my favorite wine tasting place in the Santa Cruz Mountains! We came here with a friend visiting from Virginia and we all loved it. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Some of my favorite things: - They offer both wine AND cider. - They have an outdoor patio with a beautiful view. - They offer gluten-free snacks to go with your cheese (if you can't have gluten, like me) - You can make a day trip out of it! The road takes you through a scenic drive through the redwoods. When you leave you can keep going to visit some of the other wine spots or hit the beach cliffs in Davenport! - It's dog friendly so you don't have to leave your pup in the car during day trip through the mountains :) We enjoyed all the wines we tasted, especially the Pinot Noir, and took home a bottle of cider for later. Thanks for the great time! read more

We LOVE their Organic wine works brand. We have drunk so much of their 6 dollar Radical red that is Organic and Sulfite free. They often use the same grapes that they use for their more selective and pricey blends of wine. For the price and quality of the Radical Red, i give this business 5 stars. At new leaf market, we buy 6 bottles at a time to get 10 percent off, and then we use UCSC 5 dollar coupon. So, we get 6 bottles of Great organic and sulfite wine for less than less than 5 dollars each. 2 thumbs up in my book. The tasting room is wonderful. their cat, Pinot, is cool. And it is always a fun spur of the moment stop when driving felton empire road. However, their radical red is more expensive in their tasting room than at Newleaf/staff of life markets.. read more

Hallcrest Vineyards - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Felton, California