Saw the sign for Trojak-Knier Winery while taking a stroll down the street and decided to pop in on a Saturday afternoon. Eric welcomed us in and we sat for a tasting. It's clear from the way he speaks about each of the wines that he is very proud of them and we enjoyed each of them. Our party purchased two bottles after enjoying our tasting. read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Hidden gem. Definitely a must stop while in half moon bay. Small batch varietals-- super tasteful! A small warehouse towards the end of the street on the right side. Eric is the owner and very friendly. The vibe is super chill and the owner is not all up in your business. Easy going and relaxed so he can seem like he is uninterested in you, but I didn't feel that was the case. His wife Lynne was also there as well, super nice and personable. There were two areas to sit, again, small place so heating was max of 12?13? A flight is $10. Many award winning wines. Don't take my word for it. :-) read more

After the vodka experience, we took a walk around the neighborhood, which was very pleasant and leisurely. Saw the sign that directly us to Trojak-Knier tasting. The place is cute and very casual, sat down for our taste of very interesting six different blends of wines. Started off to light from dark. My favorite one was the red blend, mixtures of of Sangiovese, cab, and something else which was very good. Wines were smooth and each had its own distinguishing taste. We tried few with award winning ribbons. The wine maker was very thorough in explaining each wine and ease with the paste of our taste, he was not pleasuring the taster to buy, very easy going. We had a wonderful time, relaxing and trying different taste. read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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This place is a hidden gem and although it's a more casual tasting room environment...garage setting right on the coast, it totally rocks. All of the wines stood out and I especially liked the chardonnay, and the cabernet. I am usually not a zinfandel fan but this one was really good as the wine maker blended it with another varietal to make it more palatable to my taste. The pours are a bit small but when you have five or six good ones to try it probably comes out to be about a glass. He also has pinot noir and chianti which I also liked a lot. I ended up buying a case of wine and got home and wish I had bought more. I will be back for more soon. I am running out of everything I bought. The holidays...Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's are coming up soon and these wines will go with everything I am doing. read more

What a sweet gem. Eric the proprietor is the kindest. He has some very special wines. I normally only drink Italian and French wines. Happened to find out that Antinori is the backing behind these wine. I was more shocked when I picked up the the Chardonnay. Why? I never drink Chardonnay. And this baby had the right touch of minerals for me. Give me a Chabalis, Sancerre - absolutely. I will absolutely be back at his winery. A tasting is discounted if you buy a bottle of wine, so nice to have local pricing. read more

Wine tasting, in Princeton? Why, yes there is! Princeton is a small industrial area that sits between the HMB airport & the harbor. There are a few stores sprinkled in among the warehouses, one of them being Trojak-Knier Winery. It's a funky warehouse with some interesting decor like a large canoe, mismatched chairs, a pair of old boots, a stereo from the 80's, & an old school wine bottle labeling machine. If the rolling door is open, most likely you can come in for a tasting. I first tried their wine at the now defunct wine bar at the Harbor Village Shops. I was totally blown away by their pinot & knew I had to have it again. Luckily the winery was open on Saturday (we called ahead to be sure) so we stopped in to try a few of their wines. Jim Knier was pouring that day. He's a funny guy, in a very dry sort of way. He reminded me a lot of the comedian Norm MacDonald. He's not overly talkative but tells you everything you need to know about his wines. That day he was only pouring 3 wines: the 2010 Chardonnay, 2010 Pinot Noir, & 2010 Sangiovese. The Chardonnay & Pinot were my favorites & I was surprised how much I also liked their Sangiovese. All of them were excellent. I felt like I could sit in that mismatched chair sipping wine all day! The prices aren't cheap, $35-$50 per bottle, so these are more special occasion wines in my book. Still not one group left without buying at least one bottle if not more. Family friendly, dog friendly local spot to get some amazing wine. read more

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I'm feeling compelled to write yet another 5-star update for TK because they're just that good. We came by yesterday for a Founders' Club party, the point of which was to go back through their library and see just how well their wines have held up over the years. The quality of TK wines cannot be denied when they're 10+ years old and still taste amazing. I'm not a red wine drinker, but I absolutely love the reds here. They're smooth as all hell and so well-balanced; finding comparable quality wines anywhere else would be a big freaking challenge (and one that I'm not motivated to undertake...why would I when the good stuff is right here??). And as I have crowed loudly and repeatedly before, the TK Chardonnay is just incredible. I don't know what it is that Jim & Eric are doing differently, but whatever it is, I hope they keep doing it for years to come. You can now order directly from them via their website (www.trojakknier.com), or call for a tasting appointment. Also, you can find their wines at the HMB Wine & Cheese Shop, Longboard Liquors, Cafe Gibraltar, Creola Bistro (in Belmont), and one other restaurant I can't quite recall. I can't recommend TK enough. Wonderful wines made by wonderful people! read more

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Eric (I think that is the owner) was pouring. Good source of info. He makes the wine. Great stop. Appreciated learning more about wine and the process. The wine was very good but a tad on the expensive side. Appreciated that lack of pushing to become a member and the genuine kindness he extended. read more

My friend and I gladly stumbled upon this place while looking for a place to drink beer oddly enough. The signs directed us down a street and it ended up being a longer walk than expected although we were greeted with a open event going on that day with a FREE wine tasting! AMAZING. We were pleased and they even had some BBQ, beer, and brownies for us. Since I had already eaten, I only had some brownies and water after the wine tasting. The wine tasting is extremely casual here and no non sense, we were served most of the wines but it got harder towards the end to taste more as it the tasting table setup got more busy. Although we were able to taste the library wine which is NOT for SALE. The price on that must be ridiculous. All the wines had a higher price range but actually tasted good to me. Mostly reds, red blends, and the like. I would recommend it although the normal tasting cost maybe high for some. They are a very small winery with limited production and capacity. read more

Wow! We had an amazing Saturday afternoon here! Amazing wines, a down-to-earth, casual setting, a friendly wine maker, and lovely fellow wine tasters. We enjoyed the tasting here and enjoyed most of the 6 wines that were part of the tasting. Our favorites were the Chardonnay (incredible! We bought 4 bottles, and I'm now wishing we bought more), and the Sangiovese (excellent)! The Cab was also quite good. The winemaker who was pouring (James Knier) was knowledgeable, friendly, and a bit quirky. We ended up chatting with quite a few of the other customers - everyone visiting was really down to earth, friendly, and easy to talk to. Overall, a great spot! read more

I am delighted to have met Jim and Eric a few years back. The first time I went to TK was to help out with a bottling and fell in love with the boys and their wine. They are so fun & friendly! It's clear that they are having a great time making these fantastic wines. I since had the opportunity to do a pouring for them at a private event and was not surprised when guests kept coming back to our table asking for more! I consistently heard "this wine is amazing!" "I have to come for a tasting, where in Half Moon Bay are you located?" 'This is by far the best wine being poured today" There's a remarkable consistency in their wines which makes it hard to have a favorite. All their wines are wonderful so be prepared to take home a bottle of each or just do yourself a favor and get a case. To all my friends that know me and know I love wine please check out TK at http://www.trojakknier.com/wines.html It's a small production operation (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon & Sangiovese) out of Princeton just outside of Half Moon Bay in a tiny warehouse so please call ahead to make an appointment. Santé read more

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Easily one of the weirdest tasting experiences I've ever had. We were intrigued by the chalkboard signage directing us from the sidewalk around the corner and decided to give it a chance and walk our dog over. My fiancé and I shared a tasting -- six wines, one white and the rest were some reds. The fee is waived if you purchase a bottle but the prices seemed too high for what we tasted (lowest bottle was a $40 chardonnay, highest at the time of our visit was $68). Overall I thought the wine was interesting, unfiltered unprocessed mostly Napa varietals, but the gentleman who conducted our tasting seemed quite aloof and uninterested in our patronage and our interactions were painfully awkward and unengaging. Like others have stated several long silent breaks between tastings and little to no information on the wines/processes without a lot of extra elbow grease to get the guy talking to us in any way shape or form. read more

This is a charming wine tasting room Interesting that they crush and make all the wine in their small space. The wine is pretty good. You can definitely miss this place as its nestled in a residential area. Makes for a nice quick taste. Sasha the dog was a highlight for sure. read more

We landed at the Trojak-Knier winery by mistake when we got off at the wrong hiking trail, however it was the best mistake - we were warmly greeted, especially with our puppy & baby in tow. The hosts were wonderful, there was plenty of wine to taste, so much that we ended up taking home 3 bottles on the spot! Save some time driving to Napa and make a visit here! read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - three bottles of wine - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Delicious wine and friendly environment! $10 fee waived upon buying a bottle! Small town feel but very good wine. read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Very cool atmosphere. Unlike any wine tasting we have done before. You sit around a big table like friends. Each wine was fantastic, Zin was our favorite. read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

A completely unexpected, low-key little winery behind the airport and right off the beach -- with unexpectedly excellent wine even by Napa Valley standards, much less what you might see in a little sea-side town. Don't expect the commercial tourist experience. There were no wine stoppers, placemats, books, gag gifts, chocolate wine sauce, themed picnic baskets, or anything else for sale. In fact, there was nothing for sale, except the bottles of wine. It's in one of those weird run down industrial zones you often see behind small town airports, you know, 50+ year old rusted out cars and tractors with thick trees gorwing out of them parked in front yards of aluminum sided buildings where people seem to be living, Only, this one is a block off the ocean, and a famous stretch of ocean at that, this is where Mavericks happens. After all that, you think you're lucky to get wine that won't give you a bad stomach ache. You look at their price list, $35-60 per bottle, tighten the flight muscles, you think you're in crazy town... ...until you taste the wine and actually speak with the tasting room attendants / proprietors. This is some serious, micro-quantity, good wine. The owners/winemakers are thoroughly connected, and know everybody in Napa Valley, they've just chosen to live the ocean lifestyle. One thing about Princeton Beach, it has a year-round cellar temperature, it never gets much below 50 or above 65, so aging the wine barrels in a run down small town airport industrial warehouse is not a problem. The wines are all French style, lowish alcohol content (13-14%) from an impossible-to-get Napa vineyard run by 26th(?) generation Italian winegrowers, yes, that's 600 years. No fruit bombs here. The Chardonnay is rather epic, and the pinot. too. Most of the wines are field blends. I dunno, it's just really serious wine, but also seriously tasty. It's like finding an opera singer in the prairie. Tasting is $10, kind of high but it's very good low quantity wine. Tasting fee is discounted off the bottle price, per convention. Highly recommended as an unexpected detour off Half Moon Bay. read more

Nice winery, personable and cool setup! $10 tasting per person for 5 wine tastings. Nice guy working, Eric. Great table of people to talk to. Nice location! read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Nice winery! Cool setup, very personable. Good wine! - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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I will echo the other reviewers in their review of TK Winery - descriptors like, "treat", "diamond in the rough", "magical" etc. doesn't do this place justice. Having lived on the coast for years, I've seen their signs before on my way to Maverick's to walk the dog - but, I never had the opportunity to stop. Yesterday was a day where we had the dog and on a whim decided to drive by. So glad we did! This winery is everything that I (personally) like in a winery. Talkative pourers (in this case the actual owner/winemakers Jim and Eric), friendly/inviting atmosphere and obviously - amazing wine. Eric is a great storyteller - energetically sharing the history and obvious passion he and Jim share for their art. One of the other reviewers said they have a no dogs allowed policy - I think they may have been mistaken or maybe we just caught them on a good day. I've got a 100# fur baby (granted he is well behaved) and Jim had no problem with him in the tasting area and even had a cookie for him. The true star of this operation is the wine though. Every pour was amazing - no need to spit here, it was all about the swallowing. We were fortunate enough to be able to taste a Zin that had just been bottled that morning - so damn good! When you go ask them about the operation and the process they go through - they don't buy their juice some place else - they crush it on site (in the driveway), how cool is that? So, next time you're on your way to check out Maverick's or take a stroll on the beach - look these guys up, you'll be so happy you did... read more

This was a wonderful little surprise. My friends and I were on a bike ride along the path near the ocean, it was a gorgeous day and we came across this garage that said 'Trojak Knier' above it. We decided to stop there on our way back, which we did, and honestly didn't expect much. Well I was so pleasantly surprised. We loved the Chardonnay, the Sangiovese, and the Pino. We bought a case of several of each. The wines are balanced, well developed, and yet they don't demand all one's attention. They join the conversation rather than take over. A very gracious variety, indeed. We'll be back. read more

We came here on a surprisingly blustery day over Memorial Day weekend. It was within walking distance from our hotel, and we didn't feel like fighting holiday weekend traffic to head into downtown HMB, so we decided to check it out. The tasting room itself is not the most appealing - it's essentially in a converted garage, and everyone is gathered on a bunch of mismatched chairs and stools around an old dining table. There are a bunch of wine barrels in one corner of the garage, a random canoe hanging overhead, and then a bunch of junk everywhere else. The gentleman running the tasting was very friendly (I believe he was the Knier of Trojak-Knier) - he asked where everyone was from, talked to us about the wines, and seemed generally pleasant and engaging. The wines were all fine - we didn't end up buying any, but for a $10 tasting, they were generous pours! read more

The place is in a storage like industrial business place so don't expect a garden or store. I wish it was just a little bit fixed up but when you hear the story of how they started you would be happy for their journey. I like the Cabernet. I'm not much into reds but that was good. They have a new one coming out in June. I would have gave 5 stars but at times the person serving the wine was a bit forgetful and lost. I had to repeat myself twice and hint if not completely tell him. We did buy 4 wine bottles so clearly the wine is good and his dog is super sweet read more

Trojak-Knier Winery - Wineries Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Wines are good , but way over priced compared to what you'd get in Napa with same grapes from same region. Location is pretty mediocre. Obnoxious customer service. Pours are meaningless. Avoid read more

Awesome wines. We were visiting the redwood forest and in our way back to SF and found this place. Great wines and we walked out with a Sangiovese and a Pinot Noir! read more

Wine was great, owner was great, owner's dog was welcoming as well! Quaint spot for tasting some great wines. Give it a try!

Saw the sign on the highway and stopped in for what was a 6-flight tasting -- well, 7-flight if you count the limoncello they tossed in. Yum. Great wine; great limoncello; great conversation (they know their stuff...); and a great black lab (accompanying another customer) to warm the visit even more. I highly recommend a visit when you are on the coast... read more

For a long time I was curious about the highway signs indicating a winery existing in the Princeton harbor. I am now kicking myself for not exploring this gem of a winery sooner. Trojak-Knier Winery truly is some of the finest wine available. They meticulously and carefully choose the finest grapes available and have a simplistic natural approach to the process that results in wine that is nothing short of extraordinary. Their 2010 Pinot took a gold in the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition and pretty much every wine they make is (in my opinion) unique and masterfully done. I really can't say enough about this place so please take my word for it that it is well worth your time to check them out. read more

Trojak-Knier Winery is a Wine Making Business with the commitment to the Art. These guys are a hoot...I traded Jim Knier a few crabs for bottle of wine a while back and went to his Marine Warehouse area location in Princeton...Break you mouth good...wow...smacking my lips just thinking about the Cabernet...Extreme care and knowledge....great location ...walk on the beach, etc... Eric Trojak is usually there too...to discuss and sample/ or tour... his small yet proud operation. I've never met a nicer wine poorer or story teller...good place to ride a bike. see information below for recent awards...Or go to his website...for more... On June 15, 16, and 17, the 2012 San Francisco International Wine Competition was held at the distinguished Nikko Hotel in downtown San Francisco. A total of 4556 wines participated and entries were submitted by 1300 wineries from 29 countries and 26 states. The Competition, the largest, most influential international wine competition in America, is judged by a prestigious panel of nationally recognized wine experts. Judging is based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the nation's most respected wine competition. Trojak Knier Winery entered the 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and received a Double Gold Medal which means that all of the judges on the tasting panel gave the wine a Gold Medal! Great Wine ....in the rustic harbor area...count me in! read more

Love this place! Jim (one of the owners) seems to be there everyday working hard on the wine when I drive by. Great wine, and an awesome environment. Check them out next time you're on the coast. The closest winery to Mavericks Beach! read more

We stood at the entrance for 30 minutes and whoever owns this place just ignored us without even saying hi. Probably not used to seeing Asians in this part of the town. read more

Great wines, great people. And it's in a garage. What could be better? Go here. read more

The guy was unprofessional and despondent, as if he didn't care we were there. Asked to skip the Chardonnay for the Pinot noir, didn't allow it, then when we got to the Pinot he was out and wouldn't open a new bottle. We asked for our money back. Won't be going back. read more

Good wine, but not customer friendly. We had to ask what wines we were tasting for 3 of the 4 times. He didn't tell us anything about them and was very short with answers when we tried to make conversation. Luckily there was a great couple also tasting there so we could at least talk to them. One friend bought 2 of us bottles of wine and he still charged the 2 for tasting. I guess you have to do separate transactions for each bottle to get the tasting free?? It wasn't even worth arguing with him since at that point I was happy to be leaving. read more

Very small and a bit hidden in Half Moon Bay - If you're heading out towards Pillar Point (aka where Mavericks occurs), you'll be in the area and might see the small sign guiding you in. But the wine is great - even my wine snob bf who dislikes almost all chardonnays had to plunk down some money for one of the chardonnays here. And it's been chilling in our fridge for a while - waiting for the special occasion when he can share it with his other wine expert friends. The owner is very sweet and when we went it was raining out, so we were the only people there. Almost felt like we had pulled up into someone's personal garage and they were treating us to some amazing wines. Definitely does not have the commercialized feel many wineries in California have. read more

Award winning wine (Cabernet, Pinot), worth the taste, worth the conversation and nice interesting wine host, the owner, Jim. Dog friendly and Children friendly. read more

It's hard to explain the magic that happens at this winery. I have traveled near and far just to find that perfect wine, and I always come back to my own backyard here in Half Moon Bay to Trojak-Knier Winery! It's the only winery in Half Moon Bay that actually MAKES the wine locally. Maybe it's the salt air? Maybe it's the fog? I think it's the love that Jim and Eric put into every hand crafted bottle of wine! YOU MUST VISIT! read more

Very unfriendly atmosphere. The owner did not invite us to sit and try the wine. Instead he acted very cold when we pet his dog that came up and greeted us first. We stood there for an awkward minute staring at each other then left. Will never go back. read more

Phenomenal local winery. Though it doesn't have the grand estate or picturesque views of napa, this storage garage puts out what is in my opinion he lost delicious wine in the Bay Area! The owners are so welcoming and personable and you can tell they really love what they do. The wine is not cheap but the consistency and quality is always there! read more

We showed up at 3:30 on a Sunday with our dog, looking to do a little tasting. The tasting room is a table in a garage and about 10 people were sitting in chairs around the table while the owner poured. A friendly looking German Sheppard was in the garage. We asked if we could bring our dog in. Nobody acknowledged us. After a couple moments the proprietor looked up and grumbled "enter." So we did. The dog ran over and dropped his ball at our feet, looking up at me, so I tossed it. The owner said "don't throw his ball." One of the tasters turned and looked at us "He has arthritis." I apologized. The owner then went back to ignoring us. After a few minutes, the owner asked us to step out so our dog would be outside since his dog gets territorial. We stood there awkwardly at the edge of the driveway for about 5 minutes. The owner took out a couple glasses but there was no room at the table and nobody looked our way. Eventually, a car pulled out and two guys walked out. The owner said "Hey there! Two for tasting?" And walked past us to get some glasses out. We stood there a little longer then finally left. It was weird. read more

Stopped in for a quick tasting on the way to see the big waves. We tasted several wines while talking to the owners. The tasting table is open air inside an unassuming roll up door in the industrial park. We had a great time tasting and talking. The guys are very friendly and knowledgeable, and it was a pleasure spending some time with them. It was like sitting in the driveway with neighbors. read more