-
El Dorado. Sierra Foothhills wine tour
Recently spend two days tasting Rhone wine, with two nights in Placervile, will add…
David Girard Vineyard
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
5 reviews for David Girard Vineyard
5 reviews in English
-
Review from Adrienne T.
Naples, FL
11/19/2011 8 photos
Such a beautiful place! A smaller vineyard, and not a popular stop, but a definate must see!
Luscious vineyards rolling from hill to hill...just magical!
Delicious flavors, and fabulous staff!
"Rhone" all the way! -
Review from William A.
Healdsburg, CA
1/6/2011
I can't say I shared the same negative experience the other reviewers did; sounds like the winery was overwhelmed and doing the best they could.
I had a phenomenal experience. I am a huge fan of Rhone wines, and their's are excellent. Rhone varietals means not in your face big Zins and cabs, sorry, but more complex, softer wines like grenache, mourvedre. And complex whites like viognier, roussane. And they specialize in whats best in Rhone wines - blends.
The winemaker/GM was one of the most hospitable and personable I met in a long time, David was very friendly and informative, and the hospitality staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and enthusiastic.
A must stop in El Dorado, if you are a Rhone fan, or if you want to venture into newer territory and expand your palate. -
Review from Janel L.
Sacramento, CA
5/15/2010
My girlfriend and I attended the Stargazing in the Vineyard. It was so lovely and romantic! The reason I didnt give this place 5 stars is because of the lack of service. There were about 5 women pouring around 8:30pm. All of them were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. After waiting 25 minutes I was finally approuched by the staff asking if I want 2 for 1 glass of win...huh? I had no clue what she was asking. Being this was the first time I heard of the wine I wanted to sample their selection. Which seem to be a problem because she made it clear to me that you have to buy a bottle or glass. Yet, I saw about 10 other people sampling the wine. Needless to say we got to sample 2 wines which took them about a hour to pour.
Someone needs to let David. -
Review from Eden H.
Placerville, CA
7/11/2010
Although their wines are decent, and the place is pretty enough, I'm only giving them 2 stars because of my experience and how poorly the atmosphere compares to so many other great wineries in the area. And they are seriously dog UNfriendly. I debated between 2 and 3 stars, but since the description for 2 stars is "Meh. I've experienced better." and that summed up my feelings, 2 stars it is.
I'd been meaning to stop by this place for a while, since I'd heard nice things about them, so I stopped by spur-of-the-moment for a quick tasting one Saturday late in the afternoon after I'd been hiking at the river with my dogs. The grounds are pretty, although a bit over-manicured and sterile for my personal taste. They were setting up for a wedding and reception, but I drove on down to the tasting room. Inside the tasting room, there were about 4-6 other people there, plus a couple on the patio, and two women serving. Not real busy. I walked up to the tasting bar and looked eager. I waited. One of the women looked at me, up and down (--I was not dressed as nicely as the other people there and still had river sand on my shoes and looked like I'd been hiking, which I had), and didn't even smile. I politely got the attention of the other one, and began the tasting. I was essentially ignored -- she poured efficiently, but there was no friendly banter, or information about the wine other than what was printed on their tasting menu, and her responses to my questions/comments were terse, at best. The wines were good enough, although the only one that grabbed me was the Coeur Rouge, and I bought a bottle.
I asked the woman if it would be possible for me to let my dogs out of the car, on-leash, anywhere in the vicinity, just so they could stretch their legs before we drove home. I respect that they don't want their nice grounds sullied, and I made it clear I didn't mind going to an out-of-the way or rocky spot, or whatever, and that I would keep my dogs on leash, pick up after them if necessary, and be gone within a few minutes. She said no.
Now, is it fair to penalize a non dog-related business for not being dog friendly? Maybe not. But they just weren't all that friendly in general, at least by local standards. I have had such great experiences at other local wineries, where they actually talk to you, engage you, talk about their wines, etc. And many have asked *me* if I wanted to let my dogs out, once they saw them in my car.
So while I'm sure many people will enjoy this place, and their wines, I doubt I will be going back anytime soon. -
Review from Melissa L.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2008
This was the first winery that my family and I visited on our tour du vin. Although the location was impressive, I was a little surprised that only one person served wine as the staff for such a reputable establishment. The wines were phenomenal and different, which was refreshing. They specialize in wines that are a blend of several wines, noting the percentages. If you make it out there, try the Syrah, it was my favorite.
Specialties
David Girard Vineyards is perfectly situated at 1,300 feet elevation in El Dorado County, not only for the benefits the land can provide to the grapes grown here, but also the history and culture that surround the winery.
The rolling hills of our 85-acre estate vineyards provide unique micro climates for producing exceptional Rhone varietals. Focusing on Syrah, Grenache, Roussanne and Viognier, wine lovers can immediately get a sense of these great vineyards. The wines have an intensity and balance that seem to be special from grapes at our elevation with our soils.
Nearly all the wines we make are estate-grown and small-lot productions, making our tasting room a focus of our winery. At a mere 5,000 case annual production, we also sell grapes to several local wineries, spreading the character of this amazing location. Although the trend in El Dorado County for many vineyard plantings has been to move up in elevation, David Girard decided the Gold Hill region, ripe with mining and win
History
Established in 2005
In 1994 David Girard purchased 85 acres in the Gold Hill area of Placerville, just one mile South of Coloma State Park. In 2005 the tasting room opened for business. The talented Mari Coyle Wells is the winemaker. Ron Mansfield is the Vineyard Manager. Together this team produces premium Rhone style wines in the Sierra Foothills.
Meet the Business Owner: David G.
As a boy growing up on the outskirts of Detroit, David Girard thought more about hockey, snow, and auto plants than vines and grapes. But after working in his father's gas station through high school and college, a stint as an Army enlistee, a Ford manager and accountant, and armed with an MBA from Wayne State University and a law degree from the University of Michigan, a California perspective seemed like a good idea. With wife and daughter Rachel in tow, David moved to Berkeley where he earned his Ph.D. After practicing law briefly, he moved to Europe for a year where he studied and traveled. Upon his return, David accepted a position as a professor at U.C. Santa Barbara in the Graduate School of Education where he taught educational finance and law.
After three years, David returned to Berkeley where his second daughter, Yvette was born. He taught for some six years at U.C. Berkeley before returning to the practice of law, primarily representing schools and colleges.
