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Murphys
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
9 reviews for Murphys
9 reviews in English
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Review from Heather K.
Half Moon Bay, CA
1/2/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Murphys has been the Special Place for me and my husband since the first time he took me three years ago. We come back as often as we can afford to (and as often as our livers will allow). Clarification for those who are confused -- Murphys is an actual TOWN, not a winery like the business listing suggests. I've submitted an edit request to the Powers that Be and hopefully it will be fixed.
This place kicks the shit out of Napa. A thousand times more friendly and less pretentious for starters. And you know how the average tasting fee in Napa is between $10-25? Here the highest one we've ever seen is $5. Some are $3. Most are free. I will gladly pay $5 to taste a flight of delicious wines in a fun and friendly setting.
The best part is that if you plan right, your driving will be little to none. We always stay at the Victoria Inn right on Main Street -- so all we have to do is park the car once and the rest of the weekend is on foot, walking from one tasting room to the next. My favorites on the "strip" are Lavender Ridge, Frog's Tooth, and the incredible Domaine Becquet. Nowadays we usually stick to the same few favorites and bounce amongst them, but there's always something new to explore since tasting rooms come and go.
It's not all wine tasting either. There are a ton of little shops and boutiques to peruse (I have to warn you, stay away from the antique shops after 4 hours of wine tasting, or else you may end up purchasing a gold-plated sink that you have nowhere to put....not that I would know ANYTHING about that). And the food is great! You have to try V Restaurant at least once. Also be sure to check out Alchemy and Grounds -- Alchemy is great for lunch & dinner, and Grounds is nice for breakfast and lunch.
Although we usually only spend weekends here, I do recommend trying to add a little extra time on to your stay if you can. Besides needing several days to try enough different wineries, the surrounding area has a lot to offer as well, including hiking, cave tours, and even zip-lines. We haven't tried the zip-lines yet, but the caves are fun!Listed in: Recession? What recession??
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Review from Charlie O.
Modesto, CA
7/24/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I have been to Murphy's so many times I can't even begin to count them. Murphys is one of those towns that if you don't like the stores then leave and come back in a month and there will be new ones for you to browse through.
There are over 20 wine tasting rooms along with many places to eat. Food??? There is anything and everything you can think of to eat in this little town of fun and laughter. They have a great city park with a nice stream running through it for you to dangle your feet in on a hot day in July or August.
V is probably one of the best restaurants in Murphys. If you want good fried chicken then I would suggest the Murphys hotel.
There are curio shops, knick knack shops, clothing shops, dog friendly shops, dog friendly restaurants and most of the wine tasting rooms are dog friendly and some are not.
There are several places for you to stay overnight, or as many nights/days as you want and the prices are as reasonable as anywhere else and there are also some vacation homes for rent.
All in all Murphys is in my humble opinion the best place in Ca. to spend a day, week or even a month. But best be warned, if you're just going to go wine tasting better plan on a two day event because you will not be able to visit all the tasting rooms in one day. And don't forget there are some great wineries outside of town also. Stop in a tasting room and get a map it comes in handy.
I like to lovingly call this my town. Great job Murphys, keep it up.
5 thumbs upListed in: My Favorite Places
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Review from David P.
Oakdale, CA
8/22/2011
My favorite local hill town that houses numerous great tasting rooms and good restaurants and of course the people are super nice.
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Review from Karen G.
9/3/2008
Murphys is the best! Of course I'm biased, but even if I wasn't from the area, I would still give a 5 star rating. Some of my readers have asked "Where is Murphys?" Allow me: Murphys is located on Highway 4 in Calaveras County. It is in between Angels Camp and Arnold. If you've never been there, you should definitely visit. It makes a nice day trip or weekend excursion depending on where you are traveling from.
Murphys has often been called the "Carmel of the Sierras". There are so many cute little shops, boutiques and restaurants to visit. The town has really grown and stepped it up since the Kautz family built Ironstone Vineyards. The Drammer family built many of the newer buildings including the now named Victoria Inn. It used to be called the Redbud Inn and I used to work there. Such a fun job but that is a story for another time.
Here is my Top 10 list (in no particular order) of some of my fave places to visit when I go back home:
1. V Restaurant: one of the best restaurants in Murphys. It is really small and service is rather slow so be prepared. Reservations are definitely needed.
2. Grounds: fun place, yummy food. I love their fresh fish specials. Delish.
3. Nelson's Candy Kitchen: quaint, old-fashioned candy shop. They make their own fudge. My fave is the peppermint bark during the holiday season. TDF!
4. Kristine's: cute boutique with some pretty cool clothing brands. Can you say Michael Stars? Love their T's! So soft.
5. Aria: yummy bakery with fresh baked goods.
6. Alchemy: Love the market and deli. They have a nice selection of specialty foods and wines. The restaurant is good too.
7. Sierra Hills Market: OK, I know it's a grocery store, but they have a really nice selection of local wines, butcher counter and fresh produce.
8. Il Rifugio: Italian deli and shop. They make some really great homemade ravioli.
9. Murphys Park: totally small and cute park behind Main Street with a little creek running through the grounds.
10. Tasting Rooms: There are so many great tasting rooms located all along Main Street. Some of my faves include Twisted Oak, Frog's Tooth and Hatcher. -
Review from Jonathan D.
Berkeley, CA
5/16/2008
I can't believe Murphy's is not already in Yelp as a destination. Perhaps I am breaking some unwritten rule regarding reviewing non-business entities? Oh well. I just had to review Murphy's because I believe people would enjoy it. It is different, but fun.
There are so many weekend getaways that one can take from the SF Bay Area and I had never heard of Murphy's until a friend of mine started talking about buying some land there.
Named "One of the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Frommers, Murphy's is a very interesting mix of wild west and the finer things in life. We spent a day just walking around town where we found great antique shops (if you go in for antiques), great food, a little boutique shopping and lots of wine tasting rooms. We spent another day in the surrounding areas and absolutely fell in love with Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Getting there is a long haul, but once you are there you will have a wonderful time. When you get there, definitely eat at Firewood and Grounds and check out Aria for coffee and a pastry. We went to the Murphy's Historic Hotel for dinner and while it was fun to go inside and look around the old hotel, I couldn't recommend dinner there. -
Review from Jim W H.
Sonora, CA
5/16/2008 2 photos
Murphy's and Calaveras County are great places to visit, I love also Amador County and to the South is Tuolumne County (Sonora) Great places to visit, great places to live. The Mother Lode is a great place for Winerys.
The following is a visual tour on Murphys
http://www.flickr.com/... -
Review from Heather C.
Angels Camp, CA
2/11/2010
I [HEART] Murphys:
Great restaurants, an adorable park right off main street, wine tasting rooms everywhere you look, fun shops, neat events from the small-scale (farmers markets, park concerts), to the small town (Irish Days Festival, Grape Stomp), to the big time (Great concerts at Ironstone, who knew?).
This place is the perfect mix of historical, fresh, down-home, sophisticated... sigh. -
Review from Linda B.
Sonora, CA
10/10/2010
What's not to love about Murphy's! The wine tasting is wonderful! So many choices. Great shops and restaurants. Just the cutest little town with lots of activities! I would only hesitate in writing a review to keep this gem to myself, but I think the secret is out! Don't miss this place!
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Review from Juanita M.
Mountain View, CA
12/12/2010
Murphys! Love it. We first discovered Murphys when we were staying with a friend in Twain Harte. She new we loved wine, so she took us up Hwy 4 to this little mountain town....Murphys! Since then, when we're in Twain Harte, we make it appoint to spend a day in Murphys. They have some great restaurants, somewhere in the range of 22 wine tasting rooms, a park off the main road that's great for picnics, and some gift shops. It's a great place to stop off if you're in the area for a bite to eat or just to get out and stretch your legs. There is something for everyone there, you won't be disappointed.
