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30 reviews for Zucca Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room
30 reviews in English
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Review from Orange H.
Oakland, CA
8/29/2011
Ok so was in Murphys this weekend. The best wine I've ever tasted was at Zucca. The best red wines ever. There were so many of them that I can't remember the names. Except one it was a sangeovese risotto, i think that's the way it's spelled, anyway it was awesome. The person said that if you chill it, it is even better. So bought a bottle of it and tried it when I got home. WOW what a taste buster. Gotta have some more of that.
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Review from Dave G.
Concord, CA
11/13/2011
uck, seriously people.
Even after a full day of tasting around town. We just couldn't share in the enthusiasm for their wine. Nearly every varietal just tasted like ethanol with little character and flavor.
I guess to each their own but like Armida in Dry Creek - we had to dare each other to try the next varietal. Same thing here, I would have walked before we finished if not for paying the $5 up front. We ended up buying a glass of Grenache because it was either throw down another $3 for the glass or lose the $5 tasting. I am very glad that we shared a glass.
The wine maker was a very sweet woman but we just couldn't get behind this wine.Comment from Carol Z. of Zucca Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room 1/31/2012
Dear Dave G., We value your honest feedback and comments… More » -
Review from Aaryn P.
Cedar Park, TX
9/30/2011
Preface: We didn't try any of the wines...so this review has nothing to do with the taste or quality of their wines, but more about the staff's indifference to our presence.
We were walking around Murphys looking for tasting rooms this recent late September...had already hit a few that offered all free tastings, one pour free tastings and $3-$5 tastings - but if you bought a bottle then one tasting per bottle would be deducted.
Then, we walked down into this place.
Firstly, it is kind of neat - its located in a cellar, (watch your head!). Alright, cool. There's your one star by the way...
The not cool: $5 for tasting... even if you only taste one of their selection of about 6 wines. Seriously. And then, they give you this "poker chip" for a small percentage off of a bottle of wine. *scratches head* So if you buy a bottle, you still get charged the entire tasting fee...but they basically give you a chip to remove the equivalent of the taxes? Out of all of the tasting rooms we went to, this appeared to be the worst deal in town.
Well, I looked over their list of wines, and the lady behind the counter, after explaining all the BS above asks me, "Do you see anything you want to try?" I replied, "Yah..I do see one I want to try, but not for $5." She must have been used to tourists refusing their lame attempt at a tasting racket and pretty much went back to breaking down boxes, turning away from us.
So we left.
If you're looking for a more friendly approach to a tasting room, that isn't going to gouge you for the privilege of tasting their wine, try Black Sheep in the yellow cottage house at the starting of town. We had a wonderful experience, and bought some wine from them. The lady at Milliare was also really friendly and knowledgeable... she offered a free tasting if you only wanted to taste one. They also do free tastings at Frog's Tooth, (follow the signs down the little alley way).Comment from Carol Z. of Zucca Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room 10/12/2011
Dear Aaryn, thank you for your feedback and let me apologize… More » -
Review from Joe B.
San Mateo, CA
2/28/2011
Great, tiny tasting room.... Really small, but filled amazing character...
We enjoyed ourselves... The actual wine maker does the tastings.....
We had a good time -
Review from Jon W.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2011 1 photo
The Zucca Mountain 2008 Sangiovese - Rocky Hill Vineyard, Calaveras County. The sturdy constituents of this old school Tuscan style wine engage in a playful, brotherly wrestling match without ever going Lucha Libre. The big berry flavors take on a boisterous, animated acidity, embracing the palate like a warm, friendly bear hug from a boozy Boris Yeltsin. Spectacular with BBQ. The Zucca Mountain Vineyards tasting room is a must visit when in Murphys.
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Review from Karen G.
8/8/2009
Zucca has the coolest tasting room. Literally! It is located in an underground cellar down several stairs. Make sure you watch your head as you enter the room as the ceiling and beams are super low.
Like many tasting rooms in Murphys, there is no charge to taste. Plus they offer yummy cheesy fondue with bread. Love that fondue! I skipped the white wine and went straight to the reds. Every varietal I sampled was tasty.
One of my personal faves was the Port. I was extremely shocked that I enjoyed the port since I am not usually a fan of port. This port was super smooth but not too sweet. Perfect for after dinner!
Cin cin! ;)Listed in: Wineries of Murphys
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Review from Elizabeth G.
San Jose, CA
9/28/2008
Be careful if you're tall, this place is eentsy teensy! I believe there is a tasting room upstairs as well, but the tiny little nook of a cave I'm sure is a lot more fun. Again, the tasting room associate was very friendly and personable (he even let me taste his low carb protein drink...he poured some in a wine glass...it was great!). They had some of the fondue to sample that they sell. The wine that was most memorable was the port because I usually am not a fan but this one was palatable for me and i actually enjoyed it, especially paired with the chocolate we were given.
We bought the Syrah and had it with our picnic lunch. -
Review from Lea B.
Livermore, CA
11/19/2007
Free chocolate! Free cheese! Free chocolate! Free cheese! (Free wine tasting, too.)
Zucca Mountain was the first winery (out of many) we hit while in Murphys, so I was good and sober when we arrived (which means my opinion of this place isn't influenced by the buzz I had when I left here). They just opened a ground level tasting room and have another one in the basement. Chocolate = upstairs; cheese = downstairs; wine = both.
The woman pouring our tastes was one of the owners and she was very nice great about answering questions about the winery, grapes and wine. I wanted to buy a bottle of the Chardonnay, which was delish, but being that it was the first place we went, I held back. But regret it now because they were closed by the time we walked by later. The reds were just OK, but I'm not much of a red person anyway. Definitely recommend the chardonnay, though. Charming little place. -
Review from Heather K.
Half Moon Bay, CA
3/27/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Fun! The tasting room is down in the basement, kinda like a little hobbit-hole! These wines are definitely worth a stop. Their Chard is actually a little boring, but their rose is really nice - kinda tastes almost like rhubarb. Port is smooth and goes very well with chocolate (but then again, what DOESN'T go with chocolate?!). The reds all have a pretty unique quality to them, in particular the Sangiovese and the Zin.
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Review from Berg W.
San Jose, CA
9/29/2008
I can tell you that the tasting room at Zucca is not up to code. At 6'6" I had some trouble navigating my way down odd concrete steps, through the low door jam, and into the odd tasting room. But hey, in a historic downtown Murphy's building, they had to deal with what they were given.
It is clear that they know how to make good wine, regardless of the beams I have to dodge to taste it.
They have more Italian red varietals, which I love. I could drink Sangiovese for breakfast, and they made a decent one.
Their Barbera was notable as well, but the Syrah really caught our attention. It was caramelly, fruity, and not overly tannic.
They also had a nice blend called Sorprendere. Literally, "to surprise" in Italian. If I remember correctly it's a blend of Zinfandel and Syrah. Somewhat of a surprise to see those varietals blended, I suppose. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Quirky little tasting room but friendly and attentive staff...they even had some fondue for us to eat. Just off Main St., you should check this out when you're in the area.Listed in: In Vino Veritas, Calaveras County Wineries
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Review from Matt R.
Oakland, CA
8/9/2008
Another reason I don't need to deal with the traffic and expense of the more touristy "wine countries." Since I last visited in 2002, Murphys' pleasant little downtown has expanded with more shops, more restaurants, and more winery tasting rooms.
I searched for this place, remembering good wine in a cool cellar venue. It's still here, and the wines are still very good. Well made, well presented sangiovese anchored the lineup, in plain and blended forms (I bought one of each). The syrah was a bit phenolic for my taste, but the sangiovese rosato and syrah port both were tasty, complex, unique wines. The owner, although dealing with a big crowd of wine club members, was friendly and had a lot to say about his wines. Bottle prices were indeed high for the foothills (on par with Sonoma wineries), but the quality and cool location help justify them,
I need more excuses to visit this town.Listed in: It's not Napa and Sonoma
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Review from Nikki B.
Pleasanton, CA
4/3/2009
The Syrah I bought (and loved), was sold out less than a month later.
However, I still have the magnet and great suggestion our pourer offered us, which was that to try pouring just a little of the Syrah over vanilla ice cream (DELISH!). I ended up making a Syrah milkshake - very yummy! I'm sure the wine snobs are cringing at this, but I don't care.....it tasted great.Listed in: The Wine List
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Review from Kelly T.
Burlingame, CA
10/6/2011
Winery I always try to make it to on a Murphy's trip and one I always recommend for Murphy's newbies. I enjoy the free tastings and cheese fondue, but what keeps me going back repeatedly is the great service.
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Review from Shiba I.
New Brunswick, NJ
8/7/2009
I'm scared to rave about this place because I don't want it to get too popular..
It has a "hidden gem" feel to it..A wonderful underground cellar that keeps cool even when the weather is 100+F outside. The host was incredibly friendly & knowledgeable. I don't pretend to know much about wine, but I know what I like, and I really enjoyed most of the wines here -- the Sorprendere being my personal favourite!
Free tasting with chocolate, cheese, crackers and smiles! -
Review from Aaron M.
Wine tasting in Murphys is excellent. Zucca Mountain is the cream of the crop. They are easily my all time favorite California wine tasting venue.
You enter via a narrow stone staircase that descends into a small darkly lit cellar. Inside, the winemaker himself is standing behind the little counter pouring out tastes of his pride and joy. Their wines are on the pricey side for Calaveras, but they're soooo good. 5 years ago they were an incredible bargain, but they've realized they have a good thing, and have adjusted their prices appropriately.
I'm especially fond of their Barbera and Tesoro. The Sangiovese Rosato is also delicious. Last year I was pleased to discover they started making a Syrah Port that's pretty impressive as well.
The tasting room has chocolate and cheese fondues warming in the corner, making the tasting-room experience that much better. Stop by for a visit, you won't regret it. -
Review from Steven Z.
Modesto, CA
4/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the setting of this tasting room in Murpheys. A nice cool cellar, great service and delicious wines you can taste for a small fee or free, if you're lucky.
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Review from Heather C.
Angels Camp, CA
2/11/2010
MMMM their port wine is delicious
and their tasting room rocks. really. (tall folks beware)
we always bring visitors to this place, it's a no-fail. -
Review from Carol H.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/7/2007
Downtown Murphys wine tasting room
After reading a description of the Zucca tasting room, I made sure I confirmed that we could take our retrievers in with us when we tasted. They said it would be fine. Well let me tell you, it got a bit tight down in their "cave" with the boys, my husband and I and 3 other tasters. But we managed ;-)
Zucca produces very good Italian varietal wines. We purchased several bottles. Prices were a bit high, but not too unreasonable.
The room is small even when not filled with 2 large dogs. The stairs can be treacherous. Also, even though there was a seating area outside, you were not allowed to take wine outside due to some local ordinance.
We'll be going back soon and evaluate again.
11/25/07
Wine was good as always. Bought a couple of bottles. The person pouring this time however was not very attentive. She was much more interested in a group of local tasters rather than the out-of-towners. -
Review from Jeff V.
San Jose, CA
3/10/2011
We visited Zucca Wines this past Saturday, March 5th... You just follow the street sign to the back. There are actually 2 tasting rooms. The upper one for larger groups, and then the cellar room. We were in the upper room (as we had a large group) with Zucca's owner, Carol. Carol is such a sweet lady. We had an enjoyable time with her, and will definitely be back. Could the people of Murphys be nicer ?
We tasted the following wines : 09 Chardonnay, 09 Sangiovese Rosato, 08 Sangiovese, 08 Sorprendere, 08 Barbera, 08 Syrah, and the 08 Tesoro. Others in my group tried the 08 Syrah Port, but I am not a port fan, so did not taste. I enjoyed all the wines, but really liked the 08 Syrah, which I purchased. Very smooth.
Another great winery at Murphys. -
Review from Simone G.
Redwood City, CA
8/15/2009 1 photo
Loved this sweet little tasting room. From the outside Zucca is cute- they have an inviting outdoor seating area. Then the tasting room itself feels like it's in an underground mine shaft. Escaping the Murphy's summer heat in this little cave/ mineshaft was so fun!
The best part about Zucca was Tim; he was warm/ welcoming/ knowledgeable/ without any pretentious wine- snob air. He told us everything we wanted to know about Murphy's and about the wine. And by the time we left, Tim felt like an old family friend.
Now of course, the WINE.... Pretty tasty. In fact I generally don't like Port, but Zucca port was so good, I simply couldn't resist. -
Review from Laura K.
Dublin, CA
10/10/2010
One of my favorite wineries in Murphys because it is very different...it is in a cellar and they even let me bring my dogs down. They have a great variey of wines and outside seating just outside the winery.
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Review from Linda B.
Sonora, CA
10/1/2010 2 Check-ins Here
My favorite tasting room in Murphys. Very cool rock cellar. Very nice, well made wines.
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Review from Jimmy B.
Sonora, CA
7/9/2011
Their wine is awesome. The port is a must try. The tasting room is very unique. A memorable experience overall.
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Review from Charlie O.
Modesto, CA
8/9/2009 7 Check-ins Here
there have been many times i wished i was just a little taller, 6 ft. at least. this is one of those other times i was glad i was vertically compromised.
This place is very unique. You keep going down stairs until you come to the place where if your tall and don't look up you will become vertically compromised in a hurry. And watch that last step, it's a walapaloser.
The only other thing about Zucca, other than great wines, is the fact that if you are a cork saver like i am, you can take your used corks to Zucca. They will take all you have. They will even take your empty wine bottles and they don't have to be from Zucca. Now that is a good deal.Listed in: Best Tasting Rooms in Murphys, My Favorite Places
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Review from Kelly I.
Dublin, CA
8/15/2009
It was getting late in the day and we decided to give one more tasting room a try. We walked down Zucca's steep stairs into the cave like atmosphere and were asked what we would like to taste by the woman pouring. We asked what she recommended and she responded, "I don't know, I don't know what you like." So we just started at the beginning, feeling hurried and ignored as another pourer entered and the two women started talking about switching schedules. Our pourer didn't give us any information, offer any tasting notes or highlight the wine in any way. I can't even tell you what I tasted nor that any of it stood out because we felt like a nuisance. We finished, said thank you and left, hearing the door close firmly behind us. Can't say I want to hurry back.
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Review from Sharon Q.
Livermore, CA
4/3/2008
This place was fun! Zucca is one of the many tasting rooms of the many wineries in Murphys. You really feel like you're in gold country when you taste in the dim lit cellar. The wine here are great and tasting is free.
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Review from Shelley H.
Amherst, OH
5/2/2011
Had friends for dinner this last night of April 2011.For dessert we served double chocolate cheesecake,fresh large sweet strawberries and a bottle of Zucca Syrah Port 2008 that we bought in Sept.2010 while visiting Murphy for the first time.Everyone savored every sip..even the not-so-much wine drinkers!When we come back Murphy's is a must destination..loved Zucca and everything around it:)Will you ship to Amherst,Ohio??
Comment from Carol Z. of Zucca Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room 5/25/2011
Yes, give us a call 209.684.3278 or email … More » -
Review from Denice L.
San Francisco, CA
8/31/2008
Super cute little place with an awesome staff. They gave us poppy seeds to plant, chocolates with our port, and a nice selection of wine. A great Murphy find!
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Review from GC D.
Amador City, CA
2/25/2009
This is my absolute favorite tasting room in Murphy's. The cool, subterranean feel of the place really lends to a good tasting, and the pourers are very knowledgeable. Hint: go to Murphy's (the "wine mall") on a weekday to avoid the masses! Zucca zin (about 40 bucks) is the best here.
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Review from Chris W.
Campbell, CA
11/10/2009
Love their tasting room ...in the cellar and wines are excellent!
Brownies are a must try.
