Chateau Davell Winery — Attraction in Placerville

This is a tough review to write for me. I have been to Chateau Davell Winery many times and loved it every time. We were introduced to the winery by long time friends who are members. Eric the owner has always been kind and treated us with respect. Like the other reviewers here have said, the atmosphere is fun, the wine and food is good and the views are enjoyable.

We stopped in on 11/26/2023. We were three families with kids and a dog. We had already ordered a number of rounds of wine and food. We were having a great time on the outdoor patio as it was a beautiful day in the foothills. At some point, we noticed people arriving and it was clear that there was going to be a poetry reading...how fun!

They were about 100 feet from us and using a microphone and amplifier. We could hear some of the poems but it was not too loud and was not disruptive to us. We were not trying to be quiet and we were also not overly loud.....but we were three families with kids and a dog enjoying our afternoon.

At some point, Eric the the owner came by and asked us to be quiet. He did not pause and ask, it was more of a drive-by ask. He did not offer to move us to a different table, inside, to the warehouse or in any way thank us for our business, apologize for the inconvenience or make us feel welcomed. He simply slowed his walk, leaned in and asked us to be quiet! We all looked at each other in a bit of shock. I then said to the group "OK...I guess we are outta here" to which Eric responded without even turning around something clearly rude but that I could not make out as he kept his back to us as he walked away.

We did not make a fuss. We did not leave a mess. We simply gathered out things and left. We went to another winery close by where we were made to feel welcomed. From the parking lot of that second stop, I decided to give Eric a call. It was simply too bizzare and out of the norm from previous experiences. Eric answered. I explained the experience from our point of view and expressed our dissapointment. Eric responded that "he was a supporter of he arts, its not like he told us to shut up, and that he heard I did not like his poster ......so he was not too concerned with us leaving". stunning!

I told him yes, I read the poster (it was a poster expressing support of respecting women, black lives, etc.) and that it was nothing I would ever take offense to or have a negative raction to. I agree with all of those points.

Eric clearly did not accept my explanation and change his mind. He did not see that he had made a mistake and appologize. He simply told me to have a nice day and hung up. BTW....our friends who were members immediately cancelled their membership.

So .....because he saw me read his poster (he was inside, I was outside) and incorrectly assumed I dissagreed with it and perhaps his politics, he felt it was pefectly ok to push us out and make us feel unwelcomed.

The wine is still good, the views are still good, the grounds still have a fun and funky vibe....but the warm, kind, fun welcoming feel has been lost. You are welcomed unless the owner feels you disagree with his beliefs. In that case, you are essentially asked to leave.

I would highly recommend skipping this place and spending your time and money someplace else.

Update after the owners inaccurate response below.......No one in our group took offense to the poster and certainly no one used that sort of language. I guess we can add a creative imagination and a lack of accountability to the list.

And since we left right away and no one spoke to you....not sure who you think suggested moving the poetry group to a different location. In my comments above, I clearly state that perhaps you should have offered to move us to a different location versus asking us to be quiet. We had no issue with the poetry group, we actually thought it was cool.

You sir simpy made a very bad assumption and are now doubling down. ...

Hidden Gem off Highway 50 – Château Davell Winery

What a delightful find! Just 45 minutes from my home in Granite Bay, Château Davell Winery made for a perfect Friday getaway—and also marked my first time using my travel trailer for a weekend escape. Nestled quietly in a neighborhood setting right off Highway 50, the winery immediately gave off a peaceful, welcoming vibe with its grassy picnic area, covered patio, and small, cozy tasting room.

One of the best surprises was the ample space for boondocking or camping with electric hookups—all available for a very reasonable fee. A few campers were already set up, and one of them kindly helped me back in my trailer, which made the start of my trip so much smoother.

Inside, I met a lovely local couple also there to taste. Eric, the owner, greeted us warmly with his adorable pup Kanobi. The tasting room is decorated with original paintings and lots of plants, giving it an earthy, artistic charm. Even more special—the wine labels feature Eric’s artwork, and many are named after his children and other family members. The wines were a pleasant surprise, especially the Chardonnay (which I usually don’t go for—but loved!). I ended up buying a bottle of Augustus, their smooth and flavorful super Tuscan.

That evening, I settled into the relaxing rhythm of winery life—sitting out on the grass in my camp chair, sharing wine, hatch chili salsa, and conversation with new friends as the sun dipped behind the trees. Later, I wandered through the patio area, which had a cool vintage, eclectic vibe and even a wood-fired pizza oven tucked among the treasures.

Though it’s close to the highway, the noise was barely noticeable—just a soft white noise in the background.

Whether you’re just passing through on Highway 50 or looking for a peaceful weekend retreat with great wine and great people, Château Davell Winery is an absolute gem. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot for my first trailer getaway—and I’ll definitely be back. Oh…and Kenobi will make himself at home if...

Had a great first experience here, but the second visit was incredibly disappointing, as the only person getting service was the bride talking about upcoming wedding plans.

I had really hyped the place up to my bf, telling him about the artwork on the bottle labels and the pairings and the enthusiasm of their employee on my previous visit. But this time, we were hardly engaged and just left standing there with empty glasses for several minutes at a time. It was so disappointing; mostly because I was really looking forward to the stop.

Still ended up buying some wine, but would prob try some place new next time we're...