Torne Valley Vineyard — Attraction in Town of Ramapo

On Memorial Day weekend, my 12-year-old son and I set out on a bike ride to enjoy new local sites. After a stretch of gloomy weather, the sun finally emerged, so we thought it might be the perfect opportunity to check the menu for vegetarian lunch options at the Torne Valley Winery and take in the ambiance.

We had just arrived and were quietly reviewing the menu on our phones near the front entrance when a woman—intense in demeanor—approached us abruptly. Without so much as a greeting, she informed us that “bike riding isn’t allowed anywhere on the property.” I calmly explained that we weren’t riding around—we had simply arrived by bike and were checking out the menu before deciding whether to dine. Rather than acknowledging this, she escalated her tone, insisting that the property was “not a playground” and that she had “a lot of tenants” who shouldn’t have to deal with bikes “all over.”

The interaction, which occurred in front of other guests, was unnecessarily hostile and frankly demeaning. It left me feeling as though we were being treated as if we didn’t belong—despite doing nothing more than arriving by bike. It was disheartening to be met not with hospitality, but with a condescending assumption that we were somehow disrespecting the space or there to cause trouble.

What saddened me most was the impression it left on my son. I found myself having to explain to him the unfortunate reality that sometimes people make snap judgments rooted in classist assumptions or stereotypes. I have no doubt that had we arrived in my Audi, dressed for brunch, the interaction would have been markedly different. But instead, our presence as cyclists was met with suspicion and dismissiveness.

The winery may very well offer lovely experiences for others—but for me, that moment defined the visit. I have no interest in returning to a place where guests are evaluated not by their behavior, but by a presumed narrative based on appearance. Hospitality begins with respect. Sadly, that’s not what we...

My first time ever here. I entered the building and asked the woman at the desk if wine tasting was available. She said in a half hour. Never took my name or explained were to pay just walked away from the desk turning her head to speak with someone else. I asked if there were any other bathrooms besides the port a John’s outside, she replied inside. Obviously I did not know where the bathrooms were if I needed to ask. Again I asked where the bathrooms were inside and she just stated over there. Not helpful, accommodating, or welcoming at all plain snobby. When standing on the bathroom line there were cute leather jackets on display. I looked through them was Intrested but there was no prices on anything. The woman at the shop just ignored me when I was asking how much they were. Not helpful or friendly either. As I was walking out of the building, two gentlemen walked in, approached the front desk as I did. The front desk woman’s entire demeanor changed with the men! The front desk woman greeted the men completely different! She actually went out of her way to ask if it was their first time there, if they needed a table, and reserved them a table right away! There was an open table so I sat down with my baby while my fiancé used the restroom. A waitress came over and ask me to leave as the table was reserved. We left due to the lack of staff friendliness, was not longer Intrested in staying as our first impression...

Planned a visit to celebrate my daughter's 30th birthday. I've been here several times before, so was surprised to find out that they don't take reservations and there is a two-hour time limit. I understand they are busy, but given the poor service, two hours is not reasonable. The service was very slow and inefficient. My daughter (the birthday girl) did not get her meal for at least 30 minutes after everyone else got theirs. Then, we had to wait for condiments while our meals got cold. The waitress would fly by our table asking if everything was OK but did not stop to listen. Granted - they were busy, but the service was really awful. They perk up at the end just before they bring you the check. Plus, they added random items to the check (not sure if they thought I wouldn't notice or what, but she wasn't surprised when I questioned it and asked to have them removed from the bill). I was very uncomfortable as the waitress stood over me while I finalized the bill. I'm sorry that I left more than 20%. As others have mentioned, tips are optional, not mandatory. The bad service puts a dent in the beauty of this place. The band (The Hip Replacements) was great, as usual and they sang Happy Birthday to my daughter (at my request). I asked the hostess who told me to ask my server, which I did, but she never...