Lava Cap Winery - Placerville, California

Richard K.

Full disclosure, we're members here!

It's one of our favorite wineries to visit. We make yearly visits to the Placerville area, and there is never a time we do not stop at Lava Cap.

The views are spectacular & the wines are excellent. The staff are excellent and well-versed in wines & anything about the winery itself. Our host, Jeff, was a lot of fun to talk to and was very informative with paired foods for the multiple wine tastes that we sipped.
We ended up spending two and a half hours there on the deck and on the lower level picnic tables

Meg B.

Visited on 11/21/2023 around 3:00 PM and there until close.
Upon arrival immediately had a friendly greeting with the hostess and a welcome glass of white wine.

We were lucky and had a seat available on the front with a perfect view.

John was our sommelier and he was an absolute pleasure. We had such great conversation with him. My husband and I did wine tastings with some cheese and crackers.
Each of the wines were delicious- not one that we did not like. It’s not often you come across a tasting where you love each wine.
It was also great the tasting fee would be waived if you decide to buy bottles, which is a wonderful deal. We did get two bottles of wine (their Syrah and Merlot- both so good!).

We did not know we would be catching one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. Born and raised in Roseville, Placerville has always been a quick getaway to enjoy the peace, quiet and views. I’ve seen plenty of beautiful sunsets but something about this location, the grapevines and mountains surrounding the cotton candy skies was breathtaking.

The hospitality of this winery is what initially impressed us (after coming from Starfield- see my review there as well).
Overall, the hospitality, kind nature of all employees, wine, snacks and view, 10/10 would recommend. You will not be displeased; just disappointed you can’t stay there all day and night to soak up the wine and beauty.
Thank y’all for such a great time!

Cameron B.

Second time here had a pretty great experience. Their wines are good, not perfect but hovering somewhere between 88-92. A couple of them - for example, the Mourvedre, are really good and I'd give them a higher score. I want to rate the winery on the experience and not just the wine though. Having good wine in California isn't enough to make you a 5 star winery. So, while this may very well be one of the best producers in the Placerville area, let's talk about the winery itself. Tastings are generous, and staff is friendly. The atmosphere is top tier. Me and my partner felt comfortable enough on our second visit to bring charcuterie makings, a blanket and a picnic basket.
Their 6 complimentary tastings wine club benefit is premium and the 15$ tasting (waived if you buy a reasonably priced bottle) is also a refreshing contrast to the 40-70$ they're charging in Napa.

A few wines are what I like to fall recipe wines but there's quite a few hidden gems on their roster so I encourage you to taste as many as they let you and buy a sampling of their other bottles if you can afford it.

I hold a very high standard for 5 stars for winery and restaurants so the 4 I'm giving Lava Cap is very good.

Their snacks are priced very fairly and I didn't feel bad about buying a few to compliment the snacks we already brought.

They're dog friendly and very accommodating.

Bernie ushered us through the tasting and that was great. Unlike some of the more top tier experiences they don't hold your hand through the tasting process and give you backgrounds on each of the wines. For some this is a positive and others enjoy the more hands off tasting experiences. All in all - a very pleasant experience.

I'd love to see a "blind taste" flight option as I find those extremely fun but it's a rarity in today's scene.

R

The best winery in the area. Been there twice - high quality wine worth every penny, great service, and stunning views. Loved their event today rolling out their older wines. What a positive and creative way to engage the community and show appreciation to patrons. Thanks Lava Cap, I will be back!

Chloe' C.

Wonderful family and Winery. The wine itself is bright and refreshing due to the unique soil found on the mountain. If you’re looking for small bites they have a quaint selection of meats/cheeses/crackers. You can also bring your own picnic. Many fruit vendors can be found along the road to the winery to take with you as well!

C R.

Cool place, beautiful setting. Been visiting this area for 15 years. Wineries go through periods of ups and downs; this place used to be better. Sour whites. Too many varietals of reds that are just so-so.

Marco M.

One of my favorite wineries in the area. Great place to take in the view while enjoying a glass or two of wine. They also allow outside food in their large patio area, which have tables with umbrellas.

Chris W.

This is an awesome winery. They have great views of the area, solid wine and lots of hummingbirds! They also had the best fall tree I saw all weekend!