Broc Cellars

I love Broc Cellars. I used to buy their wines at a little shop in NYC, and I was delighted to see them while walking through this neighborhood of Berkeley a few weekends ago. I hadn’t realized they were an urban winery, let alone that they’re based in Berkeley!
We popped in for a tasting on a rainy afternoon and, although it was a little busy, we got plenty of individual attention. We were also able to taste a TON of wines. I think 7 or 8, including a couple not on the official tasting list. They’re very laid back and will basically let you try anything that they have open. There’s a tasting fee, but that’s waived with purchase (per the norm) — we ended up buying six bottles, so that wasn’t hard to manage!
The wine is really awesome. Maybe not up the alley of European wine drinkers or wine snobs (or maybe yes — the NYTimes wrote them a glowing article in 2014, as have others), but I think the creative way they blend grapes produces tremendously tasty, unique wines. I love that they work with so many vineyards and scour the West Coast looking for all the best grapes before they then invent exciting new wines with them. I like that their wines skew dry and, in some cases, noticeably tannic. I mean, I clearly like the wine if I bought six bottles… I will probably join their wine club in the near future, though I literally just bought all of the wines in their current distribution, so maybe later this year…
Long story short — definitely check this place out. It’s within walking distance of Fieldwork Brewery and Donkey & Goat Winery (both also awesome), so you can make a nice little «tasting day» of it!
P. S. Their bottle designs are all so fun — I hate the thought of throwing the empties away!

This a great wine made in the «natural» style, without some of the funky aspects of natural wine. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t your standard Wine Spectator stuff, it’s small production with interesting varietals. I am now a member here, and $ 150 for 6 bottles twice a year is phenomenal value.
I really enjoy tasting here too because the people who staff the place like to nerd out about the wine when you engage them.

Unilocalsop’s Fables
«The turtle who loved terroir»
One afternoon in autumn, a turtle walked into the understated but elegant tasting room at Broc Cellars. He had been on his feet all morning, having left the quiet confines of the coastal redwoods before dawn. After stopping for morning coffee at Sightglass, he crossed the Bay Bridge and made his way to 5^th St in West Berkeley.
Why all the trouble? This turtle, you see, was looking to taste an interesting wine.
It is not as if he didn’t have wines to choose from on his side of the Bay. But Berkeley had something special about it — no, not special in terms of places for growing grapes, like Monte Bello Ridge or the Varner’s Bee Block vineyard in Portola Valley, but special because of the people who made wine, and who imported it. People like Kermit. No, not the frog. People who had come over years of tasting to appreciate the feel of good dirt and thick fog and wet moss and dry leaves and garrigue releasing its resinous scents in the warm afternoon winds of late summer.
The people, the turtle thought to himself as he sipped Broc wines, who love terroir. The ones who feel it on the inside; who like it when it sticks beneath their fingernails and stains their palms red. Who have the patience to wait for grapes to ferment naturally, in their own skins, without coaxing and prodding. People who pick below 22 Brix and are proud of it; who stick up their middle digits at Big Flavor and respond to the sound of the words «Parker score» like a bull to the sight of a waving red cape.
«These are my people,» thought the turtle. «They could even become my friends. People who live life near to the ground, like me, who come out of their shell from time to time to share their love of wine with others. The ones who truly love terroir.»
And so the turtle tasted at Broc. Roussanne and Marsanne blended with love from the Sierra foothills. Valdiguié from a cool green valley in Solano County fronted by chaparral-​covered mountains. Picpoul picked lemony fresh from the wind gap above Templeton. Counoise crafted from well-​tended vines in Mendocino. Zinfandel harvested before overripeness in broken, rocky soils of Sonoma County. Pinot grapes from highlands in the Santa Lucias, married to Gamay and sent on an east Bay honeymoon. Old-​vine Carignan allowed to macerate in its own skins, releasing mineral notes from deep under the shifting grounds of an earthquake-​prone state.
«These grapes,» thought the turtle as he swirled his tasting glass, «must have loved the land. They dug deep, they drank long, they lived happy lives in sunshine and in the shade. And they seem at home here, in Berkeley, in barrels and boxes and bottles and concrete eggs fermenting with Nero d’Avola and Chenin Blanc and — who knows — maybe one day with Zweigelt and Gruener Veltliner and Tempranillo and Malvasia Bianca and … «
His eyes closed for a moment, as if remembering a time and a taste from long ago.
«And Fetească Neagra: wine grown in the hills of the Danube Valley, cultivated for generations. We’re talking Roman times here. Turtles have long memories. Just ask my tortoise relatives in the Galapagos.»
And why not? All things are possible, if you have the patience of a turtle and don’t rabbit your way headlong into a more-​of-​the-​same Cab and Pinot future.
«I think you are a dreamer,» said a sage grouse sitting at the tasting room bar next to the turtle. «People love what they are given and they don’t ask such silly questions. Whatever Trader Joe’s slaps with a Platinum Reserve label is exactly what they will serve on their Thanksgiving tables.»
«But, given time, if people come to taste wine at places like this one,» the turtle retorted, «then perhaps things will be different. Maybe a Blaufränkisch from the Finger Lakes with the turkey next year, or an Aligoté from Calera with a vegan artichoke side dish. Stranger things have happened. I mean, what’s a sage grouse doing here in a Berkeley urban winery, anyway?»
«Me?» the bird said.“I’m the sage grouse of Omaha, don’t you know? I’m famous for discovering hidden gems before others find them.»
«And what do you think about Broc Cellars?» the turtle queried. «Is this a hidden gem worth discovering? Will Broc soon be mobbed by the Valdiguié-​obsessed masses?»
Warren, the sage grouse, was silent for a minute.
«Not sure yet. But I’m taking a couple of cases of the Love White + Red home with me to Nebraska, just in case.»
The turtle nodded in agreement. And then took another sip of the Vine Starr Zin before leaving.
Moral: Hidden gems don’t stay hidden for long, if they really are gems to begin with. And diamonds in the rough, they don’t come anymore in a bottle from Napa.

Haven’t been to their cellars but I love their wine, especially Grenache 2013, Cassia Mendocino. I live in Sonoma Co so I have access to many different wines but this wine is really rises above the rest.

This is an authentic artisanal winery. The staff presents the wines in a sincere and unpretentious way. The wines are generally not the common, run-​of-​the mill, big production varietals. (Although their zinfandel is DELICIOUS). Each wine is a thoughtful conversation piece. I consistently look forward to the wine club releases and pick up parties.

Came here for a quick tasting since Steven C. had met a guy who worked here and told him about the place. Out of 6 wines we enjoyed about 2 of them. We did like the ambiance and the décor — a cute rustic feel.
We were disappointed in the service. The girl who was working barely made conversation with us because she was by herself and the bar was full. Even when there were just two parties left, us being one, she helped the other party before us even though we were there much longer. I feel like she saw us as being young and probably would not make a large purchase. Throughout the whole tasting we got smaller portioned tastings compared to the parties next to us. Even between the two of us, I consistently had a smaller portion. I’m not sure if she was just too busy to pay attention or what. I would have liked to purchase a bottle but I just did not feel very well taken care of throughout my time there.

Cozy little winery that offers tastings. The sweet lady who worked here almost forgot to charge us. I can understand that. People at wine tastings can be loopy and distracting.

Broc Cellars recently opened a tasting room, and it’s a treat! I’ve been twice, once during an Elite party and then again with my brother to do their regular tasting.
The tasting room is super tiny, but comfortable for four people. The woman conducting the tasting was extremely friendly, taking the time to walk my both myself and my brother through the fundamentals (we’re both wine dummies).
I’d definitely recommend Broc to folks looking for a quick tasting in Berkeley.

I have to admit that I love most things with the word «wine» in them, so if you are a serious wine connoisseur, you may want to skip my review. But if you are like me and like to drink wine and are even more pleased with finding great local wine, made by cute people, in the east bay, read on!
In short, I popped in here with a few friends on a lovely Saturday and we loved this place and the wine. Yes especially the wine. I fell in love with the Carignane and picked up a bottle. The label artwork alone was worth the price of the bottle. I think that my friends bought at least one bottle of everything that they were pouring.
Previous Unilocalers mentioned that the tasting room is cold, but they are in the process of fixing that, so if you judge your wine on the comfort of the tasting room, come back soon and give them a try.

3 stars based solely on the wine and because their pourer gave me their corks which I reused and made some cool little succulent planters out of. Recycling is my life.
Not a fan of the reds. I’m hoping that next time I can taste again and they can change my mind.
Although my mouth never lies… so…with that said: The space is pretty.

Closer to home than Napa Valley, we not only enjoyed our tasting at Broc Cellars, but enjoyed learning about where they get thier grapes, name and checking out the really cool little building on Camelia Street.
You too can make your own little wine crawl in the Bay Area and pick up bottles in the $ 20 – 30.00 price range. That’s a great deal, in your own backyard!

I loved this stop on a recent Unilocal wine hop! This fresh and unpretentious little urban winery served four wines on the day that I visited. They specialize in low-​wattage ecological winemaking techniques using organic grapes. I don’t know about you, but I like my hedonism without the guilt, so this is right up my alley.
The space of the winery is urban and cool. An entire wall is composed of glass tiles set in the concrete. I didn’t get a look at the actual tasting room, so I can’t vouch for it. Rhea (I’m not sure if that is how she spells it.) took care of me on my visit and was very friendly.
I really liked, and purchased, their 2011 Vine Starr White Wine from Central Coast fruit. It’s an easy drinking wine (but not too easy). It’s very fresh.
The 2011 Skin Contact Roussane with El Dorado grapes was a tad sharp for my tastes. It was a big hit with other tasters, so try it out on your palate.
The Paso Robles 2010 Luna Matta Vyd Mourvedre was excellent. This would be very good paired with flavorful or rich meals. It’s one that you could be pleased to bring to a dinner party.
I wish that I had also bought the 2011 Its Complicated Valdiguie Green Valley-​Solano County. It’s not all *that* complicated as a wine. ;o) It’s very good. It’s one of those wines that I could see going well with fish, chicken or meat. It has an interesting history, as the vine it’s from was mistakenly attributed to Gamay for one hundred years. Thanks to genetic typing, it’s now known not to be the supposed Napa Gamay.
I recommend visiting here, and buying some wine (of course). The prices were fair relative to their quality, production methods, and sustainability.

I attended the event of their release in August. I tried their vine star red wine at Francis and it was excellent. At the tasting event, we got to try different whites and red wine varieties. Oddly, all the red wines tasted too young. The best wine was the white vine star blend wine. The flavors just juiced out. I was disappointed with this years vine star red release, having tasted the year prior. The best red wine that was poured was the carignin wine. Though to me, still a little immature, the flavor would be dead on.