Trojak-Knier Winery

The guy was unprofessional and despondent, as if he didn’t care we were there. Asked to skip the Chardonnay for the Pinot noir, didn’t allow it, then when we got to the Pinot he was out and wouldn’t open a new bottle. We asked for our money back. Won’t be going back.

Wine was great, owner was great, owner’s dog was welcoming as well! Quaint spot for tasting some great wines. Give it a try!

We stood at the entrance for 30 minutes and whoever owns this place just ignored us without even saying hi. Probably not used to seeing Asians in this part of the town.

Love this place! Jim (one of the owners) seems to be there everyday working hard on the wine when I drive by. Great wine, and an awesome environment. Check them out next time you’re on the coast. The closest winery to Mavericks Beach!

The place is in a storage like industrial business place so don’t expect a garden or store. I wish it was just a little bit fixed up but when you hear the story of how they started you would be happy for their journey. I like the Cabernet. I’m not much into reds but that was good. They have a new one coming out in June. I would have gave 5 stars but at times the person serving the wine was a bit forgetful and lost. I had to repeat myself twice and hint if not completely tell him. We did buy 4 wine bottles so clearly the wine is good and his dog is super sweet

Coming from the Monterey Peninsula its hard to be wowed by most places. Napa is always a nice treat. but with so many wines popping up throughout the valley and with over 350 wineries in the Paso area hopping over to Half Moon Bay was not impressive to say the least… We were with some of our best friends and thats what made our day so fun… not the places we went to… this was really a disaster of a place… the roll up door rental shop was almost identical to several I have for business and I happen to have a couple wine barells in one. so I guess all I need to do is get an old table and some chairs and start overcharging for wine tasting. The wine was nothing short of subpar. Ok at best. but when you throw their price on top of the horrible venue you will have an even worst taste in your mouth… ba duh dum… The best part of this tasting was the dog… he was really fun to play with… Oh !! and the ice cream truck that passed … Ran to that thing. so that made the event as good as it was going to get… I am sorry to smack this place. but to me wine tasting is the experience. not all about the wine. but I would not go to an undesirable place with anyone and open a Bottle of Opus 1 … I would guess the place would have to match the wine being opened… perhaps youre the same way. and no this place is not an Opus 1

A completely unexpected, low-​key little winery behind the airport and right off the beach — with unexpectedly excellent wine even by Napa Valley standards, much less what you might see in a little sea-​side town.
Don’t expect the commercial tourist experience. There were no wine stoppers, placemats, books, gag gifts, chocolate wine sauce, themed picnic baskets, or anything else for sale. In fact, there was nothing for sale, except the bottles of wine.
It’s in one of those weird run down industrial zones you often see behind small town airports, you know, 50+ year old rusted out cars and tractors with thick trees gorwing out of them parked in front yards of aluminum sided buildings where people seem to be living, Only, this one is a block off the ocean, and a famous stretch of ocean at that, this is where Mavericks happens.
After all that, you think you’re lucky to get wine that won’t give you a bad stomach ache. You look at their price list, $ 35 – 60 per bottle, tighten the flight muscles, you think you’re in crazy town…
…until you taste the wine and actually speak with the tasting room attendants /​proprietors. This is some serious, micro-​quantity, good wine. The owners/​winemakers are thoroughly connected, and know everybody in Napa Valley, they’ve just chosen to live the ocean lifestyle. One thing about Princeton Beach, it has a year-​round cellar temperature, it never gets much below 50 or above 65, so aging the wine barrels in a run down small town airport industrial warehouse is not a problem.
The wines are all French style, lowish alcohol content (13−14%) from an impossible-​to-​get Napa vineyard run by 26^th (?) generation Italian winegrowers, yes, that’s 600 years. No fruit bombs here. The Chardonnay is rather epic, and the pinot. too. Most of the wines are field blends. I dunno, it’s just really serious wine, but also seriously tasty. It’s like finding an opera singer in the prairie.
Tasting is $ 10, kind of high but it’s very good low quantity wine. Tasting fee is discounted off the bottle price, per convention.
Highly recommended as an unexpected detour off Half Moon Bay.

Fun, off-​the-​beaten-​path delicious find :).

Fun spot and friendly service, however wines are overpriced ($ 40 for whites, and $ 38-​$ 55 for reds) and they didn’t seem very forthcoming with prices.

Awesome wines. We were visiting the redwood forest and in our way back to SF and found this place. Great wines and we walked out with a Sangiovese and a Pinot Noir!

Very small and a bit hidden in Half Moon Bay — If you’re heading out towards Pillar Point (aka where Mavericks occurs), you’ll be in the area and might see the small sign guiding you in. But the wine is great — even my wine snob bf who dislikes almost all chardonnays had to plunk down some money for one of the chardonnays here. And it’s been chilling in our fridge for a while — waiting for the special occasion when he can share it with his other wine expert friends. The owner is very sweet and when we went it was raining out, so we were the only people there. Almost felt like we had pulled up into someone’s personal garage and they were treating us to some amazing wines. Definitely does not have the commercialized feel many wineries in California have.

For a long time I was curious about the highway signs indicating a winery existing in the Princeton harbor. I am now kicking myself for not exploring this gem of a winery sooner. Trojak-​Knier Winery truly is some of the finest wine available. They meticulously and carefully choose the finest grapes available and have a simplistic natural approach to the process that results in wine that is nothing short of extraordinary. Their 2010 Pinot took a gold in the San Francisco Chronicle International Wine Competition and pretty much every wine they make is (in my opinion) unique and masterfully done. I really can’t say enough about this place so please take my word for it that it is well worth your time to check them out.

I will echo the other reviewers in their review of TK Winery — descriptors like, «treat», «diamond in the rough», «magical» etc. doesn’t do this place justice.
Having lived on the coast for years, I’ve seen their signs before on my way to Maverick’s to walk the dog — but, I never had the opportunity to stop. Yesterday was a day where we had the dog and on a whim decided to drive by.
So glad we did!
This winery is everything that I (personally) like in a winery. Talkative pourers (in this case the actual owner/​winemakers Jim and Eric), friendly/​inviting atmosphere and obviously — amazing wine.
Eric is a great storyteller — energetically sharing the history and obvious passion he and Jim share for their art.
One of the other reviewers said they have a no dogs allowed policy — I think they may have been mistaken or maybe we just caught them on a good day. I’ve got a 100# fur baby (granted he is well behaved) and Jim had no problem with him in the tasting area and even had a cookie for him.
The true star of this operation is the wine though. Every pour was amazing — no need to spit here, it was all about the swallowing. We were fortunate enough to be able to taste a Zin that had just been bottled that morning — so damn good!
When you go ask them about the operation and the process they go through — they don’t buy their juice some place else — they crush it on site (in the driveway), how cool is that?
So, next time you’re on your way to check out Maverick’s or take a stroll on the beach — look these guys up, you’ll be so happy you did…

A hidden gem in the heart of Princeton Harbor. it may not be situated in the prettiest area of town, but the wine that this winery produces is some of the best I have tasted. Eric and Jim run the winery as a labor of love and do their very best to ensure that the results match their passion. From buying their grapes from one of the most respected grape growers in Napa, to hand production of each and every wine, you tell from the very first taste that this is the culmination of 20 years of experience and hard work.

It’s hard to explain the magic that happens at this winery. I have traveled near and far just to find that perfect wine, and I always come back to my own backyard here in Half Moon Bay to Trojak-​Knier Winery!
It’s the only winery in Half Moon Bay that actually MAKES the wine locally. Maybe it’s the salt air? Maybe it’s the fog? I think it’s the love that Jim and Eric put into every hand crafted bottle of wine! YOU MUST VISIT!

I am delighted to have met Jim and Eric a few years back. The first time I went to TK was to help out with a bottling and fell in love with the boys and their wine. They are so fun & friendly! It’s clear that they are having a great time making these fantastic wines.
I since had the opportunity to do a pouring for them at a private event and was not surprised when guests kept coming back to our table asking for more! I consistently heard «this wine is amazing!» «I have to come for a tasting, where in Half Moon Bay are you located?» ‘This is by far the best wine being poured today“
There’s a remarkable consistency in their wines which makes it hard to have a favorite. All their wines are wonderful so be prepared to take home a bottle of each or just do yourself a favor and get a case.
To all my friends that know me and know I love wine please check out TK at
It’s a small production operation (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon & Sangiovese) out of Princeton just outside of Half Moon Bay in a tiny warehouse so please call ahead to make an appointment.
Santé

Great wines, great people. And it’s in a garage. What could be better?
Go here.

This was a wonderful little surprise. My friends and I were on a bike ride along the path near the ocean, it was a gorgeous day and we came across this garage that said ‘Trojak Knier’ above it. We decided to stop there on our way back, which we did, and honestly didn’t expect much. Well I was so pleasantly surprised. We lived the Chardonnay, the Sangiovese, and the Pino. We bought a case made up of several of each. The wines are balanced, well developed, and yet they don’t demand all one’s attention. They join the conversation rather than take over. A very gracious variety, indeed. We’ll be back.

Wine tasting, in Princeton? Why, yes there is!
Princeton is a small industrial area that sits between the HMB airport & the harbor. There are a few stores sprinkled in among the warehouses, one of them being Trojak-​Knier Winery. It’s a funky warehouse with some interesting décor like a large canoe, mismatched chairs, a pair of old boots, a stereo from the 80’s, & an old school wine bottle labeling machine. If the rolling door is open, most likely you can come in for a tasting.
I first tried their wine at the now defunct wine bar at the Harbor Village Shops. I was totally blown away by their pinot & knew I had to have it again. Luckily the winery was open on Saturday (we called ahead to be sure) so we stopped in to try a few of their wines.
Jim Knier was pouring that day. He’s a funny guy, in a very dry sort of way. He reminded me a lot of the comedian Norm MacDonald. He’s not overly talkative but tells you everything you need to know about his wines. That day he was only pouring 3 wines: the 2010 Chardonnay, 2010 Pinot Noir, & 2010 Sangiovese. The Chardonnay & Pinot were my favorites & I was surprised how much I also liked their Sangiovese. All of them were excellent. I felt like I could sit in that mismatched chair sipping wine all day!
The prices aren’t cheap, $ 35-​$ 50 per bottle, so these are more special occasion wines in my book. Still not one group left without buying at least one bottle if not more.
Family friendly, dog friendly local spot to get some amazing wine.

I’m feeling compelled to write yet another 5-​star update for TK because they’re just that good. We came by yesterday for a Founders’ Club party, the point of which was to go back through their library and see just how well their wines have held up over the years. The quality of TK wines cannot be denied when they’re 10+ years old and still taste amazing. I’m not a red wine drinker, but I absolutely love the reds here. They’re smooth as all hell and so well-​balanced; finding comparable quality wines anywhere else would be a big freaking challenge (and one that I’m not motivated to undertake… why would I when the good stuff is right here??). And as I have crowed loudly and repeatedly before, the TK Chardonnay is just incredible. I don’t know what it is that Jim & Eric are doing differently, but whatever it is, I hope they keep doing it for years to come.
You can now order directly from them via their website (
), or call for a tasting appointment. Also, you can find their wines at the HMB Wine & Cheese Shop, Longboard Liquors, Café Gibraltar, Creola Bistro (in Belmont), and one other restaurant I can’t quite recall.
I can’t recommend TK enough. Wonderful wines made by wonderful people!