McGrail Vineyards and Winery

I love great Cabernets. McGrail is located in the heart of the Livermore Valley Wine Country and part of one of the oldest California Wine Regions. It’s located just past Poppy Ridge Golf Course and Wood Family Vineyard (another favorite). They have beautiful views from their patio and a sprawling lawn for picnics (it looked like a great place for weddings, but I’m not sure).
It’s a boutique winery so there is a good chance you can meet the proprietor or the winemaker. $ 10 per person for tasting. They don’t waive the fee if you buy a bottle like other wineries. My wife «liked» the Chardonnay, but I «loved» the Cabernets. I ended up joining their wine club. Man, was my wife upset.
By joining their Holy McGrail Quarterly Wine Club. The benefits of being a Holy McGrail member include:
Access to Library and small lot wines
Up to 4 complimentary tastings on each visit
Once a year vineyard tour with Mark Clarin, winemaker (advanced reservations required)
Member-​only release parties and events
Since we live fairly close to the winery, I hope to partake in a few activities and turn that frown on my wife into a smile. If not, I can still enjoy the Cabernets.

Went here two times in the past month. First time I really liked it and had a great time bought several bottles and was not charged a tasting fee. Just brought a group of 10 of us and we all got charged $ 10.00 per person $ 100.00 forour group) which is fine but unlike every other winery in Livermore we have been too they don’t waive the tasting fee when you buy wine. They only allow you to taste four wines and the pours were small. As a result we didn’t stay long and most of us left without buying wine and went to some other more accommodating places Steve right next door being one of them) where we tasted many different wines bought a bunch and didnt pay any tasting fees. I do enjoy a couple of their wines they are quite good but only giving 3 stars based on the above and will likely not be back for a long time.

A solid winery with a good $ 10 buck tasting — 1 chard and 3 cabs. The server was accommodating. We were there at the end of the day and they definitely wanted to shut the place down for the night. Nice views and more upscale than other spots in Livermore.

This is one of the first places I ever went wine tasting in Livermore. The view from the patio is breathtaking. The service is consistently good. The wine is lovely, notably the Cabernet and Chardonnay.
There are always really interesting and fun events at this winery. I highly recommend tasting here and keeping an eye out for events. It’s a really special place and one winery I love to come back to often.

This is my favorite membership. The wine-​club-​member-​only room is beautiful and comfortable. I love bringing familly and friends to share wine tasting. What I especially love about tasting in the member-​only room is that the McGrail Vineyards lets members bring cheeses, fruit, and nuts to pair with the wines of their wine tasting experience. Members can bring any food really. I’ve seen some members bring chips and take-​out to enjoy during their tastings. (Fresh goat cheese, young mozarella, gorgonzola, and ramano cheese; bread, butter, olive oil and balsamic vinegar; blackberries, orange, apple, dark chocolate, pecans and almonds go well with the wines on their tasting menu.)
There are always bonus pours of reserve wines that aren’t on the tasting menus. My guests take home bottles and when I invite them to come back with me, they’re quick to say yes. Nearly every wine is perfect. There’s only one wine of their many that I don’t like. The rest, I take home and am reluctant to give away because I want them for myself.
I’m greeted wonderfully when I enter and am welcomed into the member room. This is a completely different experience than I’ve had in some wineries where I feel invisible. I never feel invisible at McGrail Vineyards even when they’re busy. They’re courteous and the wine is so delicious that it just makes them sweeter.
I live an hour away and it’s worth the drive.

Gorgeous Winery in the heart of Livermore. Came for some afternoon wine tasting with some friends. For $ 10 you get to try out 5 different wines. The place was closing early the day we came, I think there was a wedding happening that day. I would most definitely recommend this winery!

Nice winery, great patio area. The staff were very friendly, we had 2 children with us and they allowed them to pay bocce ball as no one had it booked. The patio was lovely and relaxing and the wines were pretty good, would definitely go back.

Great place, knowledgeable and accommodating staff. Superb wine both reds and whites. Wonderful setting. Why deal with the travel and traffic to Napa when this place is so convenient. We had our wedding celebration there and it was a great time especially with how accommodating the staff was! Nice place to have a picnic lunch and do some tastings. You won’t be disappointed.

We had a lovely time with the wine maker, who walked us around the property and talked about his methods. For instance, McGrail hand-​picks their grapes to ensure high quality and the wines are aged in the barrel longer than most. The wines were all high quality and quite drinkable. The chardonnay has a unique taste — not too buttery, so I loved it!

McGrail is known for having complex Bordeaux varietals that are seemingly at the highest caliber of any you’ll find in the Livermore valley. But, as it pertains to their tasting experience and wines you’ll actually sample if you go there (which is what these Unilocal reviews are all about), it is awful at the moment.
The following categorical scores are all out of 5; when combining and rounding them (weighing categories like taste more heavily), they explain our overall Unilocal rating.
TASTE: 1
Now, this is where the crux of this review unfolds. We have tasted wines vigorously for over a decade, and we know McGrail’s offerings to be superior French-​style wines. But, this only holds true in terms of their high-​end bottles. At the tasting room, McGrail has grown too big for its britches. They didn’t offer any of their best wines, and instead largely offered wines from a secondary winery which they bought out and this winery’s associated vineyards. The wines you’ll currently get at the tasting room are either simple and caustic non-​McGrail wines, or overly young and uneven McGrail offerings. While their better labels are within plain sight at the tasting room, you’ll receive stingy pours of inferior wines instead.
In our most recent visit, the wine tasting broke down as follows: they served an average sauvignon blanc, followed by a laughable chardonnay, then a below-​average red blend and pure merlot varietal (both made by the winery they bought out), and finally a true McGrail 2012 cabernet sauvignon (this one was strong but not fantastic). The overall average was poor.
SERVICE: 2
You’ll receive stingy pours from a pourer who will provide nothing but surface-​level information about the varietals featured, albeit this is done with a smile.
AMBIANCE/​EXPERIENCE: 3
While less impressive than some of the palaces in Napa and Sonoma, it is quite pleasant visually.
VALUE: 1
This rating reflects the fact that you don’t get to taste the wines that are notably expensive, even though everyone’s palette is unique. Thus, one would have to gamble on buying a $ 60+ bottle of wine having never even sniffed it. The wines you do taste are terrible values; one could certainly point to many BevMo offerings that would exceed these young and poorly executed tasting room wines. Beyond this, the tasting fee does not even apply to wine purchases. THEY EVEN TAKE THE TASTING FEE UPFRONT TO NOT SO NONCHALANTLY ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WON’T EVEN CONSIDER THAT THEIR TASTING FEE SHOULD TRADITIONALLY APPLY TO WINE PURCHASES! NOT FOOLING ANYONE MCGRAIL!
TOTAL SCORE: 1.45
RECOMMENDATION
McGrail’s tasting room was once a great Livermore Valley experience that has become pretentious and money-​grubbing. Consider this: if a couple goes to their tasting room, they’ll pay $ 20 to taste. McGrail will pocket their $ 20 and pour 4 out of 5 wines that are young or lower quality than the wines that drew the couple there to begin with. This is disingenuous, which is what McGrail has become. McGrail has become what the wine community hates most about Napa. I love their best wines and it would be difficult to write this if it wasn’t overwhelmingly true.
We hope this helps.

For Livermore, this is absolutely as good as it gets. I’ve had the pleasure of coming here for years and watching McGrails blossom into their beautiful wines and facility. They are always so helpful and attentive. It’s my go to place on a not too busy weekend to grab a bottle and sit out on the patio and enjoy the scenery. The family is always bustling around and couldn’t be more kind and generous than they are. The recent entry in sparkling with the «Gracie» is fantastic so says this bubbly snob. Not cheap-​but fantastic. Summer concerts on the front lawn with Posada catering is a very enjoyable way to end the week and kick off a fun summer weekend. If you don’t visit here you’re crazy! Best wine hands down in the Livermore Valley.

If you come to Livermore to do some wine tastings, this is the place! Beautiful Winery with a great view! Awesome wines!

If you get Lori for a tasting, you’re screwed. If you get anyone else, you will also probably be screwed. The wine is good. The service is terrible. Lori was snooty and on her own agenda. She even referred to herself as a b#tch on the way out, laughing all the way to her car. Age appropriate for a teen, not for a more than middle-​aged woman. This place has got to get it together, and pay attention to the quality of people that they bring on board, or nobody will want to visit. It’s sad to see that the other low ratings for this place on Unilocal mostly have to do with their poor customer service. Major red flag.

Beautiful Location!
Large tasting room & outside patio. They have a fountain out front and an area to play Bocce Ball.

I came here with a friend who works at a winery so I got to taste for free. I was very impressed. There were at least four wines I really enjoyed on the list that we tasted from. I ended up drinking more of the wine than I should have because I left there pretty happy! We did end up gojng to a few more wineries but I have to say that we made a mistake coming here first because every other location was not as good! I will be back.

Came in search of 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (French, Hungarian, and American Oak for 30 months), was pleasantly rewarded with two bottles. Nice building and grounds.

Went to McGrail today and had a great time. The wine was superb and the service was deft in spite of the throng of folks tasting. The large patio area with the stunning views is always appreciated and the new bocce courts are a big plus. The tasting room is one of the prettiest in Livermore and the wine, especially the cab and chardonnay is wonderful. This is one of the top 3 wineries in Livermore and not to be missed if you’re coming this way for an awesome day of tasting.

(Review is overdue .)
No pairings — no crackers, or even water was offered to any of us during our tasting in the main room.
Private barrel tasting was 5 Star experience! (Can’t remember the guides name ;(
PLEASE See Pic & give him props ! ;)
He was PERFECT! The coolest ever ! ;D
(12÷08÷12)

A nice find as we were wine tasting in Livermore last weekend. As you drive into the parking lot, you immediately forget about everything since the grounds are so gorgeous. There’s even an outside patio where you can enjoy your wine and or sammies you may have brought with you. The tasting room is HUGE! It needed to be, since the tasting room was also packed.
The staff was super friendly and helpful, especially since we’d never been to McGrail before. I especially liked the ’08 Picazo Merlot and the ’08 Picazo Proprietary Red. I’ll be looking to come back when I’m wine tasting in Livermore again.

Went wine tasting for a friend’s birthday and this was our first stop and probably the best.
I am not particularly a fan of Chardonnay but really liked theirs. It had a nice buttery finish. I also liked their blend and their petite Sirah. I could really taste the blackberry notes in the petite Sirah. I ended up buying a bottle for a friend and am already regretting not buying one for myself.
5 Tastings for $ 10
$ 5 off your tasting with the purchase of a bottle of wine. 15% off when you check-​in on Unilocal.
The pourers (for lack of knowing the proper name) were very knowledgeable and helpful.
I would definitely come back!