Karmere Vineyards & Winery

One of my fave stops whenever I visit Amador County! This place is always so welcoming, unpretentious, and overall lovely! One or two good reds, but they are best known for their bubblies! Amazing flavors and great quality. Their bottles are as pretty as their wines, which are hugged with original artwork. Free tasting! They have a beautiful setup inside and outside, so you can grab a bottle and bring a picnic basket and set yourself up outdoors.

We’ve been coming to Karmere with family on visits to Sacramento for years, and after we moved here, we became members almost immediately. The grounds are beautiful and the wines are, of course, fantastic. They do zins, syrah, and barbera very well. But a lot of wineries in Amador have great wine. What really sets Karmere apart is the service. Haley and her staff are fantastic, and have always treated us like family. If you’re wine tasting in Amador County, stopping at Karmere is a must.

Last winery for the day. By this time hubs was dragging me to do one more winery after visiting 5 others. I told the guy, just the bubblies please. I didn’t think I could handle anything else. OH MY! I loved their bubblies. They also have this combo called the «sure thing» — if you know what I mean, wink. Try it! My favorite was the raspberry which we got a bottle for home. Yay!
This place is gorgeous. The tasting room makes me feel like I’m in a mansion. The back patio area is like a scene from Mt. Olympus. Just beautiful! Definitely find time to stay and enjoy the scenery here.

We heard such great stories about this winery. Hmmmm it was OK not great. The wine was decent but we didn’t purchase any. Service was ok but they were talking more with the older couple than us. Yes they may appear to have more money so I get it but who knows we could have $$$ too. It’s worth checking out on a week day but unless they have more staff than look elsewhere for a more welcoming staff.

Still our favorite, after all these years. Fantastic wine, fantastic winery and fantastic family and other staff that runs it. It’s also a great place for an event, and I’ve attended quite a few there. You can’t go wrong at Karmere. Not the biggest, but there are many who think it’s the best, in spite of the ever growing competition. Check it out.

I am not a big wine drinker or know a lot about wines but do enjoy a good wine tasting from time to time. My girlfriend and I came here on New Year’s Day and they were one of the few places open. Pam was our pourer and she was so sweet. She explained everything to us about the wine and some of their other products. She never made us feel like we were overstepping our welcome. Matter of fact she suggested we come back and bring bring food and hang out on their beautiful grounds. I will definitely be back in the spring when the weather gets a little warmer. Thanks Pam for mAking us feel so welcomed. Btw we left with 5bottles of wine and some flavored vinegars

Incredible place to come and get great wine. Not one bad wine here. Great servers and bring your dogs !!

Very beautiful grounds and great wine! Everyone working here is kind and very generous. If you haven’t made it here, it’s a must!

This is a beautiful vineyard. The property is gorgeous, green and sprawling. The lady who helped us was so friendly and gave us an extra bottle of their almond champagne (yummm) for our 5 year anniversary. The artwork on their label is beautiful. It’s a local artist and it gives it an artsy touch. I will definitely be coming back the next time I am in the area. If you are usually not a fan of almond champagne, which I was not, you will be now. Happy wine tasting.

My husband and I recently returned from a wine tasting trip to Amador County. We have been to Karmere several times, so we made it a point to return because we have always had great experiences there. First, the winery tasting room both inside and out is one of the most beautiful wineries we have visited to date. We found out on this particular trip that this was the family home; a regular looking house which was later converted into the beautiful building and interior it is today. The grounds are spectacular with many manicured hedges and trees, along with a few whimsical sculptures thrown in here and there. The large patio adjacent to the tasting room is definitely a picnic destination of choice for us since the surrounding grounds and views of the vineyards are striking. It is so relaxing to sit there and sip on their delicious wines while having lunch. One of the family members, Hayley, was pouring the tastings the day we visited. She is such a sweetheart; so very easy going and a delight to talk with. We were very fortunate on this particular occasion to have her all to ourselves since we were the only guests there early on a Monday. We really got to know the history of the winery and a little bit about her family. It adds to the experience to connect with someone who is part of what makes this place such a great winery. We love their wines, which of course is a very important aspect of the wine tasting itself. We particularly love all of the Zinfandel’s we tasted, so we left with one of each, and it wouldn’t be a visit to Karmere without taking home their Temperance Tarts, a red blend which comes in an adorable jug bottle and is absolutely delicious! There is a cute background story listed on their website about this particular wine. Karmere can get busy during certain times of the year and on weekends, but if you are able to experience it in the way we have, you will have a very special tasting experience. And by the way, they do not now nor will they ever allow Limo’s … Kudos to that!

Well I visited Karmere based on their high star rating here on Unilocal,and it genuinely bums me out when fellow Unilocalers steer me wrong. What a total disappointment this place was.
On the plus side, their grounds are even prettier than the pictures depict — the sculptures and manicured trees give the whole winery a nice air of whimsy! Their tasting room is also bright and spacious, it feels very open and welcoming. But unfortunately that’s where the pleasantness ended, and as nice as it is to visit a pretty winery, the grounds aren’t what we’re here for.
Upon walking up to the tasting counter around 3:00 pm on a Sunday we were the only patrons, which can *sometimes* be a good sign. We were greeted warmly enough, welcomed and told we would get our pourer’s undivided attention. Sounds good! But this pleasant woman walked away, and handed us off to a guy that was somewhere between very new and inexperienced or totally out of f*cks to give. Their tasting menu is large but instead of receiving any guidance, he kept barking at us «What do you want to taste?», and despite there being four of us with our own plans, whatever one suggested he would pour for all without hesitation. It got to the point where 2 of the group just walked away without finishing, and I covered up my glass a few times. We were given no information about the wines at all, there was no pleasant conversation, I just felt like I was inconveniencing him and the other staff. Once when I spoke directly to this guy, he knowingly ignored me to continue looking at his phone, and then just walked away to mess with his phone away from the tasting counter. WTF. The only upside is that they don’t charge for tasting, or if they do, they not only didn’t charge us, they didn’t say how much it was. Like I said, zero guidance.
What about the wine, you may wonder? Well here’s another little hiccup — the tasting room smelled HORRID. To be blunt, it smelled like piss. I don’t know if they were having perhaps a sewer problem, or their cleaning product smells mixed poorly. No matter — not only do I not want to stand in a pee-​stinking room, I certainly don’t want to taste wine in it. But I toughed it out, and whether the smell was to blame or not, their wine was very lackluster. I didn’t taste many because of the lousy service, but of ones I did try, the Rose and Temperance Tart were decent. They praised their many Zinfandels but none were pleasing or unique with any finesse. And there isn’t much point in visiting an Amador winery if you’re in the market for sparkling wine.
For many many reasons, I left Karmere empty handed, and I have zero desire to return. There are far better wineries a minimal driving distance away, where I know they care far more. Sorry Karmere, you really blew it with us.

The lady at the tasting counter was as sweet as could be and the back entrance lead into a gorgeous view of the surrounding land. That being said, I just wasn’t very impressed at all with the lineup which actually spanned over a dozen wines. The primabera and GSM were both solid and it was unfortunate that the latter was only available to wine club members. The majority of the rest had little tannin structure to speak of and rather harsh, almost astringent finishes. Some of the zinfandels were decent while one was a complete fruit bomb and not in a good way. The prices are more than reasonable and the tasting itself is free… I just wasn’t digging any of the wines enough to justify a bottle.

Beautiful grounds. The inside was nice and welcoming too. I went in to try out their dessert wine but they were sold out. I ended up getting a good port instead.

The best thing they offer at Karmere are the beautiful grounds and view of the region. I love coming here to picnic, but the customer service always leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve come here about 4 or 5 times for tastings. Each time I’ve come, the staff have treated us as though we were second-​class citizens or had zero interest in learning about their wine. Twice I have gone, and the people tasting next to us (non-​members, mind you) were brought over to do barrel tastings and monopolized a majority of their time. I tried to figure out what I was missing, since I know those people didn’t pay extra for a barrel tasting.
As far as the wines, I really like the peach sparkling wine. I tend to avoid sweeter wines for the most part, but this one really captivates my taste buds. The La Petite Angie Zin was quite good, but I would say the rest of the collection was mediocre.
Also, whatever you do, DO NOT bring a limo or party bus on their property. They will chase you off. Haha.

Wow! Non pretentious, fair prices, tons of options for wine, best bottle artwork = a must do while in Amador county! If only Napa could be like this! A local gem.

Karmere is a wonderful winery with drop-​dead-​gorgeous lush green fields in the back.
The wines are heavily focused around Italian –style wines and are all really affordable, in the $ 15-​$ 25 range per bottle. Tastings are free!
There were dozens of people in the tasting room, but we opted for the outdoor seating in the grass — it was gorgeous and perfect under their large umbrellas — we really enjoyed it. On a busy Saturday afternoon, they spoiled us with some free cheeseburgers (with two kinds of cheese, Jalapeño & Cheddar) tastings as well — the meat was so delish.
Overall — a gem in Plymouth that shouldn’t be missed.

By far the friendliest vineyard in all of the valley. From the employees to the just the atmosphere you feel welcomed and comfortable regardless of your knowledge in wine or lack there of. All the wines were spectacular and affordable enough to buy multiple bottles and not regret the amount spent. This was truly the best place we stopped overall after visiting 7 vineyards. If you like great sparkling wine the staff not only pours you the tasting but is also willing to add to each pour to accommodate to every pallet. I can’t say enough amazing things about this jem on a long road of choices… But I can say I’d never pass by it again. From my family to the Karmere Vineyard we thank you for the experience today; see you soon!

Cute-​and-​cozy exterior, casual-​and-​airy. Best part: no fee and unlimited tastings! The wines were OK, not a favorite stop. Service was pleasant-​enough, but not considered warm and friendly. Still, we’re glad to have experienced Karmere.

Karmere Vineyards & Winery is one of my favorite places in Amador County, because they’re scratching an itch not otherwise accommodated in this region: sparkling wines. I love ‘em, and Karmere offers four different tastings from which to sample, which I LOVE as an option in the sea of Barberas and Zins and Syrahs that are mainly offered.
So, naturally, since we were back in the area, as part of our new «routine» when visiting Plymouth/​Shenandoah Valley/​Amador County, we hit up Karmere, and it did not disappoint.
Though crowded because it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, we managed to sidle up to the smaller tasting counter back by the barrel tastings, and were helped by Paul. I cannot say enough good things about Paul… so nice, so helpful, so interesting. Whatever you do, Karmere staff-​hiring-​people, keep that guy around!
We ended up with two bottles from here: one Raspberry Sparkling Wine for me, and the Empress Drew Syrah for Hubby. Since I had JUST joined another wine club, I kinda glossed over Karmere’s offerings, but I did notice «free to join» so NEXT time we go up to Plymouth (in May to pick up my new wine club offerings), I think I’ll join Karmere’s wine club too. After all, they ARE scratching my bubbly itch, and make some reds that Hubby really likes, so it’s a win-​win :)
We’ll be back in a couple months, Karmere! And we’re really hoping Paul is still there :)

Very nice little winery located in the foothills East of Sacramento. Lots of standard flavors and a popular pour spot. Very close to Villa Toscano and Bella Piazza, which it very much reminded me of.
Friendly atmosphere and we will go back. Not my favorites… but above average.
Short review… in a «nut shell» if traveling up or down the foothills wine tasting… stop in and you will enjoy.
Nothing bad to say about this winery.
Highlight: Beautiful outside area… great for a private party or wedding ceremony. Not sure of cost, but I can guarantee they will rent it out.
West Roseville lists this as «Good Stuff».