Van Der Vijver Estate

I’ve never been to the winery, yet! But I had some of their wine at Raley’s Grape Escape in Sacramento. Very good wine. Love the Rose! I’m more of a red wine gal but this is the perfect summer wine for us red wine drinkers. Actually, it’s a good wine anytime of year! And their assistant helping was quite captivating:) I’m going to be planning a trip out to the estate soon so I can really enjoy the atmosphere of their winery. You never know what treasures you’ll find.

Van der Vijver Estate is located in Fair Play, Ca (El Dorado) and is one of our most favorite places to visit. The tasting room is set for a delightful experience with wooden shoes lining the fence, home made Hors d’Oeuvres and some of the best wines I’ve tasted. The wines are made with old style European traditions. Their wines are made with food pairing in mind and can be laid down for 10 years or more.

The wines are exploding with flavor, beginning with a bold rich start to a smooth finish. I recommend decanting his wines for 30min to an hour before serving.
Don’t forget to try some of his 10+ year old wines and ask him about the (S.H.S.Y.O.W).

When you sign up for his «futures» and ask him when it will be ready. He will tell you «It depends on the wine». If he doesn’t think it’s ready he will let it age even longer to ensure you get an amazing bottle of wine every time.


Robert «the wine maker» and his family are wonderful people and very welcoming. Robert and his father have a sense of humor that stands alone.

I think you will have a great experience at Van der Vijver Estate and you are sure to get a great bottle of wine… You can Google Van der Vijver Estate for their website info.

We had such a wonderful time today at Van Der Vijver.
From the moment you drive up the long driveway you can tell from the yellow wooden shoes on the fence that it’s owned by some interesting people. This is not a pretentious place instead you’re going to be poured by the owner and his father and have tons of laughs and back and forth.
Everything we tasted was top notch and highly enjoyed. I was thrilled to be able to score a bottle of Sangiovese which made Ferrari Carano taste like Sutter Home.
This is a must stop for people who have a sense of humor and like having a great time and also drinking some pretty unique stuff!

Great winery. Has a smart dog too. They treat you right there. We took away too much wine but plan to work at reducing the supply over the next several months.

Love, love, love Van der Vijver for SO many reasons!!!
Robert and family are amazing hosts. Robert is an incredibly artful wine maker, he doesn’t cut any corners and thoroughly enjoys sharing all his experience about the process of making it. Also, he is hilarious! No snobs here, just a relaxed environment and amazing wine.
A word to the visitors, bring your sense of humor and quick wit!

This place is the «diamond in the rough» of the Sierra Foothills!
So at first I was like, «what’s up with all the clogs?!»
But when we went into this charming little place, we were greeted by the friendliest mutt and a flying-​dutchman named Robert :)
Robert entertains his guests as he introduces you to a style of wine, very unique to the region. I mean, This dude even does a stand-​up routine, (which includes his dog!) How cool is that?!
A good time was had by all, He provokes such a fun atmosphere and quickly strangers were becoming friends. Laughs and good times all around!
If you failed to check out Van Der Vijver on your wine tour, you lucked out.

We love their wine. The owner is Dutch and wears wooden shoes! Very lovely tasting room with fun company.
Come and check it out.

Robert Van der Vijver makes more than great wine; he provides top notch customer service. He knows his regulars by name and greets new faces with the same warm smile. His Barbera is hands down the best in the area and his Port is out of this world and well worth the price.
The tasting room is cozy and familiar. It’s in no way pretentious or stuffy. With each new wine Robert pours, he explains the variety and the winemaking process. Wine is a labor of love that emits through each bottle Van der Vijver produces. This winery is about family (his dad works in the tasting room too) and food, all great combinations for great wine!
P. S. Picnic at the tables (Robert will open his wines for you) and pass a treat to his dog, Bella.