9 Best Wineries in Madera

“Our visit today for wine tasting was awesome for two reasons. The wine was superb and Nikki (sp?) was the perfect example of what a wine tasting host should be (personable and knowledgeable). We purchased a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and loved our host!“

“Update: Yesterday we visited to pick up some of their port wine. We ended up staying for a sip or two. The Cabernet is pretty good! More importantly: I discovered that their membership is pretty great we too! You have the option to choose your own wines, every time you pick up. For me that opened the door and immediately signed up, took my first 3 bottles, and had another sip! 😉

When I opened the Birdstone Tinta Madeira Port wine today, I remembered I had not left a review yet, so here we go. Being newbies in the area and finally retired, so we have the time to do these thigns, we planned to visit some wineries and pick one or more to give our patronage regularly. So far Birdstone is the only one that provided a welcoming ambiance and a relaxed tasting of their wide spectrum of wines. Sandra, our host, went out of her way to make sure we were getting the experience we were looking for. All the wines were of good to really good quality. There is really something for everyone. My taste is more into red and not so sweet, and I only found their rose to be too much on the sweet side (again, for my taste). The white chardonnay was quite drinkable, the Muskat enjoyable, and all the reds good to very good wines for light to heavy dishes or paired with chocolat, or some crackers and cheese. My favourites are clearly the Babera and the Primitivo, again led by my personal taste. These are exceptional wines. And then there is the Tinta Madeira Port. Unfortunately the sample we tasted was over due, but showed the signs of a good port, so we bought a bottle and that brings me back to today: a port pairing with some blue cheeses, yum! We hope to frequent this winery during our stay here and become part of their journey of making exceptional wines.“

“This is prob my favorite winery in is all place Madera calif. They have the best moscato at 15% in orange and black that is so very delicious. I moved out of state and I mail order it here normally with paying 1cent when they run their specials. Wish I lived close as going to their wine tasting room was always a great time.“

“I've been going there for years and I've never had a bad loading experience myself. Of course depending on the day you pickup it could be real busy. Still not bad though, and they have truck parking across the street if needed. I like coming to this place.“

“This was a pleasant surprise. We usually wine taste in Napa and Paso Robles. I brought my daughter for her 22nd birthday, this was her first tasting and Miguel was awesome!! He was very professional and knowledgeable. He even did a blind tasting in the end for us which I have never seen before . The wines were fantastic!! Even the white wines, which I normally pass on. Great job Cru and Miguel!!! We’ll be back!“

“We just happened to come across Ficklin Vineyards while driving through Madera and wow! We were so impressed. Chase is a fantastic member of their team: personable, friendly, and knowledgeable. As newcomers to Port wine, I really appreciated his approachable introduction to the different varieties and the attention to detail that goes into their winemaking. It made for a memorable and welcoming experience.“

“We went out for their Santana Tribute concert and it did not disappoint. The party kicks off at 6PM and the energy builds fast. Pro tip: buy your tickets online and save yourself $5 (or pay $30 at the window).

Bring your lounge chairs, a wagon, a small table, and a few cigars — trust me, it sets the mood just right. There are plenty of vendors and a nice selection of drinks at the bar, from beer to cocktails.

If you’re looking for a little extra comfort, there’s even a VIP section available. We had a great time kicking back under the stars, enjoying good music and good company.

Big shoutout to Aldo Cigars for completing the vibe! 🙌🔥

If you're into live music, good drinks, and chill outdoor hangs, ApCal is the place to be.“