A Hidden Vine On the Lake

Unjust Gratuity Policy – Large Groups, Beware

We came here as a large group, excited for a fun and different experience. We knew there was an automatic 18% gratuity and were more than happy to pay that (or more!) for the food or drinks we were actually served. But being forced to pay that same gratuity on self-serve wine—wine we poured ourselves, with zero service involved—is outrageous.

We specifically asked to pay separately for our wine cards, a completely reasonable request since there was no staff involvement whatsoever. No one explained anything, offered suggestions, or provided service of any kind related to the wine. But the restaurant flat-out refused, insisted we pay on one bill, and tacked on 18% to the entire total—including the drinks we fetched, poured, and carried ourselves.

And the “service”? Food handed over with disposable plates, and plastic knives. Water we got ourselves from a dispenser. That’s it. We weren’t even given forks.

What makes this worse is that as a large group, we were bringing significant business into their establishment—and instead of being appreciated, we were boxed into a rigid, unjust policy that clearly has nothing to do with actual service and everything to do with squeezing every last dollar out of guests.

If you’re going to build your business around a self-service model, don’t hide behind a mandatory service charge and pretend it’s justified. It’s a cash grab, and we felt completely taken advantage of.

Large groups, beware: if you’re expecting helpfulness, flexibility, or fairness, you won’t find it here. Charging a full-service tip for a self-service experience is absurd, and this place has lost our business for good.

Really enjoyed our experience here. Great views and wine options. Customer service was top notch. There was a brunette guy with a beard and glasses (did not catch name) and he went above and beyond to make our night special. 10/10

It’s good. The views and vibes are what you come for. Want some sunshine, a drink, and charcuterie —come here. Culinary dining and fine wine maybe not your place.

Excellent service and wines to try! Great view on the patio of the lake too. They have overhead heaters and provide blankets for cooler days. Happy hour is 30% off tastings which I think is a great deal. They offer charcuterie boards and flatbreads too and everything we ordered was delicious. Will definitely return.

Great tasting room and wine ship right in the water. Daily happy hour from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Nice selection of wines available by taste, half-glass, or full-glass.

Indoor seating as well as a patio that has a nice view of the water. Dog friendly too.

A bit on the pricey side. Not a cheap place to go.

Just boo!

Simply a great place to enjoy wine and snacks an great service

Good place to enjoy, drink wine, beers, excellet customer service

Amazing wine selection! Great ambiance, good cheeses!!! Must try if you like wine tasting.

A really cool spot where you serve yourself the wine you want.

Just did a Peju tasting here! Top notch winery in Rutherford area of Napa. As always Hidden Vine put on an excellent experience. Friendly and professional staff!

Checked this place out on a Saturday morning after a TRX class in the same complex and we had the best time!! Mauricio provided the best service, we had an amazing view, and the food was so good! The chile verde omelette and French toast were fire! We will definitely be coming back!!!

This is the coolest place on the lake. Great wine, great view, great cheese, great service! We came here with my mom who was visiting from out of town and had never experienced anything like it. It was great to be able to try so many different wines with their card system. The owner/ managers were so helpful and friendly. They allow dogs on the patio and have blankets to use when the sun goes dog and it gets cold. We will for sure be brining back any visitors.

Such a lovely gem! Excellent wine, tasty flatbreads and bites, service is super friendly and fun. You can either sit inside on cozy tables or sit outside and enjoy the view of the lake. Of course I had to take a couple of new favorite wines home with me! Thanks for such a great evening!

Linda and I love this place. Fabulous wine with reasonable prices. Great place to relax and a wonderful staff.