Love it but drove all the way out to find it closed. Listed as open ?
Michael Noyes
If you can overlook the service, it’s actually a really nice place with great wine. Unfortunately, the owner (mother) has such poor customer service that it’s hard to do.
Lauryn Eberle
We have made the hour-long drive at least once a year for quite a few years to enjoy a visit when the fall foliage comes around, and have really enjoyed it in the past. After today, we will not be returning.
I want to preface this by saying that I have worked in customer-facing positions my entire working life. It is not like me at all to write negative reviews centered around an experience with an employee, even when I have had an unpleasant experience with them. I know very well that dealing with customers can be difficult at times, and I try to give unpleasant employees grace by reminding myself that we all have our “moments” or bad days.
It is clear, both through my own repeated experiences and one brief glance at the reviews here, that the older woman (seemingly the owner?) is not merely having a moment.
The first notable bad experience here was four years ago, in October 2020. My sister and I both have autoimmune diseases, and felt more comfortable wearing masks for the brief moment we were inside, given the tight proximity with others inside the building and the state of the pandemic at that time. I know that masks have become a divisive subject over the years, but as a reminder this was only six months into the pandemic in the US, and masks were completely normal to see and use in public. We were made very uncomfortable right away as the older woman berated us and interrogated us about why we were wearing masks. She would not drop the subject and I felt extremely embarrassed by this. It was also totally unprofessional- anything we made the personal choice to do for the sake of our health was a. None of her business and b. Had nothing to do with us attempting to spend money on a wine tasting. Obviously, that bizarre exchange left a bad taste in my mouth but my family and I had a nice time outside and I brushed it off. I didn’t even think to make a review at that time because I was hopeful that it was a one-off bad experience.
Today, I walked in with two other family members. I had a plastic water bottle sticking out of the front pocket of my jacket, which I totally forgot about as I had been walking around with it throughout the day and it slipped my mind. The older woman was at the front counter and the VERY FIRST words she spoke to us were “NO WATER BOTTLES. NO FOOD, NO WATER, NOTHING.” I am completely happy to follow the rules of an establishment, but it is beyond my comprehension that you wouldn’t even offer a greeting first when your paying customers walk in, nevermind that you would immediately begin yelling at them. I put the bottle in the car and we proceeded outside to have a glass of wine in the courtyard, determined to have a nice, peaceful afternoon regardless.
We ordered a cheese plate (which ended up being a plate of unwashed grapes, a bit of cheese, a handful of assorted nuts and exactly five ritz crackers for $22) and when she brought it to our table, she referenced the sound of gunshots in the distance (which we had been trying to ignore) saying, “They’re killing a deer. Yeah. Isn’t that lovely?” Which put quite a damper on the zen of the outdoors.
It really is a shame - it used to be a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the scenery, but the quality has gone downhill (cheese box was significantly higher quality for a lower price last time we came) and her attitude is so toxic that it’s not worth making the drive anymore. I do want to say that the younger woman (I’m assuming her daughter) was kind to us, and it’s a shame that the older woman’s attitude is going to take her down too as she turns everyone away from this business.
There are plenty of lovely vineyards around with wonderful customer service, and there’s no reason to waste our time or money here ever again.
Robin Soule
We returned for our annual autumn visit and upon entering this lovely building our adult daughter was immediately “greeted” with the owner yelling, “No outside water, food, or anything!” I proceeded to smile, and said, “Good afternoon! How are you?” The mother (who we assume is the owner) continued to be rude, inhospitable, and belittling to her own adult daughter with whom she works. We bought a bottle of wine, and a cheese plate (containing 5 Ritz crackers, 2 dried apricots, a handful of dusty unwashed red grapes, a round slab of soft cheese, and some assorted nuts). The mother brought out the cheese box and stated, “They’re killing a deer” about the nearby gunfire we were hearing. There was a couple sitting nearby on the beautiful outdoor patio and the “gentleman” in the pair proceeded to speak very loudly and angrily, (peppering his words with profanity) as he discussed his political views and the “immigrant situation”. I could go on, but suffice it to say that our lovely Zen outing left us feeling sad that such a once wonderful business is being run into the ground. Looking back, my daughter noted that she and her sister were berated by the owner for wearing masks inside the building, in October of 2020! Sadly, we won’t return. Judging from the 5 or 6 cars in the once-overcrowded parking lot, we are not alone in this decision.
Jennifer Del Conte
This is a nice spot to stop. While most CT wine is questionable, the wine from this vineyard is surpassed by expectations. My only comment was that I wish I could have purchased a glass with the logo so when I cracked open my bottle, I could have advertised the vineyard to my friends/family via using the glass a conversation piece. Since I won’t have a glass as a reminder, I am sure my visit will be a fleeting memory.
Eileen Leblanc
I can’t rate the wine or atmosphere because the woman who answered the phone when I called up to inquire about the time they close sabotaged our visit. She very rudely told me if I wanted to have a tasting or a bottle to have there I must get there by 1pm because that’s when they stop serving. I inquired about their closing time on the web said 3pm and she responded” honey , we lock doors at 3pm so if you want anything we don’t serve after 1pm”. This woman needs to stay away from the phone and anything that has to deal with the public, How do you run a winery that opens at 11:30am but won’t serve after 1pm but closes at 3pm . I have the winery passport and live an hour away so I decided to forfeit this stamp . I will contact who ever distributes these books and report this winery as an insult to their very lovely idea to promote wineries in Ct . Shame on Sharpe Hill Vineyard .
Mary Adams
We arrived at 2:05 and was rudely told by the owner the wine tasting was over (even though, their website says 3:00) and we could only buy take out wine. The daughter was very nice and we told her we were here to get our passport stamped, which she did for us, while shaking her head in discust on her mother's attitude. We've gone to 10 CT Wine Trail Vineyards, do a taste testing and buy at least one bottle of wine from the vineyards. This is the only vineyard where we simply walked out after getting our passport stamped without buying anything and we didn't feel bad. We've never felt as unwelcome as we were at this vineyard. Clearly they don't want to sell their wine and should be taken off the CT Wine Trail!
James Osler
Aweful. Door locked 1/2 hr before closing younger lady super nice thankfully let me in but unable to do tasting had to take something to go after her mom was yelling at her daughter to shut it down and chase us out immediately talk about ruined vibe trying to complete the entire wine trail
Patti Bushey
Traveled a distance to get there and was not met with warm reception. Got there shortly after 11 and they were not yet open; however the website stated hours of 11-2. Had dogs with me and was yelled at that dogs were not allowed. I came to pick up a couple bottles and have my passport stamped. My husband was happy to wait outside with the pups as I went in to purchase. Was told that she could not stamp my book as she could not open registers. Was told to come back later. I travelled almost an hour to get there. Won’t be back. I am all for following rules of no pets, no outside water; however, I don't need to be spoken to rudely.
Jane Newall
Lovely atmosphere- attentive staff. Liked several of the wines.
Very unfriendly staff. I understand if the winery is 21+, but to yell at a customer even if they have a teenager in the paring lot is way too much. Would rate 0 stars if I could. (Edited for spelling)
Christine Gaj
Called a few weeks ago just to see what hours they were opened and the woman who answered, even before she answered my question, proceeded to tell me about problems at our border with the undocumented people coming in down south!!??? What does that have to do with my question? I thought it was rude so needless to say we didn't go. And it's too bad because I had gone a few years ago and enjoyed the experience but would not go back after this strange phone call. I did read some of the other reviews that stated the same thing about the people that run this place.... too weird.
Linda P
The tasting room is quaint and decorated nicely. Great selection of wines and reasonably priced. We did the full tasting and all the wines were delicious. The reserve Chardonnay, Ballet of Angels and Angelica Rose were my favorites. Looking forward to visiting again in the fall.
Shauna Wilson
I have never been to this particular winery. I did see online how the place received many awards. I called to inquire about Mother’s Day and spoke with the owner whose attitude was absolutely horrific and extremely unprofessional!! I seemed to be bothering her. I asked for pricing, being that I’ve never been there before and was told they don’t do pricing over the phone. Understandable, however, when you’re planning to drive over an hour to a winery that does not allow outside food or drinks pricing is a reasonable request!! The owner heard my child speak in the background and immediately told me “no children”!! Funny because I had no intention of bringing my child. Just very rude as if she couldn’t be bothered with someone trying to support her business. I am very big on customer service. I asked who I was speaking with and was told “the owner” followed my her hanging up the phone in my face. I will not recommend this place to anyone, regardless of the pricing and what the place has to offer!! If I could give a zero rating I would!!Gouveia Vineyards is very accommodating!! They allow children and outside food if anyone is looking for a respectable winery !! :)
Karen Carlson
Worst experience ever. Wines were good, but the owner belittled us the whole time we were there. She came over 3 times to ask us how many wines we had left to drink. Lecturing us on what time they closed even though the daughter had welcomed us in. When we asked her to stop harassing us, she said she wasn't because she was the owner. She then lectured us on being rude. The whole time, her daughter is ignoring her and pouring us wine. We would have bought several bottles but left instead. Do not recommend you visit here, it was a very stressful experience.
Love it but drove all the way out to find it closed. Listed as open ?
If you can overlook the service, it’s actually a really nice place with great wine. Unfortunately, the owner (mother) has such poor customer service that it’s hard to do.
We have made the hour-long drive at least once a year for quite a few years to enjoy a visit when the fall foliage comes around, and have really enjoyed it in the past. After today, we will not be returning.
I want to preface this by saying that I have worked in customer-facing positions my entire working life. It is not like me at all to write negative reviews centered around an experience with an employee, even when I have had an unpleasant experience with them. I know very well that dealing with customers can be difficult at times, and I try to give unpleasant employees grace by reminding myself that we all have our “moments” or bad days.
It is clear, both through my own repeated experiences and one brief glance at the reviews here, that the older woman (seemingly the owner?) is not merely having a moment.
The first notable bad experience here was four years ago, in October 2020. My sister and I both have autoimmune diseases, and felt more comfortable wearing masks for the brief moment we were inside, given the tight proximity with others inside the building and the state of the pandemic at that time. I know that masks have become a divisive subject over the years, but as a reminder this was only six months into the pandemic in the US, and masks were completely normal to see and use in public. We were made very uncomfortable right away as the older woman berated us and interrogated us about why we were wearing masks. She would not drop the subject and I felt extremely embarrassed by this. It was also totally unprofessional- anything we made the personal choice to do for the sake of our health was a. None of her business and b. Had nothing to do with us attempting to spend money on a wine tasting. Obviously, that bizarre exchange left a bad taste in my mouth but my family and I had a nice time outside and I brushed it off. I didn’t even think to make a review at that time because I was hopeful that it was a one-off bad experience.
Today, I walked in with two other family members. I had a plastic water bottle sticking out of the front pocket of my jacket, which I totally forgot about as I had been walking around with it throughout the day and it slipped my mind. The older woman was at the front counter and the VERY FIRST words she spoke to us were “NO WATER BOTTLES. NO FOOD, NO WATER, NOTHING.” I am completely happy to follow the rules of an establishment, but it is beyond my comprehension that you wouldn’t even offer a greeting first when your paying customers walk in, nevermind that you would immediately begin yelling at them. I put the bottle in the car and we proceeded outside to have a glass of wine in the courtyard, determined to have a nice, peaceful afternoon regardless.
We ordered a cheese plate (which ended up being a plate of unwashed grapes, a bit of cheese, a handful of assorted nuts and exactly five ritz crackers for $22) and when she brought it to our table, she referenced the sound of gunshots in the distance (which we had been trying to ignore) saying, “They’re killing a deer. Yeah. Isn’t that lovely?” Which put quite a damper on the zen of the outdoors.
It really is a shame - it used to be a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the scenery, but the quality has gone downhill (cheese box was significantly higher quality for a lower price last time we came) and her attitude is so toxic that it’s not worth making the drive anymore. I do want to say that the younger woman (I’m assuming her daughter) was kind to us, and it’s a shame that the older woman’s attitude is going to take her down too as she turns everyone away from this business.
There are plenty of lovely vineyards around with wonderful customer service, and there’s no reason to waste our time or money here ever again.
We returned for our annual autumn visit and upon entering this lovely building our adult daughter was immediately “greeted” with the owner yelling, “No outside water, food, or anything!” I proceeded to smile, and said, “Good afternoon! How are you?”
The mother (who we assume is the owner) continued to be rude, inhospitable, and belittling to her own adult daughter with whom she works.
We bought a bottle of wine, and a cheese plate (containing 5 Ritz crackers, 2 dried apricots, a handful of dusty unwashed red grapes, a round slab of soft cheese, and some assorted nuts).
The mother brought out the cheese box and stated, “They’re killing a deer” about the nearby gunfire we were hearing. There was a couple sitting nearby on the beautiful outdoor patio and the “gentleman” in the pair proceeded to speak very loudly and angrily, (peppering his words with profanity) as he discussed his political views and the “immigrant situation”.
I could go on, but suffice it to say that our lovely Zen outing left us feeling sad that such a once wonderful business is being run into the ground.
Looking back, my daughter noted that she and her sister were berated by the owner for wearing masks inside the building, in October of 2020!
Sadly, we won’t return. Judging from the 5 or 6 cars in the once-overcrowded parking lot, we are not alone in this decision.
This is a nice spot to stop. While most CT wine is questionable, the wine from this vineyard is surpassed by expectations. My only comment was that I wish I could have purchased a glass with the logo so when I cracked open my bottle, I could have advertised the vineyard to my friends/family via using the glass a conversation piece. Since I won’t have a glass as a reminder, I am sure my visit will be a fleeting memory.
I can’t rate the wine or atmosphere because the woman who answered the phone when I called up to inquire about the time they close sabotaged our visit. She very rudely told me if I wanted to have a tasting or a bottle to have there I must get there by 1pm because that’s when they stop serving. I inquired about their closing time on the web said 3pm and she responded” honey , we lock doors at 3pm so if you want anything we don’t serve after 1pm”. This woman needs to stay away from the phone and anything that has to deal with the public, How do you run a winery that opens at 11:30am but won’t serve after 1pm but closes at 3pm . I have the winery passport and live an hour away so I decided to forfeit this stamp . I will contact who ever distributes these books and report this winery as an insult to their very lovely idea to promote wineries in Ct . Shame on Sharpe Hill Vineyard .
We arrived at 2:05 and was rudely told by the owner the wine tasting was over (even though, their website says 3:00) and we could only buy take out wine. The daughter was very nice and we told her we were here to get our passport stamped, which she did for us, while shaking her head in discust on her mother's attitude. We've gone to 10 CT Wine Trail Vineyards, do a taste testing and buy at least one bottle of wine from the vineyards. This is the only vineyard where we simply walked out after getting our passport stamped without buying anything and we didn't feel bad. We've never felt as unwelcome as we were at this vineyard. Clearly they don't want to sell their wine and should be taken off the CT Wine Trail!
Aweful. Door locked 1/2 hr before closing younger lady super nice thankfully let me in but unable to do tasting had to take something to go after her mom was yelling at her daughter to shut it down and chase us out immediately talk about ruined vibe trying to complete the entire wine trail
Traveled a distance to get there and was not met with warm reception. Got there shortly after 11 and they were not yet open; however the website stated hours of 11-2. Had dogs with me and was yelled at that dogs were not allowed. I came to pick up a couple bottles and have my passport stamped. My husband was happy to wait outside with the pups as I went in to purchase. Was told that she could not stamp my book as she could not open registers. Was told to come back later. I travelled almost an hour to get there. Won’t be back. I am all for following rules of no pets, no outside water; however, I don't need to be spoken to rudely.
Lovely atmosphere- attentive staff. Liked several of the wines.
Restaurantji Recommends
Very unfriendly staff. I understand if the winery is 21+, but to yell at a customer even if they have a teenager in the paring lot is way too much. Would rate 0 stars if I could. (Edited for spelling)
Called a few weeks ago just to see what hours they were opened and the woman who answered, even before she answered my question, proceeded to tell me about problems at our border with the undocumented people coming in down south!!??? What does that have to do with my question? I thought it was rude so needless to say we didn't go. And it's too bad because I had gone a few years ago and enjoyed the experience but would not go back after this strange phone call. I did read some of the other reviews that stated the same thing about the people that run this place.... too weird.
The tasting room is quaint and decorated nicely. Great selection of wines and reasonably priced. We did the full tasting and all the wines were delicious. The reserve Chardonnay, Ballet of Angels and Angelica Rose were my favorites. Looking forward to visiting again in the fall.
I have never been to this particular winery. I did see online how the place received many awards. I called to inquire about Mother’s Day and spoke with the owner whose attitude was absolutely horrific and extremely unprofessional!! I seemed to be bothering her. I asked for pricing, being that I’ve never been there before and was told they don’t do pricing over the phone. Understandable, however, when you’re planning to drive over an hour to a winery that does not allow outside food or drinks pricing is a reasonable request!! The owner heard my child speak in the background and immediately told me “no children”!! Funny because I had no intention of bringing my child. Just very rude as if she couldn’t be bothered with someone trying to support her business. I am very big on customer service. I asked who I was speaking with and was told “the owner” followed my her hanging up the phone in my face. I will not recommend this place to anyone, regardless of the pricing and what the place has to offer!! If I could give a zero rating I would!!Gouveia Vineyards is very accommodating!! They allow children and outside food if anyone is looking for a respectable winery !! :)
Worst experience ever. Wines were good, but the owner belittled us the whole time we were there. She came over 3 times to ask us how many wines we had left to drink. Lecturing us on what time they closed even though the daughter had welcomed us in. When we asked her to stop harassing us, she said she wasn't because she was the owner. She then lectured us on being rude. The whole time, her daughter is ignoring her and pouring us wine. We would have bought several bottles but left instead. Do not recommend you visit here, it was a very stressful experience.
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