Garre Winery

Absolutely gorgeous venue. Close to work so visit often for lunch. One of the best salmon salads I have ever had. A must try! The staff is amazing, the setting is beautiful. Decently priced. You will not be disappointed!

Had lunch there today the food was good and the service was even better. My server was amazing. Great job Lisa.

Garré has a small, crudely built tasting room. I could see this feeling intimate on a slow day, but when I visited with friends the place was thronged with noisy, boisterous drunks on a wine tour. Aside from the unpleasant company the wines just didn’t taste very special. Other wineries nearby produce better quality at equal or lower prices.

No change for Garre’s winery rating this year. Wines are not mind bending but very quaffable, and priced accordingly.
2.5−3.0 Stars
Cellar Door
2014 Chardonnay.
Citrus: lemon. Tropical: pineapple. Primary. Youthful. Hot finish.
2.5−3.0
2014 rosato sangiovese.
Watermelon, strawberry, ripe mango. Good acidity. Nutty finish.
2.5−3.0
2011 petit Verdot.
Red and black fruits: raspberries, forest floor, black tea. Good acidity. Funky, grapey, cassis. 2.5−3.0
2010 primitivo
Black fruits: blackberry jam, cassis, sweet plums, good acidity. Firm tannins, oaky finish.
2.5−3.0
2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.
Black and red fruits: blackberries, raspberries, earthy tones: bell pepper, artichokes. Much more herbaceous on the palate. Bitter finish.
2.5−3.0
2009 Syrah.
Black fruits: blackberry, blueberries, oaky, clove, pencil shavings. Ripe.
2.5−3.0

We just had our wedding at Bella Rosa last weekend. Everything was absolutely beautiful and the staff was excellent! Their coordinator, Suzanne, was very helpful through the whole process and made planning much easier for me. The day-​of, everything ran smoothly and everything was set up just like I wanted it to be.
The bridal suite was bigger than any that I have seen at any venue in the area. I didn’t have to decorate much because the venue is gorgeous on it’s own! We had our ceremony outside which was partially shaded near a beautiful oak tree. Prices are comparable to any other venue in the area. Everything was fantastic and I would recommend to anyone!

Our management decided to have our company Christmas party here, we placed many phone calls attempting to get someone to call us to finalize the deal and save the December but we did not hear from anyone at all. Me and my managers decided to have lunch here to talk to the manager face to face. The place is beautiful and the food looked fancy but taste ok. So we had lunch I ordered the seafood rigatoni. We were conversing with the waitress about how we decided to have our Christmas party there and she assured us that someone is going to call us this time. After lunch we asked for our bill and my manager paid with his credit card, after a long time the waitress came back and said that their credit card machine was down and they will only accept cash. Lo and behold my Managers did not have cash on them and I was so embarrassed because I did not have cash on me either. So we told our waitress and she said she will come back and see if the machine is fixed, we keep saying we will pay for it over the phone we just needed to go back to the office for a meeting. She stalled for a long time every now and then asking us if we really don’t have any cash. Basically we couldn’t leave unless their machine gets fixed or if we can cough up the cash. And this is wine country there is no nearby ATM we can run to. Our one hour lunch stretched into two, until my Manager got up and said we can’t stay any longer and handed his business card and we left. As soon as we walked in our office they were calling for their money.
My Managers are really very forgiving people, the incident did not bother them one bit. We still went through with our reservation for the our company Christmas party this December we placed our downpayment and reserved their ballroom for 150 people. Hopefully there will be better service and no fiasco.

Five stars for their great mix of fine wine, friendly people, and (very) casual atmosphere with big views of the Livermore hills.
When boyfriend and I first walked into the tasting room, it didn’t look like much — at least compared to vineyards in Napa/​Sonoma — but the wines stood tall. Our favorite was the Sangiovese, with the Primitivo a close second.
After a flight we stopped at the bocce courts to play a game, and that was a really nice way to finish out the day. I’m really looking forward to going back with friends — with the wines, bocce, and café I could easily see us spending an afternoon there.
p. s. Special thanks to Elizabeth and the other the tasting room staff who helped me (days later) recover a bottle that I accidentally left at the bocce court. Much obliged!

We visited both wedding venues on site at Garre Winery — the Martinelli Event Center & Bella Rosa. Immediately, we fell in love with Bella Rosa. Everything was gorgeous, from the oak tree at the ceremony site to the modern and elegant reception space. The bar was so nice and the bridal suite was probably the best one of all the venues we visited. They even had a decent groom’s room.
We sat with Mona to go through the projected cost sheet. The pricing she gave us was reasonable, given the new facility. So we went home that night and discussed it further. We decided to downgrade the bridal package and decrease our guest list. I emailed Mona that night to ask her to give us an updated cost sheet. She sent it back to me the next day and the cost was a few thousand dollars more than what she originally quoted us. This definitely surprised us. I emailed her back to inquire why that was the case. She seemed surprised as well and said that she would look into it. At this point, Bella Rosa was one of our top 2 choices. So we asked to come back to visit the venue. Mona said that when we come in, she would honor us at the rate that she originally quoted us at on the day of our first visit.
When we came back to meet with Mona, she gave us a new price sheet, but again, it wasn’t at the rate that she said she would honor us at originally. Instead she said the pricing had gone up (Within one week? I mean, seriously, we came back the very next Sunday). She said they would provide us an 8% discount. Now mind you, before all of this, when Mona said they would honor the original quote, I was 80% certain that we would book with them. However, the runaround with the pricing and then reading through all the reviews on Unilocal and the other wedding websites regarding their customer service, I just didn’t feel good about it anymore. I think if we received a more upfront response about the sudden increase in the rate and a better overall customer service experience, we would have booked with them for sure.
We ended up going with a different venue, that although, may not look as nice as Bella Rosa, but was extremely customer service focus. We already adore our wedding day coordinator.
Coincidentally, when we went to meet with a potential videographer, he also shared his unpleasant experience with one of the wedding coordinators at Garre the night before he met with us.
2 stars though because, man, it is a beautiful venue. Just be sure to get them to give you the correct rate upfront.

Good: Patio area outside looking towards vineyard at lunch time. Bread fresh. Quiet outside, but kind of loud inside when leaving.
Bad: Clam chowder came to us lukewarm, despite requesting that it be served hot beforehand. Had to return it to be re-​heaed-​after that, it was good tasting. I chose the daily special, a turkey/​cheese wrap, and it came with only 2 thin slices of turkey, with a bland macaroni salad accompanying it, and a tomato/​lettuce/​pickle garnish. Expected more turkey slices for a $ 14 wrap.
Net: I had been there in over six months, and food served for the price charged was a disappointment.

Great lunch. And place are so beautiful. I didn’t expect lunch was so good. Love to go back again. I had special with some kind of special cheese on tomato was extremely good I hope they carry that all that time. They have new Restrant called café ’ remodeled they have party section etc… Look like able to do ceremony there also lovely place. Nice view also has Bach ball play out side too. Highly recommended.

I was meeting a friend of a friend and the common denominator friend choose this winery for lunch during our Tri-​Valley winery hoping outing. Nice vineyards, classy-​modern dark wood interiors, decent food but not well done outdoor patio. In a very hot day like past Sunday it was simply unbearable to be outside without the protection of a supportive umbrella.
Many of the tables did not have one and therefore the place lack the attractive factor of seeing many people eating, drinking and people watching. My friends and I agree that grass (even if fake one) would be better than harsh concrete under that temperature.
Service was a little bit slow and they did not have a wine that my friend wanted and also the mussels appetizer. We shared the calamari appetizer and event though was abundant, it was also flavorless. We had several salads which were generous in size. I got the one with caramelized figs and shrimps and i would recommend. Very quiet, not crowded and not noisy.

Came here today for a birthday luncheon… there was only 6 of us and by far the WORST service I have ever experienced! Took over 3 hours, we would order drinks and they woukd bring them back to us about 30 min later. Over all what I thought was a beautiful day and celebration… turned out all of us annoyed and frustrated. I woukd never return. I will spread the word to others. don’t waste your time, go to underdog… they take care of thier people there!
We even walked to the tasting room and walked right out! There was probably 8 people there and one person working the room. on a holiday weekend?! Rediculous!!!
Thanks for ruining the experience for us Garre.

Beautiful scenery, great food, great service, and great wine, what else could you ask for!

Update:
After writing my initial review of this establishment, I was contacted by the management to come back for a complimentary lunch and wine tasting. At first I was not interested but then decided to give them a second chance.
We arrived and were promptly seated. The server, Natasha, happened to be the supervisor of the restaurant and was extremely friendly and courteous. She literally provided service that was amongst the best we had ever experienced. The wine tasting was good and the food was even better. I was not expecting this at all, but Natasha even provided us 2 bottles of wine that were our favourites from the wine tasting session.
We could not of been happier this time around and I am very happy with the do over. Garre winery really went above and beyond to ensure that we were happy and enjoyed ourselves. Everyone deserves a second chance and I am glad that we came back. I would recommend this venue to my family and friends looking to have a great outing for some wine and food.
Derwin

Great Asparagus risotto!
I had a business lunch here on a Thursday. The service was prompt, and the special Asparagus risotto was delicious. If you want a Livermore wine country experience for lunch you will love Garre.
Also attended a Saturday night dinner at the event center at Garre. The salmon was cooked perfectly even though there were 150 in attendance. Hard to get it right, and they did it. Seems like a great place to have a large reception or party.

I attended a friend’s engagement this past weekend at the winery. They rented out Bella Rosa which was absolutely stunning! The entrance was grand and beautiful. The bar was massive and nicely decorated. The hall had a winery/​country/​rustic feel to it. The rustic chandeliers and candelabra sort of things on the walls really set the romantic mood for the engagement. I loved it so much that I would love to have one of my own wedding events here! And now I’m having my engagement party there this fall :)

Garre is a lovely winery. We attended our sons wedding there this past Sunday. The event hosted 250 guests. The staff at the winery were incredible. They were kind, helpful and very upbeat. The wedding garden was nice too. Although it rained and they did not seem prepared to either tent the event or move the wedding indoors if it became necessary. Also, the chairs were set on s lawn. We had to walk in the muddy grass to get to our seats. Lastly, the sound system came in and out and anyone not in the front, was unable to hear a lot of the beautiful ceremony. The appetizers were ok: the tuna toasts and the crab cakes tasted good. The Caesar bite consisted if a small piece of lettuce with a croûton and salad dressing… they were boring. Dinner was delicious however. We had the salmon. It was cooked perfectly… lite and flaky.
The pre-​dinner reception area was solid. Though they needed more chairs for the large crowd to rest in while waiting for the couple to take pictures. However… the bar extended the length of the room and easily accommodated the large crowd. I enjoyed their sparkling wine all night. It was the first Garre wine i have had and it was light and crisp… a little sweet and dry. Yummy! Overall it was a grand success. We shall return to taste further in the future for sure. And to visit the rose bush they plan in honor of our son and his wife. They do this for all the couples, and label them to commemorate the day:)

A friend of mine had his wedding here and I thought it was an amazing venue. Everything worked out perfectly that day. The facilities are very modern and the surrounding scenery is beautiful. His attendance was around 200 but this place could have easily accommodated twice that comfortably. They served Garré wine at the open bar and all of it was excellent high quality stuff. All of the servers and bar tenders were very friendly and helpful although I don’t know if they work for the winery. Also the catered food was excellent but I’m not sure if it came from Garré. Overall it turned out to be a beautiful day. I would highly recommend this place as a wedding venue.

Since we are buying a house in Livermore, we decided to check out this local winery and have some lunch. It’s a tiny little place with beautiful Tuscan decorations. Our server was attentive and very nice. We ordered the smoked salmon appetizer, and I had the Manhattan clam chowder and caprese salad. I paired it with the Sangiovese since they were out of chardonnay.
The smoked salmon appetizer was to die for. I couldn’t believe it. It came on tuscan crostini with goat cheese and capers. I’d definitely have that again. The let down was the chowder. It reminded me of minestrone with seafood in it– with carrots and potatoes. I just don’t think a Manhattan needs to be diluted down with other veggies. Plus it wasn’t red– it was orange. Just a minor defect.
My caprese was amazing. Again the crostini were crunchy and perfect. Also, the soft cheese and pesto that came with it was fresh. I took a break from being anti carb that day, and tried to do the best I could… and this was totally worth it. The atmosphere and food make this place a definite repeat. I love Livermore.

In my *lab* days we ate lunch here often, food and wine were great.
Yesterday a group of *Golden Elites* called Garre our last stop, and toured their soon to be new facility and had a great wine and small bite tasting in the tasting room and deck.
I have to admit I was a bit tasted out… so I tried a couple of wines and had a Spanakopita. All good, but I feel bad they did not get my full attention.
I liked their 2009 Sauvignon Blanc… which came at an amazing price!
As we headed out DD and I realized we left our *across the isle seatmates* the driver made an amazing turn (safely I might add) and our compatriots were rescued! Slightly funny ending to a wonderful day!