Cambridge Winery – Madison Tasting Room

This is one of these, «this can’t be happening» situations.
It can’t be happening that the wines they are serving up have so much sharp, vivid, defined character — — and here we are in a generic dentist-​office-​like building just south of the Beltline.
It can’t be happening that wines like the two rose’ s have flavors like nothing I’ve ever tasted, anywhere — — the rose’ of pinot noir with deft, tart, splendid rhubarb and redcurrant flavors — — totally original and rare; and the rose’ of syrah at the end of the evening with such a concentrated dry devilish complex fruit punch that it lords over the lush but still very sharp and focused syrah, cab, and pinot noir from eariier — — this can’t be happening.
These are not just ‘good wines’, these are potent, refined, highly flavor-​honed. I tend to buy 90-​point wines as wine shops go, and I’ve tasted Napa and Oregon wineries up and down — — but the range and quality here, a block or two south of the Beltine on Whitney Way — — well they are way, WAY beyond any kind of expectation.

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. I hadn’t heard much about it, and the location was a bit weird. But the bartenders were extremely friendly and helpful, and I really enjoyed the wines.
I went with some friends on a Saturday evening, and we all did a tasting – 6 different 1 ounce pours for $ 10. They also sell their wines by the glass and by the bottle, although if you want to order a bottle and drink it there, they do charge an additional fee. Apparently, they do have happy hour on the weeknights that they’re open, which I’ll have to check out at some point.
The wines Cambridge offers are made from grapes in California since the grapes they have planted in Wisconsin are not yet mature enough for harvesting, and the style of the wine was definitely more reminiscent of California than the Midwest. In touring other Wisconsin wineries, I’ve had the experience that «semi-​dry» wines tend to be «semi-​sweet» and most of the wines labeled «semi-​sweet» will taste like cough syrup to me. This is especially true with whites, although I’ve found even some Wisconsin reds suffer from this. And while I didn’t try a lot of the whites at Cambridge, the ones I did taste were very well crafted and didn’t have that too-​sweet, overpowering sugar sensation. The reds had a good variety of lighter to more full-​bodied, and they had a variety of different complementary notes. All of the wines I tasted were very well balanced in terms of different flavors, body, and acidity.
The bartenders were also very knowledgeable about their wines and wine in general. My one hold-​up is that their wines were a little pricey. I typically don’t spend more than $ 20 on a bottle of wine, and most of their bottles are in the $ 30 range. They also only sell their wine at this location – they don’t offer it anywhere else yet. But it’s definitely worth checking out, and maybe splurging on a bottle once or twice. The atmosphere is pretty cool, and it’s beautifully decorated – certainly a create place to grab a glass of wine with friends after work or before dinner.
I would recommend the Albarino and the Cabernet Sauvignon in particular.
I debated between a 4 star or 5 star rating for a while, but my only ‘con’ is really the price; if the rating was more discrete, I would give it a very solid 4.8÷5. Hence the 5 stars.

California wines brought to Wisconsin
Don’t be fooled by the appearance of this business /​office building, it contains one of the finest wine-​tasting facilities in WI – a comfortable and warm atmosphere serving smooth-​tasting California wines and staffed by knowledgeable, friendly people. I have been to most of the wineries available in southern and mid-​Wisconsin and this has some of the finest wines available. Highly recommended

Once you’ve been, you can spot it from the beltline! But, yes, it is a little hard to spot otherwise (it’s in the State Farm Insurance building). All this may not sound like an exciting way to start the review, BUT you HAVE to push past that and go! From walking in, you’ll see vases made of wine corks. From floor to ceiling, this formerly office space, has been redone and given that elegant touch you expect to see from a winery tasting room.
It’s an «L» shaped room with a bar, plenty of tables and seats for groups of 6. Right now they can accommodate small groups without calling ahead — but they suggested if your group size is about a dozen or more that you call ahead. There is also a lounge area at the far end of the room with a large flat screen TV. Music flowed throughout the space, sounded like light jazz. There is also a lot of art from a local artist that helps fill the room with the Madison Art culture vibe.
Now, the best part — they make all of their own wine! That’s right. Plus, they have quite a large variety to try too; whether you like white, red or even a rose-​colored wine (yeah, I’m not a wine connoisseur … I don’t know the technical names). I will be back and probably often (if I’m lucky) to drink more red wine!