Donkey & Goat Winery

Winery · Northwest Berkeley

Donkey & Goat Winery

Winery · Northwest Berkeley

2

1340 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 94710

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Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null
Donkey & Goat Winery by null

Highlights

Pioneering natural winery offering orange, rosé, and chillable reds  

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1340 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 94710 Get directions

donkeyandgoat.com
@donkeyandgoat

$$

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1340 Fifth St, Berkeley, CA 94710 Get directions

+1 510 868 9174
donkeyandgoat.com
@donkeyandgoat
𝕏
@donkeyandgoat

$$

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Aug 22, 2025

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@eater

End of Nowhere: How the Sierra Foothills’ Rich Wine History Drives Amador County’s Only Natural Winery - Eater SF

"Walsh became a harvest intern for Berkeley’s Donkey & Goat and taking winemaking classes at the University of California, Davis." - Dianne de Guzman

https://sf.eater.com/2022/5/26/23104068/end-of-nowhere-amador-natural-wine
View Postcard for Donkey & Goat Winery
@afar

Thad Vogler of Bar Agricole's Northern California Travel Tips - AFAR

"A Berkeley natural winery producing true non-interventionist wines with spontaneous fermentation under co-owner Tracey Brandt, who trained with French natural-winemaker Eric Texier; recommended for authentic, minimal-intervention bottles." - Andrew Parks

https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-influencer-thad-vogler-spirits-guru
View Postcard for Donkey & Goat Winery

Laura B. Crosby

Google
A fantastic spontaneous visit to Berkeley, California led us to this winery. We had gotten together for a funeral, the entire family. The day after we decided get lunch on 4th street. As we were walking down the neighborhood, we encountered Donkey & Goat Winery. Sadly, they were closed. We rang the door bell, just in case. Two lovely employees came out with a lovely dog. We felt very welcomed and had a great time wine tasting. It tasted great. We highly recommend coming here!!

Robert

Google
Don’t waste your money or time here. Such bad wine and overpriced to boot! We had two flights of tastings (6 wines altogether) for $66. One of the six wines was almost drinkable. I couldn't even call the other six wine. (And yes, we have had organic wines before.) We obviously hardly touched the tasting and the staff showed no interest in our poor experience and shared no insights on the product they call wine. The champagne tasting room next door (another establishment) was a nicer atmosphere and the champagne was reasonably tasty. The Donkey & Goat space is a warehouse space with high ceilings and picnic tables. On a warm day I can see it would be nice outside in a paved area, also with picnic tables. If you didn’t have to drink the wine.

Karla Schlags

Google
We hosted my husband's birthday party at the Winery last Friday night. I can't say enough what an amazing experience we had celebrating a big milestone with family and friends. From the planning stages to day of coordination the staff at D&G were amazing. The winery staff has a family like feel and really prioritize making guests and their events a success. Whether it was welcoming our guests, helping decide on table layouts or managing the flow of the evening they had it all covered. I would HIGHLY recommend hosting here for a special event. We can't wait to come back soon :)

jackie

Google
The tasting room offers unique wines that you can purchase, however they are not included in the tastings. Such as the orange wine (however if your server knows you know wine / work industry they may pour it for you!) or the Cab Pfeffer. Overall the tasting room inside was esthetically pleasing, the outside was cute as well but I recommend going on a warmer, less chilly day. The wine tasting options are pricy and limited. Overall, you’re going for the “experience” of tasting in the Hipster Berkeley area and getting a great photo op. However, you could find another great winery with more selections if you wanted. The best wine was the orange so just buy the bottle.

Janaki V

Google
Amazing wine tasting experience. We have two chilled wines - twinkle and cannonball. The Bear was fantastic too. Cat friendly place so bring them.

Julia Gooding Warner

Google
Nice wines and good amount of outdoor seating. Flights were a bit expensive, service was inconsistent, some seemed very friendly, our particular server seemed like she was having a bad day. Seems to have a strong following and an OG urban, sustainable winery. In a neighborhood with a few other wineries.

swetha prashanth

Google
Love this place they collections are awesome! And the lady has lot of knowledge on wineries enjoyed the conversations and deals they have! They are true they run out of wines pretty fast because they taste good(they are expensive!!) if you buy 40$ wine then your tasting fee will be waived (15$) they pretty good backyard for the parties! Cheers 🥂

Hideyuki TOMINAGA

Google
One of the pioneers of natural/urban wineries, also my favorite producers in Berkeley. Based on the vines from various, reliable vineyards, they produce so many cuvées including bubble(white, red😉), white, rosé, red and orange. My top favorite cuvée Stone Crusher, skin fermented Roussanne, is undoubtedly one of an oldest orange wines in not only Berkeley, but also U.S. maybe, please try. Also, for natural wine newcomers, welcome😉, since they have various tasting flights, please feel free to ask kind staff and find your favorite ones. Enjoy!

Karla S.

Yelp
We hosted my husband's birthday party at the Winery last Friday night. I can't say enough what an amazing experience we had celebrating a big milestone with family and friends. From the planning stages to day of coordination the staff at D&G were amazing. The winery staff has a family-like feel and really prioritize making guests and their events a success. Whether it was welcoming our guests, helping decide on table layouts, or managing the flow of the evening, they had it all covered. I would HIGHLY recommend hosting here for a special event. We can't wait to come back soon :)
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Mrs. Scandipino B.

Yelp
Wonderful rustic venue, helpful staff! You're surrounded by huge barrels of wine- this is a working winery, a true hidden gem in Berkeley!
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Bernard C.

Yelp
Donkey and goat winery hosts various vineyards and food vendors during their First Fridays event, where several booths are set up with various high quality wines and selection of locally sourced and made foods. The ambiance of this event is incredibly nice, and lots of people come to meet with friends and try some new wines. Though I haven't been to the shop itself, the event is really great and I would highly recommend it
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Kevin J.

Yelp
The Donkey and Goat Winery is a fun place! The wines are natural, so be ready for a more rustic pour. They have a big wide open tasting room and a large outdoor patio. Also, they bring in a guest winery. I came specifically to taste the award winning "Stolen Owl", where else can you taste a 96pt, $180 Cab for free! Great location and a great guest pour, you cant beat that!

Jenny T.

Yelp
I recently hosted an event at the winery and I am blown away by the attention to detail, care, overall atmosphere that was created. Rachael and Cliff helped to curate a beautiful experience! We stayed in close contact throughout the planning process and they were also flexible when some unforeseen last minute changes needed to be made as well. I cannot wait to visit the winery again and host another gathering!
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Magda M.

Yelp
My sister, pup and I came by on a Friday afternoon. It was fairly quiet and we grabbed an outdoor seat in the sun. We got a bottle of the Enza Pinot which was really delicious. The servers allowed us to try two others before we decided on this Pinot (clear winner!). We also grabbed some goat cheese and olives. Serviced Picnic style. It was very chill, enjoyable, quiet and great overall. They also took a photo of my dog for the "do not serve (grapes) wall", which is adorable. Will definitely be back! They have some block parties with food trucks, so going to check that out!
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Annie V.

Yelp
My friend brought me here. She warned me that they had been racist against her black husband before so we walked here without him. DeClan claimed we were too drunk to get a flight each. We were not. We were the only women of color & I had never been here. I have NEVER been anywhere where racism was so egregious. I am friends with many bar tenders. I have seen people be cut off when they are visibly drunk. I have never been in a position to ever be told I'm too drunk. My friend was not too drunk. We were louder than the crowd for 2 seconds because we haven't seen each other in so long (I travel a lot and this is the first time I've seen her since Morocco + India, so we're excited to spend time with one another). We came next door which is much cuter anyways and had Cuban food on Saturdays aka my favorite country I've traveled to. So, I guess they do hate people of color, especially if they have money to spend.
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Yagmur A.

Yelp
Everything is good except the wine prices too high. I paid for $20 for a glass of wine (including tip) and this just made me feel uncomfortable for the location and place ambiance. I think the prices should be reasonable to come this place again.
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Sammie K.

Yelp
rachel was exceptional with her customer service. we had an accident with our reservation but she made it work for us and handled it very professionally. i'd be happy to come back again!

Tara N.

Yelp
The staff that pours the tastings is very attentive, entertaining, and a pleasure to engage with. They produce an interesting variety of ones to please any palate. I would come back again.
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Melissa P.

Yelp
I'm from out of town and found this cute gem. Loved the atmosphere and wine! They had so many natural and interesting wines, plus there were many flights to choose from. The outdoor seating was spacious and they had vendors for food. Definitely recommend if you're staying near Berkeley/Oakland and want a cute wine tasting without driving too far or going to SF.
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Ginger B.

Yelp
Wine was good, but their cheese was the real star during our visit. Typically I don't love goat cheese, but their gouda and cheddar were absolutely delicious.

Meg B.

Yelp
Excellent wine, flavor profiles are a rare find for us and we love them! Beautiful outdoor patio and lovely indoor tasting room. They are very kind and knowledgeable, we love this spot.
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Marina W.

Yelp
Ya'll don't know how luck you are to have places like Donkey & Goat just waiting for you to visit. I love it here and, not gonna lie, definitely came in 4 times the last time I was visiting. Their Pet Nats are what float my boat, so I definitely go out of my way to get those because they're so dang delicious. I'll miss you, Donkey & Goat. See you in a few months!
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Maya D.

Yelp
We love this place! The wines are good and very unique. They are natural wines, so keep in mind to expect a little more of the funk. They have a big outdoor patio and are dog friendly, which is a plus. Also some nice options for crackers, cheese and meats to order. All of the servers we have encountered there are always nice, warm and accommodating. It will definitely be a regular spot for us.
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Michael K.

Yelp
Dog friendly, outdoor benches were welcoming and the server was fantastic! The chardonnay was our favorite and we snagged 2 bottles to go. It was quite lively even though it was a tad cold and sprinkly, and we were able to sit inside with my dog though we started outside on the benches. :)
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Nicole L.

Yelp
This place is amazing! The sparkling wine is really tasty and the ambiance is lovely. Great for families with littles and ample outdoor seating. Great vibe. A gem!
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David G.

Yelp
If you're a fan of natural wines then look no further. This place is amazing, great ambience, great place to bring friends, families, kids and pets. They have food pop ups on the weekends. Their first Fridays are simply the best. Great food pop ups with DJ spinning. If you're in town but can't make it up to Napa then this is the place for you. Service is friendly and they're very accommodating.
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Kena C.

Yelp
I was really disappointed with how I was treated at this establishment. A friend and I went to a first Friday event that included wine tastings and pop up food. We ultimately enjoyed a bottle of wine (which was perfectly fine) but getting to that point was difficult. Other customers were treated with patience and kindness while the person behind the counter talked down to us, rolled her eyes, and made the experience incredibly unpleasant. I asked for a menu to review the wine options and she responded "the list on the wall is what we're pouring tonight so if you don't want that then I don't know what to tell you." The worst of it came when we asked to buy a bottle and she responded that she couldn't let us taste it then stared blankly at us. Incredibly unprofessional and honestly: unkind. I didn't feel welcome and that's a difficult position to be in when you're simply trying to enjoy an evening out. Ultimately the venue itself was cute and I certainly noticed people enjoying themselves. Maybe you have to be a particular kind of person to be welcomed but it seems like a problem management should address.
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Amy G.

Yelp
Nice street party on first Fridays. They close off the street, have food tents, and music.
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Audrey S.

Yelp
I've heard great things about Donkey and Goat and was surprised to find myself feeling like it was a 3.5 star experience. I can see why people would rate the space highly, with their spacious patio complete with fire pits, board games, and cornhole. Apart from that, was a little bit disappointed. Don't order a glass-- come with friends and split a bottle or two ($10 corkage fee). I ordered before meeting up with my friends and felt silly when I realized I had spent $12 on a glass while five of them had split a bottle for $28. While I appreciated the bartender letting me try two different reds before picking one, I didn't feel like the wine was good enough to justify the price point on glasses. We ordered cheese, crackers, and prosciutto to go with the wine and were very surprised when we were literally given boxed crackers and packaged cheese and meat, still in their packages. At that point, I wish I could have just brought my own cause it would have been the exact same thing for less, but outside food is not allowed. Really wanted to love this place but probably won't be back. There are too many other great wine and beer tasting rooms in the area and I wasn't satisfied with this experience.
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Jodi S.

Yelp
Unfortunately it was raining, so we weren't able to enjoy the outdoor space. But, ended up having a lovely tasting inside. Started with their featured December flight which included: 2020 Grenache Blanc, 2020 Ramato Pinot Gris, and 2019 The Bear. The pinot gris was refreshing but my favorite was the bear!
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Nicole W.

Yelp
Donkey and Goat, located in the heart of Berkeley has some of the best wine samplings I've tasted. When in Wine country(ish, not quiet Napa), do as the winos and play bocce and sample wine!
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Sagruilla P.

Yelp
I love this winery. Their wines are interesting, "funky," and very enjoyable with or without food. I also love this winery because it is a comfortable place to hang out in. Like other West Berkeley wineries, you don't have the polo shirt with a big wallet vibe. This means the people who work here treat everyone kindly and with genuine friendliness. They have a lovely indoor and outdoor space. You will see a couple of gal pals chatting conspiratorially in the corner. You will see a table of youthful people sharing a bottle of wine and playing a strategy game. You will see a family with young kids playing Chutes and Ladders, tasting from a flight between spins. You will see a new couple laughing over bocce ball. It's these kinds of comfortable spaces we need more of--world class wine combined with a welcoming place to enjoy the wine. Yes, they have the traditional winery stand-up tasting counter, but after that first visit, you will be coming back for more.
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Brian B.

Yelp
Very cool place. Natural wines (which are quite a thing now) and some wines from grapes you may not have heard of but, as it turns out, there are more than 5 kinds of grapes and you should try as many as you can. The tasting room itself is unique in that there's a counter, an indoor seating area as well as outdoor space. It has the feel of a craft brew tasting room. It's dog friendly (well, they were very friendly with our dog) and a really great vibe that came from a a welcoming staff and a laid back clientele. If you find yourself in Berkeley and want a very cool mini-wine tasting getaway, come on over to 5th Street and hit up Donkey and Goat and Broc Cellars right next door. Lori C and I agreed that we shall return.
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Max B.

Yelp
Great natural wine, nice relaxed ambiance. Friendly staff. Must try for natural wine lovers and explorers. First Friday events are an extra bonus!
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Bradley N.

Yelp
Yelpsop's Fables: the biodynamic bears One day in January, on the eve of a heavy winter's rain, two bear cubs arrived at the Donkey and Goat tasting room. They started out with a white blend from the Sierra Foothills, then a skin fermented Pinot Gris from the Anderson Valley before digging into a meaty, berry-rich, seven varietal Rhône red blend called, appropriately enough, "the Bear." These wines were very wild in taste and texture. Wines fit for adventurous creatures like bears. Wild yeasts. Unscientific methods. Random barrel aging. Who really knows what will happen when the bottle is uncorked? "Wow! What colors!! What aromatics!!! We bears appreciate the feral qualities of these wines," said one bear to the other. "I agree!" The reply came from the other table. "Look, it's Minnie Mouse! I follow her on Instagram," said one of the bears. "We don't see many rodents in tasting rooms these days. What's a celebrity mouse like her doing in a place like this?" he wondered. "I'm on a blind date with Oski," Minnie explained. "But he hasn't shown up yet. Ever since Mickey came out, I've really been into bears. And natural wines, if you must know. I went out with Smokey last month, but all he wanted were cult Napa Cabs and Dry Creek Zins. Hello!!! It's 2019! Not the 90s!!! And Paddington? It was all Bordeaux and Barolo all the time. How decidedly English! Boooring. And what's more, he stank in bed. Stank! You think he'd wash that coat once and a while, but no ..." Minnie sighed, rolled her eyes, and laughed at the thought. The bears nodded their cute little heads in agreement. "I once dated this grizzly dude, Kodiak, based on his Tinder profile," the mouse continued. "Big guy, you know, from Alaska. We went to Broc down the street for a tasting and guess what? He tried to EAT their winemaker!! Definitely NOT a fan of Chris' Cab Franc pet nat. Plus, he was all like, 'Semi-carbonic whaaaaaat? And what the hell is Valdiguié, anyway? Isn't that some sort of oil tanker that crashed and spilled its guts all over the place???' What a tool! At least he paid for both tasting fees. But I didn't feel the need to put out. I hooked up with the 'Brockster' instead. Totally worth it!" Minnie took a long swig of old vine Carignan. She burped audibly and munched on some cheese. "We love Donkey and Goat wines," said the two little bears. "Actually, we love donkeys and goats, too, especially in Indian curries and spicy Jamaican jerk sauces." They licked their lips and growled. Minnie looked nervously away. "By the way," the bears continued. "We've heard from some Berkeley friends that Oski is very open minded about biodynamic wines. He is all about organics. And he supposedly loves the orange ones." "Cheers to that," said Minnie. "But with Jared and Tracey, it's not all about the 'orange is the new white' thing. That's just to get good press in Decanter and shout-outs in the NYTimes by Eric Assimov [sic]. They can do traditional varietals well too. The Anderson Valley Pinots here are pretty great. Ditto their Napa Valley Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Who knew?" The bears clinked glasses and smiled. And hoped that Oski would show up for his blind date - soon. Moral: Natural wines aren't always as odd or esoteric as you might think. Sometimes they just taste good. Maybe more acid, maybe less ABV. Maybe a bit of barnyard on the nose and some weediness on the tongue. But tasty stuff. And you don't have to be a bear to love that!
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Bridget O.

Yelp
Definately some very different wines. I love how they gave some colorful factoids about the wine, the owners and the property as they poured. My advice is to come on a warm day and enjoy the live music, and sips.
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Jen S.

Yelp
This was such a cute winery in Berkeley to pop into! We had a lovely tasting with a friendly host who knew a lot about the wine. We ended up buying 2 bottles of white.
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Ray T.

Yelp
Very tasty wines and kid friendly. There's also an outside area with games and a sandbox for the kids to play in.
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Patty B.

Yelp
This place was alright. The tastings are $15 and that fee gets waived with a $40 wine purchase. These wines weren't my taste, but I don't mind that. The service here is pretty mediocre. We came during a slow time and it took some time for each poor. They didn't talk to us too much about each wine and we felt like they were just rushing their time with us.
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negar s.

Yelp
Thank you to all the folks here that helped make my moms 70th bday a fabulous one! Despite COVID we had an incredible outdoor event, the entire winery to ourselves, delicious wine and of course awesome food (from Rick and Anne's another awesome place). Everyone was kind and helpful and I will always be grateful. The best wine- and a funky but super easy atmosphere. Thank you!

Kate C.

Yelp
Enjoyed a glass of Italian white wine and pizza from a pop up here. Purchased a bottle to enjoy later. Not an inexpensive winery, but fun - lots of customers on a sunny Saturday in the outdoor sitting areas.
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Amanda K.

Yelp
I needed a gift for my sister and I've always wanted to try this place so I drove out to Berkeley to grab a few bottles. Because of the current times, I stood at the door and a incredibly nice lady came to greet me. I ordered a few different bottles and she let me know to chill them before drinking. The whole transaction was easy and welcoming. My sister and I also really enjoyed the wine and love that they are natural. We would love to visit this place again in the near future

Klarissa Z.

Yelp
I've been a dedicated customer for years but after my last few visits, I've decided to frequent other local wineries. I wanted to give d&g the benefit of the doubt because the wine is great but I'm done waiting for the customer service to change. The staff is generally pretentious (although there are a few kind folks, of course), it's always a gamble. I would hope to feel more at home when I frequent a community spot, esp for my guests who felt like a burden last time we went there! I'm surprised particularly due to the price, you'd think you'd get better service. Lots of other options nearby that are less expensive and more welcoming.

S U.

Yelp
Odd experience here I walked in with my partner no greeting didn't even look at us...then a white couple walks in after and the person behind the counter who wasn't helping anyone says hi to them. That told both of us all we needed to know and we promptly walked out.
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Michelle Z.

Yelp
Kind of expensive, but pretty relaxed. Variety of wines, and charcuterie boards. Outside seating and dog friendly.
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Karie H.

Yelp
Thanks Sunny for a bright & fun tasting of your interesting natural wines. This winery is in a cool urban space in Berkeley. D&G is committed to fresh, clean, natural wines and they continue experiment with varietals and winemaking techniques to improve quality and purity of their wines. Keep up the good work and good fight for healthy wine!
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Clara W.

Yelp
My now husband and I hosted our rehearsal dinner at Donkey & Goat winery a couple of weeks ago and I highly recommend them! First, the wines are outstanding and all our guests are still raving about them! We did paella and a DJ and they were able to accommodate everything. Erin is so great, super thorough, friendly and organized! The reservation process was really easy and she was there the day of the event to make sure everything went smoothly. The venue itself is so fun, there is a great outdoor patio with picnic tables, games and a fire pit. We were able to enjoy dinner outside and then dancing inside until the end of the party! I would host other events there anytime!

Kim S.

Yelp
Wow! Such an odd experience. Cute winery. Nice person pouring. But the tasting prices are ridiculous! So very high! My friend and I did a tasting of wines for $38. We then figured that we could buy three full glasses of the same wine for less! Ugh!! But we just wanted to taste. Didn't care much for the wine so really glad we didn't save money to get more of wines we really didn't like. Won't be back for sure!
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Camelia N.

Yelp
The D&G tasting room is fun for the whole family, plus a great cheap date option as well. This can't always be said of popular wine country destinations in California like Napa, Paso, Santa Barbara, or Healdsburg. Most bottles vary in price from around $25 to the low $40s, but you can also order by the glass for less, and a $15 tasting fee is waived with $40 purchase. The main reason why the tasting room is so versatile is that, when not the height of the harvest season, the entire back of the facility is open for guests to explore. Wooden tables and bench seating, plus complimentary use books, blankets, and board games (including a huge connect four set) ensure a few hours of escape from the urban environment that surrounds you. Musical performances take place most Sundays, with special First Friday evenings featuring local food vendors and artists. No, it's not an ultimate weekend getaway in Saint Helena, Anderson Valley, or Los Olivos, but it's exciting and rewarding nonetheless. D&G is a Bay Area natural wine specialist with a particular fondness for Rhône varietals and idiosyncratic blends, sourced primarily from organic vineyards in El Dorado County, Anderson Valley, and various other sites in Mendocino, Sonoma, and Napa. They ferment in wooden vats, concrete eggs, and terra cotta vessels, avoiding stainless steel and plastic in favor of older methods inspired by artisan producers in Europe. This means they don't use modern techniques like pumpovers, extended maceration with heat, cold temperature stabilization, and pH adjustments to balance their finished wines. Their house style is to make lower alcohol, brighter, leaner wines with little to no oak influence and that are suitable for early release, similar to a Beaujolais Nouveau or easy drinking (but well made) Friulian wine. Skin contact for whites and no filtration or fining can produce cloudy or orange hued wines, not unlike a hazy IPA or unpasteurized cider. The exceptions to the rule can be outstanding, however, like the delicious 2014 Fenaughty Vineyard Sierra Foothills Syrah and the elegant 2014 Vare Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, both of which are aged for several years in barrel and bottle for release. These ended up being my favorites, and both are worthy of cellaring at home to develop additional nuances, as is the case with the Chardonnays made from Napa Valley and Mendocino Ridge vineyards. I think the D&G style would work well with Loire varietals like Chenin Blanc and Cab Franc, with Gamay, and Austrian grapes like Gruener Veltliner, Zweigelt, and Blaufraenkisch, or lighter Italian reds like Dolcetto, Frappato, Schiava, Schioppettino, or Barbera. These grapes can hard to come by, as they are prized by other trend-setting California winemakers. And the European versions made in comparable styles can be had at Kermit Lynch or a local natural wine bar for less. My sense, based on what I learned from an initial visit, is that D&G isn't out to make a fortune or take the wine world by storm. They want to make soulful, healthy wines and have family fun doing it. More power to them for making the many sacrifices and efforts needed to pursue this mission so successfully!
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Stephanie B.

Yelp
Donkey and Goat is a winery producing small batch wines in the French tradition. The industrial location has ample and easy street parking. The large tasting room in the industrial section of Berkeley is not much to look at from the outside, but the inside is very chic. There are two areas - one for groups and one for singletons. White lights and wine bottles decorate the space, and the finished concrete floors and exposed brick walls are both attractive and practical. We split a tasting of their five wines ($15 per person fee waived with $40 purchase per person). The wines here are presented in the reverse of your expectation - heavy red to light white. Terrell Burnet started by pouring The Bear (2015), which is a red Rhone blend. The wine is made from clones brought from the Chateauneuf du Pape region in 2003 to Tablas in Paso Robles. While the wine has some minerality on the nose, it does have big jammy fruit too and it is the fruit that comes through on the palette with chocolate. This deeply flavored wine would stand up to any food. Next, we were on to the 2015 Old Vine Carignane. Planted in 1912 in Mendocino, this delicious wine was all berry - both on the nose and on the palette. We had to buy a bottle of this, which I look forward to serving with a boeuf bourguignon or even blue cheese burgers. We wrapped up the reds with the 2013 Fenaughty Syrah. This earthy wine is produced at 2800 feet. Mom loved it, but this was my least favorite of the reds. Next up, we had the 2014 Chardonnay, which is aged in neutral barrels for 9 months before being bottled. The Chardonnay had a distinctly floral nose, reminiscent of violets, which is apparently this grape's signature but is often drowned out by the oak. The crisp white had distinct notes of honeysuckle and a crisp apple. It was another favorite, and we picked up a bottle. This would be great with a Dijon salmon. We also tasted the 2015 Eliza White Rhone Blend, which was a surprising wine. It had an herbaceous nose but was all honey in my mouth. The juxtaposition was interesting. We wrapped up our tasting with a little bonus - the 2016 Isabel's Cuvee Grenache Rose. This light pink wine spends only 4 hours with its skin for its signature tint, and it was all strawberry (both on the nose and palette). We finished with a star that we had to pick up.
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Azar H.

Yelp
I hosted a work event for my clients here. Vivian and Craig were great to work with and provided great customer service. I would use them again!
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Kellin P.

Yelp
We held my mom's 70th birthday here and had a WONDERFUL and highly memorable experience! The event space is perfect for just about any event -- outdoors there's a fire pit, bocce ball court, and other yard games -- indoors there is family style seating for lots of people. I'm sure it could also be set up to have a band / dance floor too. The staff at Donkey & Goat made organizing the party simple, kept our glasses filled all evening, and offered plenty of information to our group about their wines. They even worked with the restaurant we liked for catering! I can't speak highly enough about the experience we had -- one that my mom absolutely loved, and that we will all remember for a long time to come.
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Jordan A.

Yelp
A must visit if you live in or are visiting the Bay Area. Natural wines available by glass, flight or bottle. All grapes are grown in the nearby counties. The Tasting room is in the fermentation area of the warehouse, and has an outside courtyard to sit in when the interior space is full, or the weather is right. Family friendly space with some light bites available to accompany the wines. Nothing in the way of a meal or anything to that effect, but the variety of cheeses, charcuterie meats and other snacks (breads, crackers and olives), all make excellent pairings for their diverse selection of wonderfully crafted, naturally grown wines. Plenty of seating for a tasting room, so come solo, as a couple, family, or larger party. Personal favorites are the orange wines, but one can not go wrong with the whites or reds. Nothing here is really traditional in the classic sense, so if you're looking for old worlds head elsewhere. If you like to experiment and taste some different and 100% unique, this is a must. My wife and I became members off of a tasting. Easily 5 stars.
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Anna M.

Yelp
Love the name. Great service! Really not a fan of the wine though. The setup is warm and friendly, with lots of long tables set-up inside. There are board games available to play and a 3x3 (ish) connect 4 set-up. Warning: as the children drop the game pieces at the end of each round, prepare to be scared sh*tless. Good times. The wine was really not my cup of ... wine. One of my friends described the orange wine as drinking gym socks and that's the most precise description of the one I tried. I think the winery is cool in being innovative but I'm not a fan of the product.
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P. G.

Yelp
Skip it! Sister was in town and wanted to do a tasting of local California wines without going up north. We tried 5 varietals for $15.00 and came away entirely disappointed. In fact, the last wine was so bad we poured it into the spittoon. Choices when in this neighborhood? A different wine tasting establishment or Whole Foods wine department. Sad! 1 point for knowledgeable and kind staff.
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Maribel R.

Yelp
Wines were delicious! The girls were so friendly and fun and very informative with their wines and how they're prepared. We went to other wine tastings but this place was the most entertaining. Thank you!
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Stephanie E.

Yelp
Donkey and Goat Winery was an amazing experience! Such great wines that were natural and so unique! The experience was made so much better by Roxanne and Kellsye! They were super hospitable and friendly. Roxanne was so knowledgeable about all the wines, the grapes, where they are grown and the conditions of the vineyards. It was an amazing experience all around and we loved every minute of it. We will definitely be returning and joining their wine club!! Thanks for a great time girls!