Element 79 Vineyards and Winery

Element 79 is one our favorite places to enjoy wonderful wine, delicious food and wonderful club member friends. We love the warm friendly welcome from the owners Les and Sharon and Chef Brian NEVER disappoints us with his wonderful meals. We just attended their first Annual Harvest Festival and had a great time! Looking forward to next years sign-ups.

Hannah was a great host — and the charcuterie board was a welcome refreshment after our long drive. Opening taste of local sparkling didn’t hurt either, on a hot late morning!

Delicious food. Friendly and accommodating staff. Beautiful ambiance/scenery. This place is a little bit of a drive from Sacramento, but worth it!

One of my faves! (Top 3) Coupled with their periodic pairings, such good food (thx Chef) & Great Wine, @Element79 is a must. Suggested Tastings: •Alloy •Inside Out •Olivia’s Cuvée •Abby’s Rose

As you see by most of my reviews I don't give many 5 star reviews. This establishment is small and warm. The owners are just as warm and welcoming. I have not encountered many places that serve a cheese plate like they serve here. Holy molé the large cheese plate is huge! As well as having great cheeses and meat selections and the wine selection isn't bad either. So yourself a favor and visit here. If not for anything... the cheese plate. I know I'll return.

What an absolute gem. Amazingly friendly staff, beautiful patio, a great spot to relax and unwind a little while enjoying some excellent wine.

Had the best time today. Love the tapas 🤗 Great wine Great food and great staff.... Love you Angie. Great service

Wine club BBQ pick up. Awesome food, great wine, a d an amazing musician. Can't beat it. Come taste, you join the club. Sparkling hopped vioneiger, yum 😍

The wine was good. I liked the Viognier, and purchased one for home. Service was excellent. Very friendly staff. Lovely indoor/outdoor winery. It is on the small side, so I would recommend reservations. I believe they do have one special room they rent for overnight stays too.

Great wines and an even better patio! Such a great spot to hang out. Every one is nice and the owner is always there. We've been twice now and really enjoyed ourselves. We recommend the charcuterie board as well. We haven't had their normal food (which I believe is only available on weekends) but it looks tasty! Maybe next time.

Our favorite winery and tasting room in the foothills. Their staff has superior wine knowledge. The tasting room is well appointed and comfortable. The patio is huge and allows dogs. The food is some of the best in El Dorado County. We feel it's our own personal country club. Wine club members? You bet, who wouldn't want those amazing deals on their award winning wines. Always cars in the parking lot means everyone is having a great experience.

Toward the end of very long and tiring workday, we decided to take a break and took the beautiful drive to Element 79. The tasting room and patio overlooking their hillside vineyard is one of the nicest in the Sierra foothills. The staff and food are exceptional. Best of all, each of the wines we tasted were extraordinary. I highly recommend Element 79 as a destination any day of the week.

The Best in Wine !! Great staff!! Stunning tasting room!!! Awesome owners that make the experience great!!! Highly recommended!!!!

A beautiful location and facility. Service was exceptional. Wine was also excellent, but a bit pricey. My wife and I, with our dog enjoyed a picnic lunch on the patio overlooking the vineyards. Nirvana! Although it is an out of the way location, I highly recommend the effort/drive to experience the wine, views and overall experience.

What a great way to spend a Sunday! We had so much fun. Staff was pleasant and helpful, wine was exceptional and we also had a great view from our table, We will definitely visit again. Thank you for a great Sunday :)

Loved meeting them at the Canal Wine Lounge,.Will definitely visit them this summer. Really enjoyed the Zinfandel

These B's got their S together. Popped in on a super busy weekend and they killed it. Rolled out the red carpet for us peasants. Wine was about a 8.2/10. Beautiful setting and gorgeous tasting room with by far the best staff of any winery in California. I didn't get names but these girls had their flat out Shhhhh together. Not a member but I will go back for sure. Good job!

A friend has been wanting to check this winery out for some time. We were bottling our own wine next door recently and stepped next door when we finished. Beautiful property. You drive up the lane to a nice parking lot out front. There's seating inside at the tasting room or on the patio. Pick the patio, pick the patio. It has a gorgeous view over the vineyard, well shaded, and misters for the hot summer California sun. We checked in inside and were offered seating wherever we liked. We chose the patio !! The staff immediately came out with water and a starter glass of white wine. They were offering a choice of three different flights. We both selected the red flight. Four red were presented on a tray with the names and descriptions on a placemat underneath. Element has an in house chef. So they offer a couple different charcuterie options and a chocolate sampling to have with your wine. Each month a tapas pairing is also offered. I will return for this. We had just had a sandwich prior so I was too full to try the food. The combinations sounded devine. We were finishing, a gentleman came up and introduced himself as Les, and asked if it was our first visit and how the tasting was. We were surprised later to figure this was the owner. How incredible the owner actually comes out and visits with the guests. Absolutely will return. They have an interesting list of wines to try.

Reserved well in advance for a Friday afternoon tasting. Arrived at the appointed time to what was literally a circus, and you can't make this stuff up. Checked in with the staff at the tasting counter while observing a patron with a live parrot and many patrons with ill behaved dogs. Team member directed us to sit anywhere we wanted so we proceeded outside. Water arrived shortly after we sat down, but nothing more. On our way to find a spot, two different dogs with absent minded owners jumped on us, and the parrot jumped off the handlers arm and flew abruptly into the glass door to the back patio. We can't speak to the wine because nobody came back to take an order or inquire. After 15 minutes, we simply departed. Headed to Runquist, which was far superior. The winemakers wife greeted and sat us quickly, without a reservation. Rob was our server and delighted us with great wines, snacks and a tour of their recent tasting room addition. Runquist experience was 10 out of 10 and we will be back. Skip Element 79 for certain.

excellent tapas, excellent service, excellent view, highly recommend if you got a free weekend to visit. hidden gem, better than options in napa and a lot closer in proximity.

Good wine and ambience. The service was good. A customer next to us felt his wine was old so they gave him a new bottle.

Had a great day with my friend at this vineyard. Everyone was welcoming and very friendly, they checked on us multiple times to see how we were doing. Great ambiance, delicious wines and the most tasty panini with veggies; add the pastrami! Will 100% be returning!

Our first visit with a group from out-of-state. Hannah treated us with warmth and expertise, flexible on tasting venues, and made the experience fun and enlightening. Excellent wines, beautiful setting, and next time, we will also order from the intriguing menu. Thank you so much!

Good wine, great atmosphere, wonderful staff and ownership makes this a great FairPlay wine destination.

Hannah was amazing! The wines were tasty and the food really good. A great charcuterie board! Beautiful grounds.

Thank you for being so welcoming! I love your spot and our hostess was amazeballs. I got a last minute reservation and ya'll blew me away. Those misters save lives on your patio btw. Your wines were tasty, friendly environment, picnics welcomed, and an interesting building/view. Hope you didn't mind be frolicking in the Vineyards for a few pictures. Definitely recommend.

Came here as part of the harvest festival. What a great spot comfortable seating indoors and out. Clean and beautiful decor. Great wines. Not normally a zin fan but it was really good. Super clean restrooms. Beautiful property.

Beautiful Tasting room. It opens To the patio and provides a nice ambiance. It clean, modern/ contemporary and stylish. This room is by far the best in the FairPlay area.

Miranda was kind, funny, personable, and overall an awesome person. She welcomed my wife, our dog, and me with open arms. On a hot day, we appreciated being able to sit inside during the tasting. As newcomers to wine tasting, Miranda's laid-back approach and willingness to explain the different wines made us feel at ease. She even shared her personal experiences with the wines, which added a special touch. We enjoyed how all the wines were served simultaneously, allowing us to note the differences. The wine was so delicious that we couldn't leave without purchasing a few bottles. We will definitely return if we're in the area again in the future. The family vibe here is fantastic!

Kelly is the face of this winery. She is absolutely incredible. Talk about service with a smile, and a kind heart. Thank you for making us feel like family. This place is incredible. Amazing wine, amazing views! YOU NEED TO GO! Ask for Kelly!

Beautiful tasting room inside and beautiful patio outside with the vineyards within reach Unique tasting style, white wine at the tasting bar and the balance served on a tray at a table. Tray includes a placemat of the tasting notes. Very reasonable at $5 Waived if you purchase a bottle. I enjoyed the chocolate pairing for an extra $5. I enjoyed the tasting and experience. I did purchase a bottle of their blend Alloy to take home.

Another great visit at Element. We were able to have brunch there on Sunday and like the last time, the food was fabulous. The wine was wonderful and the service is always above and beyond. Everyone there is always such a joy to be around and being able to just sit relax and enjoy wonderful food and wine, makes our trips to the area so wonderful.

Fun and family friendly! We had a great time at Element last Sunday. Kelly was amazing as usual, our food was fabulous and we love their sparkling Rose! Also a big thank you to Martin and the owners who were so sweet and welcoming. Highly recommend making Element part of your wine journey in FairPlay.

I love the picturesque views! The staff and welcoming is superb. The wine selections are great for those of us who like the soft wines, Abby Rose is a must. Enjoy!

Loved this little vineyard in California. Such nice views and good wines too. Service was great we really felt welcomed in. Thanks so much!

Beautiful facility and view of the vineyards. Great food and wine selections. Excellent customer service from the owners and the winery staff. Without a doubt, one of the best wineries in the Fair Play AVA. Highly recommend this winery if you're ever in the area south of Placerville and north of Plymouth CA. A hidden gem.

Beautiful location! Delicious wine! Fabulous employees and wonderful owner. Owner stopped by to tell us about the wine, the grapevines, and the topography - all so very fascinating! You can tell he genuinely loves what he does. The gentleman that assisted us with food and wine was also very knowledgeable, very friendly, and helpful. Really enjoyed our interaction with him. Charcuterie boards were fabulous and fresh. Highly recommended for anyone and everyone who wants a beautiful atmosphere, view, and experience.

Great tasting experience today. Beautiful views outside. Delicious wines. Kelly at Element 79 made our experience fun! Highly recommend

A beautiful, sprawling winery with a lovely tasting area. The owners, Sharon and Les, are warm, welcoming, and generous. The food looked delicious. I wish we had known it was brunch day. Our server, Angela, really paid attention to our needs and was incredibly knowledgable. Oh! And the wine is wonderful from the light and crisp sparkling rose' to the Italian varietal, Primitivo and everything in between. A charming spot to relax and enjoy the view.

This was our favorite vineyard and tasting that we had all day. You can choose from a couple wine tasting options so people can get the wines they enjoy and it's not all the same. Although they no longer do the chocolate tasting, they still have the chocolates that you can get separately and the lady was enough to just pair the wines with it anyway! We met the owner and he was great. You can tell the place has had a lot of hard and care put into it. You can just sit and taste on your own and enjoy time with whoever you are with! It was a fantastic experience!

This was our first outing with our new RV and our first Harvest host experience. What a great start! I was greeted by cheerful Miranda who said we could park anywhere in the parking lot. We then got our RV ready and went back to enjoy the winery. Miranda was so sweet and helpful. We ordered a DELICIOUS charcuterie plate and a wine tasting. I really liked many of the wines and I must say I am not a huge wine drinker. I usually don't like red at all but I loved their chilled red. The charcuterie was delicious. The inside and outside seating is beautiful. I would definitely make a trip here if you are anywhere near this area.

Fun place to get away to. Great folks and wines. Always willing to help with your special requests. We took a group of friends for a birthday party. All had a great time. Will visit again. Thanks

The owner really discriminated us, being the only people of color there he took the time to go around to greet everyone else BUT us. Making it obvious he skipped our table and would go around us several times. Beautiful place and good hosts minus the owner himself. Wish i was able to enjoy myself more there without feeling out of place.

Oh my word. You must visit FairPlay and you must visit Element 79. To start the venue us amazing. The view from our table was beautiful. We were here on a Monday and it was very quiet and peaceful. Now let's talk wine. Their wine maker knows how to make wine. The Zin is awesome. The Cab is great... oh heck every one of the wines are really good.

Excellent wine Great service with a smile Ambiance was light and airy. Prices were very reasonable. Enjoyed our visit and will be back!

Impressive new winery. Loved how the owners incorporated the elements within the winery. Wineries in Fairplay and Somerset in are worth the drive. Tasty double gold zin, Alloy (red blend) here at Element 79. We will be back!

So much excitement in the Fair Play area - Element 79 continues raising the bar providing THE total customer experience! Love sitting on the beautiful deck overlooking the well-manicured vineyard enjoying a unique tasting delivered by knowledgeable, friendly staff. A tray of four of their wines, along with tasting notes, was placed where I chose to sit and relax. "Revisiting" wines was encouraged helping me select wines just right for my palate. The reasonably priced charcuterie tray was quite the pairing with the wines. It only took a few minutes for it to be brought out - meats, cheeses, fruits and chocolate - YUM! Way more on it than you get at restaurants. I highly recommend Element 79, along with the neighboring wineries (Sentivo and MV) for a pleasant day in Fair Play. Rain or shine (been there several times)- make a trip to Fair Play - only 20 minutes from Hwy 50 and Missouri Flat Road I was surprised how easy a drive it was.

Absolutely wonderful tasting room. The wine and chocolate pairing is a must try! Miranda was more than helpful, even walked us through joining the wine club and getting our tickets reserved for the brunch in September. Truly an award winning location in the heart of Somerset.

Love the wine, the brunches, the dine-in-the vine dinner are delicious. Beautiful tasting room, beautiful view. Wonderful customer service.

What a nice little gem! We cam here for my birthday back in August and ai already wanna go back! I had bubbles only but my husband had the flights were amazing. We also had a delicious cheese platter. The place is beautiful, great selection of wines. The owner sat down with us, and chatted for while. Felt very personable and not just a business. Already recommended to friends and cant wait to go back!

The wine is good and the tasting room staff is professional and friendly. I always feel like a valued customer when I come here.

Beautiful winery and tasting room in Fairplay. So many wineries around here. We had a great experience here and tasted lots of wines, mostly reds and even an orange wine. Staff were informative and friendly. Comfy chairs and an upscale atmosphere.

We had a nice experience at Element 79. It was one of the stops at the Fairplay Wine Festival and Element 79 hit the mark! We had wine and food pairings, well thought out and delightful. The Viognier was very good and I especially loved the Alloy. The owners take huge pride in their product and that pride shine through. Definitely worth a visit next time we're in that neck of the woods!

I came here earlier in the year and had THE BEST service by a lovely young lady. I forgot her name but she made the experience amazing! Unfortunately, we came today and were told we could sit only one of two places even though there was no one here. I asked for a recommendation on a good sweeter wine and was cut off instantly by my server saying "we don't have sweet wines" usually the servers hold the conversation about the wine and knowledge etc. She also told us that the information on the flight of wines we ordered was on the paper and walked away. Usually when I go to winery's I like to talk about the wine and learn about it. And that was not the vibe at all. I was a little disappointed. If I would have known that the service would have been sub par I would have gone down to "too good" winery next door.

I've visited this winery twice and had the same experience both times - friendly owners were on site and are lovely people. They have several very nice wines, I particularly like the Rare Earth (red) and the Color Sparkling Rose. The winery is beautiful, the view is serene. Go & enjoy!

A must try. We loved this winery on our first trip to the Fair Play wine country. Definitely recommend the charcuterie board to accompany the tasting. The service was outstanding. Thank you for the recommendation of the Reese's with the inside out. The wine room was absolutely amazing. We left with so much wine and will definitely be back.

Element 79 was such an unexpected find! We visited TooGood, as a friend mentioned it was open with outdoor seating which is welcomed during Covid, and the server suggested we visit Element 79 next. I am SO glad she did! Element 79 knows nuance. If you are only interested in $12 bottles that knock you upside the head with overripe fruit and oak chips, this isn't the place for you. If you like wine that skillfully balances fruit, oak, acid, mineral, and other amazing flavors, and a knowledgable staff, then look no further. I ended up joining the club and look forward to the quarterly parties