solaro estate

It's a bit of a drive to get to and not worth it in my opinion. The wine quality is good but the attitude that comes with it isn't. The tastings were the smallest I have ever seen and the selection was rather small too - just one white and three reds. The tastings were so small I that figured they were complementary. Wow was I surprised when the four sips cost $10 - much as a flight of wine at the Driftwood winery's. To make matters worse, the server had poor people skills which made me and my guest feel uncomfortable. It's not a place I would go back to no matter how good the wine is.

I am surprised by the other reviews. Our experience was so different. The wines were some of the best smoothest wines we have tasted. The tannins are very low and there is a definite difference. Olivia spent a lot of time with us and explained their wines and taught us a lot. We spoke with the owners who were both very nice. As a disclaimer I will say they were not busy and we went on a weekday. They told us that they do not get to spend this much time with people on busy days.We visited three wineries on this trip. It was the most expensive...The wines ranges from about $30 to over $100 a bottle....but we felt the wine was worth $30 a bottle. Of the three wineries we visited, this was by far our favorite.

The service is absolutely lacking...they will tell you the story that they are 'hands on' and everything is hand picked, etc..etc. according on the server, he also works in the field on occasion..bottom line...is the wine good or not? I this case no way! And for the price...skip this one!

They are definitely full of themselves. Our service was good and the person pouring was knowledgeable. However the service should have been good as we were the only ones tasting while there was one couple on the deck. This was on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Perhaps the lack of people indicates people have caught on to this pretentious winery. 10 for 4 pours is pricey when right up the road I tasted wines just as good with 10 pours for $10. They are better wines available in the area as well as better tasting experiences. Skip this one.

I wish we had not wasted our time to drive to this one. The gentleman who helped us (which I now read is an owner) was insulting and downright RUDE. I tried his wines and didn't care for any. Being respectful, I didn't criticize. When he asked me what I typically drink, I said sweet wines. His response was that they are made with "the leftover, mildewed grapes that didn't make it into the good wines." I was taken back by his insult, but more so that he wouldn't let it go. Hoping I could get him to leave me alone, I spoke up and said "I guess if I like to drink mildewed grapes out of a bucket then so be it. I like what I like." He said "well you're wrong." I'm sorry...are my wine tastes up for debate? Did I even ask you? Ummmm...no. Spend less time memorizing the awards for each bottle of wine (Zzzzz...) and work on your people skills. Don't waste your time driving to this one!

The other reviews about chintzy pours, rude staff, price-gouging and mediocre wine are not exaggerations. They love to ride the wave of medals and "Texas Winery of the Year." It's almost too much to take. Can't we all just admit that your wine really isn't that good? Even the better stuff, like the Tempranillo simply isn't worth $54. That's what you pay for some good Napa cabs and blends. Please get your heads out of the clouds, focus on wine making and customer service, and for pity's sake, lower your prices.Don't get a membership...we canceled as quickly as we could, and that was only after 2 shipments of about $130 for ONLY 3 BOTTLES each. Plus, I picked up our shipment and they still charged $4 shipping and handling?! Because they packed it up for shipping, even though they didn't ship, they charged me for the packaging. Bad form.

My wife and I visited the winery as part of our self-guided tour of assorted wineries in the area. We went in to try the wines and were right away told we would not be allowed to share a tasting. Now, when visiting several wineries I find that sharing is the only way I can do it otherwise I'd be in no condition to continue. I fail to see the harm in letting a couple share the sample so a joint decision can be made. Chances are we would have bought a few bottles but the silly unwarranted policy just sent us out the door without a single taste. There are enough other wines to try without putting up with stuff like that so my money was spent elsewhere.They may have the best wines in Texas but sheesh, what's with the silly tasting policy?

Wanted to check out this winery on oir birthday wine tour. We checked ahead and site said they were open. We got there and gate was closed. Was not chained shut, and saw a camera and automatic opener on the gate. I thought was an unusual way to let guests in.I called to ask how to gain entrance. A very rude and abrupt woman said by appointment only otherwise closed and hung up on me. I do not imagine we will be going back there.

Very good wines, all Texas-based. Knowledgeable staff. However, a warning should have been the lack of prices posted on their tasting menu. As is mentioned in earlier reviews, their tasting pours are tiny. We really liked their sangiovese, and the charge was $54. For two tastings and a single bottle. Not cheap but not quite... the tastings were added. $54 for one bottle of sangio. Sticker shock. Texas wines have historically been lower-priced than ostentatious Napa wines, but not at Solaro. Should've said "Not so fast, cancel it" and just paid for tastings. Advice to Solaro: show your prices like everyone else does. Sadly, we won't be going back. Hope the sangiovese is worth it.

Staff is very friendly and knowledgable. Best award wining wines in the area. Owners are good friends and always make us feel welcome. They go above and beyond to make you feel at home. I would most definitely recommend to all my friends and family.

We started here because of the Wine reviews! Really nice place although it was raining when we went. Had a great time more because of the people I was with AND the wine was really good!!!!

We went to Solaro Estates and were not impressed by the lack of customer service!The sample of wine was so small that the four wines we tasted equaled 1/4 glass of wine. Yes, I was so surprised that each sample was about 1 tablespoon. While waiting in line to use the bathroom the staff member went in front of me to use the restroom. I was shocked! The staff member didn't even ask if they could jump in front of me. I'm not sure how their wines won so many awards ( which they tell you the entire time of the visit) but we found the wines unimpressive.I would recommend you visit one of the other wineries in the area, don't waste you time visiting this one.

The short drive from downtown Austin was worth it. It was my only chance to see the Texas Hill Country on my recent visit. Solaro Estate and Vineyards, Tasting Room, Stables and Ranch topped off my great stay in the beautiful city of Austin.

I have been to many many Hill Country wineries, but visited Solaro Estate for the first time last weekend. As others have noted, the wines are expensive, probably more expensive than most in this area, but they are of a very high quality. I'm not sure if they have recently changed their tasting room listings in response to complaints, but the prices of all of the wines was clearly marked on the tasting sheet. The tasting room was crowded when we arrived, as it was a busy Saturday afternoon and there were several limos parked outside. We found a spot a the bar and were quickly served the first wine. The service wasn't super-friendly, but he did tell us about the wine, the origin of the grapes, etc. (Some of the wines are made from grapes grown in the Hill Country, while others are made from grapes grown in the high plains.) All of the wines we tasted were wonderful, and I actually liked the lighter cab that some complained about below. There is some seating in the tasting room and more outside, some even under shade. There is a small stage set up where local musicians play. A guitar player was there on Saturday and he was quite good and interacted with small crowd that had gathered. I also noticed a larger seating area off to one side that appeared to be set up for a wedding or rehersal dinner. It would have been a lovely spot for it, overlooking the vineyard.I would also like to give kudos to the tasting room staff for attempting control the young children running amok outside. Parents enjoying a bottle of wine were letting their toddlers run around and play in the fountain outside, but someone from the tasting room came out and told them that they needed to keep the children out of the fountain. I appreciate the attempt to keep this a place for adults to enjoy, despite the inconsiderate parents who insist on taking their children to inappropriate places.

Short version: One star for the total lack of regard of what customer service should be and for ignoring all attempts to remedy a very simple issue. There are much better places to spend your time and money if you want to support a Texas winery.Longer version: We joined their wine club in February in part the bc the girl pouring told us they were opening a tasting room in Houston which was great for us and we'd be supporting a local winery. The tasting room has yet to be opened at time of review and each time we asked via email we were told "soon" - so who knows. The wines tasted were ok and a bit overpriced, but we were on vacation and vacation money isnt real money right?! Everything went downhill when I received an email that Solaro charged us $128 for our Fall shipment. I was surprised by this bc when we joined the club, we were told we could pick out our remaining wine and could arrange a pick up in Houston to avoid shipping fees. Adding insult to injury, we opened one of the 3 bottles we purchased in February ($48 Montipulciano) and found it to be spoiled (cloudy, sour smell, tart taste) so I emailed Barbara asking her to call me to discuss. She wrote back saying she'd call but never did. I called her the following Monday at lunch to get the wine issue resolved but she said she was busy with a customer and would call me back. Shocker - she never did. Later that night I got an email from Robert saying my shipping fees would be reimbursed (have not been as of yet) and that the wine in question "is an internationally awarded wine, which is sold out, with an unblemished history of the highest quality." I guess according to Robert, it's impossible for such an esteemed bottle of wine to spoil, so I'm left to assume it's not a spoiled wine we had, it's just supposed to taste like crap and maybe our palate isn't ready for such a mind blowing experience of drinking it. Had they of taken the time to call me and discuss rather than blowing off a wine club member the issue could likely have been resolved. Caveat emptor I suppose. Customer service and humility- especially when you're a small Texas winery who depend on word of mouth for the most part - can go a long way and they failed miserably at both.