Reviews of Paradise Hills Vineyard & Winery (Winery)

A Salcedo

Nice place needs to have a better selection of wines but have a nice time tasting the variety they did have.

Rayleen Tritt

Beautiful wine and vineyard. Bartender was super friendly and awesome.

Tak D

Wine choice is larger than its neighboring one but not with splendid view. Less strict policy than the said one.

Lorna Garney

Family owned and friendly people

Teresa Graziano

Went here a few weekends back. What a lovely place! Indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seating is facing the vinyard and the building is charming and feels straight out of Italy. Staff was wonderful. Ran into them again this past weekend at the Big E in West Springfield, MA and felt that the staff was equally as wonderful here. Wine is high quality, can't recommend Paradise enough.

John Smedberg

Visited the vineyard during a vacation in may this year. Amazing wine by such nice people working there. We wanted to buy more wine, but we live in Sweden and winebottles are heavy to carry during a trip ;)

Abbey Bortz

One of the best wine tastings I’ve been to. Relaxing atmosphere, fantastic wine, experienced and kind staff. Mario took the time to help everyone in our group find what they enjoyed most. I learned so much and will definitely be able to apply it when choosing and tasting wine in the future.

Lauren Cooper

A group of us came to visit the winery before a wedding. Mario was in the tasting room and he gave us a wonderful experience. He taught us propper tasting technique and was very friendly. You can tell he loves what he does. I learned to appreciate all wine, reds and whites, sweet and dry. It helps to have great wines to taste. Great environment and the perfect afternoon activity.

Benjamin Taylor

Went very early, for lunch. The sommelier was fun, engaging, and generous. Highly recommend coming early as they prep for the day - we got to try almost every wine, with a very personal discussion of each one. Will certainly come back!

Kelly chute

Keele was awesome! Super entertaining and VERY knowledgeable! Wine was great. Loved the grounds!

Jodi-Ann Superstar Mudfish

Over priced wine. Ok environment.

Randy Colton

Gorgeous vineyard. Probably the most beautiful one I've ever visited. Prices are a little bit higher than most winery's but the atmosphere and experience are worth it. Had a great time drinking a delicious bottle of white wine and listening to great live music. Got some of the best pictures of my short amateur photography career I've ever taken.

Charo del Campo

Good place, very beautiful

Donnell Culver

This is an amazing vineyard and I recommend you to come here!!!!!! Keeley too amazing care of me and my girlfriend for our wine tasting. She was extremely knowledgeable about the wines we tried and had an answer for every question we had. The grounds are amazing here and we had the pleasure of having a few glasses in the vineyard where Brenda greeted us and we had an informative conversation about how her family started the Vineyard. I will be back here!!!

Linda Salotto Perkins

Very knowledgeable about regions and wnes.... Nice tasting

RichardKrissi Derby

Good experience at the wine tasting due to delicous wine. Went during off peak hours and felt like the atmosphere was uninviting but still was taken care of.

Dan Kahl

Lighting outside would greatly improve atmosphere.

Maiku Marianda

One of, if not, the best Connecticut vineyards. The Presidential is bar none the best red wine in the state.

Judy Gauntt

We had a bottle of wine and a glass for me!! So

Nick Loizzi, Jr.

Very friendly staff. Gave background on all the samples. We have to come back when the Trio becomes available.

Sammy Rodriguez

What an excellent vineyard. Great wines and the staff was more than helpful. Try the wine tasting and you will buy some bottles.

mike ballas

Great wine, great staff!

Jessica Houlker

Good wine but can become very crowded in the winter due to lack of indoor space. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Worth the visit.

Lauren Nicole

Very cute! Going for wine slushies out on the lawn on a warm day is ideal!

Don Ross

My wife and I went to Paradise and had an amazing time! Very beautiful vineyard, and staff were more than friendly. We learned so much about the history of the estate, as well as had the opportunity to talk with the family members and had a fantastic time! Great wine and good times, will definitely return soon!

Karin Bedoya

The wine and people serving us were very knowledgeable and kind. For the most part, we had a great time. However, before closing time we were rushed out of there by the owner. He made difficult for us to buy more wine and after rushing us out, he preceded to rush us out of the parking lot. He knocked on out window and said we needed to leave. Needless to say, we won't be coming back.

Mike Geoffrion

Great vibes, cute dog and tasty wine. Had a great afternoon here with my girlfriend for a tasting

Jen L

Mario was nice, his accent makes it hard to understand everything. Tasting was ok.

Jackie Lariviere

My mom, sister and I came here after a disappointing experience at the winery down the road with better views, but the wine quality and friendly staff here more than made up for the lack of scenery!! First, their tasting includes a mix of wines that make sense and that you'd actually want to try - dry whites, one semi-sweet white, reds, and a sparkling white. Second, they were flexible and willing to swap out one wine for another in the tasting, such as when I said I don't like any sweet wines and would prefer to try the rose (in the end they benefit because if I like what I try, I will buy it!). Third, they were nice and explained the origins and flavors of each wine as we tasted, which made for an enjoyable and knowledge-building experience. Ultimately I bought one tasting, one glass of wine to enjoy outside, and 3 bottles because the wine was actually unique and good quality so I wanted to bring it home. Highly recommend!!!!

Jane Manby

My friends and I went to Paradise Hills yesterday and had nothing short of a phenomenal experience. The guy doing our tasting explained so much and was so wonderful to interact with. It really made our whole time. PH is close to Gouveia Vineyards which we've always found to be much busier and Paradise just has a more intimate/ small family run vibe. It's beautiful and there's great indoor and outdoor seating in addition to absolutely delicious wines. Highly recommend!!

Kristin Cadigan

Came here for a bachelorette party and needed to pump milk because I have a nursing baby at home. Was told they have no where for me to pump, that I wasn’t allowed to use the one stall restroom, but I could use the porta-potty outside (it is over 70 degrees outside and EW). Very disappointed that they could not make any kind of reasonable accommodation for me. These are the types of things still holding us back in 2018? Get your act together Paradise Hills.

David Vogt

Place is nice enough but be careful since pricing on line is NOT what the pricing is once you arrive. Internet had $10 for tasting and the charge at the winery was $12. Extra wines on the internet were $2 yet $3 at the winery. We did not push the issue but no accommodation was given. Unfortunately for them we might have bought a bottle or two but the pricing soured our desire to give them our business.

Alissa Elliott

My husband and I have tried a lot of wineries on the trail but this is by far our favorite. It's like you're going to see family every time you walk through the door and the wines are fantastic. It's a great place to watch the sun set with a glass of wine.

Philly coins

Good wine and great atmosphere. We had a good time here!

Renee Silvis

Mario is an incredible host and very knowledgeable of all the wines. He made an average tasting feel like a world class experience! The wine was great, but the experience was one of a kind. Will definitely be back and would recommend to friends.

Nick Paez

Be prepared for poor service and doing things on your own. On our way out they told me I not only had to return the wine glasses, but I had to escort them myself to the bartender. They couldn't do that on their own. Also no food. They give you a "take out menu" of local places that deliver and you call them and they don't even deliver. Literally local delis. Don't even waste your time. They're just envious how much money Gouveia makes.

Tyler

Amazing winery and great service. Mario is top notch and made the experience unforgettable.

Allison DeMarest

Went today. Mario is no longer there was kinda bummed out. New reds are delicious. I'd say overall experience isn't the same without Mario as bartender but wines don't disappoint.

Sarah Baker

Fantastic staff lil loud but expected since its a big banquet room

Renee Maturo

Amazing reds !!! Fabulous family owned vineyard! The best location and views!

M Smyth

We went in looking for a relacing place to sit and enjoy a glass of wine on a beautiful evening. When we got there we walked into a room of what appeared to be college kids talking so loud i couldnt even hear my husband who was standing 2 inches from me. We stayed around hoping to get to the bar and we had not moved from our original spot in 10 mins no were we greeted at all. The staff seemed to distracted to care about the experience of the many who were in line. Dont think we will be going back

N Hexum

This vineyard had the best consistency in quality of wine of the four I recently visited in Connecticut. I would have bought any of the wines poured during the tasting.

Aubri Drake

The building and decor were gorgeous. Unfortunately, none of the wines stood out as anything particularly special.

John Forish

Very nice great wine friendly people. It was alittle cramped but overall very good.

George Bergstrom

Awesome venue and delicious wine. Cabernet was fantastic.

Matthew Recore

I haven't been there in a while BUT....from when I was there it was amazing. The wines were all delicious, the building was phenomenal and the staff was friendly. Hoping to be back soon!

Walter Se

Good wine. Fun atmosphere.

Marissa Strominger

On a tour of multiple CT wineries, this was by the far the most disappointing experience we had. It was extremely loud and only one person doing the tastings. When we finally found a spot, we were told we needed to wait longer because the space was needed for other people, and we asked if there was any other place to go, and he said no and was rude about telling us we needed to move. The guy behind the counter did not know how to handle more than one party at a time. We waited for about 45 minutes and then left out of frustration without even doing a tasting. Definitely had better experiences at other wineries.

Tim Keogh

Fun night with the future in-laws and family

William Wisniewski

bring your own food, or order take out while your there.

Bob Davis

Peaceful. Aptly named, paradise!Knowledgeable staff. Kudos to Sarah!

Odell Stewart

An Amazing adventure into the old country

matthew Williams

Have been hearing about this place from friends and family. Finally made my way there and it’s a beautiful spot. It was my first time trying wine and going to a vineyard, really great time. Wine is good, scenery is nice, and the chickens are a fun plus. The owner is also extremely nice, great to talk to. Would recommend and will be returning.

Rion Lindsay

Very nice building with wines to match

David Durant

Great wine, friendly staff.

Laura Cannon

Need more help. Too long of a wait outside and inside just to purchase a bottle of wine.

Sharon Pepper

Outstanding. Mario was great and very knowledgeable.

Josef Gaster

The wine is great and the Staff is always pleasant. Plenty of extra space outside for when it's warmer.

Michelle Boyles

If I could give 0 stars, I would. Incredibly rude, didn't acknowledge our presence, then we requested a tasting and didn't get help! With all of the great wineries in Connecticut, I would go here last and only if I needed the visit to complete the wine trail passport.

Rick Araya

what a nice family run place! I liked the wines. I liked the atmosphere! Coming back next time with some food and friends !

Jessica Hartman

Nice place. We went on a sunny day with snow on the ground and loved that the outdoor tables were set up. We enjoyed the bottle of wine that we drank. We plan to return again

Jeff Girard

We enjoyed the wine and the ambiance!

Taylor E

Wine and people are fantastic...every.single.time. One of my absolute favorite wineries in Connecticut.

mzlusciouz203

The wait was long, was not thrilled with the level of customer service. In comparison to other wineries, there was zero engagement on their part. We were walked away from several times and asked which tasting we were on several times. Either too much multitasking going on, or a disregard for the patrons altogether. Smell of smoke was also extremely unpleasant. Don't see myself going back ever...With so many in the immediate locale, it won't be hard.

Julie Miska

My boyfriend and I did the CT wine trail last summer, getting to 19 of the 32 vineyards. Paradise Hills was our favorite. Not only did they have a great selection of good wines, but they were friendly and inviting. It really is a family affair and when you're there you feel like you're part of the family. When the wine trail officially started Friday we made sure to go there first! The Sauvignon Blanc is amazing!

Gina Torre

Fabulous experience always!!!!

Christa Nemetz

Excellent!

Chuck Coryea

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of their wines. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. I will return!

Jeff Moore

I have been here many times with my family and friends. It is always a wonderful experience. The wines are excellent and the staff is very friendly. Paradise Hills is always my go to vineyard when looking to relax and enjoy a glass of wine with family and friends.

Nicole Tillery

Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Location is lovely and great for wine tasting or sharing a bottle with friends.

Michelle Knockwood

Very friendly owner and staff. Wine was very nice too.

Alan Brown

Always a great place to go. Staff has excellent knowledge of wines. Wines are great. We bought a case. Go on Friday or Sunday to enjoy the music. Bring some snacks and have a good time.

Tom Scelfo

Paradise Hills offers the best wine east of Napa Valley. In addition, the Ruggerio family members are the nicest people on the planet. They are very welcoming and knowledgeable and work very hard to create a quiet, peaceful, beautiful atmosphere, with most importantly, very good wine! If you're looking for lovely quiet ambience, great wine, and good people who make it, Paradise Hills is the place for you! We are so lucky to have such a terrific winery in central CT.

Jeff Keltz

Beautiful scenery, weather permitting, getting a bottle of Rose and sitting outside is a very delightful experience. The staff is friendly during the wine tasting, and overall it is a great experience.

Brett LaMotta

Does not have the BEST views or scenery, but they hit on everything else! You don't just go here for the wine, you get much more. Great people, and employees. We did not just get to drink the wine, we learned about the wine. How to taste, smell, drink, choose. It was perfect in its own way and very affordable!

Yousif Aldeen

It's great place, I really enjoyed with my wife, very nice wine and music. The people whom was there are great.

Catherine Farish

My boyfriend and I decided we wanted to try wine tasting for the first time. What a beautiful location! The owner did our tasting, forgive me but I didn't catch her name, she was the sweetest, friendliest person I have ever encountered. The whole family was and they made us feel so welcome. She gave us a good background on the location and the wines. The experience was wonderful and we had a beautiful day on top of it. I can't wait to come back here with the girls for girls night!

John Wing

The sangria was amazing

Angelina Blankschen

Friendly warm environment. Nice place to get away and enjoy a bottle of wine with a picnic lunch.

J. Char

We love the atmosphere and the wines here. They also have live bands indoors and a beautiful outdoor patio.

Sandi Manna

Nice wines, great environment.

Jan Baggett

A very expensive mediocre Winery with an outhouse.

Heidi Clark

Great time. Awesome music with Dizzy Fish!!!

Paul P

Our first visit was during the 2015 CT Wine Trail. While the tasting room is very nice, we prefer the atmosphere and feel of a more rustic setting as found in other wineries in Connecticut. Add to that that we were greeted by our Host for the tasting who was sporting a faded red Budweiser T-Shirt. It just seemed less than appropriate. Turning a blind eye, none of the wines we tried overly impressed us compared to the rest of the Wineries on the Trail. Fast forward to the 2016 Winter CT Wine Trail, we decided to come back with an open mind and try another tasting. Let it be known that a good Host can make all the difference in the world. We were pleasantly greeted and provided with a very informative and pleasurable wine tasting experience. Unlike our first experience, the Washington Trail Rose prominently stood out as being one of the better wines we have tasted to date. Just as there are many different wines to please the the palate of many different people, people will prefer one atmosphere over another. While I am glad we decided to give Paradise Hills another try, it doesn't stand out compared to the atmosphere we have experiended at other wineries.

Brittany Reeser

I cannot express everything I love about this vineyard! There is not enough room! The building transports you to Florence! The wine is delicious! The best part is the owners and those who work here. You come a stranger and leave part of the Paradise Family!

Connie Lubinski

Had a great time. They were busy but there was live music which was a plus. Weather was great so we sat outside and enjoyed the views of the vineyard. It was neat to see they had a chicken coop and we saw a chicken walking around the tables some. Would recommend stopping by for sure.

Cassandra Benoit

I don't even know where to start in describing how amazing this vineyard is. The first thing you will notice is the fact that it's absolutely gorgeous. As you drive up, the grounds will take your breath away, and the bar area is so beautiful. The wine was absolutely delcious, and the tasting pours were generous. I didn't have to savor a tiny sip to enjoy all the flavors, I got plenty of each wine to truly experience it. Finally, although amazing wine and a gorgeous vineyard are enough to create a good experience, the thing that really set Paradise Hills apart was Mario. He was welcoming, friendly, treated us like family immediately, and made our experience the best one of the entire wine trail. He values personal connections and creates a personal experience that is unmatched. His family was there at the vineyard, which created a vibe that felt like home. It was as if we were sharing wine with our own family. To be surrounded by such beauty, drinking fantastic wine, and feeling right at home was an experience that will not be outdone. If you are in the area or are planning a trip through the wine trail, you cannot skip Paradise Hills. This vineyard is one of a kind.

George Korakakis

Great wine and wonderful owners!

Alexandra Kaplan

We wanted to do a tasting but you are only allowed to taste inside the building and it was a beautiful day outside. Plus the inside reeked of cigarette smoke or something similar. The staff was nice and gave us a small sip to try a few different wines before we bought one. Wine was good. Sitting outside was nice. Not very busy at noon so it was quiet and relaxing.

Carlton Dobson

Amazing

Vincenzo Landino

Great people, Fantastic wine, Good for Wallingford.

Diana Destin

Great wine and service!

George Agnew

Great wine, friendly staff, great atmosphere. Highly recommend you visit.

Carolin Schönning

Good Italian wines

Kristen R

great lil place hidden away in suburbia lol delightfully fun and delicious wines.

J B III

Stopped here Saturday to check it out. Road signs helped us to find it as it is just off a main road and entrance looks like a driveway to a home. The "welcome" flag showed it was a business. Vines were bare as it is still to early for buds. Parking lot was gravel and dirt, probably a little tough on a rainy day. The structure for tastings had a small patio to sit outside with a glass. Our server Kelly was very nice, had some knowledge of the product . When she didn't know something she asked a co-worker for assistance. Turns out he is the owner. We had a couple of brief conversations about the grapes and the wines they serve. The Cab Sauv was my favorite wine on their tasting list for the day. It had a fantastic nose was moderately acidic and the tannins were pronounced enough to know this is a wine they enjoy crafting. The reasons for 4 & not 5 stars are as follows, no snacks were offered at the bar to cleanse the pallet between tastings(crackers would have sufficed), and I thought the bottle price point was a little high. I plan to go back to this area to see what new wines will be on the menu come summer.

stan speer

Nice place people were great

vzw west

I go to finger lakes and Paradise Hills is still my favorite. Worth the hour drive.

Sharon Alia

Lovely day at the vineyard on Saturday. So pretty, like a little bit of Tuscany! Friendly servers plus I found 2 new wines to love. Landot Noir & Notte di Amore. Only downer is they really need to do something about the driveway, it's like the rocky road to Dublin!

Timothy Munsell

We sadly had an incredibly inattentive and dismissive employee issuing our wine tasting. The rest of the staff seemed attentive and engaged but ours was useless. Very disappointed with the gentleman's service. The wait was also far too long. The wine however was very decent.

Cyndy Bailey

Mario is the best and gave us a great experience aine we were out of state visiyors. I will gladly recommend stopping here for a wonderful wine tasting experience. Can't wait for the Founder's Reserve to be bottled!!

Dan Sallen

Extremely fun I recommend this facility for anyone! Great fun atmosphere at a great price! Clean presentable authentic and versatility!