Lucid Winery & Tasting Room

Description and review of Lucid Winery & Tasting Room, a small-batch winery producing organic, natural, low sulfite and vegan wines in Sacramento.

The Lucid Winery and Tasting Room is located along the R Street Corridor, an area popular with both foodies and art lovers.  It opened in March, 2022.

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A friend and I received two 50% off wine tasting coupons for Lucid Winery when we attended the 2023 Taste of East Sacramento.  We decided to use our coupons after attending a Saturday afternoon event at Music Circus, where we had lunch and the opportunity to watch a (partial) rehearsal of the upcoming production of the Adams Family.

See related blog posts:  Taste of East Sacramento and Sacramento Music Circus

It was around 4:00 p.m. when we left the Music Circus venue.  It was hot – 105 degrees to be exact!  When we arrived at the Lucid Winery and Tasting Room we were very pleased to find street parking in partial shade nearby.

Lucid Winery and Tasting Room

The Lucid Winery and Tasting Room is located in one of the old brick buildings that line the R Street Corridor.  Next door is the Fox & Goose, a popular English pub.

Many of the old historic brick buildings in the area, prior to their renovation and/or repurposing, had served as warehouses and/or industrial shops.

The door was open, and we walked into a large open area.  The interior brick walls are painted white, making the venue light and airy.  A bar area is to the right, and banks of wine barrels help divide the space into “rooms”.   Tables are scattered throughout, as are shelves with thousands of old books, over 100 plants, art by local artists, a piano, etc.  The décor can best be described as eclectic.

The venue does not have air conditioning, but the number of large fans scattered about made it comfortable enough despite it being triple-digits outside.

Wine Tasting

We made our way to the bar and were greeted by Michael, one of the bartenders on duty.  We were offered a sample taste of a wine slushie to help cool us off.

Tastings:

• 5 – 1.5 oz for $15
• 5 – 3 oz for $25

We chatted with Michael who was most friendly and informative.  After answering Michael’s questions as to what we liked/did not like, we each opted for “Dealers Choice” and “Chaos” (all beverage an option), thus leaving it up to him to pick what our flights would include.  We did request that both flights be different as we intended to share.  In addition to wine, Lucid Winery winemaker Kevin Luther also crafts cider, wine-beer hybrids, mead, etc.

Note:  An 18% fee added to all purchases. The winery website explains: An 18% Fee is added to all bookings/charges/wine to allow us to pay our employees a living wage, full benefits, retirement and vacation time.

When he returned to our table with the first flight, Michael explained a bit about each of the beverages he had chosen.  He then went to work putting together the second flight.  When he returned, we shared our reactions to the first flight, after which he explained his choices for the second.

First Flight:

• Albarano
• Hibiscus Rose
• Red Apple Piquette
• Wanderlust Red Blend
• Malbec

Second Flight:

• French Colombard
• Picpoul blanc
• Viognier (orange)
• Mead
• WineChelada

As we were sampling the second flight Jerome, brother to Winemaker Kevin, came by our table to chat.  We discussed the wines we had been sampling and, among other things, he shared that they have live music on Thursdays and Fridays.  Additionally, Lucid Winery welcomes buskers to entertain guests (for tips) from time to time.

Review

Kevin Luther creates original recipes when developing his wines, hybrids, etc.  Describing his style as “experimental” and/or “unique” seems apt.

As one might expect, we liked some of the beverages we sampled, and did not care for others.  Neither my friend nor I cared for the Viognier.

I enjoyed the mead, and my friend (who does not drink beer) was surprised that she liked the WineChelada, a wine-beer hybrid.  We both also liked the Malbec and the red blend, although I prefer my reds more full-bodied.  The Colombard/sage combination was another miss for me, although I do like the herb.  Everyone’s taste is different.

50% Off Wine Tasting Coupon

The Lucid Winery website offers a 50% off wine tasting coupon for first-timers.

Awards

Lucid Winery has won a number of awards.  For example, in the 2023 California Commercial Wine Competition at the State Fair Lucid Winery brought home Double Gold for its 2021 Epiphany (Petite Sirah).  Additionally, Lucid was awarded eight Silver and twelve Bronze at the 2023 competition.

A Bit of Background – Voluptuary & Lucid Winery

Owner and Winemaker Kevin Luther launched Voluptuary & Lucid Wines in 2017 and spent the next three years creating and brewing his wares.

The winery launch party was set for March of 2020 – but COVID 19 brought that to an abrupt halt just prior to the opening date.  The business pivoted, and launched instead a successful virtual wine tasting kit/virtual wine tasting business.

The winery and tasting room opened to the public in March of 2022.

To Sum Up

To sum up, my friend and I enjoyed our visit to Lucid Winery and Tasting Room.  The bartenders were both super friendly and entertaining, and the casual atmosphere welcoming.

I look forward to stopping by to sample some of their other offerings in the near future.

Comments on Lucid Winery & Tasting Room?

What has been your experience at Lucid Winery & Tasting Room?

Lucid Winery Tasting Room Snapshot:

• 1015 R Street, Sacramento, CA 95811
• (916) 384-0076
• Closed Monday & Tuesday; Wednesday & Thursday (3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.); Friday (3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) Saturday (11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.); Sunday (11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)
• Picnic-style food items available for purchase
• Venue available for rent
• $1 donated to charity for every bottle sold
• Dog Friendly
• Parking: Street & Nearby Parking Lot

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