ApCal

Apcal is a unique and much needed venue for gathering a group of friends and grabbing lawn chairs to listen to good music. The atmosphere is fun and I always run into old friends when there. The best part is apcal is only a few short minted north of Fresno! Thanks for giving people a great place to gather and listen to music on weekends.

Went to a Saturday night event to listen to live music and taste wine with friends. The deal was $ 10 for the APCAL wine glass that enables the buyer to either taste 5 wines OR 4 beers today and each time they bring back the glass to future apcal events. Alternatively, you can pay $ 5 to either taste 4 beers or 5 wines. One of the reasons I gave 2 stars was because the wine tastings were tiny! it’s barely 2 sips. All 5 wine tastings combined maybe consisted of ¼ of a glass of wine. No bueno.
The atmosphere and music was pleasant but make sure to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets. You can rent chairs but I’m not sure how much it costs.
The food was the worst part. It consisted of 3 food trucks that I can remember. Enroute grill served tri tip sandwiches for $ 11. Compared to Mike’s grill or Dog House grill, this sandwich is pathetic in comparison. Barely any tri tip at all and it’s served in a hot dog bun with a smattering of fries. Easily the worst sandwich I’ve ever had in Fresno. And expensive! $ 11 and it didn’t even taste good.
The 2^nd food truck was called Bravo Bites. They served tacos, burritos, etc. I purchased the $ 8 asada burrito and it was also a disappointment. Like the other food truck, it BARELY had any meat at all. The whole burrito was beans, beans, and more beans. True to it’s name, the protein portion was definitely only a bite.
These food truck thieves are basically stealing your money. Any self-​respecting fast food Mexican establishment serves waayyyyy more meat for a $ 6.50 burrito. And the tri tip was served on a 10 cent hotdog bun with 4 – 5 slivers of meat. Like the crazy Game of Thrones lady in this past season finale… shame. Shame. Shame. Shame.
The 3^rd truck just served pies. I can’t speak to the quality but I know the slices were small compared to the other pie food trucks.
If the apcal organizers/​owners happen to be reading this post, I suggest changing the food options or at least screening future food vendors because it’s an embarrassment. The Gazebo Gardens food trucks are far, far better. If these food trucks also go to gazebo gardens, I recommend avoiding.
I believe they have events every Friday and Saturday throughout the summer. Cover charge varies but the highest I’ve seen was $ 20.
2 stars for good atmosphere and friendly staff.
0 stars for atrocious food and meager wine tasting pours

Started going last summer (2014) and LOVED it. Everytime I go I have an amazing time.
The wine and music are great!
Sugar was my Favorite! I hope to see again this year!
We also Loved Max Headroom 80′s Band, they are great!
Bring a chair and Have a GREAT time!

From all their advertisements and signs along the 99 towards Fresno, I finally made the stop and visited ApCal (short for Appellation California). I came just for the wine tasting. They are not a winery but they do have a lot of wine selection to choose from local wineries down the road to wineries across the country, and they have different selections presumably every now and then. They have a list of red, white and sweet wines for you to choose from. For $ 5 you get 5 tasting. They also have beer tasting but from only one brewery I think from Madera. The person serving and helping us was very informative about everything wine and fun to talk to. I heard they have live music on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer and when warm weather persists (the music is played outside; bring your own lawn chair!). But I think it’s more for the older crowd, like 40’s maybe?
I will come back again to try their other wines as well as other wineries along the road.

Fun place to go to in Fresno. You used to be able to bring your own water bottles in, but now they make you pay for them inside Apcal. Not a fan of that, but they only charge 1 dollar (but it can all add up especially to stay hydrated on all the vino tasting). They have a variety of wines to choose from. For 5 dollars you can choose from 5 different wines to taste, or buy wine by the glass or bottle. The entertainment is great also. Friday nights are free and Saturdays there is an admission charge.

Great music and atmosphere ruined by people dancing and behaving inappropriately. Won’t be returning as the last time I went was disgusted by people groping each other on the dance floor. They would then switch partners and continue that with another person. Used to enjoy this venue but surprised that the owner allows such disgusting public behavior

Checked out some of my friends bands here recently. The grounds are very nice. Lots of grass and a big tree to sit under if you need shade. The sound system was killer. One of the best I’ve heard in a long time. All the bands were excellent though. They don’t mess around with amateurs here. The place draws an older crowd, I’d say 40 and up on average. Everyone was super friendly and enjoyed themselves.
They have wine of course and a few local beers. The beers are a bit pricey and they have a $ 20 minimum for credit cards. And you have to park in a dusty dirt lot which is a drag if you’re on motorcycles like we were.
All in all I’d say this is a pretty cool place to come and relax, have a drink and listen to some good music.

Went here for the first time for a beer tasting event they were hosting and came away with some mixed feelings. The venue is very nice with a good layout and a very comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. The event was very nice and had a lot of great beers to try and some good food to eat. The problem was the size of the place could not contain the amount of people they allowed in. 1500 people was the cut off and maybe there were about 800 or so and man it was very hard to maneuver around. The lines for the beer were not long it was just trying to move through the crowds of people who had just got a beer and had no where else to stand but right next to the beer booths that was the problem. We knew ahead of time to bring a couple of chairs of our own to sit down on, but everyone who didn’t just stood right in the middle of the event. On top of that the line for the restroom was ridiculous. All these people and they did not rent any port-a-potty’s, they only had their restrooms inside the winery open. I hope they do a little rearranging for this event next year and maybe try allowing a few less people in so everyone who is there to try some new beers can have a more enjoyable time.

This was my first time going to what they call ApCal. They have events there every Friday and Saturday. On this particular night off Thursday night they had an event called smoke under the oak. They were showcasing cigars wine and various beers.
So I enjoy the atmosphere it was a nice cool evening I didn’t like that when I tried to buy my wine, because it was close to them closing I had to buy a whole bottle instead of just a glass. Other than that it’s a great place to go on a Friday or Saturday if the crowd stays consistent with what I saw that Thursday night

always enjoy the wine tastings here, but, if you don’t go on a «regular» weekend (non-​holiday) you’ll probably have a more knowledgeable person behind the bar! Not all of their staff are hired because of their knowledge of wines, much less local wines – so, don’t expect to have a great wine education here. It’s best to know exactly what you like, what you want, and ask for the pours. The stock in the stores on either side of the tasting room doesn’t seem to ever change-​same t-​shirts, same bottle art, etc. – the non-​stop radio music can be annoying, but, it helps block the noise from Hwy. 99. This place is much better for evening events, such as concerts in the back, and the facility is comfortable, clean and inviting – it’s just that the staff can often seem to be clueless (and with such knowledgeable staff at the nearby tasting rooms, it’s really disappointing.)

Great place to see live bands and socialize with friends with beer and wine best deal in town $ 7 on Sat. Saw rock band 51 aces great music. Bring lawn chairs and be there before 7 to get a good spot.

My favorite place to be on Fri/​Sat nights!

Good times, good music, good wine. They used to allow you to bring your own beverages on Friday nights, but that’s now against the rules. It’s still worth a visit.

Fabulous! Good wine, great setting, easy to get to.
This is the place to whether you know a lot about wine or you want to learn more. Weekend evening events are great. A summer evening listenting to live music with a good glass of wine under that great big oak tree is a night to remember.

We went for first time on a Saturday Night to see one of their concerts. Had a blast. You bring your own lawn chair and sit on a nice grassy area. They have free wine tasting, a full bar, food boothes, and even pie and ice cream! it is a must try place on a lazy summer evening.

If you are whizzing down the 99 and pass through Madera, there is a place you must stop, out in the middle of nowhere. Graced by some lovely old oaks and surrounded by vineyards is an old house, now a tasting room, called California Appellation. Open 2 years, they feature fine wines from multiple wineries from the surrounding area in the San Joaquin Valley.
Most of their wines run around $ 15 -$ 17/​bottle.
For those who dislike wine, it is still a pleasant stopping off point. It’s easy to get to, right off the freeway. They have tables set up with tastings of local olive oil, nuts and chocolate dipped dried fruits, and a tiny gift shop with decorations, cheeses, wine oddities, jams and sauces, olives and nuts for sale. There is pleasant seating outside under the trees. And you might even get a friendly greeting from Wino, the winery cat. And you will find this is a good clean restroom stop.
Wine tasting costs $ 5. But if you buy a couple of bottles, its free. The wines were delightful, light, with no tannins. A very pleasant way to make driving up the 99 freeway a touch more interesting.

This place is AMAZING! My wife and I got married there and we always stop by as part of our date nights. The staff is knowledgeable and personable; the owner is very personable. ApCal is an incredible central valley location for good wine and wonderful atmosphere.

I recently went to Ap Cal for an event and was very pleased with our experience. The gift shop is adorable and the selection of wines was great. The night we were there was for a tasting and there was live music. It was packed with a diverse crowd and it was nice to see everyone walking around looking at the local art work. It’s right off of 99 and has great on and off access and the parking is good. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys wine tasting or who might be looking for a gift for a wine lover.

Very approachable and professional staff, ample parking, and easy on-​off the highway. We stopped here on our way to the Fresno County Blossom Trail.
The tasting room is in an old home (from the ‘20s I believe, ask the staff for the history of the place). There is a bar area with two flanking rooms filled with dried fruits and other food products. There are event spaces in the other parts of the building.
Tasting was $ 5. The wine we enjoyed tasting was Ficklin Tinta Port. Recommendation to owners: credit the tasting fee to purchases.
This visitor’s center will deserve another star once they’ve implemented their new programs. I heard they’re going to have special food events such as teaching kids where pizzas «come from» by bringing in the whole ingredients to show them (including animals for petting).