Crystal Basin Cellars is looking to add a third tasting room, this time within Placerville city limits, according to recent state filings. The paperwork on file lists 2850 Cold Springs Road as the proposed address, and the application is still under review by state regulators, according to WhatNow.
State records flagged by WhatNow show the application was submitted to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on Jan. 22, 2026. A Crystal Basin team member told the outlet that a Placerville location “is in the works,” while founder Mike Owen was not immediately available for comment.
From home winemaking to regional fixture
Crystal Basin traces its roots to home winemaking in 1980 and shifted into commercial production by 2000, eventually relocating operations to its Camino property in 2006, according to the Crystal Basin Cellars website. The winery currently lists a primary winery and tasting room at 3550 Carson Road in Camino, along with a downtown tasting room on Sutter Street in Folsom.
Industrial address, tasting room ambitions
The filing pinpoints 2850 Cold Springs Road as the future Placerville spot. That address is currently home to industrial and wholesale businesses, according to MapQuest and local business listings, suggesting the site is more of a warehouse-style parcel than a quaint Main Street storefront.
Closer to tourists, closer to town
If approved, the extra tasting room would put Crystal Basin nearer to downtown Placerville visitors and the busy Apple Hill and Carson Road tourism circuit, which promotes dozens of wineries and local events, according to Visit El Dorado. For wineries, those weekend tourism waves often translate into walk-in tasting traffic and event bookings, which can help extend a brand’s reach beyond its original hilltop hub.
There is no guarantee on timing. The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control notes that investigations usually take several weeks, and full processing for a new license can stretch into months depending on the application type, per the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Until an approval or protest is posted, the ABC record and Crystal Basin’s filing remain the main public signs of the proposed move.
The winery has not yet issued a public announcement about a Placerville opening, and its regulatory filings and website are still the clearest public references to the plan. This story will be updated if state regulators post a decision or Crystal Basin confirms additional details.
