Vino

Vino is what it looks like — a little shop dedicated to wine. I wanted to send my friend a bottle of wine for her birthday, so I looked on Unilocal,read some reviews, and ended up here. That’s the beauty of this site, you don’t have to have anything more than a general idea of what you want and you’ll find what you need.
I’m not a wine guy. I mean, I like to drink, but wine is something I still haven’t quite yet mastered. I don’t often ask for a glass of wine at dinner because I can’t distinguish between the subtleties of different grapes, can’t taste the fruit flavors, and can’t appreciate whatever it is that makes great wines «great».
So I defer to the «experts». When I came in some reasonably friendly guy helped me select a wine that hopefully my friend will love (I have no idea if it was this infamous «Mark» character or not). And if she doesn’t like it, no big deal, because I’m only out 12 – 17 bucks and I know I couldn’t have done any better.
I’m cool with that, and I’m cool with this store. Reasonable prices, solid location, and more knowledge of wine than I could ever dream of. So even if I only come here once a year to grab my annual birthday bottle, I’ll still be thankful for this place.

What a wonderful wine shop! The right size to keep it from being intimidating while offering an interesting variety.
Regardless of who is working, everyone has been consistently knowledgeable and customer-​service oriented.
Every recommendation has been a winner and the price is always right.

My favorite wine store, by far.
Always helpful. During one visit, the employee called his mother to get her recipe for a Thanksgiving side dish.

This place is awesome. Its a great little neighborhood wine shop (though not quite in my neighborhood). I will go here in the future for many of my wine needs… and my wine needs are many. I called the shop up the other night on the way to a dinner. I told them very specifically what I wanted…“uh, some kind of wine that goes with paella, around 25 – 30 dollars”. I mean how much clearer could I be? When I walked in they had a red and a white option waiting on the counter. He was friendly, knowledgable and informed me about the wine I eventually chose. What is even more amazing, is it was a lot cheaper than my budget… and once opened it was amazing! On a side note, a friend asked him about a specific wine we tried at a restaurant. He said that he didn’t carry it but he would be willing to order a case for us. How great is that? Almost as great as the fact as I will have half a case of a big italian red in a week or two ;)

I used to go to the Berkeley store back in the 90s and I always used to be happy with the price and the taste. Their SF store is much the same. I got the Wine for the Week thing, $ 70 for 7 bottles, and it includes a varied selection of reds and whites from around the world, this week it’s Italy, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand (kiwi undertones with a hint of wool), France and Austria. I haven’t tried them all yet so I’ll reserve judgement for later but it’s nice to have an expert-​selected array to sample when you don’t know anything about wine. I also asked for a recommendation on a Pinot Noir and was given a brief but informative run-​down of choices from Oregon and California with no pressure.

I’ve tried pretty much all the different wine stores in SF & Berkeley. Vino is consistently the best: the best selection at a range of prices, the best quality for the price (even without a case discount), and the staff have consistently good taste.

Not a vast selection of wine, but a good (edited) one at least. Personally, I get overwhelmed when I walk into a place and they have 400 different brands of merlot… Good selection here priced between $ 10 — $ 20. Also, nice foreign selection (Germany???). The owner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and ready to make recommendations if you ask.

I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to foreign wines, but the salesperson lent himself to educating us, and what a good time we had. Left with a couple of bottles of red, and a newfound appreciation for foreign grapes. I like that they have varying price points as well.

Looks like the key missing ingredient during my visit to Vino was Mark.
I did not have a passionate, extremely helpful person assisting me in choosing a wine. Instead, there was a girl restocking who kept to herself & I was left to fend for myself.
So I chose an Aussie Syrah that I found too spicy. To quote the Templar Knight from Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade — «she chose poorly»
Threw it out after the 1 glass but the price of the bottle was decent & I would have paid about the same amount for a glass in a restaurant anyway, so I didn’t feel too badly about ditching it … just further proof I’m no wine connoisseur
With all the shiny, glistening, bottles of grapey delight around me, I just need to let someone guide me to my holy grail — there was too much calling out to me
Love the concept of the place & my wine was def priced extremely well so I feel 3-​stars is okay for now, w/​an option to upgrade after another visit and making sure Mark is there

If you love booze, you’ll love vino! Such a cute little shop with great help. I’m no expert about wine, but I certainly get exactly what I’m looking for when I leave. The manager (whose not too bad to look at either) will steer you in the right direction and in my price range. Much better than going to the grocery store. Vino is a must!

This place is DA BOMB as a wine drinker.
Great selections,
Great prices,
and Mark knows his stuff — extremely well.
If you don’t know or not sure, just ask.
Oh, once on the same wine… the crappy wine shop at Laurel Heights (Wine Impressions?! not sure since I don’t go there no more) charged me several $$ more.

This place is not about its wine… but Mark. The friendly owner /​person you will be greeted by.
He is knowledgeable, doesn’t push you to buy a certain wine (or not to buy one for that matter). He’s almost always recommended me the cheap $ 12 bottle of wine than some expensive one.
Its a great location too… right at California and Fillmore. Highly recommend next time you find yourself looking for a good bottle of wine, 1 hour before your party!

LOVE this place. I trust them completely. I call up there a lot before a party and give them my menu and budget. I tell him to put together a case of various wines and they never disappoint.
If you want to get good wine for under $ 40 per bottle and don’t want to get the same old west coast wine (which is great but there’s so much more) this is a great, down to earth wine shop. I really enjoyed his sparkling wine section for the holidays. I got some great stuff for my holiday party last year for $ 10 per bottle and there’s no way that I would have found this stuff at Safeway… I also like the owner and the manager Logan. Super nice guys.

Fantastic shop. Mark is the best, really. Trust me. Say Hi, and find out for yourself.
Great prices, great selection, no BS. There are countless wines shops in the City and I have … ahem … been to quite a few, and I have to say I really recommend this place. Even if it’s not in your neighborhood, it is worth a try.

I love this shop. The people are always extremely friendly and informative and there is a very nice selection of wines at various price points. I always learn something and get introduced to new wines whenever I come here.
A great neighborhood wine shop. I know it is a chain but it does not at all have a chain feel. I really love this Vino!

I get weary of wine stores in nicer neighborhoods because the staff usually know that I have no idea what kind of wine I drink and I come off as retarded when it comes to matters of wine. And then they treat me accordingly. Or they try to sell my expensive stuff in hopes that I will overcompensate for my lack of knowledge like a guy with a small you know what. :)
Not the case here. The gentleman was friendly, took his time with me, didn’t laugh at my price ranges, and suggested some great wines for me to pick up as gifts for upcoming birthdays. He also held them for me at the store while I got my hair done at the salon upstairs.
If he were closer I would come to him weekly to buy wine and learn more. I really would.

I have only ever dealt with Mark at Vino and you can see by the other reviews that he is helpful and friendly. Sure, he can make a good recommendation for the budget conscience but he can also help you part with your money when you really want to. This is all I ask of a good wine guy. Mark is a really good wine guy.

Wine idiot, wine ‘tard, call it what you will, I am one. I’ve been to seminars and wine tastings in some of the premier wine growing regions in the world because I’m fabulous like that, and it all makes sense at the time and I get terribly enthusiastic about everything I’ve learned, and then, 5 minutes later, POOF… all knowledge is gone to make room for more important facts like every single line from the hit movie Valley of the Dolls.
So I rely on the fine folks at Vino, with their international selection of wines and wine smarts, to help me show up with the right bottle for a dinner party or gift.
Last weekend I stopped in to buy a Christmas gift for the couple who has everything and the wine smarties on duty convinced me to buy a 6 pack of manager’s picks. With the 10% discount they offer on the assortment, my purchase came to $ 71 and included:
–A Provencal red-«a supple wine with classic garrigue aromatics, warm, round tones of berries and sandalwood, hints of nutmeg & black pepper»
–Dry Creek Chenin Blanc «with honey and citrus on the nose»
–Castello di Monastero Chianti, «light & traditionally tangy with a few drops of Cabernet & Merlot added for richness»
–Manculan Pino & Toi, «a Venetian medley of lemony citrus, tart apples and a splash of honeysuckle»
–P. Granger Julienas Cru Beaujolais, which apparently is «rich, smooth and defined with pronounced cranberry & cherry fruit»
–Mas de las Bergerie something or another…“a truly happy marriage of Rhone & Bordeaux varietals thriving in sunny Languedoc“
My sweet lord no wonder I can’t remember this shit. Anyway the 6 pack comes in a nice enough box with a handle.
Here’s a useful bit of info: they have 3 additional locations in the East Bay on Piedmont and College Aves in Oakland and 4^th Street in Berkeley.

This place is great.
I’m an idiot when it comes to wine but my friends aren’t. So whenever I need a bottle to impress them with I head here. luckily Mark whose helped me out every time doesn’t treat me like an idiot either (at least to my face). Instead he points out what will work with the dinner or whatever is unique and worth a try. He’s also good enough to always keep the pricing realistic for me

After being recommended a wonderful wine at the Vino in Berkeley, I visited this location and bought an entire case. It was an easy and smooth transaction.
Purchasing wine ought not to be a difficult endeavor.