This wine bar in Sausalito is an absolute gem. From the moment you walk in, you're met with a lively, welcoming atmosphere filled with genuinely unique and fun people--it's the kind of place where conversations flow as easily as the wine. Speaking of the wine, it's exceptional. Every pour feels thoughtfully selected, and you can tell there's real care behind the menu. Whether you're a casual sipper or a serious enthusiast, there's something here that will impress you. The service only adds to the experience--attentive, friendly, and effortlessly knowledgeable without ever feeling overbearing. You feel taken care of, but still completely at ease. And then there's the view. On a warm summer day, with the doors wide open and a breeze drifting through, looking out toward Belvedere in the distance--it's honestly hard to leave. The setting alone is enough to keep you there for hours. This is more than just a wine bar--it's a place you settle into and don't want to let go of. read more

I stopped in one afternoon for a nice quiet visit and a glass of wine. I had the worst experience. The woman sitting at the desk when you walk in was on a FaceTime call never acknowledged me then someone came up and helped me. she gave me a very short pour of wine and I had to listen to the other woman on her call speaking loudly for the next half hour. She should've taken it in the back. It was very disturbing. I mentioned something about it and both women defended themselves, read more

Great place! Good wine selection, friendly staff and a fun, casual vibe. Nice amount of bar seating and a couch area up front. They offer a nice variety of snacks and have a cute little area of kitschy stuff you can buy. Go here, enjoy the wine, get a little buzz and have fun! read more

Bacchus & Venus - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

I love this little gem of a place! They have a great deal where you can try 4 wines for $25. We did this deal plus tried their orange wine. All selections were excellent, and we really enjoyed the orange wine and ended up getting a bottle. The staff are super friendly, and the shop is right near the water and the ferry, so it's a great little place to stop in before you continue on your journey into the town. read more

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Excellent wines and enthusiastic service. Knowledgable staff and I really like the focus on small California low production wineries. Really gives you the chance to get a sense of the wine tradition unique to California. Very cute decor and a great place to day drink on a Sausalito trip. read more

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After walking-off (if this is really a thing) our delicious breakfast from Lighthouse Café (please reference my Yelp review if interested), my wife and I decided that we should quench our thirst by doing some wine tasting at Bacchus & Venus. As no reservation is required, we conveniently walked into the establishment and were mildly acknowledged by an employee chatting with a customer. I say "mildly" acknowledged because she appeared to be annoyed that she had to pull herself away from the customer (whom I could tell was a regular) and attend to us. As we waited to be provided with the wine tasting menu, we grabbed comfortable seats by the window to do some people watching. My wife and I chose the "All Red Flight", and enjoyed the view of Downtown Sausalito as we made our way through the menu. Since we have similar taste, we decided to take home a bottle of the "Rose & Son" Santa Ynez Cabernet Sauvignon. We considered staying longer to enjoy a glass of some of their other offerings. In past experiences at other tasting rooms, employees exude a welcoming vibe that makes us want to stay and continue the experience. Unfortunately, we did not receive that vibe at this tasting room. The wine was decent; however, the customer service experience is lacking. I would love to return to this room once reviews indicate that this issue has been resolved. read more

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Bacchus & Venus was one of the businesses participating in the 2022 "Sausalito Soup-er Bowl" event, offering a "buy one, get one" deal on glasses of wine. Though I'd walked by plenty of times before, it was this offer on this day that caused a friend and I to head inside and we were so glad we did. The ground floor seats were fairly full so we ordered from a standing spot at the bar while scanning the intimate space for a spot to sit. Our server then mentioned that we could take our glasses upstairs. There's an upstairs here? Who knew? Later that afternoon, at another local, participating wine spot, we both remarked on the fact that we preferred Bacchus & Venus. Why? We fell in love with that quiet, upstairs space with big picture windows. Even though there'd been another group up there sharing the space it still felt intimate, private, and casual; a combination that appealed to both of us immensely. Sausalito has many options for enjoying wine and each has a unique appeal. Upstairs at Bacchus & Venus feels like a little secret and a special surprise. The wine, of course, is good, but the ambiance in which you consume it makes all the difference, so head up those stairs and enjoy. read more

I walk by this place all the time. I don't like wine bars so usually ignore them, but "B&V" is a more full service wine shop. Shelves with hundreds of wines at all price points above $20 or so, pay to sample before you buy, similar to European Enotecas, Vinoteks, OEnoteques, etc. But I'm getting ahead of story; here's how it went on my visit. My shrink's office is quite nearby and recently I stumbled down the hill from my house to score a new thrill drug. On my way back I decided a glass of Poggio's house white from Italy was all I really needed to kick my black dog. But somehow I found myself here instead, looking at a young lady opposite me at this bar. Single brand wine bars are all around now, a marketing tool for lesser known brands. Some don't actually operate a "winery" anywhere which doesn't mean their wines aren't good. You don't survive in this business anymore with dud products. But wine can be good yet still not famous which puts them at a disadvantage against better known brands on retail shelves. A place like B&V serves as an introduction to these "invisible" wine brands. I worked in wine production for twenty years only to quit it flat one day for two reasons. There's much more interesting ways to make money with food science than the wine industry. But more even was the same reason normal people have always looked askance at this sordid affair: wine snobs. Yes, Virginia, there is... and worse now than ever in a sneaky creepy kinda way. I would happily report that I sensed none of this nasty vibe at the B&V except that I was the only customer around. One-upmanship takes two. Several reviews complain about B&V service people being rude so I'll describe "Venus", whom this young lady might well have been. She easily knew enough about her wines such that the old hard sell would have greatly diminished her. Further to her credit, she was: cute, unpretentious, and low key to the point of being, quite frankly, distant. So objective and detached about the wines was Venus, she might just as well have been selling mayonnaise or lawn mowers. Just my speed, actually. So let's get down to it: how best to make use of this place. I recommend it aside from its "wine club". If you're on vacation here and know nothing, buy a "flight" of whatever with a plate of cheese. If you like a bottle buy it, go upstairs, enjoy the view, have a free and quiet moment to sit, drink, maybe even imagine living in this silly never-really-was "artists' colony". (For benefit of out-of-towners here's an unrelated bit of history about quaint, cute Sausalito. Until fairly recently it's been home not to artists but to blue collar steelworkers who built the GG bridge and liberty ships. Before that were Portuguese fishermen. At various times exotic derelicts have lived here, like Sterling Hayden in his green caboose during the 60s. A few lesser derelicts have always lived in houseboats floating in the mud north of town. But today the town is home to a great many more white collar tax mules whose artistic medium is virtual money. Major artists have in fact been here from time to time. Musicians recorded some albums of considerable significance at the Record Plant, 2200 Bridgeway. But as usual I have seriously digressed from my topic, whatever it is or was.) So back to wine: If you know what you want forget the flights. Instead focus on a varietal and find somebody new, maybe underpriced. Use your own good sense of quality/price/value as you'll know nothing about the brands. Also remember that people who invest at least $25 million in a small winery are proud of it and usually name it after themselves. But if they name it after their dog or truck or wtf? And most important, look for these four words: "Produced and bottled by". I tasted one I'd never heard of, bought a bottle for $60; it will be the last item from that winery I ever drink. Not because it was bad but because there are so many other wineries around here. So B&V is a quick study to add some variety to your cellar without driving all around up north just to see a new operation. They're all essentially the same, trust me. But if the grapes make the wine, tell me what exactly you plan to learn by looking at them, eh? My two complaints about B&V: they only sell California wine and they don't credit the price of a bottle with a portion of your tasting expense. On the other hand, Venus poured a generous sample, well more than a 1 oz "taste". You aren't going to find any bargains here but then this is toney Sausalito; prime locations like B&V's are pricey. You can't come into a place like this in a town like this expecting to find something on the cheap. So I suggest you consider Bacchus and Venus is an entertainment venue, which is hard to find in this town, actually. Too bad eccentrics like Sterling Hayden don't live here anymore. Action at the no name could get pretty lively when he walked in the bar. read more

Bacchus & Venus - Sausalito's most eccentric resident ever lived in a cabbose during the 60s. His alter ego was Brig General Jack D Ripper - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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Super cute and small winery. Great service. YUMMY wines!! Very chill. Sit and enjoy the tastings and enjoy. read more

Bacchus & Venus - Trying some wines. We chose the Sampler and Reserve Flights. - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

we had taken the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito and came across this place. We stopped in for a wine flight and their cheese plate. Service and explanations of the wines was very good. The Gouda served was excellent. It provided us with a nice, relaxing respite from an afternoon if walking and shopping. read more

Bacchus & Venus - Cheese plate - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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I am a local wine tour guide and very familiar with the caliber of wines AND the off-the-charts expertise wine knowledge of the staff at Bacchus and Venus. (If you're extra lucky Eva will be serving you :) Was recently reminded of the gem that this place is when I popped by. Minutes from San Francisco, but carrying those legendary and desirable wines from the famous wine regions several hours drive from here. Sonoma, Napa, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara- all in here in this gorgeous wine room. (If you don't have the time to go there, go HERE.) I have also seen how well they take care of those who may not consider themselves major connoisseurs, but simply have the requisite curiosity. Those folks seem to leave with a smile- likely not just because the wines taste so good- I suspect also due to feeling a bit further enlightened in the finer things... read more

Amazing spot for great California wine. They have superb boutique wine from medium to small producers. Great spot.they have a secret menu, ask for empanadas (not listed) read more

Bacchus & Venus - Emapanas galore, secret menu. - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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Love the vibe here, with friendly and social staff. Engaging conversations with travelers and locals at the bar. And the WINE is very reasonable and all local & small production. I've had nothing but well curated and tasty wine here. And where else can you get a yummy red wine by the glass for around $10? It a small detail that's critical for me, and that's the stemware. 5-stars for perfectly odorless stemware every time! And Cooper the friendly wine expert always can provide yummy wines for your taste. She makes the wide selection approachable. read more

A definite must do place if you're into wines. If you're already in the Sausalito it's a great place to visit. Great selection of fine wine, especially for those of us who are new to wine tasting read more

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We had the best time here today! Lunch in Sausalito turned into shopping and a surprise wine tasting. I had the dessert flight and Chris served us. All four wines were delicious and he was so attentive and fun, even for our twisted humor lol! Really made it an enjoyable experience on our first girls days since covid. We were still enjoying the day when his shift ended so we got to talk with Jennie, who was equally delightful! We can't wait to go back and try more local CA wines! read more

Bacchus & Venus - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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Outstanding way to spend an afternoon!! I had the sampler flight and enjoyed each wine. They were so good, and the service was so fun, we had a couple more glasses. Ish. Chris and Jennie were so tolerant of our (at times) dark humor, we will definitely be back! Great wine selection, snacks, and superb service. I can't ask for anything more. Oh, yes I can. A comfy atmosphere. You guys have it all - thank you!! read more

We were just walking the downtown area and noticed how amazing the view from the outdoor patio was, so we had to stop for a drink. Malik Charles greeted us and sat us with a lovely view of the waterfront and it was perfect for watching the waves and people roll by. A drink turned into a bottle because we were enjoying the patio but mostly warm, attentive service from Malik so much. We'd definitely come back in a heartbeat and recommend to anyone else looking for good wine with beach views (that you'd never get in Napa/Sonoma). Ask for Malik if he's there, and you'll definitely love your visit! read more

This place is amazing! Happened to walk in with some friends that were visiting from out of town. Jennie was amazing! She was very fun and knowledgeable about all of the wines we sampled. It was great chatting with her and I'm excited to bring my in-laws on our next visit to Sausalito. read more

Wife and I stumbled in here while spending the day in Sausalito and could not have been happier. Ended up getting a bit pricey for a quick stop, approx $100, but we did a few flights and got to sample some wines we normally wouldn't have found. We are not wino's by any mean, but we love to try new things and figure out what we like. The service was stellar.. the gal behind the bar was super friendly, admitted she was on the newer side, but roped in the other worker as needed and took good care of us. Overall a good experience, will be back next time we are out that way. read more

My wife and I have been coming here for years and love this place! Only recently were we compelled to write a review, mostly because our bartender was so personable and knowledgeable. Eva made incredible recommendations without being pushy and taking our opinions of the wine flights into account. We will continue coming back and hope she will be there to help replicate the experience we had this past visit. read more

I came in this past Saturday with a friend who came to visit me all the way from AZ. There were a few parties inside but we found seating right away. Taylor was the only one doing all pours, customer service etc. She was fantastic! She gave us great recommendations and thorough explanations. She is a sommelier after all. The setting is open-ish but private enough. It's quite close to the water and a bunch of retailers. We did the dessert tasting and a red/white (i think) mix sampler. The dessert ones are wayyyy to sweet for me but I'm sure it works for other folks. My favorite pour was the Jurassic park one. Very nice. It was affordable as each sampler was $18! A good bargain I'd say. Would love to return! read more

I've been here a bunch of times and each visit has been great! The wines are excellent and the staff is just as wonderful. This evening in particular we had Jennie pouring our wine at the table. She was so knowledgable and friendly, offering us lots of choices and information about the wines that were available. For a Friday night, it was busy! Jennie suggested some lovely reds to try and they did not disappoint. The atmosphere was so warm and inviting. Later, we tried another round of different reds - also fantastic! Since we arrived a bit late, we were only able to have glasses of wine and not flights, which was just fine. The crowd was friendly -- a mix of locals, near-locals + tourists. We ended up staying until closing. Jennie was nice enough to clean up around us. I love that Bacchus & Venus offers a local place to taste quality wines, meet new people and hang out in a safe setting during the COVID/post-COVID times. I will be back! read more

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If you love wine tasting and don't want to drive to wine country this is the place to go. My friend and I were able to share our tastings which was nice. The wines were good especially the H*L*R Cab. read more

Staff was super friendly. The woman who helped me was very informed on different types of wines and gave me some insight into the different types. This was my first wine tasting and it was a great experience, she was definitely not intimidating and snobbish as wine folk are often described to be! The store had some really cute products, the art was really wonderful. And she recommended I try a Mexican place for lunch just a few doors down and I'm so glad she did because the food was amazing. Would definitely recommend! read more

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Bacchus and Venus is an amazing place to go for delectable, California wines! Taylor was significant at offering us our wine tasting and very knowledgeable in all of the different wines! Owner Todd whipped up an incredible cheese/cracker tray for us that went magnificently with every wine pairing!! The atmostphere was great with a communal vibe where everybody knows everybody. Owners Todd and Cyndi have really done well; along with their incredible staff!! I will definitely be back as I see Bacchus and Venus not only as a place; but a community, and I truly see myself spending many afternoons there making many connections to those that visit Bacchus and Venus!! I will definitely be back many times again!!! It was truly a fun experience with amazing service!! read more

My first visit here. It was such an enjoyable evening. Chris made the experience fun and enjoyable. Thanks to Chris there will definitely be a few return visits. We got to meet Jeannie as well. She was very welcoming and hospitable. This is a great place to wind down after dinner. The selection is amazing. Everything suggested by Chris was perfect. We loved every minute of our experience here. read more

Unfriendly staff. My husband and I tried to walk in for a flight of wine for a brief outing from SF. We have a baby and unfortunately right as we were walking in he woke from his nap and started to cry. We were told by Jennie that it was only 21 and up and when I asked what their policy for children was, she responded that she didn't, "know the legality of that." It felt like we were basically kicked out for having a baby that was crying in that moment. We have been to wineries and wine tasting rooms and they typically welcome children and this just made me feel so horrible. If this is a policy, no problem but there are far nicer ways to inform people. On another note, I checked the website before we got there and it did not say children are not allowed. read more

Delicious local wine and fair price for a tasting. Brought all of the local charm of Saulsalito. read more

I can see how the Bacchus & Venus star rating fluctuates. I try to remain as positive as I can during my reviews, this is a pretty generous one. First of all, it's Sausalito so everything is expensive and touristy, we get it. I loved the little shop attached to this winery and almost bought a bunch of stuff. So many awesome dog-themed items! And ocean/beachy items, also a huge plus for me. I think I will see if they can order me some pillows and ship to my house because they had the best dog breed specific pillows I've seen around! This sounds odd, I know, but picture a store full of wine stuff and they happen to sell throw pillows, too. I felt the wine tasting experience was just so-so. They had a pretty good selection but our wine guide missed the mark on a few of my preferred tastes. I wanted a heavier red, and a very dry white, and none fit the bill even after we had two different flight tastings. One thing that sort of stunk was the arrival of our wine guide's buddies. We went from a really informative tasting to her suddenly telling her coworker she'd be joining the other side of the bar in 10 minutes. We sort of felt pressure to leave. They could have made this experience better by handing us off to the other wine guide behind the bar, "this is Joe, he's going to continue with you, Joe, they like dry whites or heavy reds" or something along those lines. We only had her to work with and while she was friendly, it was clear that she'd moved on to her friends and we were more of an annoyance then anything. My friend ended up ordering a few bottles to have shipped to her house, and I bought one to go. I was a little sick over the price gouging but I was more into it for the vacation atmosphere. It's not my first choice for a wine tasting experience. read more

Bacchus & Venus - Tastings! - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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I stumbled upon this gem only 15 minutes before the ferry I planned to catch left the pier and ended up catching a different ferry an hour and a half later. Thats how great this place is....so great that I didnt mind missing the ferry at all. If you find your self at the Sausalito boardwalk, make this your first stop. By far the funnest, happiest place in the area! The staff is knowledgable, professional and friendly. You get to taste 5 wines per flight (of course) and the education that comes with each taste is phenomenal! Patrons I met while I was there were pleasant and sociable. Great stop for a soloist like me. I highly recommend this place as a first AND last stop when visiting the Sausalito boardwalk! read more

They should call this place Basic Bacchus.. Went here tipsy after our awesome experience with madrigal .. Also went with higher expectations but now I can see why the reviews are so mixed.. Clearly, they favor their friends over anyone else .. Doug was a real sour puss and he knew we were tipsy bc we were cackling like idiots and he was just so smug when he was telling us what wine he was pouring that we were like whatever were gonna drink it anyway .. I'm pretty sure he said "fine, it's shit in a bottle." HAHAHAH YOU RIGHT. The wine tasted dry and sour and my friend actually was like " this smells like diarrhea." HAHHAHAHAHHA I CANT WITH THIS PLACE.. Plus like selling all that other little bs.. Place is trying to over compensate for their shit wine and hey I didn't even say it, the guy that worked there did.. Take a stroll a few doors down to magical madrigal.. Also, thank god for Kelly, she was funny and prob the only reason we didn't walk out sooner. read more

Wine after dine for $10! Sold! =) Bacchus and Venus is a simple and cute little bar with an art gallery upstairs. Went here with my friends and cousin after having lunch at Paradise Bay. When we first arrived, it was packed downstairs so they offered us space on the second level. We were the only ones up there.. ended up having the entire upstairs to ourselves for a while which was real nice. So they give you a list of different flights being offered. The girlfriends and I were feeling risqué so each of us decided to try all 3 flights EACH: Purely Reds, Sampler Flight (2 Reds & 2 Whites), and Just Desserts. All of the wines were extremely flavorful and distinct. Not even half way into our flights and that "asian glow" was creepin' on up! Here were my ultimate faves... *Purely Reds: Pinot Noir - not too dry.. had a perfect hint of sweetness and spice. *Sampler Whites: Semillon - light.. had a great mouth-feel and pleasant fruitiness which I liked a lot since I've never tried it before. *Just desserts: Moscato d' Oro: Always been my favorite! Extremely delicious.. perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. Loved it! Overall, it was a fun and relaxing experience. It's something nice to do when all you wanna do is sit, talk, and enjoy each others' company =) read more

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Nice little wine bar in Sausalito. Dog friendly. You get 2 white and 2 reds for the $12 tasting. The wine was nothing special, nothing blew my taste buds. Service was ok. Some periods we waited a while for our next pour. read more

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(EDITED) The female who underserved us came to heckle my review asking "Were you drunk when you wrote this, or do you have brain damage?" Which reinforces what I wrote, she is, "jaded and takes customers for granted." 3 'ladies who lunch' browsing a wine shop Saturday Feb.3 approx 2 pm, the service was so-so She didn't seem to appreciate I told her I live in SF and am knowledgeable about wine. See, what happens is some retail service personnel -the middle age lady who served us- get jaded and take customers for granted. Don't worry honey, automation will make your job obsolete- I can't wait. The $26 dollar bottle I bought was ok but her over the top patronizing 'wine bottle care' made my 'country' visiting sister comment afterward. She didn't try to upsell it was my sister's birthday, she poured me a scant teeny tiny bit to taste of the bottle I chose she didn't offer or try to upsell me or my companions into a tasting. I now see Bacchus & Venus as a yawnable tourist trap liquor store nothing special and I'll be walking right on by on my way to the No Name Bar. read more

Everyone was so nice and friendly, loved our bottle of wine and the ability to drink a few glasses at the bar then finish the rest of our bottle at our nearby hotel. We visited Bacchus & Venus twice during our weekend stay and would be happy to return. read more

Bacchus & Venus - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

Fantastic wine flights with some of the most educated staff I have had the pleasure of knowing. I walked in yesterday and after not being here since last July and they remembered me! It's like cheers here , they remember your name and that is a great feeling! The wines they pour for you are unique, they strive to expand your palette and they succeed! You will find wines here that you would never would have experienced and trust me you will be thankful!$ read more

Awesome wine, and great hang out place! The wine is sourced carefully from small production, California wineries. The owners apparently are longtime wine lovers from the Bay Area that know their stuff. Best wine bar ever in Sausalito!!! read more

Afternoon snacking in Sausalito = wine tasting at Bacchus and Venus. This was quite different from all my other wine tastings because we had to go upstairs in the art gallery because the place was full. I can understand why the place was full, because the wine was so delicious! I had the Red Wine Flight for $16. Four glasses of their red wine, it was totally worth it. I enjoyed the Pinot the best because I like the dry, but full bodied wines better.The Caberet was ok. I've had better and the aftertaste was a bit watery for me. The Bordeaux was tooo strong for me. It did give me a good buzz, but to actually get a whole glass with a meal might be too much for me. My friend's cousin bought a whole glass of it and he enjoyed it very much! My gf got the dessert wine flight and for the most part it was tasty. Of course the Moscato was the best! So fruity and perfectly sweetened. My favorite of the day! As far as the white wines, I did enjoy the Chardonnay, probably because I'm very use to its flavor profile. The Red Sea Blend was very distinct because you can taste the saltiness in the wine. It's very light but has enough to keep a lasting aftertaste. More wine tasting in SF please!!!!!! read more

Bacchus & Venus - Wine Bars Near Me - Sausalito, California

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Hubby and I stopped in for a glass of wine during our day excursion in Sausalito. We looked at the wine tasting offerings and decided to just have a glass of Moscato d'Oro which was very good. A little pricey at $8 for half a flute glass! Considering this is Sausalito, it was probably more for the tourist crowd than the people that actually live there. read more

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I recently learned that Bacchus & Venus is under new ownership and management. Thank goodness! Though I haven't had an opportunity yet to visit, some friends recently stopped in and have reported to me that the whole vibe has changed (for the better). Now I'm looking forward to returning and checking it out. read more