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    Hammerling Wines

    4.7 (28 reviews)
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    Updated 2 months ago

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    Wine bar
    Jillian P.

    Formerly known as "Blue Ox," they recently rebranded to Hammerling Wines (see new logo in photos)! Don't worry, their wine is still just as fabulous as ever ;) Stopped by on a Saturday around 1pm for a tasting, and ended up staying for two because I enjoyed their outdoor patio so much! Current wine slection features a pet project undertaken during the pandemic, where they partnered with Oregon wineries to craft some new blends. My favorite white wine was the Sunflower Sutra - bright and summery - and my favorite red was the El Topo - a perfect GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre) blend. Would definitely recommend trying the next time you're in West Berkeley on the weekend!

    1/22/2023 red
    Tiffany H.

    Hammerling is known for their sparkling wine, and they do a hecking great job! You really can't go wrong with any of their sparkling wines. They have a nice patio in the back, where they host release parties and other festivities. They also host lots of pop ups, and I enjoy trying food from the various vendors such as from keki, daruma kiosk, and bolita.

    Alyssa W.

    Went to Hammerling Wines last week for the First Friday block party and it was a blast. I hesitate to write this because I don't want more people to know about it! It was packed (so much so that they had to serve our wine in a regular glass), but fun. They have a great space and even at night it stayed warm in their main building area thanks to multiple heat lamps going. We got a bottle of wine for two people and it was perfect! Also more often a better deal than ordering two single glasses. Looking forward to going back and trying it on a non First Friday, but will definitely be back for a First Friday event again. They have a DJ so it does get loud, but great for a group hangout or a lively date night.

    Barrels in the tasting room
    Sheena C.

    I'd always wanted to be in a wine club, and I love everything about being part of the Blue Ox family. The wines are so excellent and unique, while the owners and space in Berkeley are so stylish yet understated. I love that they have a tier of wine club that caters to my wine drinking frequency and price range (3 bottles 3 times a year), and that they offer free tastings to me and up to 2 guests in tow every time I show up (impressing all my favorite people). Most recently I went solo to the release party and the new hostess recognized I was alone and welcomed me warmly for a seating. Then once at the bar, Josh not only spent some time keeping me company, he personally carried the case to my car - you just don't expect personal service like that especially at such a packed shindig! They obviously earned my love and loyalty here.

    Reena S.

    This winery is so cute, and the wines are so flavorful and light. I came here with my husband and our two friends. We ended up buying a bottle of rose because we loved it so much. I think that we enjoyed how light and refreshing their wines and bubbles are. The atmosphere is chill, relaxing, and slower paced-which I loved because it is a good hang out with friends. I would highly recommend coming here if you are looking for a different, chill vibe and to drink some lighter styled wines.

    Jodi S.

    Had the best experience at this tasting room! Was wandering around to find Blue Ox only to learn they have rebranded to Hammerling Wines. Josh was welcoming and very knowledgeable about their current releases. He chatted with us through our tasting and gave great recommendations. I loved hearing about their experimental process. The logo and label designs are dope and eye catching as well. They were out of a lot of the sparkling wines, but was able to taste the sunflower sutra which was very unique and delicious. Ended up getting a bottle of the wild one which is a lovely cabernet pfeffer (something I had never heard of before). If you enjoy cabernets, this one is well worth tasting!

    Josh & Noah: if you want your wines featured in the next "Sideways,"  better work it out with Trefethen, Hess, & Bedrock Wine Co. first.
    Bradley N.

    Consider for a moment the Blue Ox. Now, go ahead and slaughter that ox with the aid of a decently weighted sledgehammer (the manly way preferred by the cattle-killing masters of old) or by relying on the far less satisfying support of a modern electric stun gun (the sissified alternative favored by Big Cattle). With the help of a serrated bone saw, sever its huge, horned head from its massive, blue body. Hang the carcass on a meat hook to bleed out, dry age, and be taken apart into tasty bits for your walk-in freezer slash meat locker. Place the severed head somewhere it won't be scavenged by vultures, coyotes, feral miniature schnauzers, and other assorted varmints. Maybe Damien Hirst could help. Then, slowly let the flesh rot away from your oxen skull over the course of several months, or until secondary fermentation in bottle begins. Next, naturally bleach said oxen skull in a searingly hot desert for a year or two, before commissioning a Georgia O'Keefe obsessed wine label artist to render the resulting object into an arresting image not dissimilar to the weird sculpture thingie used at James Cole in Napa. Print this image on your wine bottles filled with sparklingly effervescent and still fermented natural wine from vineyards in Mendocino and Monterey Counties, with a few from Santa Barbara and other California wine growing regions thrown in for good measure. Now, bestow upon those wines enigmatic names inspired by a shared love for classical cinema, music, and poetry, in the hope that this might also appeal to wine drinking, urban iGens with disposable income but no defined brand loyalties or preferred wine varietals as yet. You'll zero in on naturally pétillant, classically sparkling, and lower alcohol red wines aged in stainless steel or neutral oak as the prime contenders, in order to create a favorable contrast with the high ABV, oak-saturated fruit bombs favored by their parents and older, less hip members of the geriatric Robert Parker wine advocate set who all learned how to drink wine by watching episodes of "Falcon Crest" on TV in the 1980s. Except that almost no one under the age of 40 bothers to read Beat poets like Alan Ginsberg or watch 1950's film noir classics like "Kiss Me Deadly" anymore, although they might still be curious enough to Google them. Finally, open a combined winery and tasting room in West Berkeley next to Donkey and Goat but also close enough to the Picante Mexican restaurant on 6th Street, so that your slightly buzzed customers can recover from too many urban wine tastings in a row by tearing into plates of manchamanteles, rajas con papas, and cochinita pibil tacos washed down by half pints of Trumer Pils and fresh hopped Sierra Nevada pale ale, before then jaywalking across Gilman Street to hunt for discounted down or fleece jackets at the North Face outlet store, jackets which they will need on a future visit simply because it is SO FRICKIN' COLD in the unheated, barrel filled, high ceilinged, repurposed old industrial facility in which the tasting room is located, right across from a rusting cement silo on the other side of street (which has the better parking options, by the way). Frickin' cold enough, in fact, that Blue Ox's richest red wines like the Alder Springs Vineyard Mourvèdre (christened "El Topo," after an ultraviolent, allegorical Biblical Western from 1970 by the director, Alejandro Jodorowsky) risk tasting too lean, metallic, and underwhelming because they are served at like 55F in the glass and not at the sommelier recommended serving temperature of 63-65F, where the beguiling aromatics and more subtle secondary tasting notes of a wine as unquestionably high quality as this would be more evident, especially for those discerning wine drinkers who arrive punctually for the tasting room to open expressly so that their palates aren't fatigued by other planned tastings later that day. So, in conclusion, bookmark a visit here if you prefer your Californian sparkling wines to be served with a blue oxen skull on the label, or if you just happen to enjoy yourself some really good bubbly. Don't forget to bring a heat lamp or blowtorch of some type with you if it happens to be cold, wet, or windy on the date of your visit, which is nearly all the time in Berkeley except for a few dry, sunny days in spring and fall. You'll need such tools to warm up those last few red wines on the list to determine if you actually like them enough to buy bottles for home, which you likely will if they actually are served at the proper temperature. Now, if only the natural wine deprived lumberjacks in the upper Midwest like Paul Bunyan had easy access to lower alcohol sparkling and still wines this good! But then again, maybe brawny men like that would just order a 6-pack of Schlitz beer to go instead, which tastes better the closer to absolute zero Kelvin that it gets. - Dedicated to the late great David Foster Wallace. We still miss you, dude.

    Jacob G.

    Great new winery in Berkeley! The owners were super helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Their wines are crisp and fresh. Great rosé for a hot summer day!

    a dog sitting on a table with wine glasses

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Grace was amazing! Wines and bubbles were fantastic. Thanks for helping me celebrate my partner's 50th birthday.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The wine was perfect for a sunny day. And the they were so pretty ! Service was wonderful and they had Jamaican food! Very delicious

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    2 years ago

    Cozy and intimate spot. Delicious food cooking right outside. Good wine and good times with friends will be had at this establishment.

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Awesome new wine experience in Berkeley. Great Rose and Sparling wines. From knowledgeable, passionate and curious wine maker.

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    7 years ago

    Super cool space. Loved the murals and art. Best wines in the neighborhood! I especially loved the rosé.

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    Ask the Community - Hammerling Wines

    How do I locally purchase Blue Ox wine outside of the tasting room's Friday - Sunday operating schedule?

    Well, I'd contact the Winemaker, Josh Hammerling (josh@blueoxwineco.com) or the Head of Sales/Assistant Winemaker, Noah Kenoyer (noah@blueoxwineco.com) about having wine shipped directly or something. Probably try Noah first. Hope this helps! Happy… Read more

    View All 2 Questions

    Review Highlights - Hammerling Wines

    Loved especially the 2019 Sunflower Sutra and also enjoyed the the 2021 version as well as the sparkling rose.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Noria Wines - aku's bbq pop-up: nankotsu take - cartilage, shitake, shiso, soy chili

    Noria Wines

    (20 reviews)

    West Berkeley

    Now that I have a lot more experience with Noria, I wanted to update my review. We've visited many…read moretimes and joined the wine club as well. First, these are the nicest people in the wine business. Warm and gracious and extremely knowledgable about the wine and vineyards. When we first qwnt to Noria, it was mostly superb Pinots and Chardonnay. Since, they've added a wonderful Gewürztraminer and a bomb Sauvignon Blanc as well. These are finely crafted wines from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma and beyond (no, they don't have rows of vines in Berkeley) and the bang for the buck is off the charts. I'm mostly a red drinker and only enjoy Pinots occasionally and Noria was my go-to. The addition of more white wines (and rosé) combined with my move to a warmer climate have made Noria indespensible for me. Absolutely check them out. Do yourself a favor and start at Noria, go across the street to Broc Cellars and then Donkey and Goat for a perfect wine tasting day right in Berkeley.

    Nestled in an unexpected location, Noria Wines, a Japanese-owned winery, is a true hidden gem that…read moresurpasses all expectations. From its modest façade, you'd never guess the incredible wine that awaits within. Stepping inside, I was greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere that harmoniously blends Japanese elegance with classic winery charm. The selection of wines is nothing short of impressive, offering a diverse range that caters to both red and white wine lovers. Each wine I sampled showcased unique flavors and a refined balance that spoke volumes! The barrel room and outdoor seating area made the winery cozy and comfortable! Definitely will be returning to try out more of their wines

    Takara Sake USA

    Takara Sake USA

    (476 reviews)

    $

    West Berkeley

    What an amazing tasting experience!…read more The tasting room requires a reservation. I went there with my sister on a Sunday afternoon for their shopping experience (no rsvp required) and was greeted by Vivienne. Luckily for us, she let us know they still had two spots available for the tasting experience if we were interested and we went for it. The first part is watching the video of the sake making process. Not only was it interesting to learn about the process, but I didn't think i would enjoy the soundtrack to the video as well. The tasting experience itself was very educational and informative. They have a tasting menu you can choose for your sake flight experience and also individual tasting. I don't usually drink alcohol so I had a "non drinker" placard on my table, but it did not stop me from taking some sips from my sister's sake flight. I ended up trying the Mio sparkling sake and the Nigori Sake in White Peach -- both are very sweet like a dessert drink. I also learned why Berkeley was the ideal location for Takara Sake to have their factory, and let's just say the Bay Area is blessed with good weather, good water, and good food. We also got lucky to try one of the sake (forgot which one) they usually do not sell outside of their factory! Afterwards, we went to the museum to explore and to see the actual tools used in the sake making process. We did not see the silos though, so we might need a repeat visit. Overall ambiance is very nice. Exudes calmness with Japanese architecture designs. The tasting room cost can be quite pricey especially when you start adding individual tasting to the flight tasting. They do sell sake (duh) so if you tried one you like, it can be convenient for you to get it there. If you are in Berkeley and are wondering where else to explore, definitely check this place if you like sake and appreciate the art and science that goes into making them!

    Amazing tasting experience with Vivienne!…read more She's so enthusiastic about sake, I enjoyed hearing her talk about each sake. What a gem of a woman! We opted for the daiginjo tasting menu- they newly refreshed their tasting offerings to offer more tiers to choose from. We got lucky and tried their Nama Nama sake in house - this is a sake that's so fresh from the brewery it's brought in unbottled to the tasting room and they don't sell it anywhere else outside of the tasting room. Would come back to do another tasting or get a pour here. This experience was so great- I loved how quiet the tasting room was and the large art mobiles in the tasting room.

    Hammerling Wines - winetastingroom - Updated May 2026

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