You must come here for Nick's Picks. Best bartender around with all amazing wines!!!read more

A freind and I went to the Ridge Winter Soiree - a member event in February. This was on a Thursday…read moreand even though this event was supposed to be open to all members during the day but because the weather was so bad, members were given slots of time that they could attend. We went in the early evening. The place is in the Cupertino hills and up a steep hill, driving can be tricky and one you get there, there is not much parking, at least for the number for people who were there. And the parking is precarious - you pull right up to the edge of a steep drop. And backing out of the parking spot can be even trickier. Ridge had 5 stations set up with Station 1 starting with their rose, it was quiet good. When you walked into the tasting room, you were greeted, you name checked against the list and you were handed a tasting of the rose. In the outer room, there was only standing room but the adjoining smaller inner room had a couple of tables and chairs. Station 2 was small bites and they were small, which is surprising for a member soiree! There was a choice of a tiny bowl of hummus with a couple of carrot sticks and some pita chips and a small piece of toast with duck pate and a slice of chicken fat. They both tasted good but I have been to other member events at other wineries where there was a reasonable amount of food. Stations 3, 4 and 5 were red wines and quite good. Station 5 was in a separate building and was served with a tiny cup of saved cheese. As our time was up - 4-6pm, we left but barely 2 miles down the road, there was a fallen tree that completely closed off traffic both sides. Everyone who was leaving turned back around because we were told that it would take a couple of hours to move the tree. Even though tastings stopped at 6, Ridge opened up some more bottle and went beyond the 6pm hour to accommodate the people who did not want to be sitting in their cars for 2 hours. Funny enough, almost every one who was struck up in the mountain were the people who were attending the soiree. It dd not take 2 hours but one hour abd the folks at the winery were good natured about it. They kept us updated regularly on the situation. Ridge has great wines but their customer service, from precious experience, could be better.

Quality/Quantity - The better of the two vineyards we visited today. And our friends are members of…read morethe first winery..... Since this was our second vineyard today, we decided to only share a bottle; it was only bottle service. But then the team member started giving us a few tastings?!?! Not sure if it was due to closing time and they just wanted to finish the bottles...? Either way, GREAT service! Our friends let me select the wine and vintage. After trying a few cabs, I decided on the 2011 cab which I felt was the smoothest of the 3 splashes. If you were not so far away, I might consider becoming a member. Well, I am still considering it... Ambiance - Beautiful winery. And we were able to catch the early sunset during the winter hours. Huge indoor and outdoor space, my pictures do not do it justice. Two unisex restrooms on either side of the estate. Plenty of parking, well we did get here an hour before closing. Service - 5 stars, from the greeter to the person serving us at our tables. Price - $55 a bottle + generous tip. And of course we bought a few bottles to go. After fighting to try to pay, our friend won and would NOT let us pay/treat. So nice to have good friends! Owner Comment - Congrats on your winery success since 1996. And to your family's previous history that dates back 4 generations.

A beautiful view, and the vineyard seems to be an actual house. I'm glad there is inside seating…read morehere since it was pretty cold and windy the day I visited. Staff were friendly and explained each wine bottle thoroughly. I did the wine tasting option and it was a pretty good price for 6 tastings, and they were all tasty! The first wine and last tastings were the most unique for me, but the 2017 Monte Bello Road Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite.

The Wine Room was a nice stop in the evening for a nightcap, with some bites from their menu and a…read morenice wine list. We stopped by before turning in, ordering the Fromage du Jour (a selection of domestic and imported cheeses), a Charcuterie plate (with thinly-sliced cured meats, pate de chevreuil, stoneground mustard, cornichon, and purple cabbage kraut), and the Marinated Olives. There is eating both in- and outside, but I recommend in dining al fresco to people watch. The place is small, but it gets busier, as it does open later in the day (4 PM to midnight)! Staff and the bar staff were friendly. +wine and cheeses +friendly staff +dine al fresco

I've been a regular at Haberdasher in downtown SJ because I appreciate a classy ambiance with a…read morehistoric 1920s speakeasy twist, so when I say that The Wine Room is a sophisticated elevation of that, take note. I would say it feels like a tavern for wealthy noblemen in 1800s England. Allow me to say where it fell short for me, and then I'll sing my praises. The wine... tasted like wine. I don't have a particularly refined palate when it comes to that. The charcuterie board was a collection of expensive items that I am personally not into: miniature pickles (too sour), meat pâté (bland), and what I think were pickled red peppers. There was no cheese, which was highly disappointing; however, if that style of charcuterie suits you, go for it. The music did not match the ambiance at all. They really should play piano or smooth jazz, because the 2010s pop was honestly annoying. DESPITE ALL OF THIS, the crowd was the real pull. Everyone was either on a first date or was an interesting adult. This makes for fun people-watching and stimulating conversations. People were very willing to walk up and talk to strangers. I saw many people doing so, I felt welcome to do so, and people approached me to converse. So even though the food wasn't great, and the music was horrible, I will return funnily enough because the decor and the people were worth it.

Great spot for wine tastings! The team was knowledgable and friendly, and the tasting pours were…read morevery generous (2.5 oz). They had a couple tasting flights available, but we were also able to pick and choose a few wines from each to put together our own. If you take your tastings outside, just beware that the trees above the tables litter quite a bit of seeds, so it's best to keep the glasses covered (lol). The payment system didn't offer options for tipping, and when we tried to tip in cash, the team wouldn't accept it! I've never seen that before at a wine bar-especially in this day and age-but it honestly left us wanting to come back. I'd highly recommend Vin Vino if you're in the area; it's a great pre-dinner spot and we left feeling like it was great value for the price.

This is an intimate wine shop with an interesting global selection and a knowledgeable team…read more There are a few seats inside, a decent size counter/bar, and a few outdoor tables as well. They have a wide selection of items on their tasting menu, and you can't go wrong with any of their coordinated flights. I appreciate that the team is not only knowledgeable, but there are also very friendly and down to earth. I stopped in a couple weeks ago and asked for a recommendation as I was preparing a ragu that evening. The bottle paired perfectly Most recently, I popped in to pick up a bottle to pair with a carbonara I was making that night. Once again, their recommendation was perfect. For those carbonara fans, that something extra that you see in my picture is actually sun-dried tomato ‍

This is one of the few great wine stores that actually has an extensive collections of wines, and…read moreolder vintages that you will never get from Total Wine, BevMo, Draeger or even K&L! They also conduct Master Classes, inviting wine makers from all over the Old and New worlds. These classes are fun and they also pair food with the wines you will be tasting! If you have not been to Artisan, you should take a trip there to check it out!

James recommended and delivered a perfect mix of wine and champagne for my 60 person gathering in…read moreSan Jose, only 5 days prior to the party date. Highly professional and a joy to work with him.

If you are into amateur wine making I believe you will find this to be an interesting website…read more Enjoy

Sundance has some of the best steak and seafood I've ever had!…read moreYou pay for what you get!!! Well worth money!!!!

We took some steaks and appetizers to go for a special occasion and although the food is good,…read moretheir customer service for the pick up order was horrendous so giving them 2 stars, as it's super disappointing. We have eaten at the restaurant before and their in person customer service was good but the pick up order, they need to do better. The waitress didnt acknowledge and it was hard to get their attention - took multiple attempts. They didn't give updates on the order either despite saying it's going to be 5 mins and no updates 10 mins later so had to follow up (their website had said it was ready long before). The issue isn't the delay in ordering being ready, it's the customer service and not being inviting for customers that are picking up food - made it seem like they don't care for that clientele The food is good, we got the following: - Buttered Broccoli & Carrots - tasty and delicious - (who doesn't love vegetables) Strawberry Arugula Salad -no complaints USDA Prime Ribeye Steak, 15 oz. - my husband loved it Slow-Roasted Prime Rib, - , decent, I liked their Au Jus sauce is delicious and they have good horseradish sauce too Filet Mignon Spring Rolls - delicious but super oily: 3 stars Sundance Wild Rice Pilaf - 3.5 stars Customer service - horrible for pickup orders