Small but cozy tasting room, bar area seating, seating for four, and high table for two and there's a back area for large groups. The winery is nicely decorated for the holidays and this weekend Dec 6-7, 2025, having a toys for tots drive bring in a toy for a complimentary tasting of their five wines. I started with the sparkling Malvasia which was tart and refreshing. *Next up 2024 Founder's Rose from Fong Vineyard light, refreshing and slightly tart. *2024 Heritage Chardonnay wine makers choice from Sunol Highlands Vineyard, half stainless steel and half oak, crisp with a bit of spice. *2021 Founders Pinot NoirSonoma Coast AVA spicy fruity aroma, not tannic, light *2021 Founders Cabernet Sauvignon slightly tannic, not bold, and fruity aroma. I skipped one of their reds. My servers Patrick and Kathy were the best and very knowledgeable. Thank You! read more

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We dropped in at 2pm on Saturday (Labor Day weekend). It wasn't busy at all. It's next door to The Steven Kent Winery and Rosa Fierro Cellars. There's both outdoor and indoor seatings. The tasting was $20 for 5 wines. The wines had more flavor than those Italian wines, but they were acidic. Some fruity and some earthy. The cab was a bit tannic too. Not sure they allow outside food but it doesn't seem like they sell food. They also couldn't open any other wines off the tasting menu for us to try. read more

Occasio Winery - 8/31/24 menu - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

Disclaimer.. My review is not pertaining to this establishment directly. It is pertaining to an alleged employee. First, I would like to say I have visited this establishment before and they were great Today, my sister and I went to another establishment around the corner from this place and because my sister is frequently in the area, people recognize her and know her. We were sitting at the table, minding our business, and a lady (Marcia) walked up to us because she recognized my sister and they engaged in conversation. she spoke to me and it was pleasant. She proceeded to ask my sister what drink she was having and then she looked at me and asked me what I was having. We told her and didn't really think much of it. Shortly after she politely dismissed herself and my sister and I proceeded to continue our conversation. Next thing we knew the bartender walked up to us and brought us another round of the drinks we were having, and we were shocked and pleasantly surprised. I got up and found the lady where she was sitting, and I walked to her and I thanked her. I told her we weren't expecting yet, but we really appreciate it and it was really nice. She looked at me and she didn't really say thank you she just kind of said oh OK no problem or something along those lines she was sitting with a gentleman we had a brief conversation the three of us and I went back to my seat. My sister and I kept talking finished our drinks and by the time the bartender came to us to give us our bill. Marcia was gone. And wouldn't you know, we were charged for the drinks that she had ordered for us! I asked the bartender politely if the lady who had ordered our second round had paid for it and if there was a mistake and he said no. He looked confused so I just said OK and paid the bill. It was very weird for her to do what she did and it was really not appreciated at all. It was uncalled for an unnecessary. She didn't know what our situation was or if we were just trying to get a break from life for a few moments which we were and if we had planned to spend that much there. Hopefully, if the owners of this place , and see this comment AND hear the message that I left on their answering machine they will let her know that what she did was not just swept under the rug. read more

Wonderful winery! Always one of my favorite tasting rooms in Livermore. Definitely stop and see for yourself!

Wine was great. Must try the Teslo! Patrick was an amazing host. I'll definitely be back to visit and taste some more! read more

Occasio Winery - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

A tiny winery with an unassuming tasting room punching well above its weight in quality. Despite only producing a few hundred cases each year, the offer a surprisingly variety of wines from a lite and refreshing rose to a bold and rich Cabernet. Their merlot and Syrah are also wonderful expressions of the grapes. While they aren't farmers, so they source all their fruit from the local area, they definitely have a knack for quality and finesse. Kudos to the wine maker. I was introduced to their wines from a gift by my SFO-based son so wanted to see them in person. While not as glamorous as some other wineries in the valley, they are making and selling a quality product at reasonable prices with the top end being in the $40-$50 range. Definitely Sotheby's a visit and at only $15 for a 5-wine tasting flight, a great value as well.. read more

Occasio Winery - Tasting room - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

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This is an outstanding winery with fabulous selections. I have been a member for the past six years. read more

Occasio Winery - a table with wine glasses on it - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

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I love this winery, a very intimate setting. They have excellent wine!I love when they have live music as well. read more

Occasio Winery - a table with a menu and wine glasses - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

Amazing wines! I've been a member for years. Quant and the staff, owner, and wine maker are amazing! read more

Occasio Winery - Tasting menu - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

Really nice wine release party. Catered by Posada. Tacos, sliders, chicken casserole with mole and fritters with salad. Delicious with the wine. And the cab that was released was very tasty indeed. The first glass we had was more tannic and acid than the second glass. I thought we were having two different wines- both good, but one that needed a little more aging and one that was mature now. The second glass had a wonderful cherry nose and silky soft tannins. Also had sediment which the first glass did not have. At any rate, delicious wine can be found here and if you become a member you'll enjoy their release parties. Sidewinder is a very attractive and welcoming space. Edit- I need to mention what a great time we had with Rick who works at Occasio. What a wonderful wealth of information he is about the wine! Actually, everyone who pours at Ocassio is fabulous, but Rick was so willing to share his knowledge with us. We really enjoyed learning from him! read more

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They have a great Syrah. The Rose was outstanding also. They also partner with Sidewinders and members can purchase spirits. read more

Occasio Winery - Wines and Spirits, - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

Corie and James were amazing so friendly and accommodating would definitely come back . Great wine and extra bonus the beautiful keychains made by Corie Thanks again read more

Highly recommend Occasio winery. My wife and I have been members of Occasio for a few years and we've been to more wineries than I can count. We had an experience a few weeks ago to grab our order and when I got home, it was a couple of bottles short. They were busy when I went to pick them up and I could understand the oversight (I wasn't sure how many bottles I was picking up and didn't check). I had driven about 45 mins to pick up the order and I didn't want to go back for the missing bottles. Occasio worked with me and they shipped to missing bottles to my house and no expense! Mistakes happen and Occasio really met the moment to a loyal customer. Thank you! read more

Occasio is located on Vasco Rd right next to a few other wineries, but it's one you won't want to skip on your wine tasting tour of Livermore! With a warm and welcoming tasting room, the knowledgable staff will provide guided tastings for you and your guests. You'll learn the Occasio winemaking philosophy and why John Kinney dedicated his life to preserving and nurturing the varietals of the Livermore Valley! Also, if you join their wine club, there is multiple levels you can decide on. If you love the "Heritage Club," you can do wither 3 or 6 bottle of red or white OR you can do a mixed shipment! If you like the "Founder's Society," try the Founder's Society - Trade 6 Bottle...there are so many options! A definite plus about Occasio wine membership is Sidewinder! Their bar, which is around the corner from their tasting room, is amazing! They have live music and wine club events here. It's got a prohibition era feel. Super fun! read more

I bought a bottle of Occasio cabernet franc and was so impressed, I couldn't wait to come in and taste. Unfortunately my hopes and expectations were too high and I left pretty disappointed. Of their tasting flight, I can't say I really enjoyed any of them. I love smaller businesses and I believe they only make about 1,000 cases a year. I was so hopeful I'd find a red I liked to introduce it to some friends who may not have heard of Occasio. But, maybe better luck next batch for me. As we were going through the flight, we'd take a sip, look at each other and give the "no" nod. So, it wasn't just my opinion. The tasting area is a bit strange. It looks like it would be a radiology center or something. Smaller bar, no tables or anything inside to stand/sit at. The gentleman was amazingly nice. He gave us great background on the valley (still newer to the area) and some of the wines. I'd give it another shot later in the year or next year, but there are so many places I just love in Livermore, so it's hard to justify unfortunately. read more

Occasio Winery - Wineries Near Me - Livermore, California

The staff is non-accommodating and rude. There are three wine tasting places, including this one, right next to each other. One had a restroom that was out of order. My friend was told to go to Occasio, but she was told by the Occasio employees that she could not use their restroom. My past visit here was on par with this experience. They had maybe 3 wines to pour and refused to open a bottle I wanted to try. If I could've tried it and liked it, I most definitely would've purchased some. There are way too many great wine tasting rooms to visit in the Bay Area than to spend time and money at a place like this one. read more

Disappointing. Occasio is on my short list of Livermore wineries that I don't plan to visit again. The wines were decent but not memorable and the service was some of the least warm we have ever experienced while wine tasting -- I can count the number of words spoken to us on two hands. Meh. read more

Occasio Winery opened just it's showroom. event: LVBTW(3/22/15) barrel tastes: -2014 chardonnay taste not buttery, no oak taste -2013 petite syrah softer tannins. 3ish stars barrel notes: -interesting tastes, fwiw, chardonnay, petite syrah not favs so little interest -parking cluttered in front.... -pretty sure staff was friendly, just happens wines offered not my types. read more

One of the coolest wine labels I've ever seen ... apparently designed by the winemakers 15 year old son? Very affordable wines and pretty good for the price. Tasting room is pretty standard - not very big. They have a cool assortment of other products - lotions, honey etc which was fun to test and browse through. Staff was friendly and didn't show any signs of being annoyed with how loud we'd gotten by this point! read more

The Owner has the best personality. Bottles are to excellent, and it is a nice and quiet Winery Located In Livermore. I really enjoyed this place and its wine is called OCCASIO in Roman means Opportunity, from the Opportunity goddess, when she came around you have to grab to hold her or loose her for good. read more

Had a great time there Saturday ! Neil is definitely an asset there. He took care of us the whole day. The wine was wonderful. Thanks for such a great day! read more

Occasio Winery Trying to resurrect an old terroir style in Livermore with state of art equipment. John Kinney founder of Occasio winery is without a doubt one of the valley's super stars. With impressive Livermore Valley history knowledge, distilling spirits and vermouth recipes, this Renaissance man is set to make a mark in this valley. 2015 Chardonnay Livermore Valley Orchard fruits: pears, yellow apples, pinnaple, nutty, walnut. Citrus: lemon. Butter. Oaky, woody. 3.5 2016 Grenache Rose from tank Guavas, bubblegum, berries: raspberry, Watermelon. Pretty magenta color. Crisp acidity. Citrus: lemon, grapefruit. 3.5-4.0 2016 Malvasia Bianca. Lemon berbina, citrus: grapefruit, orange blossom, fresh aromatics: white flowers, jazmines, bubblegum, crisp acidity. 3.5-4.0 2013 Syrah, Livermore Valley. Deep black color, blueberry, blackberry, huckleberry. Forest floor, mushroom, dried meat. Good acidity, woody-creamy texture. Black olive. Warm spice. 3.5-4.0 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley. Blackberry, dry. Cassis, Dark Cherry, mushroom, eggplant, artichoke. Forest floor. Oak. Good acidity, earthy notes come thru on the palate. 4.0 2011 late bottle vintage Petite Sirah Port. Black fruits: plum, Fig, blackberry cobbler, coconut. Creamy palate. Cocoa powder. 3.0-3.5 Vermouth (Old James Bond recipe) Pretty aromatics, citrus: orange blossoms, chamomile, earthy-botanical, bitter finish. Cardimon, 3.5 read more

AMAZING service by a gentleman working this past Sunday. My friends and I were looking for a winery that accepted walk-ins and we were sooo happy to find this place. As we walked over from a winery next door, at first sight it looked busy. But we're we're seated instantly. The gentleman serving our tasting was very friendly and provided great conversation. I will definitely be returning as I appreciate great customer experience. I might even become a member. read more

I think the key indicator for wealth is not good grades, work ethic, or IQ. I believe it's relationships. Ask yourself two questions: How many people do I know, and how much ransom money could I get for each one?" ― Jarod Kintz Occasio aegre offertur, facile amittitur. Translation: To know that the right moment comes along rarely and is easily lost. Sidney Does the East Bay Wineries Part XI - The Suburban Portion In a very general, stereotypical sense, wealthy people come in two forms: the ones who understand their good fortune with the result they are often salt of the earth, friendly types or they are the insufferable jerks born on third base who think they hit a triple. For example, I was supposed to attend a wedding where Richard Branson would also be in attendance. From my friend who is acquaintances with their family, the Branson's are of the down to earth type and not what you expect. Alas, other circumstances forced me to miss this wedding so my number one celebrity moment is probably still the time Urkel and I used the bathroom at the same time at a Prince concert (Just kidding. i met Elizabeth Taylor once so that is probably number one celebrity moment for me). Another example of a wealthy family on the good side of the ledger are the Kinney's who run Occasio Winery. The owner John learned the above phrase from a debate teacher early in his life and then used that quote for inspiration. I stopped in here after my disappointing Nottingham experience and tasted with John's son who was an affable, humorous, intelligent young man who clearly had been raised right by his dad. Besides being 5 feet from Nottingham, Occasio was mentioned in Mary orlin's Huffington Post piece about the 12 wines to drink now from Livermore with their Pinot Gris highlighted as a winner. In fact, tasting the wines here I found all of them to be good to very good with a nice food friendly balance that was completely lacking over at the hipster enclave that was Nottingham. They have fairly standard varietals though. For whites they are Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc; Reds are Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel. My favorite turned out to be a bit of a surprise. It was a white fortified dessert wine named Angelica that was packaged in a pretty, tall, thin bottle. It was not available for tasting but another couple talked John's son into opening with him joking: "Well, i hope my father doesn't fire me". The dessert wine tasted excellent with a solid acidic balance that made it subtle rather than overly sweet. To help the kid not get fired I bought two bottles :) This was a fun and interesting stop, complete with some good cheese and crackers to go with the wine, that makes me unequivocally recommend you visit too. read more

Occasio Winery is one of the newest additions to the Livermore Valley Wine Country. Don't be fooled by the exterior... the tasting room is beautifully designed. I tasted three wines and purchased a bottle of 2007 Petite Sirah. The staff were very friendly and even let us peek at the winery in back. read more

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This place is so tiny, I was kind of shocked that it was situated in a tiny plaza like a retail store-front. There's a tiny bar and people who offer tastings there, for $5. They don't have public grounds/vineyards/tours - they're still in early stages and boutique-like, so they do their tastings here. Their whites are quite good (Pinot Gris is solid). Their reds are ok. If you are nearby, check it out just purely for the wine. read more

I love wine and I love talking about wine almost as much as I enjoy drinking it. Occasio is a great little winery with friendly folks who ALSO like hanging out drinking and talking about wine. See why we get along so well? Its a lovely, unpretentious environment, and we always have a great time when we visit. And the wines....deeelish! The wines are also quite affordable-bonus! read more

Update: I wish I could update that the business owner John Kinney made this situation right but he has not. After Replying to the post he never contacted me even though at the time I left my sell phone number on face book and another email to him. I then called the winery and spoke with an employee named David who confirmed 4 bottles of wine were never picked up and said that he would refund the full amount to my card. A few day later I checked and only a small portion had been refunded. On 3/11/16 I sent the owner John this email: John, Unfortunately this still has not been resolved. David confirmed that there were two wine pickups that I had not taken receipt of and told me the full amounts would be refunded to my card. the charges were as follows: Sept 8 2015 $74.12 Nov 16 2015 $78.48 Total for wine I never received: $152.60 A refund was posted on March 5th for $65.70 This was short by $86.90 I really do not want to waste anymore of my time or yours on this matter but this inst right. I am asking that you please refund the remaining amount owed to me for the products I never received in the amount of $86.90. I realize you are busy but please look at it from my perspective. How would you feel if you purchased something on line or over the phone for $152.60 and never received it. Then after multiple attempts to obtain a refund you were told it would be taken care of and then were only refunded $65.70. I know the circumstances are a little different but not by much if you take a step back and think about it. Please let me know if you are willing to refund the remaining amount of my money? Again if you want to call me my cell phone is 925-260-5302 or if you want to provide me with a good contact # and time to call I would me more than happy to call you. Thank you, Chase Calhoun I still have not received the remaining refund or been contacted by the business owner. John, this is not right and all I'm asking is for you to refund the money you charged me for the product you never provided. The amount still owed to me is $86.90. Although I'm not willing to take down my entire review I would love to be able to update it with a positive outcome. Also 86.90 may not seem like a lot of money to some people it is enough to me that I will not simply forget about it. PLEASE contact me or have an employee contact me to refund the remaining amount of money. Thank you, Chase Calhoun 925-260-5302 read more

We really liked this winery, and tell them to break out the Oils too, they have a fantastic selection of olive oils...very good * 2009 Occasio Pinot Gris Actually very good * 2009 Occasio Rosé, We loved the Rose so much we bought the last two cases, sorry about that you snooze you loose ;-) * 2008 Occasio Zinfandel, this one didn't agree with us but other there seem to really like it * 2008 Petite Sirah, This was a little tannicy for us * 2008 Occasio Sauvignon Blanc, Excellent * 2008 Occasio Pinot Gris, is excellent and would be really good with a beef pasta dish The people there are very nice, we brought a group of 25 people there May 17, 2010 and they took us all in back and showed us around...Fantastic time read more

Over the course of writing this update I think I've realized that I may not like this place as much as I want to. I actually started out giving it four stars and then really started thinking about it. I think their shortcoming is the people behind the tasting counter. They're nice, but I've not had as good experience since the summer. I don't usually go to do a wine tasting to just sit there in silence. I like to be taught about the new wines. Instead I'm given a glass, refilled with different wines...and otherwise left alone. Since I don't like just being left alone, I engage them. I ask about the wines...and then they hand me the flier that I already got in the mail. Why would I come in for a tasting, if I can just read about it? When I go to a winery for a tasting, I want to be engaged in a discussion about their wines. If all they're going to do is give me a pamphlet, I can look that up online and go to BevMo, which is a lot closer. So I switch to small talk...they seem better with small talk than talking shop. Not bad in a bartender...but they're not bartenders. They're supposed to be representatives of the company and subject matter experts for their wines. Their wines are fine, and that's about it. I've only had one that made me think "oh, that's good." Surprisingly, it was a white wine, and I usually go for reds. It was their Fume Blanc, if you're wondering. Look, I get that I'm not in Napa. That, however, is not an excuse. If anything, Livermore has something to prove. The wineries here need to do more than just rely on Napa being to "Napa" for people to look further south for decent wines. read more

Just a quick update. I opened the 2010 Petite Syrah I bought at the tasting in June and it was out of this world. I'm looking forward to going back for more. read more

We had a rather uninspired experience next door at Nottingham, so we were very happy to walk in here and feel more welcome. Found the staff to be friendly, the atmosphere pleasant,and the wines good. On our list of those to visit again in Livermore! read more

It's a shame in this day in age that when you try to go wine tasting you don't even get acknowledged in the first 20 minutes that you come into a wine establishment. It's sad. I didn't even get to taste here. I went next door and bought a ton of wine. They completely missed out because the stuff that was on duty ignored me for 20 minutes. read more

We came here on a packed weekend afternoon, since everyone was escaping the torrential downpour and drowning their sorrows in a positive, wine-y way. Luckily we snagged a spot at one of the long tables held up by barrels, and chose the $20 winemaker's tasting. I wish I had gotten the name of the pourer who helped us, because she was awesome! She talked us through everything without being overbearing, and compared her faves with ours. I love when pourers let us know what THEY choose to drink after work is done, because it usually ends up being the best wine of the bunch :) The petite syrah was legendary here, with a bacon/hammy smokiness. I will say that if you don't like smoke in your wine, the reds here won't do anything for ya. My sister abhors the taste of ham, and donated all her tastes to me. The reds kinda blended into one another to me, and while I'm not an expert wine connoisseur, I think that's helpful to know going in! Occasio is also really well located in the newish stretch of wineries/breweries off Tesla, which makes winery-hopping a breeze. That also means I will definitely be back on my next crawl! read more

The wine was great and Ed was fantastic! He was so nice to my friend and I (we're only 21 so servers are often rude or dismissive.) He was very personable, friendly, and entertaining! Would go back just for him! read more

Occasio makes some very nice wines. I like their wine enough that I am actually a wine club member here. So why the 3 star review? Their hospitality sucks. The only time I have had an acceptable time at their tasting room was when I went on a very, very slow Friday. All of the other times have been disappointing. If there are more than a handful of customer's in the tasting room the staff can't handle it at all. They will complain about how overwhelmed and busy they are (as if that's what customer's who are trying to relax and taste some wine want to hear). There is one woman who pours such ridiculously small sips of wine that you barely have enough of a taste to get a good swirl in your mouth. I'm not expecting to get full glasses of wine by any stretch, but these micro pours are so small that you can't adequately taste the wine. I truly hope they can get their act together with their tasting room as I want to like Occasio but the crappy staff is making it harder and harder. read more

My first time at this winery. I appreciate the help in the tasting room. Shout-outs to Lisa and her co-worker, Karen, I believe, on Saturday afternoon. I will come in again on my next visit to Livermore Valley. Drinkable wine is what most people buy...I did that. One wine stood out and I took a bottle home. Thanks again. read more

We visited Occasio Winery based on the recommendation from Wente who said that their Angelica wine was excellent. We spent $162 in wine at Ocassio Winery on 4 bottles of wine which included two bottles of Angelica. Our issue is that they still charged us the $18 in tasting fee. It was our mistake that we didn't check our bill when we signed our credit card receipt or we would have not bought the 4 bottles of wine. However, we did check the receipt on our way home and called the tasting room. We talked to Cashier 100101 (don't remember his name) about the charge. He said that it was not Occasio's policy to not waive the fee when purchases are made. When my wife said that she didn't think this was a good business practice, he said he really didn't give a damn what we think and hung up the phone. So...we filed a complaint on their website, Minutes later we received a call from someone who said that he was the Owner of Occasio and that he would reverse the fee and give us a free bottle of wine. We refused the wine but agreed that waiving the fee would be a good business practice. We never did get a tasting fee credit. Note we are not complaining about product, only the poor customer service. Wente treats us like royalty and Occasio treats us with indifference. read more

Absolutely love this place. Most amazing Martinis ever! Sidewinder distills their own Vermouth and it's fantastic. read more

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First reviewer was right. State of the art facility lies behind a rather unimposing exterior. Give it a try. Great local wines.