My friends and I went to Cosmin for a little San Francisco wine tasting experience and we were…read moreblown away by his hospitality and knowledge. With every wine we tasted, Cosmin explained it's history, characteristics and distinct flavors. We went on a delicious journey around the world, learning how to distinguish the grape, region, flavor and age. This was by far the most unique and pleasant wine tastings I have ever experienced. Who knew you could taste wine in so many different ways? Cosmin's passion and attention to detail added to the experience. I would 100% go back again for another round. 10/10!

Cosmin was absolutely amazing! He's so passionate about…read morewine and champagne, you can really really feel it. He was incredibly professional, we learned SO much about how to smell the wines, describe them, enjoy them, and truly appreciate them. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Dropped in for wine tasting! Dog friendly with great wine in a quaint location. It can't get better…read morethan that! Friendly staff and they offered our large pup a bed. We got a bottle of Sauvignon blanc and a Tempranillo

This is the only winery in Oakland, and one of the few urban wineries in the Bay Area where you can…read morechat directly with the head winemaker in the tasting room most days. Quality whites and rosés, and a solid lineup of reds. Easy parking, and a relaxed environment. Highly recommend.

This is a local winery run by a couple out of their house! They dry farm and grow all their wine on…read morethe property. The space is beautiful - it's located on a hilltop with the tasting on a deck in the back with impressive views of rolling hills. The tasting is 4 one oz pours of all reds and they curate the most delicious cheese plate. They seriously had some of the best cheese I've tasted and she even baked the bread herself. The wife and husband duo are so friendly and knowledgeable - really such a treat!

When I called I couldn't get an appointment but when I said it was my birthday and my son was…read moretreating me , I got it and it was cold in the Berkeley hills but once we reached Moraga , it was bright and sunny , I loved every minute of my time that I spent there . Wine was great , the vineyard had great views and we had great conversations with the owner .The views were amazing and the grapes were so sweet !Wine was excellent !My son in law is looking forward to visiting soon !

Best place in Oakland. The staff is fantastic!!! Been coming for years. Will continue toread more

We came here and shared a flight between the two of us- we went for the custom flight since we got…read moresome interesting recommendations after telling our server what we usually enjoy. Our favorite from our selects was the summers Cabernet Sauvignon chilled. It's a nice place to relax out on their outdoor seating area. It's also located right by the ferry so it's easy to go to/ leave from if you're on a ferry adventure.

Many choices of great wines with good prices. I attended wine tasting and education sessions today…read more They also provided nice snacks during the sessions.

Another great evening at the SF Wine School. The Swiss wine and Raclette tasting was fun,…read moreinformative and tasty. The featured distributor was great. Loving these events, a great place to sip wine, learn and have fun. I'll be back!

I have been purchasing wines from Kermit Lynch for probably 3 decades, or longer. I spent 3 years…read morein France in my youth and did the "vendange" (grape harvest) back in the day where we pick the grapes by hand and stomped them in huge barrels with our feet. We were paid with room and board plus 2 bottles of their wine/day. Anyway, I'm quite familiar with many French wines and appreciate a wine shop that knows their wines. Kermit Lynch is knowledgeable but their wines are not cheap, but European wines are not cheap in general. Having said that, there is a glut of European wines on the market these days from decreased demand, which should drive down their prices. In any case, there is a wide assortment of wines and the help is friendly and can assist you if you have any questions.

One of the best things about living in the Bay Area is the abundance of hyper-focused, specialty…read moreretailers who have a deep history that connects to other neighboring hyper-focused specialty shops. I know that may sound vague, but allow me to explain...Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant is a perfect example for this point. On the one hand, stepping into Kermit Lynch's shop at San Pablo and Cedar in Berkeley might seem underwhelming. It's a windowless, brick-lined room that feels like a basement (or wine cellar). Wines are either showcased in racks, or more commonly stacked in their crates or in boxes on the floor. The wines here are not local Napa, Sonoma, Anderson Valley, or Central Coast labels, but the majority of wines are sourced from France and Italy. You might find the labels confusing or not initially know what grape varietal you have in front of you. So you might have several reactions. One might be, "Kermit Lynch doesn't sell the wine I like." But another might be, "Holy shit! This is gonna be an adventure!" I'm always in the latter category. I've been a fan of Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant since moving to the East Bay in 2001. They weaned me from my California-centric wine mentality and introduced me to the regions of French wines that I always thought were old, stuffy, boring, too expensive, or too confusing. They did this through their amazing staff who made the Old World of wines more approachable and understandable through outstanding service and explanations as well as having options that would appeal to my price point. Often this was through options that include the Kermit Lynch label of super reasonably priced wines like their Cote du Rhône. Sure, you can still find wines here that are pricey. But the real lesson I learned at Kermit Lynch was that great, new adventures don't have to break the bank. And as to that connection to neighboring specialty shops I mentioned earlier, Kermit Lynch in the literal next door neighbor to Acme Bread. Both of these establishments laid the groundwork for modern foodie culture. And these shops are down the street from Cheeseboard Collective. Which is up the street from Monterey Market and Fish Market. Which is close to Tokyo Fish Market. Which isn't far from Berkeley Bowl. It's this ecosystem of outstanding, deep history, hyper-focused excellence that Kermit Lynch helped create and why I will remain a loyal customer.

Came to The Wine Mine to grab a few wine bottles. Brendan the person was helping me was so…read moreknowledgeable and explained each wine so well. I thought the wine was reasonably priced and lots to choose from!

Very knowledgeable staff, wide selection of wines, excellent prices…read more Try their $2 tastings which take place every other Saturday .9

I debated about writing this because this is a black-owned business. But honestly, just because you…read moreare black-owned doesn't mean you shouldn't strive to provide an excellent experience. I purchased a table for my family and friends to attend the Sip & Swirl Events in Livermore. We were excited to attend. We were told we would be in a VIP section and receive wristbands. This experience was supposed to include a table covering, ice bucket, charcuterie board, and a small centerpiece. We were also supposed to get pours from Staff Walking Through The Event. We were also told that VIP guests Did NOT need to check in with general admission. They stated that my guests and I would go straight to the VIP area, which would be near the event center. Our table would have my name on it, as well as eight pink wristbands. Since there were so many issues, I will list the points. The event started at 4 pm, and at 1:37 pm, I received an email stating that the event truck was broken into and all items for the event were stolen. She requested that we bring chairs, blankets, food, and wine glasses. When we arrived at the event, no one was there to greet or direct us. There was no check-in table, and I had to ask other event attendees who was running the event. After 10 minutes of searching for the host, I showed her my ticket and asked where my table was. She looked confused, walked away, and never returned. I then began to walk around the event to see if I could locate the table. I finally found my table with my name on a pink Party City wine bag, but they were still setting up my table. Which appeared to be an afterthought as we were separate from all the other tables. I then had to chase the host down again to get the wristbands for my guest. I asked about the charcuterie because, in the email, she said she had the items, just no boards. She responded she had the things but no boards, as they were stolen. However, she was trying to figure out a plan. Mind you, we never got any salami! There was no wine to sip or swirl as no one was working the event. They had two bars located clear across from our table. The lines were super long, and we were expected to stand in line for one pour. I made the best of the situation, so I went inside Wente and purchased wine for the table and two charcuterie boards. Only to be approached by someone who identified themselves as a helper of the host, stating that I could not bring outside wine into the event. Well, one, it's not outside wine; I purchased it at Wente Vineyards, and two, what do you expect us to do, sit at the table and wait for the non-existent workers to pour the non-existent wine? The DJ could not turn up the music until 6 p.m. due to other patrons at the winery who were not a part of our event, our table was clear across the other side. We were unable to hear the music. One of the event attendees had a medical emergency, and there was no event staff to be found. EMS was called, and the Wente staff had to come and assist her, and they were very helpful. Also, I'm still unclear; the host says her truck was broken into while she had lunch. So the event started at 4 pm. At noon, shouldn't you be at the event setting up and not getting lunch? I don't know. Maybe I'm a skeptic, but it sounds wild to me. Lastly, even if all your items were stolen, that doesn't account for you not having anyone working the event. Were the event staff stolen out of the truck as well? She also could have publicly addressed the attendees and said something to us to help us understand the flow of the event. It just appeared like we gathered together and all wore pink, but no one was there to organize. I'll say this: Our community always knows how to pivot and have a good time despite everything. I saw folks having pizzas delivered and buying wine. I know the Wente staff appreciated our purchases. The whole team at Wente was terrific, and they were very helpful! This is in no way a reflection of their service and their beautiful property. I plan to go to Wente again as the wine was excellent, and their staff were amazing!

I sent the following email to the host, April:…read more "Hi there - due to the unfortunate turn of events at Wente on Sunday, I'd like a refund. I bought 3 tickets & 3 "wine pass" wristbands. Because we were told not to bring certain items, we didn't. So we had to resort to using a plastic table covering as our "blanket" and borrow wine glasses from Wente. In addition, the wine "ran out" before we could use our "wine pass", so that resulted in us spending an extra $100 on Wente wine. No one even checked us in or provided an update to what was going on, so we really could have gone for free, but certainly not for damn near $100 per person. I'm sorry to hear about your van being broken into and the items stolen. Hopefully you can understand where I (& several other attendees who I've seen be vocal on social media about Sunday) are coming from w/ asking for a refund, especially since not much was or has been done to make up for it." No response yet.