The sister and I had a catchup date at Urban Legend Wine. This was both of our first time here and overall, we had a good experience. We arrived later in the afternoon, but was able to get seated outdoors in a shady area. The tastings for the day were surprisingly good. The staff helping us was friendly, checked on us frequently, and kept the tastings coming. Pretty solid spot to check out if you're in the area and looking for something different to do. The views are nice, and service and drinks were good. read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

We recently discovered Urban Legend and have visited twice now. Yes, they have great views of the Bay. Very knowledgeable staff, and outstanding tasting wines. Can be kinda hard to find their location but you will be happy to find them. read more

Loved that space! A lot of fresh air and very relaxing. That abandoned ex-military base in Alameda is a truly great spot for a winery!

Beautiful outdoor seating with speakers that we were able to connect to which was fun. Really great service as well. Biggest thing was that we ordered their charcuterie board and it was served to us in the plastic container that you basically buy it from in the store.. I wish they could've plated it for presentations sake. Would possibly come back for a day of nice weather to enjoy hanging outside with friends read more

Came in on a packed Saturday night and was very appreciative that they could find us a table. Isabelle was our server and she was so accommodating. She had great recommendations and did her best to find me a wine I would like ( I was cranky and grumpy and nothing seemed to please me this day ) none of that really mattered as the service was great. She kept the tastings coming and always made sure we were taken care of. The view of the city from this place is breath taking. Makes you want to sit and relax all night. Parking is available basically everywhere if you're not afraid of a walk. We will be coming again. read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Tasting - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

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We have loved their wines over the years. We recently had a shipment to the east coast that arrived damaged (though not the shippers fault). The folks at Urban Legends went above and beyond to completely replace the order. We were very grateful for their assistance and quick response. I will certainly order from them again in the future. read more

My partner decided to surprise me for my 30th birthday with my friends at Urban Legend Cellars this past weekend! I had never been here before, but I was pleasantly amazed by the views, urban winery ambiance, and superb service by a very kind and generous server (I forgot your name but you had short silver hair and glasses)! She made me feel so welcome with some bubbly in the beginning and gave me great tips. I ordered bottles rather than everyone do wine flights. I chose my favorites - rose, merlot, and a tempranillo to start off our party. S told me when he reserved the table, it was originally for only an hour and a half, but we stayed here for quite some time since they didn't need the tables! My friends decorated the festivities and they were very accommodating with supplying us with forks and napkins. Since Urban Legend Cellars does not have food, they allowed us to bring our our charcuterie boards and snacks. Supposedly they typically have food trucks at the site, but this time they didn't. My friend ordered more bubbly to go along with the cake cutting and I ordered another bottle of a more fruity red wine blend. Very delicious altogether and the views of SF across the bay was incredible! Loved my birthday surprise here and can't wait to come back! read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

I came for for my anniversary and we had a good time. We made a reservation at least a week in advance and enjoyed two flights and snacks. It was a breezy Saturday afternoon and we had a wonderful view of San Francisco. I highly recommend this place if you are in the East Bay area and want to enjoy a glass of wine outdoors. read more

Staff wasn't really that friendly. It was fine. Next door is also another wine bar. Wine was so so. Weather was too windy. we had to stay inside. I'll try again, maybe this time it will be better. read more

There was a great band and the person that took care of us was perfect. Sadly, the owner or manager lady was horrible. She only cared about the elderly white people that were already members. At one point we overheard her make a comment that it was unfortunate we were still there- "table __ is still there unfortunately".. we spent over $200 and were talking about becoming members until she said that. The wine is ok, but definitely nothing amazing, and not at all worth supporting someone like that. read more

Good wine and excellent service! Came in on a slow Saturday afternoon and was greeted by super friendly staff, who encouraged us to order a flight since we hadn't been before. Flight is comped if you buy a bottle - so figured we would try the flight ($15 for five 1 oz pours) and buy a bottle, which start in the low $20s and go up from there. Highlights of the five wines included the very light and refreshing granache blanc, the bold and dark teroldego, and the flavorful sonici. The sonici was a nice in-between the other two and had a lot of good flavor, so we ended up taking home a bottle. After trying all five wines, the owner treated us to a sixth taste - l'estuaire, an homage to Oakland and Alameda with delightfully fruity notes. The wines were consistently solid so we're considering a wine club membership. I really like their slightly unconventional system. Distribution is quarterly and you pick your own wines. No membership fee, and the more you buy the more discounted your wine is. If you commit to buy two bottles a quarter, you get 15% off, four bottles 20%, etc. Perks include free tastings, bottle and glass discounts, and quarterly membership parties. Seems pretty sweet to me with the freedom you get to pick your wines! read more

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Great tasting experience- if you want to talk and enjoy the company, this is the place! The wines are amazing- nicely priced!

Totally off the beaten track at the end of Alameda Island. I wandered In totally by accident as I saw some cars and wondered what folks were up to. I suspected some hardy fishermen types, but I found some oak Barrels and tables instead.. had a nice time tasting some new varietals. Worth popping in. they do close at dark, so come early read more

I'm spoiled but this was a big miss for me. We sampled the Terrior and Freddi flights and I think I would have been better off holding back altogether. Nothing rolled smoothly over my palette; there was even a Russian River Pinot but still missed the mark for me. It was the most enjoyable of the 6 tastes we had, but not enough to want more than the sip. The staff was friendly, and fun to chat with - but that isn't enough of a selling point for a return visit for me. Wines were tannic, one of the rosés was a little effervescent which I hate, and overall just didn't sit nicely at the finish. If you are strolling the area I can see the draw to swoop in and taste due to the location and proximity to other wineries and Jack London Square. Everyone's palette is different; so maybe it's a win for some even though it wasn't for me. read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Pinot flight - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

Stopped here while hanging around in the area and had a nice rose, we had a few people so ordered a bottle that came quickly in a chiller, staff was great all and all was a fun time. Went to check out and noticed $10 fee for drinking the bottle on the grounds, was like wait a minute what??? Maybe this is something you tell people before hand vs sneaking in a line item fee. If this is a alameda fee let us know upfront if not also let us know up front. read more

The wine tasting room we were going to closed at 6pm so we seen the sign and decided to go here. The establishment had inside and outside seating. The outside seating has a great view of the bridge. We walked in and was greeted immediately. We decided to do the wine tasting. While tasting our wine one of the owners came over and shared some of his wine knowledge with us. I asked him if they had a wine club and to my surprise they do. I'm looking for a good wine club. Anyways the owner was super nice and informative. My cousin purchased a bottle of wine that we decided to enjoy outside. It would of been perfect but it was a bit windy. read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Sitting area - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

On our last return to the East Bay to visit our EB family, they took us to Urban Cellars where they are members. What a fun place! And the variety of wines they make is amazing. Even some lesser known varietals like Teroldego and Tannat. (Of course I knew about them living on the Central Coast.) TC took wonderful care of us and explained all the different wines. Despite having wine overflow at home, we got a case! read more

4.5 STARS! Urban Legend Cellar is one of the best places to stop and enjoy a tasting when in the Jack London Square area. Urban Legend was founded in 2009 by the lovely owners Steve and Marilee Shaffer. The couple focuses on pairing food and wines together because let's be honest, the two are impossible to separate, right? When I first approached the tasting room the entrance reminded me of a huge warehouse, the brick building is located in an industrial area of Oakland. However, don't let that discourage you! It's nice inside, offering several seating areas and a centerpiece in the tasting room area that consists of a wood bar designed and built by the lovely Steve. My group of 7 and I was able to snag the largest table in the tasting room area. Although the staff wanted to charge extra for a large group, we were able to talk them into sticking with the $15 tasting for 3 tastings. I am a big love for white wine! I was able to try the Italiano Misto and the Freddi and absolutely enjoyed it! The service was outstanding as we had the lovely, TC! Big thanks for making our visit delightful! Hours of business are Friday 3PM-8PM; Saturday 1PM-8PM; and Sunday 1PM-6PM. Interested in strolling the area for more wineries? Well, you're in the right place for it! In the small radius of Jack London Square, you will find Rosenblum Cellars, Jeff Cohn Cellars, and Dashe Cellars are within a mile and a half of Urban Legend. read more

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Great local winery! Close to Jack London Square, it was a place I did not know about before the Savor Oakland Tour. Amongst the East Bay, Urban Legend Cellars is waiting to be discovered. The love and the effort put into the wine is shown in the samples. Samples will make you want to buy bottles and you very well should while you are there. The wine is so good, it's handcrafted that way. read more

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Covid-safe - see pics. It is outdoors with ample spacing between tables. Masks required. Parking - Lots of it. Park in front of the smoke stack and walk to the back. Offerings - see pics. Reservation required. Time limit on table. Outdoor setup with a gorgeous view of SF across the water. Urban Legend share the tables with Dashe Cellar next door - so you can try 2 wineries at one table. There is a food truck, Gerard's Paella. You pay each company separately. The server only serves for their establishment. Food truck is walk up. Urban Legends uses a different payment device that's a handheld and I avoided touch by sliding my card in. Our Urban Legend server was very warm and friendly. She even did a background check on the rosato for us. It was delicious! We didn't try anything else there. I just wanted to post so anyone thinking about visiting can see the setup (see pics). It's really nice to have an outdoor space where you can feel safe and relax some :). Thanks for reading! Please click useful on my review. read more

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Loved every wine I tasted in my $15 tasting. 5 wines and all were really good! Might I add this spot was busy on a Saturday afternoon! My baby brigade squeezed our strollers in :: sorry, y'all! :: A nice u-shaped bar, a few tables and a few benches in the corner. I wouldn't say the best spot for large groups, or at least call ahead! The wine keeps were a little flustered with the crowd, but we enjoyed our tastings. If you buy a bottle, the fee is waived, and we were more than happy to buy a bottle of the Sonici, which my crew all agreed was the best. I also enjoyed the Tempranillo. Not bougie, but a very casual spot to taste some different wines if you're not looking for an in-depth tasting. read more

I've been a wine club member for many years and was surprised to see that I had not yet left a review! I was first introduced to Urban Legend at a networking in 2012 and am still coming back for more. The owners are fantastic, down to earth and wonderful people. And many of their staff imbibe these same qualities. Oh, and the wine is great too! The new location has a lovely view and is well worth the drive to Alameda. read more

This winery deserves 10 stars! I'm so happy I joined and didn't cancel my membership here. The owners are kind and super accommodating when it comes to their members. They have some really awesome wines too and even though I'm not the biggest Rose wines but theirs is the best and most refreshing one I've had and I LOVE it! They even ship your wines to you overnight and don't charge. WOW! I cannot thank then enough for their amazing service! I look forward to visiting the winery again soon and my next shipment! read more

I went here the other day for a tasting with some friends and it is absolutely wonderful place to visit. The quality of her wines is spectacular, I particularly love their Syrah. Plus, the pricing is very very good. It's fun to sit outside and taste wine. read more

Urban Legend is located right next to Dashe Cellars near Alameda Point. It's so convenient to get two different wine tastings in one go! Although they share a restroom, they are not affiliated with each other. Both tasting rooms have ample outdoor seating, but Urban Legend has a very different atmosphere inside. It gives a warm, more intimate feeling with some comfortable seating. Hubby and I shared a tasting. Don't know if it was just the wines we tasted that day, but we were not in love with any of the wines we tasted. Being fans of hard cider, we were interested in trying their Sturdy Girl cider, so we asked for a little taste of that too, and we actually liked it! We ended up getting a liter of that for $18. The growler it comes in requires a $4 deposit which you can get returned to you if you return it to them. We'll probably end up coming back with it to get it refilled! The people here are SUPER FRIENDLY! We felt very welcome and appreciated how welcoming they were to our dog as well (he even got a dog treat)! read more

"The seed of an urban legend find fertile soil at the corner of tragedy and imagination." Thomm Quackenbush, We Shadows "I'm going to check the world's best source for spawning new urban legends, the Internet. What, you thought I couldn't even type? The Web is just another threshold between one world and another." Nalo Hopkinson, Sister Mine Part VI of Sidney's foray into the East Bay/Urban Wine Scene Urban Legend is a fun, hip winery located just outside of Jack London Square. Owned by the interesting, innovative and disruptive Marilee and Steve Shaffer (see their most interesting About Me section on the cool looking winery website), Urban Legend has one of the most fascinating mix of wine selections you will find in California. They make a few of the usual suspects: Syrah, Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay (from a certified organic winery) and Pinot. But, they also create a Rose from Barbera, they have an Amador Rhone blend, a popular tempranillo, Riesling from Lake County, a Super Tuscan blend from Amador, a Malbec from Mendocino and a Teroldego (Syrah's Italian ancestor) from Clarksburg. Now with the owners having a background in the tech field and microbiology, my first worry is that they are ust going to over manipulate everything to death so that each varietal tastes the same (see the Michel Rolland playbook on how easy it is to create a one dimensional 90 point wine). Yet the wines I tasted were all distinctive with a sense of place. My favorites were the Lake County Dry Riesling, made in the Alsatian style and the 2010 Carneros Pinot which clocking in at a lower 13.7% alcohol level actually tasted like a Pinot than a overblown Syrah which too many Pinots taste like these days. Marilee was my server and I had a good time with her especially hearing that the Star Wars story of the Port of Oakland cranes being the inspiration for the AT-AT Walkers was indeed an "Urban Legend". Too bad because I told my son that story when he went through his Star Wars phase... Urban Legend is a definitive East Bay urban winery creating excellent juice with fantastic prices in a cool setting and is highly recommended! read more

After I tasted the Temescal red wine, I bought it. I bought it for it's name, it's re-useable bottle and it's heavy bold aromatic flavors. It is as eclectic as the Temescal neighborhood it's named after in Oakland. I asked the bartender, what is this place?! A wine bar? She tells me it's a winery. WAIT! WHAT?! A winery in Oaktown?! She explains to me that they ferment wine right here, right now and produce bottles of their own blends in-house. The only difference is the grapes are not grown outside like other winery's. How cool is that?! I don't need to travel all the way to Sonoma or Napa to taste excellent wine anymore. Nice warehouse feel in Oakland Jack London. Don't let the location throw you off because once you enter, it's full of friendly wine and staff. You know I'll be back to refill that wine bottle soon! read more

Loved the place! Nice views, good night one, lots of attention and stories from the attentive wait staff. Fun place

Wine in refillable bottles is a great idea. I'm not sure how many of the wines that Urban Legend Cellats produce can be bought in these bottles. It seems like the ideal way bring their wines to local customers. You can feel good about recycling, and it brings the customers back to the tasting room for refills. All the wines I tasted were good. The Tempranillo is created from a varietal native to Spain and grown near the Sacramento River. It was my favorite wine the last time I tasted here and it was my favorite wine this time. read more

Urban Legend was an awesome experience and I highly recommend it to any wine sommelier (or wannabe wine sommeliers like me :D)! My friends and I all got flights, which is awesome bc you're able to taste 3 different wines. The selection of 3 reds I had were all so good. Service was outstanding! My friend described the wines she typically goes for, and the hostess told us she'd take care of her. Her selections were spot on. Staff in general seem very knowledgeable and can easily answer questions! The space is small but very sleek and modern. Love the wine glasses with the Urban Legend logo. Again a very cool experience and I'd love to return. There are other options in the area, but this looked like the best! read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Flight of 3 reds for $14 - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

Great wine, great location, great staff. I love the outdoor wine tasting area overlooking the bay.

Huge fan of the staff and service here. Not a huge fan of the wine, unfortunately. Each palate is different and I love heavy cabs. This spot just isn't for me but might be for you. The people who work here are super friendly and fun. They are very knowledgeable of the wines and take the time to talk about the company, vineyards, and of course, the wine. Urban Legend is owned by husband and wife just like Dashe. I love supporting local wineries and don't mind coming back just for the tempranillo which is perfect to go along with tapas or make sangria out of. They sell their wine on tap at La Marcha also. $10/each person for the tasting which is waved if you buy a bottle. The bottles are highly affordable so it's worth taking something home. Parking is easy. 4 solid stars. read more

My friend and I found Urban Legend by accident. We passed a sign on our way to Jack London Square and were intrigued. What a lovely suprise! The first thing you see is a handcarved bar and a lime green accent wall, followed by the proprietor. The wine was even better than the cheerful setting. After trying the entire tasting flight, the two words that came to mind were ethereal and balanced. Every wine was a winner, and lovely in its own way. The two standouts for me were the ironworks Red Blend with its wonderful smoky aroma and the Teroldego, a varietal I've never had before. It was a dry, full red that reminded me a bit of a Cab. If you are in downtown Oakland on the weekend and want to try someplace new, put Urban Legend at the top of your list. read more

I left with the experience of enjoying a Cabernet for the 1st time. Their entire selection is amazing. If you enjoy full bodied reds then I highly recommend coming here, and they keep whites chilled and ready to go for a quick pick up. Its a cozy atmosphere and the staff are incredibly helpful. Excellent recommendations by the staff! read more

Urban Legend Cellars - My wine set up for the birthday Mama - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

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I really love this new location for the tasting room, which is closer to where I live and a bit fancier than the winery itself. The service and staff are wonderful and keep a great shop. read more

Fabulous! Fabulous! A 10 minute drive or 20 minute bike ride from my condo- If you live on the island of alameda, do not miss out on this hidden treasure! The wine is far more complex than its neighbors'! The barbera is worth coming onto the island if you are not local, and the BEST part is my dogs can tag along with us! read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Dog friendly tasting room with the sweetest host! - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California

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As awesome as it gets. We stopped here while cruising around Oakland/Alameda and were not disappointed. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and even though it was a bit busy for the somewhat small tasting space, were served immediately. The two ladies that were there were awesome and once it slowed down, we got to chatting about different tasting rooms in the area. I'm pretty picky when it comes to wines but liked pretty much everything we had a taste of. I came home with two bottles and convinced my partner in crime to sign up for the wine club ;) read more

Went here on Saturday with three girlfriends to celebrate a birthday the service was phenomenal and the staff made us feel very safe. More importantly, the wine was on point! I tried the bordeaux flight and was pleasantly surprised. I have personally been to bordeaux and toured many wineries there so was slightly hesitant thinking that a place in Alameda could not live up to what I had experienced in the past but my preconception was 100% wrong. All the wines were fantastic! Will definitely be going again read more

We visited Urban Legend on opening day during Covirus-19 and had a great time. The staff was warm and extremely engaging with guests. The wine was amazing and will return soon. Cheers to the entire Urban Legend staff. read more

We can't recommend Urban Legend highly enough. We took a group of 20 including a baby, and everyone had a great time. The wines are excellent and I know quite a few in our party went home with some. On behalf of everyone at Justice Now, thank you for such a wonderful experience. read more

Urban Legend Cellars - Thank you to the wonderful Urban Legend, who hosted a group of 20 of us. The wines are excellent! - Wine Tasting Room Near Me - Alameda, California