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Wine Experience Dana Point

4.8 (54 reviews)
Closed • 3:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated a few days ago

Wine Experience Dana Point Photos

WINE EXPERIENCE DANA POINT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Wine Experience Dana Point

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Charcuterie Board
Alexis K.

What a great, new concept! I've seen places like this in Europe before, so I was excited to see on the news something like this open up near me. I went on a Saturday afternoon/holiday weekend, and it was packed! My best guess is that this place is probably set-up for less busier times. When you first walk in, it's a bit confusing where you're supposed to start. It's mostly seating and shelves of wine. At the register, someone will stop by to help you load up a card with a set amount of money. They recommended $25 per person, which turned out to be a good amount. To the right, there is an admittedly tight corridor of refrigerated(?) wine dispensers. The fridges all the way to the left with the bubbly and bottled/canned drinks are for purchasing per drink. However, the next several machines ranging from whites to reds are up for tasting. At each of the machines, you see a few wine options to choose from (what's visible is their front label). After you tap, you can pick the quantity of your pour. We opted to try as many as we could, so we went with the smallest pour. These all loosely ranged from $1-$5. I believe you could also get a half-pour and full glass. I'm not sure if they rotate these wines seasonally or based on stock or anything. I also forgot to see if you were able to try any of their wines on display (not the fridges) by the glass. We saw several folks leave the store having purchased a bottle. There is seating both inside and outside. I saw some heat lamps as well. At the tables, you get a carafe of cold water. There's also QR codes to order food. Their food options are probably not what you're going to go there for. We opted for their 2-option Charcuterie Board. We picked 1 cheese (a bright, creamy one) and 1 meat (a mustard seed one). It also came with a small pot of pepper jelly, small pot of salted nuts, and fresh fig. The folks working there were working very hard and were so helpful! Even though they were spread thin, they had excellent customer service. They were ready to answer questions, quickly wipe down tables, refill wine, etc.

Juliana P.

Fun wine tasting experience - feels very "with the times" - you can preload a card and tap to pay for a tasting, half a glass, or even a full glass. There is a very wide selection of reds, but there are even champagnes, and you can try a magnum bottle if your heart desires. The servers are really helpful in walking you through the selection and I would suggest chatting with one of them before you just start pouring like we did, ha! Medium sized space, with a clean restroom and some standing room outside on a patio. They do also offer non-alcoholic options, beer, and small bites.

You can order tasty Nibbles  with your sips
MaDonna W.

We have been anticipating the opening of this adorable little wine Café. Lee , took care of us and loaded up our card as we proceeded to taste what was on tap for the day. Good selection. you can decide to have a sip or a glass, a lot of wines that we are very familiar with and some that we were not. From the Russian river to Australia, Santa Barbara, and France. We enjoyed so many great sips, especially after talking to the owner Mike for what they have in store and the wines that are yet to come. We loved our wine experience. See you next week y'all

Gorgeous space with carefully selected wines
Mendy B.

An absolute gem & a much-needed addition to our community. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is upscale with great energy. Perfect for both a quick stop and a longer, more leisurely browse & tasting. What truly sets this shop apart is the incredible expertise and passion of the staff. On my visit, I was looking for a specific type of wine for a dinner party and found the options a bit overwhelming. The owner Mike and was incredibly approachable and knowledgeable. The selection itself is thoughtfully curated. While they have the popular favorites, the real treasures are the boutique and smaller-production wines you won't find at a big-box store. It's clear that each bottle was chosen with care and a genuine love for wine. The store also offers a delicious menu with flatbreads & cheese boards to enjoy with your wine. Cheers !

Directions on how to use wine card
Neil E.

I always Thought wine always tasted gross, bitter, and not satisfying, but after being educated by the team at Wine Experienced and tasting their amazing selection of wines, they definitely opened my eyes to how amazing, tasty, and enjoyable wine can be! I was here for the soft opening and this entire experience has shifted my perspective on wine 180 degrees. I hated wine and now it's definitely something I find delicious, interesting, and eager to learn more about. The ability to try hand picked curated wines by the ounce was huge, as it makes the entire process less daunting and overwhelming. Lots of options to choose from white wine, red wines, dessert wines. Even inexpensive to very expensive wines. Everyone working at the Wine Experience was so knowledgeable about the wines, from the history, region, and the flavor. It was easy peasy to enjoy the 30+ selection of wine. There were 3 options of pours from 1 ounce to more. First step was to tap the prepaid(refillable) card on the counter which would show your balance and then I pressed the button for the amount I wanted to drink. Which automatically charges the prepaid card, way too easy and fun. I've been on Wine tours in Napa, Temecula, and central coast, but the time spent at the Wine Experience learning from Mike and his team was amazing. The information and knowledge was at the perfect level and enough for me to comprehend, process, and enjoy. I honestly thought I was gonna show up and just try a bunch of wines and get buzzed but it was more than that, we were served delicious food that paired well with all we drank. Loved everything we ordered from the charcuterie board, olives, pizza, and meatballs. The service, the ambience, and the location is wonderful. I look forward to their grand opening and frequenting this awesome spot in the future. Btw I grabbed 2 bottles of white wine that I tried and they offer giftcards or pre charged wine cards as gifts. I'm definitely sharing with my friends so we can all go out and enjoy this amazing place together. Definitely a great place for a solo, date, or a group experience!!!

Wine spectators #1 wine in tap: Chateau Giscours, Margaux 2010.
Thomas P.

Wonderful wine experience in Dana Point. The service was excellent, with an extremely knowledgeable staff and owner present. A fantastic selection of French, Italian, and California wines on tap with flexible pours from one ounce tastings to five-ounces. The food (Charcuterie, flatbread, and meatballs) were great, and the atmosphere was relaxed yet upscale. No children allowed. Highly recommend

Cheese and meat platter
Paula R.

Located up the hill from Dana Point harbor, plenty of street and parking structure parking available. We came on a Sunday afternoon for my birthday, wasn't busy. We arrived got a rundown on how to use the wine dispenser and chose our table. We did some wine tastings and got a simple meat and cheese platter. Service was good and wine selection was ok. We did get a quick explanation of some of the wines and recommendations from the sommelier. I didn't like or find a new favorite, variety was lacking. The wine selection was missing some complex full bodied wines, which are my favorites. The meat platter was delicious but small for the price. Overall it was an ok experience, Great place for a date.

Maddie W.

The perfect wine bar! Fun, relaxing, great service. Cheese board was delicious. Can't wait to try it again!

Coastal Mushroom Delight Flatbread
Elizabeth H.

An intimate wine experience to relax and enjoy in an unhurried Dana Point! We came here to see what's in store and on a Saturday evening, it was buzzing with wine lovers. A great selection of wine and delicious food made us stay. The outdoor seating was comfortable. We had three kinds of food and each item was very tasty with red and white wine pairings of course! The Citrus Grove Beets & Burrata was fantastic! The creamy burrata was so soft and creamy it was hard to stop from eating. We had the plate cleaned out. The Coastal Mushroom Delight Flatbread suits its name. So good and delightful! Last but definitely not the least, the Meatballs with Stracciatella Cheese was swimming in a lovely marinara sauce. We had the plate cleaned out too! Our server was very nice and attentive. We will come back again for sure!

Jeff P.

This place is awesome. My wife has been wanting to stop by for months and we normally go to our regular place in the harbor. Today we stopped in with our e-bikes. I wish I would have stopped in earlier. Dozens and dozens of excellent wines. You can taste as little as one ounce pours and try wines before spending on the full bottle. I went for the 300$ bottle pour for 25$. Fantastic!!! All five people in my group tried different wines and we had such a great time. We also got flat bread dishes and cheese plates. We are now making this part of our regular bike tour stop.

Sahar R.

This spot in Dana Point is the perfect mix of charm, relaxation, and great wine. The atmosphere is warm and inviting--casual enough to feel comfortable, but elevated enough to feel like a special night out. The wine selection is fantastic, with something for everyone--from crisp whites and bold reds to unique blends you don't usually find elsewhere. The staff really makes the experience stand out. They're knowledgeable without being pretentious and are happy to guide you through the list if you're not sure what to try. I especially appreciated how they took the time to explain pairings and made great recommendations. Whether you're stopping by for a date night, a gathering with friends, or just to unwind with a glass and watch the sunset near the harbor, this is definitely a place worth visiting. Great wine, great people, and a great vibe--everything you want in a wine spot.

Jonathan H.

My wife, son and I tried out this stylish new wine bar and loved it. The wine is excellent and it's straightforward on how you get it. First, you load a card with a dollar amount that you want to start with, then you find the wine you want and the size (and price) you want, then you place the card on the card reader while you push the button. Be sure to keep the glass under the nozzle or the precious wine might go astray! (I saw that happen to another guest.) They also serve superb food --- not just charcuterie and cheese plates, although those do look good. We ordered three dishes: meatballs with stracciacella cheese; citrus grove beets and burrata; and the coastal mushroom delight flatbread. All were first rate. Flatbread in my experience is usually a hit or miss in most places: here it was a hit with lots of mushrooms and cheese and nicely toasted, crisp bread. The citrus grove beets had lots of fresh beets, lots of fresh arugula and lots of creamy and delicious burrata cheese. The meatballs with stracciacella cheese was also a filling excellent dish. The night we were there two very busy gentlemen were serving a packed restaurant space. We sat outside and it was very pleasant. This really is a first rate wine place. And if you or a friend of yours doesn't happen to be into wine, the food is wonderful too. (And of course they sell wine retail.) (FYI, parking is pretty easy in this part of Dana Point.)

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6 months ago

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Wine Experience D.

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6 months ago

Super nice people who work there. Knowledgeable about all the wines. Fun place to chill and enjoy some good wine

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Ask the Community - Wine Experience Dana Point

Do they offer a Social/HH?

Yes. Happy hour is Monday to Friday 4-6pm. At that time it is 25% off the wine stations.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Truly Pizza - Smoky Vodka

Truly Pizza

4.2(1.6k reviews)
0.3 mi
•$$
Women-owned & operated
Free parking

Happy to find out you can order takeout. There is a separate takeout door on the right side of the…read morebuilding. Ordering was easy but it did take over an hour to be ready. I didn't mind the wait, it was actually just enough time to go to Dana Point Harbor and walk around. Tried the La Foresta and it was not only pretty, it was delicious! Must try if you like mushrooms. Can't go wrong with the classic square pepperoni. So good even the next day!

Not worth the wait…read more Hosts are horrible. We did walk in. About 20 minutes later we get a text that says our table is ready. Great! We were walking around and rush and get back within a few minutes. They said the table in the main dining room is just paying their bill and it'll be a few minutes. 25 minutes later we ask and they tell us it'll be another 5 minutes. 10 minutes later our table was ready. I don't understand why they tell us our table is ready when we still have to wait over 35 more minutes. She wasn't apologetic and didn't give any explanation except, you just have to wait. We were sat at a different table too and additional parties of the same size were sat who came up after us so it wasn't just waiting on that table... Food was okay. 3 stars. First bite of sweet and spicy was good but each bite after, the sugar just got more and more overwhelming. Like a pizza on a donut almost. Servers were great. 5 stars. Ambience is loud but great views from upstairs.

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Truly Pizza - Takeout Window

Takeout Window

Truly Pizza - Sweet and Spicy

Sweet and Spicy

Truly Pizza - Smoky Vodka (subbed out pepperoni with meatball!)

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Smoky Vodka (subbed out pepperoni with meatball!)

Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Kitchen

4.2(1.5k reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$$

I've been here many times and I love everything on their menu. I would recommend making a…read morereservation especially on the busy weekends. Restaurant is nice with some booth seating in the back and even some outdoor seating. Parking itself-there's a small lot next to it but it's almost always full so you can do some street parking in the surrounding neighborhoods. When I last came here, we ordered the red pepper hummus to share and I ordered the French dip! It was excellent as per usual and the service was good. One critique I would have though is that one of the people in my party was a vegetarian and had ordered a veggie burger. The people bringing out the food accidentally swapped the plates of someone else in the party who had ordered a chicken blt when placing the dishes in front of each person. Unfortunately the vegetarian did take a bite of the chicken blt before realizing it was not the veggie burger and spit it out. It is what it is and was an honest mistake. But, maybe confirming the dishes before placing it in front of the person would be good. First time it's happened but we hope it doesn't happen again because we love this place!

To start off, parking is an absolute nightmare. Aim to get there earlier and don't be surprised if…read moreyou have to take use the side streets for parking in the neighborhoods. As for the food, it was pretty good. We got the Salmon, Rotisserie Chicken and Baby Back Ribs. The baby back ribs was definitely the best bang for your buck thing on the menu and they were delicious. The Salmon was ok and the chicken was a little dry. The fries and Cole slaw were very good and our dessert was also very rich. The service was solid and it felt like a place to dress a little nicer but no pressure to wear a suit or anything.

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Coastal Kitchen
Coastal Kitchen
Coastal Kitchen

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Craft House - Started out looking promising

Craft House

3.9(911 reviews)
0.5 mi
•$$$

Great Saturday evening dinner. The front staff are very friendly, great upfront team…read more Started off with the Meatballs, this was not a very good dish. They were hard and dry on the outside...not moist...must have been heated up poorly. The Farmers Market Salad was great...fresh peaches and burrata cheese...so good! The Wedge Salad is exceptional, as well. Not pictured. The Crispy Rice Sushi was very, very good. Spicy and the Wasabi was just the right mix. The Steak Frits was prepared perfectly at Medium Rare with the chimmi-churi green sauce complimented the steak perfectly. Although getting fries with your steak dinner seems more of a lunch side and not a dinner side. However, the fries were seasoned and tasted good. We didn't order drinks...we were more hungry and wanted to save room for the Butter Cake dessert! Incredible...this is a must have. I highly recommend this place. You'll have a very good time...food, et all.

Came for brunch after paddle boarding with my husband and MIL. Made a reservation through Open…read moreTable just in case they were packed. Got a table outdoor, the weather was beautiful. The only downside was it was a bit loud when cars passed by. Restaurant is beautiful, love the vibe. Our server Sean C. was very pleasant and attentive. I had the avocado tartine with tots on the side, everything was fresh and tasty. Hubbs had the smash burger which he devoured quickly. For drinks i only got a decaf, wish they had matcha - it would've been a perfect meal for me.

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Craft House - Inside

Inside

Craft House
Craft House - Patio seating

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Patio seating

Gelson's Dana Point Wine Bar - Award-winning Gelson's Wine. Made in California.

Gelson's Dana Point Wine Bar

4.2(12 reviews)
1.9 mi

Lovely wine bar located right when you walk into the store in Dana Point…read more Very nice wine menu and food menu. You can also bring food from the to go section into the wine bar, it's Lovely , easy and a very nice treat to be at this wine bar!

I began frequenting this wine bar almost a year ago. Thought it was a great idea by the management…read moreto have such a thing inside some of their high-end markets. As someone who know his way around wine bars, I think they have a nice,though somewhat limited, selection of wines, but their pricing is totally fair, and Tony, who is a practicing Sommelier, is quite knowledgeable as well as a welcoming and jovial "host". Having read a few of the negative reviews, I note that it is the Food Service they offer which gets almost all the criticism. I like just about everything I've ordered there (they have a good selection of appetizers, 'shared plates', salads, burgers, sandwiches) but depending upon who is in the kitchen, I have witnessed overly-lengthy waits for simple orders, both from my orders and from other customers. That said, it is positively one of THE best burgers around, especially at $15 INCLUDING a side. They also have a very competent sushi chef in-house who makes great stuff. Please note this location is closed Mon & Tue; the Irvine location is 7 days. And it does close promptly at 8pm. All in all, I think it's a hidden "gem", and Tony runs a first-class operation.

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Gelson's Dana Point Wine Bar - Gelson's Dana Point's 
Upgraded Wine Bar

Gelson's Dana Point's Upgraded Wine Bar

Gelson's Dana Point Wine Bar
Gelson's Dana Point Wine Bar

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Whitestone Restaurant & Bar - Octopus appetizer

Whitestone Restaurant & Bar

4.2(369 reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$$

I wanted to like this place more, I really did, it was good but not great. We made a…read morereservation-which we obviously didn't need at the time-and were greeted and immediately taken to our table of choice, especially since almost every table was available at our early time around 5 pm. Quite a few regulars hanging around the bar, this looks like a Dana Point watering spot for many elderly locals. But the ambience was pretty quiet for a Friday night, not exactly reassuring. We started with the blackened baba ganoush, which I no longer see on the web menu, and it was the best dish of all. Truly delicious, with some nice breads and harissa, the combination was a delight to soak up with the bread provided. I had a blue crab and avocado salad, well done and tasty. Scallops were also well prepared, short rib was good but not spectacular, and the jumbo shrimp cocktail-well, it was a shrimp cocktail-hard to screw that up, but nothing remarkable either. The let-down here was definitely the dessert, which is really hard to mess up. The flourless chocolate cake tasted like a vegan cake made with aquafaba or some other not good flour substitute. Dense to the point of almost being chewy-why not go with a molten chocolate cake instead? Chef needs a new recipe for this one. Glad we did not order anything else because if it was on this level, it would have been double my disappointment. A few of the cocktails were good with a strong pour. For these kind of prices and food, there are better options out there. This is not a bad place, but not one I'd put on my bucket list.

I wondered why this place was empty. On paper it looks great, but in reality it's more of a tourist…read moretrap than a local favorite. How could it improve? 1. Expand the menu. We came for the photos on Yelp. None of which are on the menu anymore. Guessing some consultant told them to cut costs by streamlining the choices. Bad advice. 2. Increase portion size. I know this isn't Cracker Barrel but the portions were cartoonishly small. Another bad suggestion by that P/E minded consultant. 3. Hire another server or two. Our server was nice, but we barely saw him. Given the prices and white table ambience, the service was unacceptable. Won't be back and don't recommend. Dana Point has too many better options.

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Whitestone Restaurant & Bar - Wall decor

Wall decor

Whitestone Restaurant & Bar
Whitestone Restaurant & Bar - WHISKEY, PASSION FRUIT, AJI AMARILLO,
 HONEY, MINT

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WHISKEY, PASSION FRUIT, AJI AMARILLO, HONEY, MINT

Wine Experience Dana Point - cheese - Updated May 2026

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