So I finally decided to give this winery a try. I was very pleased. If you're a red wine lover come here. I was greeted by a lady name Karen and she helped me right away. Tasting is $12 for 4 wine not bad. Karen was very informative on all the different wines and gave me a little background/history in the establishment. We had great conversation about wine and life. Just made me felt so comfortable. Definitely coming back here. read more

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Meredith IS the BOMB! Stop by and you'll see why. Petit Syrah Explosion. If you've been... you know. ;) read more

Building 43 Winery - Closed Mondays? So sad... but I'll be back soon! - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

Tasting wines here was fun (walk-in, no appointment needed, $10) to end a day in Alameda before taking the ferry to SF. Their wines were decent, with my favorite being their blend and a 2012 Cab, even the merlot was nice. The place is a small warehouse but the setup is cool vibe, almost like a living room lounge with a wine bar installed. One of the partner was very nice (the other was outside working) and made us feel welcomed and gave us a good history of the winery. If you're a wine snob they will still educate you on the finer points of wines. It is at least a four star winery, and they have karaoke night here once a month made it max stars. Note I've lived in the bay area for over 30 years as well and have been to all the wine regions and thought this was good, even more so since it's suburbia. So there. Milestone: made it in the May 18, 2016 Yelp Weekly! read more

Love the set up in "spirit's alley" in Alameda! We came here with friends in a Friday night. To our disappointment, all of the other local business (st. George's spirits, Faction brewing, etc) close at 8 pm or earlier. However, Building 43 was a great place to relax and spend the night. Huge comfy chairs, blankets for the wives, and solid wine. It had a very natural feel. The owner was personable, writing out names down to remember. You can tell he enjoys actually getting to know his customers. Downside was that it was a little eerily quiet outside as literally nothing else is around that's open. read more

Building 43 Winery - Patriotic feel in the "building!" - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

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Stopped by this place while touring Monarch Street's Alcohol Alley. I don't stop by wineries very often but this place is has me doing a rethink on that. I walked in, was welcomed warmly even tho at the time I was the only male there, got a flight of their offerings and had a great time talking to the ladies there as well as the owner. All their wines were top notch and you could tell great effort has gone into their manufacture. The tasting room is simple yet tasteful and it could be really easy to head over there after work and spend time drinking and decompressing. I think this is a very good addition to Monarch and recommend stopping in and checking out what's there. read more

This is such an inviting and casual winery. They have a more private room "grandma's living room" with an adjacent small game room. The small private room is perfect for a small group and they allow you to bring your own food in. They also have an outside area with a fire pit. You can get a glass for $12 or tasting for $12, I would suggest the tasting. If you plan on staying a while you should bring your own food, they only offer chips & cookies for purchase. Although this is a really fun place, I found their wines to be just Ok in taste. Also, their wines start at $40. A bit pricey for my palette. It's definitely worth checking out if you are in the area (it's across the street from Rock Wall Wine Company). No kids allowed but doggies are welcome. read more

A very relaxed and comfortable space. Its smaller than their neighboring winery/distillery/brewery on the block, but my favorite. The owners are lovely people, make an effort to learn your name and treat you like family. A great place to come and try wine without worry or stress of not being a sommelier. read more

Building 43 Winery - The red head bombshell - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

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We had a group of 10-12 and had sooo much fun here! We closed the place out and the owner was not at all rushing us. It was her birthday and she was happy we were there enjoying ourselves. There was plenty of seating and nice pours. Highly recommend for events and date night out. read more

Building 43 Winery - Owner love - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

Advice to management: Don't tell a party they're violating covid protocol when you yourself weren't wearing proper PPE (bandana for a mask). Don't tell a group of 4 mothers that people are looking at their kids with 'DISGUST' & that they're the reason you're 'LOSING MONEY'. If you don't want people under 21 at your establishment then have proper signage. And it would probably be wise not to be located around the corner from where CHILDREN have soccer practice, across the street from an event that is FAMILY friendly & surrounded by 6 food trucks. Don't call out a party for purchasing a 'LIMITED AMOUNT' of wine when a group of 4 women were splitting a whole bottle while other groups of 2-10 only had 1 or 2 glasses total. Don't say janky metal tables & chairs, a triangle shade cover that's across the street from a warehouse & parking lot is a 'FABULOUS ENVIRONMENT'. Thanks Todd for the worst service! Your offer to comp us doesn't excuse your rude behavior. I'm not sure if you're rude, racist or both but you really need to take lessons in customer service. The Rose tastes sour & I would recommend going to Faction across the street instead. read more

Their wines are very fruit-forward and overall quite enjoyable. Loved the decor to match the history. Always very pleased to My tiniest gripe is the price point, which is unfortunate because it makes sense with the scale and quality they are operating at. I certainly can't get myself to order cases of their wine for regular consumption, as nice as that would be. read more

One of my favorite spots. Great people, wine and space. Voted one of the top ten best wine tasting rooms in the country 2017 by US Today too! https://www.google.com/amp/www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-tasting-room-2017/amp/ read more

You can't bring your hyenas (aka kids) to this winery...and I like it that way! :) I attended the Prince theme night party this past Saturday and have to say it was absolutely off the hook with over 100 attendees! It was someone's birthday party / charity event that was made open to the public so I was down. The DJ was amazing, I made new friends with an eclectic group of people which is awesome, and their wines..AMAZING! Their Sangiovese is my fave. As many have already mentioned - this place is a hidden gem. I'm also a member at Rock Wall across the street since 2011; however, it's getting to become too pretentious, very crowded, and that dome...now I understand how life on Mars is run by a martian slumlord filled with the loudest, drunkest wine-o's I know. Anywho...give Building 43 Winery a shot. It's Veteran, woman-owned business that always has a plush lounger to kick back / relax on. BTW, there's giant Jenga to psych yourself up for the next "big one" and Marine vs. Navy corn-hole to challenge your friends or spouse to outside. #LoveOurIsland I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND BUILDING 43 WINERY TO MY FRIENDS & FAMILY! read more

Love this place! I've DJed in this venue and tasted the wine and it's always amazing! They have Kareoke nights and awesome live bands. Perfect combo with wine.. Good times here. read more

Building 43 Winery - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

Super cute spot amongst a bunch of other wineries. Enjoyed the sampling which was reasonably priced. Wines on the drier side but flavorful

Dogs allowed. Kids are not. My kind of place. Fun, personalized service, great wine, lovely outdoor space. I much prefer this smaller winery to the vast impersonal-ness of Rock Wall across the street. A (mostly) hidden gem. read more

This Winery is located in an area of Alameda called Spirits Alley. It is one of two current wineries in this location. This one from our experience is smaller than Rockwall and a much better experience. They have limited operating hours, being open Friday 3:00 to 10:00, Saturday 1:00 - 7:00 and Sunday 1:00 to 6:00. They are pet-friendly but no children are allowed in the winery. On our visit, there was live music and a visit by the Pause Bus, which is a new business that helps you meditate. The wines available were: 2015 Viognier 2013 House Blend 2012 Syrah 2014 Bomber Red # 3 2014 Petit Sirah There were many places to sit indoors as well as a patio out front. The grapes are from the Sierra Foothills. Tastes were generous pours. Our favorites were Bomber Red and Petit Sirah. Great People watching and the wines were tasty as well. read more

I had an amazing time! I got the chance to see "mini Mark Anthony." He did a great job. His performance brought the spirit of Mark Anthony in a smaller package. I was blown away. The one thing I'll say is that the lead band member was a complete prick. I learned that he initially refused to allow the boy to perform a second time. The parents asked because half of his family missed the first performance because of traffic. I thought his reluctance to let him perform really showed the shallowness of his ego. When the boy performed, the crowd was huge. The rest of the time the band performed, they had a fraction of the people engaged in the music. Their attitude was ridiculous! If I wasnt aware of what was going on, I would have given 5 stars. I love the Winery 43. I just hope they dont bring those clowns of a band back. read more

Tried this place as an alternative to the regular Rockwall/almanac/faction hangouts. Ok vibe, just wasn't a huge fan of their wines. Viognier was the best, but the reds were not my cup of tea. All bottles were $45. read more

Took a stroll through the Alameda wineries early on a Friday afternoon and ended at this place. We were the only ones in the place, but it gave us the chance to chat up the owners during an extended tasting. They clearly know their stuff, but are unpretentious about it. We bought a bottle home to enjoy later, but look forward to go back for another trip when the action is happening. read more

I love seeing additions to Spirits Alley! We are members at Rockwall, frequent Faction, and do an occasional tasting at St. George when we're feeling adventurous so another winery is a great addition to the mix. I've been here twice now for tastings. The vibe is less hectic than Rockwall since there weren't kids running around. There is plenty of comfy seating where the pours will come to you, or you can sit at the bar where you get a bit more attention and education. Each time we went there was a good spread of whites, reds, and a crazy delicious dessert wine, so it satiated the diverse pallets in our group. After your tasting, have a glass of your favorite wine, chat with the staff, and relax in this funky cool atmosphere! read more

Cute spot tucked in away in Alameda's prohibition district (as I like to call it). Driving down the road, you could easily pass this heading to grab a beer at Faction or going over to Rock Wall but you should really stop by and check it out. On my drizzly Saturday, there was a taco truck in front and several people hanging out, enjoying the warmth provided by a good bottle of wine. My friends and I were out celebrating Sammie's birthday so there were quite a few of us. The staff kindly let us all sit in a small room to the right of the entrance. there's a foosball table, a couch, wood paneling, and a solid 80s/90s vibe. We sat around and enjoyed a bottle of red, Riesling, and a bottle of white. I only had a bit of the red since I'm eating clean but it was smooth and just right for the occasion. I look forward to coming back and enjoying a wider selection once I'm breaking the diet more. :) read more

Went to a private event over the weekend--- the Petit Siren was uncharacteristically jammy, more like a Zin, the Viognier had some notes of apricot and herbs. Atmosphere was DIYish. I was outrageously surprised when I went to their website to see they were voted by US Today as one of the top tasting rooms in the country (there's sometimes no accounting for taste). I say that because as a professional who has traveled the world, eaten at Michelin starred restaurants, attended guided Premier Grand Cru tastings, tasted from the barrel at numerous wineries in wine country, I am an oenophile. I also find myself in casual, high-end and everything in between foodie settings in the Bay area. I know and appreciate good wine regardless of the setting. But when I pony up to the tasting bar an hour into an event and Meredith who was staffing the event asks me " are you here for the event?" And then gets defensive when I respond "there are tons of signs saying closed for a private event, what do you think!" She has given me the message "you are not welcome here" That might not have been her intention but the impact was unwelcoming and dismissive. So I ask myself, no, tell myself, pretty sure she didn't ask any of the various white folks that question. So here's my challenge to this tasting room--- check your implicit and unconscious bias. For other POC, allies and woke folks who want an interesting wine experience in Alameda, frequent other tasting rooms along Monarch Ave! In this day, in these times life is too short to deal with folks who don't understand how ugly, unpleasant and disconcerting unconscious racism is. Ugh! read more

Owner extremely rude. Red wine tasted like vinegar. When I said something to the owner,politely, he made very rude comments. you must be from out of town. You don't know ur wines. Instead of apologizing n opening a new bottle. I've worked for a international high end Steak House for 15 years with a wine list that has over 1000 wines. I do know my wines n I do know bad customer service. I would NEVER go there again! read more

This was SUCH a great find! We came here after having a bad experience at Rockwall. They just want you to enjoy the wine and enjoy yourself. 43 welcomes EVERYONE, no "rules or regulations" about "congregating." Being a large group of mostly people of color, this was refreshing compared to our experience at Rockwall. We will definitely be back. The wine is GREAT! read more

Late post here but we hosted a birthday party here in April for our parents 60th birthday party. It couldn't have turned out any better. Meredith and all her employees were awesome. They were all super laid back and easy to work with. Not to mention all the guests raved about the wine. My mom is not a big drinker but even wanted to go back later to buy a case. The space is really cool and industrial looking and they have a roll up door to the warehouse which looks out over a cool patio with string lights and view of the SF bay bridge. I would recommend this place for anyone to have a party or just visit to hang out and drink some good wine. read more

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Decent location. Good open area and not too crowded. I wanted to check out the Reggae next door and grab some Jamaican cuisine. I spotted this place as I munched on my food. I love wine and I am enthusiast so I stopped in. I had a glass of the rose Grenache which was decent. They had salsa music playing inside and reggae outside next door. I was well on my way to settling in when I got an unexpected surprise. Now first let me tell you. I am not against animals in establishments if they are service dogs or well behaved. I wrote that to say, someone in the establishment with a black untrained lab allowed him off leash and I was sitting in one of the lower chairs and the dog literally jumped into the chair with me. This dog was not small at all. This is unacceptable from a liability standpoint. 1. You don't know how the non dog owner will feel. 2. The dog could have had a bad vibe and bit the patron. 3. Allergies...you get my drift. The dog owner made no attempt to recall his dog and gave me a smug sorry but not sorry apology. I was going to get settled and have at least two more glasses but once that happened I was out of there. As a professional establishment you have to be on top of things like that or face the possibility of a law suit one day. Not everyone enjoys dogs especially untrained ones. There was a family in there with their dog it was trained and you could tell. The same guy's dog began snapping and barking at the well trained pup. I'm not sure if I will be back. I think the guy was an owner or something of that nature. So this could very well happen again. read more

Another hidden gem! I really like Building 43. We accidentally stumbled on Building 43 in January after going to Rock Wall and it was amazing. Meredith is so warm and awesome. At first I thought the wines were a little pricy, but there is a certain price paid for serenity. I appreciate that Bldg 43 is a kid free zone. But the wines are are also really tasty. My most recent trip to Bldg 43 was for my birthday last week and it was great being able to just sit, chill and enjoy good wine. Because Meredith is so awesome, we got some inside scoop on some upcoming events and new releases (so ready for the Merlot). I was a little hesitant about doing a review for Bldg 43 because I don't want everyone to know how awesome it is. The word's gonna get out though, so I guess I should just prepare myself. We love you Building 43. read more

Wow. bad bad bad. Wines and people there in Alameda don't know what they are drinking or tasting, I can not recommend any of the 43 wines presented after living in the bay area for over 30 years. My experience like all of you tasting wines in and around Napa, Sonoma, Monterey areas, I could not be more disappointed being the wine industry. After presenting my restaurant and wine industry business card, the wine presenter said that Meredith the owner wanted to charged me the $10 pp wine tasting charge. It was NOT the money ($20.00) but the fact that I presented my card in a professional manner as Meredith must be desperate for the $10...I could not be more disappointed being a local industry exec and that I drove all the way to Alameda from SF to check out the wineries locally. Not as the norm to blast Building 43 but you have a choice to taste wine, have the best experience and want the best Wine and value for the money you can get. This review says it all and not sure if you will have the same feelings but we won't be back. Sorry.....Nice try but bad finish to what could have been an average wine experience. I guess they won out on that!!!! read more

This is a great small winery and a nice addition to Spirit Alley. My wife and I have been several times and really enjoyed ourselves. We had a chance to talk to one of the co-owners, Meredith Coghlan, while we were there and she treated us very well. It's always fun to hear the founding stories for wineries. I hope we have a chance to meet Tod the winemaker at some point. They are producing some very good wines. I'm no wine expert, I drink what I like and I liked everything I tried. My wife helps out at another local winery in the area and she had good things to say so I'll take her word for it as a more experienced wine taster. The sitting area is a great place to relax. Nice chairs and couches with blankets since it can get cold there. Bring some friends, buy a bottle of wine to share, and just kickback. I think it's great that children are not allowed, even though several yelp reviewers are in a bit of a snit because they were turned away. I go to wineries to enjoy wine so having kids running around under foot is not a plus for me. Also it's hard to make a working winery childproof unless you have a tasting room that is completely isolated from the operation. If you have to bring the children along to watch you drink then there is always the winery across the street. They charge for a tasting but that's how you keep the doors open in a small operation unless you like losing money. You get the tasting fee back if you make a minimum purchase. read more

Building 43 Winery - Ordinance pin embedded in the floor at the winery entrance. When this was an operational Navy base the building held ordinance. - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

Had a great time at a tasting there this weekend. It was fun talking

Came here on a Saturday after hitting Rock Wall. This place is AWESOME. Skip the other and come here :) The staff is attentive, friendly and fun to talk to. The wines are delicious, you can drink bottles you purchase right there (can't do that at the other place!), there aren't kids running rampant, you can buy snacks (they provide cutting boards/plates/knives) and you can sit and chill for hours! This place is a great find. They are only open on weekends but it's a cool spot for a date or an afternoon with a group of friends. The owner said they are opening their patio and getting a fire pit soon..Looking forward to that! read more

Disclaimer: this review is coming from someone who has tasted many wines from many regions, which doesn't qualify me as a wine expert but maybe someone else will appreciate what I'm about to say in terms of deciding to visit here. After reading these reviews my friend and I were excited to come check it out. Ambiance, quaint but clean, cute areas to sit, a few average snacks like chips and cookies for sale just in case, and pretty cool decor to sit surrounded by barrels. Meredith was there and was friendly. A touch of attitude but nothing personal or unusual considering we were were not getting pours from a sommelier in a five star establishment. Just a bit of edge from a woman holding down the fort on her own. Overall I'm saying first impression was decent and welcoming. Now to the wine. My friend (also a wine appreciator) was also anticipating the tastings having stumbled into what appeared a cute establishment. Let's just fast forward past service, wine presentation, and pours... we both poured every single taste into the bucket, which says A LOT. We were actually kind of shocked by the third wine in... like " really? They all suck?" The first was the worse, a extremely dry Viognier... dry wasn't the issue it tasted like straight up alcohol with nil flavor. The next was a blend, same issue, a strong alcohol present above actual flavor and weak body. Did these wines need to breath? We waited, swirled, tried again... nope!! It's just their wine! I could go down the list but needless to say we didn't purchase any wine from there although our service was ok. I won't try to promote another business over another but as you know there is an establishment across the street from where we happily tasted from afterwards and brought home a nice collection. It was night and day between them both. There is a reason why one is more popular and people are entitled to there preferences and palates... But wine will speak for itself no matter how nice the customer service or setting is. Wine should never ever taste like hard alcohol. That is not god wine folks! Happy and safe drinking out there! read more

Great friendly people, customers "wanted" attitude.... And you don't have kids crawling all over you like Rock Wall Winery...best part...you can consume the bottle you bought at their lovely tables, and there is no problem with the snacks you lugged in for yourself. (note: Rock Wall=no outside food (that sets you back $50 to $75) and you can't consume your bottle of wine that you bought---got to use "by the glass" system....)...don't miss Building 43 for a more consumer friendly and ADULT experience. ....Truly excellent Chard and plan to be back to test the other varieties of wine read more

This was our first visits and have to tell you the wines are amazing . Better then Rock Wall who is across the street. Meredith, the owner, is amazing. Great vibe. You have to check them out Friday-Sunday read more

Building 43 Winery - Wineries Near Me - Alameda, California

Great wine! Great owners! Great tasting room! A wonderful, dog friendly place to relax and unwind. I have been here a few times and really enjoy the flavors of the wine and the space that has been created to enjoy the wine in! If you prefer a more personalized, boutique feel in a tasting room with well made thoughtful wines then this is your place in Alameda! read more

We had a private event at Building 43 to celebrate my 50th birthday and it was great! Meredith was so helpful and kind. She worked with us and our caterer to ensure a fun time for all. The wines were great and the space was perfect for our party. Everyone had a great time and commented on how much they liked the wines. Smooth, complex, and lots of character. My favorite is the Bomber Red #3. Husband loves their merlot. read more

Rockwall is where the food is. Building 43 is where the wine is! They grow the vast vast majority of their grapes. My favorites were the bomber Red Blend no3 and their Petite Sirah! Great crescendo tasting for $12. Great people Dog friendly Order your own food in Over and out. read more

Muy rico el vino y la musica de salsa! Good white wine, plenty of parking, the night view of the City was amazing and the Salsa music...pa'lante! read more

First, David T's 10/7/15 review states Building 43 does not waive the tasting fee if you purchase a bottle. That may have been true then, however now they DO waive the fee. I thoroughly enjoyed the wine & my experience here, including a couple of decent tacos from the truck out front. Not La Cumbre on Valencia in SF, but not bad. Great wine! Smooth & full of flavor. There is a 1 star review in which the obviously unhappy, chagrined reviewer wrote he can't recommend any of the 43 wines! After reading his review that seems more about his not being compt than the wine itself I'm wondering if he tasted any or if he did, all 43? LOL Anyway, excellent hosts, very good wine. And yes, Rock Wall & Rosenblum are pretty good as well! Have I had Heitz, Camus, etc? Yes, some very expensive, more famous American & French pours, however the local vins are quite good! read more

It's off the beaten trail but on a clear sunny day you can get amazing views of the city. It may be worth it to go just for that. I went with my husband and some friends during a rainy day but they gave warm blankets and comfy chairs. We tried the Petite Sirah and the Viognier which were both pretty good but not some of my favorites. The prices are about moderate-above average. It's a good place to hang with friends and the owner is chatty and friendly. I'd go back to try more wines. read more