I love coming here and having a tasting. I love getting an affordable bottle of white wine. Angela is the best! Very informative during a tasting. She also suggested a bottle of wine that was perfect for a date night. Everyone should have an Angela working at their wine store! read more

Hats off to Farmstead for carrying Rebel vegan cheeses! I love Rebel (see my review for this awesome company), but shipping costs if you order directly from them are steep, so it's great to come across a local store that carries their products. We got the brie, truffle brie, and smoked cheddar. 100% plant-based, clean ingredients, 'cheese' I actually feel good about eating. And the flavors are amazing. These won't last long in our household, so we'll be back soon for more. Farmstead is also a wine shop that carries an assortment of unique wines you're unlikely to find in big-box stores. We might get a bottle next time to pair with our Rebel! Thanks, Farmstead! read more

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines - This place carries Rebel cheese! - Cheese Shops Near Me - Alameda, California

This is my go-to store for wines! Their selection is awesome, and the prices are very reasonable. Hats off to Danny, whose wine recommendations never disappoint! read more

Been finding fun cheeses, cured meats, nuts, sweets here for ages - solid all around. Talk to the cheese folk to get recommendations and I love that you can portion out your purchases and try a little bit of everything. New find: challerhocker!!! It's a dream. Found it from their odds and ends section, nice way to 'try before you buy' read more

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Ask for Angela! She is a gem! She was quite knowledgeable about the wine and was able to give me some background information. Her style was warm and inviting. She also informed me of the tastings coming up over the weekend which I look forward to telling my friends about, as well as attending myself! read more

This is a great little wine and cheese shop in the Alameda Market Place. A lot of times I would walk right by it leaving the grocery store. But then the cheese's stated calling my nane as I walked by. First it started as a whisper and I would casually glance their way (the cheeses). Then the whisper got louder and louder and I was in the store, I'm hooked. A side note, ya'll know cheese hits the same receptors in the brain as opiates, you know like heroin. They have an excellent selection of cheese from brie, chedders, asiago, and more. We are taking cow, goat, and sheep cheeses. All the brands you love like Cowgirl, Point Reyes, Firefly and many many more. Oh and for you vegan/vegitarian types they also carry Rebel Cheese. This stuff is worth a try and one of the few places in the bay area where you can find it. This place has one of the finest cheese selections in Alameda for sure and maybe most of the bay area. On to the wine. Great selection of wine, mostly not from California. But, that's ok we need to expand our taste buds from the grips of Napa/Sonoma and recently Paso Robles area. We have a lot of wine but once in a while instead of breaking into cellar I'll grab something from the extensive selection here and have not been very pleased at a great price point. Overall a great place hiding in the shadows and completly overlooked by the quick, easy, and homaginized crowd. read more

I attended a very fun wine tasting at Farmstead Cheeses & Wines in Oakland at their Montclair Village location. It's a great shop and the owner is extremely knowledgeable. Cheers! read more

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines - Cheese Shops Near Me - Alameda, California

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Conveniently located inside of the marketplace, you can pick up groceries and meats just around the corner and then stop by here. Plenty of parking options. I stopped by to look at some cheeses last night when I noticed some snacks on a table. Dane let me know that they were hosting a wine tasting -- and it was $10 for 5 pours and some food pairings. It was a few minutes before they were closing, but they were very accommodating. Turns out it was Dane's first wine tasting that he planned -- and he did a very good job. Since it's the weekend of Super Bowl, he had snacks that are typically had during the game and it was unexpected and delicious. He was very knowledgeable and I ended up getting one of the wines, some Marcona almonds, Calvestrano olives and a mustard seed Gouda. I'll be back here for the tastings for sure-- it was fun and affordable. read more

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Stopped by with my 7 year old and was in and out in less than 10 min to pick up 3 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of sake with Danny's help. He's the best. Just told him what I was looking for and he was able to pick out exactly what I needed. Thanks Danny. See you soon. read more

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines - Danny is the best in the biz - Cheese Shops Near Me - Alameda, California

Great place to buy excellent cheeses and wine! They have a huge variety and are always able to offer genuine opinions and great advice. I especially love the goat gouda truffle cheese they sell! This place is a must visit when in Alameda. read more

I come here to pick up gifts and the recommendations are so good. I got a bottle for our company founder and it was spot on. It turned out the the Italian wine was from his favorite region in Italy. Thank you Farmstead! See you again soon! read more

I happened to be in Alameda a few days ago, as my son needed to be picked up from school. We had a little time to kill, so we decided to stop into the Alameda Marketplace on Park Street. He was interested in malted milk balls and I figured on a scone for my next breakfast. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but Farmstead Cheeses and Wines (and 8 tiny reindeer?)! And at the counter, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be Jeff the Cheesemonger! As my friend Lisa say, Jeff knows his wines. I left with a very nice Touraine Cabernet Franc within my $10 - $15 price point. I would have lingered longer to look and chat with Jeff more, by my son had decided on his candy selection and was in a hurry to pay for it and go. Coincidentally when I was in Chicagoland last month, I had a conversation with my friend's cousin who wanted a recommendation for a really good Kosher wine. Man O Manischewitz! I emailed Lisa, who recommended Covenant, which indeed is one of the wines that Farmstead sells. Farmstead also has a store in Montclair which is a very handsome space and perhaps has a bit larger selection (including refrigerated). This store has lots to offer too and fits in more architecturally with the surrounding shops in the Alameda Marketplace. Both stores are worth a look and a return visit. One of these days I'll even buy some cheese. read more

Got an invite for some foodage @ Susan C.'s Casa, and since I've been shopping manically for the Black and White Ball, had no time to cook. Fortunately, Mr. DP was in the hizzouse and as usual, going to treat us to a multi-course meal. My humble contribution to this get together was dessert... So naturally I hit Farmstead for a some triple creme brie to complement the organic apricots. I spied several tubs of what I *thought* were cocoa dusted hazelnuts, but was informed that they were in fact "chocolate covered CORN NUTS". The proffered sample was not turned away and the first thing that burst out of my mouth was, "Oh, my gawd!" The perfectly unexpected accompaniment to your next get together is chocolaty, light and crisp and salty. Sure: they haven't managed to work bacon into the mix yet, but it's totally forgivable and Kim D. approved. BELIEVE. read more

What a cute little wine shop! Great selection, clean, and Angela and Danny were extremely welcoming and provided a 5-star experience. We had a prosecco tasting which was fun! Will be back! read more

I was just informed by the owner: "Our policy is simple - cork it and bring back any flawed wine; we'll replace it with a bottle and a smile." How do you beat that?? read more

I love this store! I go in there all the time and everyone who works there is so incredibly friendly. The blonde woman, gave me a wonderful suggestion on wine that has now become my absolute favorite to drink with bri cheese. Big shout out to Danny as well who suggested a DELICIOUS sheeps milk cheese for me and opened my eyes to a new truffle cheese I really liked! I always love speaking with everyone in there. Well worth stopping in. Thank you guys for everything! read more

Champagne and cheese for dinner? Sure why not?? With the weather being as nice at is, my wife and I have decided to take full advantage and share a cheese course for dinner. We have a bottle of Billecart Salmon Brute Rose and were in need of three quality cheeses that would pair with our bubbles. Thanks to Philip A and Charlotte S, they both recommended that we check out Farmstead Cheeses and Wine. I really wanted to try someplace that not only carried nice cheese but were also knowledgeable and could guide us into the perfect pairing. I did not get the persons name, but he certainly did an excellent job at describing each cheese and how they would be excellent options for us. We ended up choosing a Brillat Savarin, Bucheron and Fleur Verte. All of these were soft cheeses and according to our cheese expert would not over power our Champagne. I was also impressed by the small yet well thought out wine selections they carried. This would make for an excellent stop along the way for a dinner party or to pick up a special bottle for a gift. They even include plenty of bottles in the $15 and under range if you are looking for that "everyday" drinker. One the way out I made sure to sign up for the newsletter and email updates. Go Cheese! read more

Went to Farmstead Cheeses & Wine - had no coupon, but I love cheese. Wine I can do without. It's in the Alameda Marketplace same place as Feel Good Bakery & Alameda Natural Grocery. I asked for recommendation on cheese with my Feel Good Bakery bread. He let me try: Quebec Cheddar $18/lb - I liked it. Brillat Savarin $25/lb - very creamy, like butter. Yummy. Things I got: Quebec Cheddar 0.29 lb - $5.22 - I liked it. Brillat Savarin 0.19lb - $4.75 - very creamy, like butter. Yummy. Chestnut honey from Italy $12.50 - Skip this unless you like bitter, stinky honey. Vosges Black Salt Caramel - this is NEW $8.50 - Yum! My total $30.97. Credit cards taken. I forgot to buy the 2 burrata I saw there. $3.50/ea - a small round ball. Low cost wine tasting every Saturday from 2:30-5. Haven't tried - saw on Yelp. Bathroom: outside their shop, down the hallway. Separate men/women's. Marketplace hrs: M-Sat 8-8 Sun 8-7 read more

I recently stopped into Farmstead Alameda to buy my workmates wine to celebrate the holidays, and was helped by Eagle - an absolutely WONDERFUL source of info and recommendations! I'd provided Eagle general flavor profiles my colleagues enjoy, and he offered several options per profile and fielded my many questions about the wines' origins, producers' backgrounds and winemaking philosophies, etc. Eagle's incredible knowledge and welcoming spirit made my Farmstead experience a FANTASTIC one! Thank you for being so gracious, Eagle! read more

I've never been disappointed by a wine, cheese, or snack recommendation from this wonderful shop. I've sourced all our new favorites from here with their recommendations. read more

Great selection of wine and cheese with exceptionally knowledgable staff who give great suggestions and have steered me into some great wine ..... Love the cheese selection as well. They have wine clubs you can join which will introduce you to some great varietals ... I joined the classic club which requires one to purchase two bottles a month (pre-selected) and give feedback to staff if you'd like but not necessary. Highly recommended ! read more

Stopped by here for the first time yesterday and I was blown away by the excellent customer service provided to us by Andy. We came in just to look since we were walking around the area, and ended up buying some cheese and wine. I love cheese, but my knowledge on the subject is elementary at best. Andy took the time to ask us what we were looking for, and made a few recommendations. After sampling two different items, we purchased a pound of cheese which definitely fit the flavor and texture profile we wanted. Andy also made some recommendations on wine, and made sure to be respectful of our budget. His knowledge of all the store offerings mixed with his enthusiasm resulted in a great experience for something that is usually a bit intimidating. read more

Cheese mongers unite!!! While on the smaller side, this shop packs a mighty punch!!! This is my go-to (and only) spot for Cowgirl Creamery cheeses and my beloved Brillat Savarin. And yes, you can get Cotswald at other stores, but they pale in comparison to the Cotswald at Farmstead. Great selection of very high-end, flavorful cheeses - I am able to put together quite a nice cheese platter with the available selection from this shop. HUGE THUMBS UP!!!!! read more

Farmstead Cheeses and Wines - Cheese board made with cheese purchased at Farmstead NOM!!! - Cheese Shops Near Me - Alameda, California

i went to the tasting at farmstead with some trepidation. jeff is a yelper and i knew i would write a review and i knew it would be honest. i was afraid that if it sucked, i'd have to say so and then there would be the possibility of tension and sniping in the threads. and i'd HATE to be the one who introduced the concept of tension and sniping in the threads. the tasting including 5 wines, a sparkler, another white and 3 reds. the guy pouring was knowledgeable and happy to chat a bit about wine, wine storage and the like. i found all of the employees to fit this description. after the tasting, jeff was nice enough to treat me to a cheese tasting. it was much like the wine tasting, with jeff explaining each cheese, the characteristics of each a bit about wine pairings. i'd never been to a shop where i could just point at any cheese and get a taste. it was a great experience. some of cheeses are pricey but like wine, sometimes expensive is more than worth it. jeff and his staff are very, very knowledgeable but don't talk down to you. it's a friendly place. they knew many of the customers by name. the marketplace where the shop is located is a gourmet wonderland as well. i made a couple of other purchases before i was able to get my wine and cheese back to the car. my afternoon trip to farmstead fell more into the 'entertainment' category than 'grocery'. damn you jeff and farmstead staff. i need more scathing reviews to get my 'funny' count up. you're not helping. read more

Cheese, chocolate and wine are easily three of my favorite things. Farmstead sells all three. I have never actually set foot in this store. Wait, what?? Well, I am still walking around in a happy daze after probably the most amazing Valentines Day I have ever had. The party involved in providing this memory knows I love cheese, chocolate and wine. So this wonderful man went to Farmstead and, with the help of a very knowledgeable staff member, picked out a fantastic selection of all three. Everything I had was absolutely delicious and unique and memorable. Farmstead has just secured one more loyal customer, which is saying a lot since this customer has declared her loyalty blindly. Sometimes you just know. read more

The Cheesemonger has impeccable taste - especially in employees. The woman who guided us in our search for delicious cheese fondue components was stunning: beauty, brains, the whole package. It is so very rare and wonderful to find retail employees who REALLY know their product and as a fine cheese newbie, I could not have been more grateful (is that a pun?) At the same time, there was never a moment I felt she was imposing her tastes on me - she listened to the relatively vague information I was able to give about what I like and then served up several options from which to choose. Interacting with this cheese goddess was easily the best part of a hectic "preparing for a dinner party for 12" day. The only thing I did not love, and this applies to the entire Alameda Marketplace, is the scarcity of posted pricing. Sure, I understand the whole "If you have to ask, you can't afford it" or maybe its more "Lets not sully this beautiful epicurian relationship with dirty dollars," but it would have been nice to have some idea of how much we were about to spend before the somewhat surprising announcement of our total at the register. Could I have asked the lovely cheese goddess about the price? Yep I certainly could have and that is my own problem: thus, no reduction in stars. Cheesmonger - ya done good! Count me among your fans. Update: The Cheesemonger informed me 1) that the Goddess' name is Molly (Thanks again, Molly!) and 2) that there are little signs with a description AND the price near each displayed cheese. Doh! Guess I missed that - probably because Molly so comptetently attended to us that I didn't have a chance to get too absorbed in the printed signs. Rock on, Cheesemonger (and Molly) read more

I am a cheese whore and sometimes I'm a drunk, so what better shop could I walk into than this place? One of the dishes I'm making for NYE is a baked mac n cheese and so it was that I came here to get my hands on some gruyere and white cheddar that would help me make a mighty fine tasting creation. I am horrible with names but I received some great help picking out the right cheese for my dish. I got an excellent cave aged gruyere and an irish cheddar that is perfectly creamy. I'm not one to work with recipes so I had no idea how much of these cheeses I needed, so the gentleman who assisted me asked for the opinion of another person working at the shop that was a chef. He asked me about how much I was going to make and suggested I use about half a pound of each cheese. Little did he know that in my head I was hoping that he would say I needed ten pounds of each. I settled for 1 pound of each cheese though and went on my way. Not only is this place great on it's own but it's location in the indoor marketplace is great. You have lots of other great items just a short walk away. They just need to get their hands on some gub'ment cheese for that 5th star, but if they did that I would be lining up before they open on the 1st and 15th. read more

Last Friday, I attended the orientation for a class I am taking online at the College of Alameda. On the way, I noticed the infamous Farmstead and decided to stop on my way off the island to see if they had a cheddar cheese I had tasted at The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma. I was also hoping for the chance to meet "The Cheesemonger". Sadly, I was told Jeff was on vacation and I was helped by a very nice and knowledgeable cheese guy named Paul. I couldn't remember the name of the cheese, just that it was from Modesto and had won some awards. Paul knew what I was talking about AND gave me a taste to confirm it was the cheese I was looking for. Since I was using it for a mac and cheese recipe, I just needed about 1/3 lb. and it was perfect. Someday, when a cheese need arrives for me again, I will be back here and hopefully will get to met Jeff. read more

At the urging of an innocent little thread mentioning wine and cheese tasting by the honorable Cheesemonger Jeff D. hisself, we made the trip to the exotic island of Alameda. Jeff, to no surprise, turned out to be the perfect tour guide. His expertise and intuition are perfectly attuned, like a profiler. You describe one or two things know you like, and he'll find you a dozen that you'll love - in any price range. I bet he kicks ass at twenty questions. For us, the two words were sheep and goat. I also love the moo-moo, but wifey can't stomach it. Within 10 min. of tasting and pleasant conversation, we came away with a variety including a delicious little number called 'Ewephoria' (how could we not?) A bag full of turophilic treats for under $30. Farmstead is a must-stop for our island-hops. read more

Maybe Jeff YOU should do your homework!!! I've been to your store over a dozen times and I'm on your cheese database (which you can remove me TYVM ). I've purchased over a dozen bottles from your store and your staff had very little to say in my decision. How can you or your staff make a recommendation when they haven't even tried the wine. That is always my first question when I shop for a wine. It would be nice if they can compare it to another similar wine that I may have tasted. To think I bought two bottles of Ridge from your store trying to help out the mom and pops shops when I could of saved $2 at Safeway. When I lived in Alameda I would get coffee on the weekend and try your "supposed" tastings. Not once did I find a wine drinkable. I gave up on my third tasting. Most of your tasting were very young wines, and again your staff couldn't even tell me what varietal or region without looking on the label. I would think you should put up some of your best wines to shine and not the one's that were collecting dust. I'm most unhappy with you Jeff. I came out to one of your tastings and you ran out after 30 minutes. You basically told me you only had two bottles and that's it. How do you have a tasting from 6pm-8pm with two bottles? I should be thankful you ran out you didn't try to peddle one of your "boutique" wines. I'm also curious if you'll hold up your end of the deal Jeff. Another Yelper said if we didn't like the wine you'll give them a refund. I'm giving you the one star for your arrogant comment to discredit me and your poor customer service. As for your cheese selection and your staff's knowledge, I'll give you guys three stars. Stick to cheese and let the professionals sell wine. Most respectable business owners would try to respond to criticism by contacting the customer. It's obvious you don't care. P.S. Have a nice day! read more

Yay for Jeff! He has created a fabulous business! It is hard work to have your own business and Jeff has plenty to be proud of. During my visit I noticed there were a lot of regulars, all were greeted by name. Yay for me! I finally got to meet Jeff! Being the non-drinker I am, I asked for some wines for a gift for some friends who love Italian food and another bottle for me to cook with. Jeff asked my price range and found two excellent choices for me. Jeff shared some stories about his wife cooking a dyno-mite brisket! Even though we are veg-heads I can always appreciate hearing about a great cook! Please stop on by Farmstead when you are in Alameda, or better yet make it a destination spot. It's located in the Marketplace which also is home to a fabulous natural foods market, wonderful bakery and several other nice shops! read more

The jewel in the crown of Alameda Marketplace. Stopped in on my latest trip home for some wine and a snack to share with my hosts before dinner. Jeff recommended a lovely German Riesling and a rich and creamy La Tur cheese to go along with it. Just tell them your budget and preferences, and let them choose something wonderful. A lovely little shop, I'll definitley be back whenever I'm in town. (You know it's good if it'll get ME to set foot in Ala-fuckin-meda again)! read more

This review is loooong overdue. A couple of months ago my fiance and I decided we want to choose our cheese selection for our reception ourselves. So, we wanted to find a cheesemonger to give us a private tasting of sorts. I thought, cheesemonger, I know of someone named Cheesemonger! I'll ask him! So, I PMed and tried to talk Jeff into letting us pay for his time and cheese. He was all for giving us a tasting, but just wouldnt let us pay for it. The nerve! ;-) After a lot of back in forth about timing, Jeff remained unflappable and friendly. I finally got over my cold and my fiance and I headed over. When we first walked in, I was shocked at how small the place was (I would say 1/3 the size of Cheeseboard). I wondered how they could stock enough cheese to show us a full range and thought 'oh shit he's been so nice, what if I cant give him a good review?!' This is where the brilliance of Farmstead comes in - the place is small and beautiful and somehow manages to look neat while being absolutely packed with great cheese and wine. Jeff and his cohort behind the counter (sorry I suck at names) were wonderful at telling us about the cheeses and how they would do on a table for a few hours (complete with apt sound effects!) They gave us a great range of samples and we came up with a full list of cheese for the event, including the name of the distributors for the caterer.They went waaay above and beyond. When we were done I had thought I would be cheesed out. Instead, I wanted MORE. We bought a great bottle of red and a couple of cheeses and went home and had bread wine and cheese for dinner. Heaven! I am also really impressed with Farmstead for the wine tastings. I need to get over working every weekend so we can come have a sip or two. Of course I know we will go home with another wine, cheese and baguette dinner! Thank you Jeff for creating such a wonderful space in the East Bay. UPDATE: We had lots of yummy food at our reception, but what EVERYONE raved about was the cheese selection thanks to Jeff et al. Simply put - Farmstead rocks. read more

The dude helping us here told us to go to Safeway for some of the cheese we wanted. And we did. And we got just what we wanted. That was the best recommendation he had for us. We did buy four cheeses here, though. Three of them were good and one was great. I just wish that we'd been offered a few samples or recommendations or something...we might have 1.) bought more cheese and 2.) gotten four great cheeses. I mean, c'mon...it's cheese. Almost all cheese is "good". We want to pay $28 a pound for great, not good. That same dude, when we asked him to recommend a wine, recommended what may have been the cheapest bottle of wine in the store, some chianti-esque thing that was $8 or $9. It's not like I think that a wine is better the more it costs, but that recommendation just kind of made us go, "oh, okay...well, we'll just look around at the wines, thanks", because at that point we are just assuming the guy knows almost nothing about wines and hasn't tried many of them. We're a little snobby about wine I guess, but there wasn't any vino that looked too exciting here. We bought a cabernet and a zin and the cabernet we drank half of and ended up tearfully pouring the rest out (it just seems so wrong) and the zin was okay but again not great. I guess that kind of sums up Farmstead for me: okay, but not great. read more

I've always found this tidy store to be a peak shopping experience and a bit of an oasis from the rest of the market (of which I've probably shot off my mouth loud and clearly enough). Rather than overloading you with everything ever created, the selections are focused, well rounded, and fab.u.lous. For many, when they consider walking into a wine and cheese specific shop, it can be a daunting experience. Let me reassure anyone who is worried they might receive the high hat or an upturned nose that you won't find it here. See, I'm a fan of deliciousness and I don't care if it comes with snobbery but I have this blue collared partner who can't help but feel that he's too plebeian to know things about good cheese and wine and usually leaves me to do this shopping for us. When I sent him to Farmstead for a bottle of Viognier he was worried. He returned with an enormous smile on his face and a "that place is so great and now I know what Viognier is", which in my book rates all stars and then some. Excellent service, pitch perfect advice from people who listen without upselling, happy to let you sample while working out your cheese selections. Don't want a $40 wine? No problem, name your price range and desired flavors (or what you may be purchasing said bottle for) and you'll be fitted with an excellent match. I've enjoyed purchasing wine from the friendly and knowledgeable proprietor, but I *must* compliment the employee who quite regularly mongers my cheeses. (hey... get your minds out of the gutter) Seriously good customer service that has even included a less expensive but better tasting cheese, based on a conversation and comparison of flavors. This makes me a loyalist because it means they "get it" rather than simply looking to get your cash. Customer service is a dying art, but it's alive and well here where they'd rather have you leave happy and educated than with the first thing you grabbed off the shelf. read more

I would like to thank Farmstead for helping make my most recent Valentine's Day a success. I love cheese and chocolate, and I knew that my date also loved these, plus wine. I know enough about chocolate to go for something a little nicer than Ghirardelli; I have a few favorite upscale makers. But I don't know enough about cheese to make an educated choice on my own, and I don't drink wine, so I'm clueless in that regard. Enter Farmstead. I didn't catch the name of the young man who helped me select a range of cheeses, but all were as wonderful and appreciated as the samples he gave me in the shop. When I told him about the meal I had planned, he suggested a wine. And to top it off, which I didn't expect, Farmstead carries a few select chocolates, including the decadent Vosges. Ultimately, the dinner was wonderfully successful, and my beautiful date was delighted. I'm not a fan of "one-stop-shopping", because the vast majority of the time, you have to settle on some aspect. I was not going to settle; I had several other stops planned to take care of particular needs. I much prefer to handpick a little from here and there if I really want to put my best foot forward. But Farmstead delivered far more than I had reason to expect, in product, quality, and especially service. read more

Jeff, the owner, is great. He takes a personal interest in his cutomer's satisfaction. That's what businesses used to be like. I just joined the wine club. And their products are truly fantastic. read more

in the words of uncle buck "im kinda like a big mouse, i eat alot of cheese" My boyfriend and i have been going to Jeff's store most every Saturday, if not other days, for almost 2 years now. We easily buy 3-4 cheeses a week (at least 2 new ones) and we have yet to run out of new cheeses. Jeff's knowledge of wine and cheese rivals my knowledge of Johnny Cash and bicycles. Although im not a big wine person (I have a higher calling, that of cognacs, armagnacs, whiskeys, bourbons, etc..) Jeff still makes it interesting to try wines when im in the rare mood. Both his and Dave's personality recall that of your favorite bartender. The service is exemplary and the staff adresses your needs even when the shop is packed. I wish there was room for 2 lounge chairs so my boyfriend and i can be like Statler and Waldorf (the old judges in the muppets) and harrass them all day whilst munching on cheese. bonus- i scored 2 black sabbath albums there! read more

Had I wriiten this review a week agao, the place would have gotten 5 stars without even thinking about it... great wines, nice people, good cheeses, and other specials fine products, a great newsletter... When I opened the special one they sent out on Tuesday though about the Beaujolais, they instantly lost my admiration. The newsletter was annoncing they had received the Beaujolais, which officially shoudl be only released on the 3rd Thursday of November, and since they had the wine, they must as well sell it rigth away. If safeway or another non specialty store would have done the same, it would have bothered me, but I would have though, well they don't know about the tradition. Coming from such a store, it is disapointment. Not a big deal I am pretty sure for such a successfull business, but they won't see me again, there are enough quality cheeses store( Cheese board) or wine stores in the East Bay. read more

So I move away from Alameda and what happens? They build a flippin' gourmet marketplace on Park Street and put in all these fabulous stores! Dammit - this always happens when I leave and I'm starting to get a complex. Not bitter - but *still*... Farmstead Cheese and Wine exemplifies the neighborhood upgrade that always seems to happen when I move. I went in one day with friends who still live in the area and made the mistake of mentioning how light I was on (1) every day casual wines and (2) cellar selections. Wow! You would have thought I was bringing Christmas early. My helpful wine guy took me all around this (tiny) store showing me selections in a variety of price ranges exactly suited to my current needs. When I started wincing at a couple of the prices (budget, must remember budget) he adjusted effortlessly. Then he mentioned that I might want to come back a 2pm for the regular Saturday wine tasting. !!!! Oh yeah, I definitely came back. The tastings are very reasonably priced (I think I paid $2). My friend tried several artisan cheese samples (fine - we ALL tried the cheese) and bought some for appetizers that night. I left with a case of wine and recommendations spinning in my head. Oh, and I signed up for the monthly email, which lets me in on specials, wine dinners, reviews, etc. from the owner. read more