Thoroughly enjoyed stumbling upon Monopole Wine after leaving the Playhouse next door. The staff is warm and welcoming and ready to help you choose from their wide selection of wines. Food wise, get the grilled cheese. Just do it. We ordered ours without the prosciutto (but that's an option). It was perfect. We ordered the flight and then needed up buying a bottle to share. Such a great experience! Definitely recommend. read more

The nice thing about Yelp is that it truly does give a good indication of an establishment (in most cases). However, if a business gets ahead of it and aims to inflate their Yelp reviews, it can lead others to a disappointing experience. Monopole clearly did this when they first opened by encouraging Yelp check ins and reviews (through offering check in deals such as a free glass of wine). However, upon my recent visit, I did not notice anything spectacular that other (older) reviews discuss. As such, this might be the most truthful and current review of Monopole Wine on Yelp. I just don't understand the other raving reviews here. We came on a Saturday night and the crowd was average/light. We sat at the bar and it was a man and woman working, but clearly paying more attention to the frequent customers. The options were not what I expected, so I ordered a glass of red wine (without being offered to taste it at a wine bar), while my wife had the flight. As my wife went through the flight, no descriptions were given and it was a "here you go" with each pour. Pours were small and I noticed that clearly if you know the owners you get preferable treatment. For example, the people next to us were offered tastes of each wine before they picked what they were gong to have a glass of. I have been wine tasting quite a bit over the past 15 years, and this was pretty much on the low end of the wine tasting experience. In wine tasting, it is the service and the wine together that make the experience great. Monopole did not really offer either. I was hoping to drink something and buy a bottle after reading all the Yelp reviews, but unfortunately I left disappointed. The last item to note is that we were overcharged by $15. Luckily I was conscious enough to say something for them to correct it. Yes, this may have been an honest mistake, but if they had been paying more attention to us it clearly would not have been made. I don't think I'll be back. Too bad. read more

I have very mixed feelings about this place. Me and my boyfriend went there couple of days ago when we were in Pasadena. My boyfriend told me a lot of nice and interesting things that he has heard about this place and because I am really into wine I got excited. We walked in at around 5pm. There was one table sitting at the front of the store lost in the glow of their laptops. The atmosphere was so quiet, like a library with faint classical music playing. We started to browse the store. I think the selection was good but the prices were ridiculous! I say that because we shop for wine very often at wine bars and wine stores, we know we can get those bottles for much cheaper elsewhere. We continued walking towards the back. The lady working there was very nice. Explained to us their flight options. We ordered the white flight. It was good. Can't say anything wrong about it. Another cool thing is, that they have blind tasting challenges on Friday and if you get all wines correct you get your name on the mirrored wall. I think its cool because you can really see the attempts of others to attract wine lovers and enthusiasts. Usually when we go to wine bars, we make friends and have a good time if the wine is on point. Here it was so different. The wine flight was good but I just didn't feel comfortable. Maybe we just came at the wrong time. But still... the pricing... We might return back and give it a second chance but for now not impressed. read more

Pasadena has many hidden gems and Monopole Wine is one of them. Weather you want to grab a bottle (or 5) Togo or if you would like to stay and enjoy a glass this is the place. Wendy was wonderful with her suggestions and so friendly with her stories. I can't wait to go back and try their weekly wine selections. read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

A nice place to do some tasting in the Playhouse district. I tried the night flight last night with 3 whites and they were all delicious. Hubby did the blind flight, didn't guess right but it was still fun. Ended up picking up the German Riesling from my night flight home. Can't wait to open it! read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've had the great pleasure to have the wine tastings a few times located in the back at the bar area. I've also had the pleasure to meet both owners. They might look very unfriendly, (kidding!) but they're very friendly and super knowledgable about their products! Drinking at the bar felt so comfortable. I felt I could ask anything about wine, and with pleasure they'd be able to give me an answer. I'd highly consider going to the Friday flight night, where it's a blind tasting. All the patrons definitely interact with one another and turns in a hoot! read more

Monopole by WineRx - Wine tasting at the bar - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

It was my 3rd wine bar of the night so I have to give this place a whopping 5 stars. As written in the scriptures, when the wine ran dry at a wedding, Jesus performed a miracle and made water into wine. Then the guests asked why the good wine was served after. Similarly, actually -no- not similar at all, but I had a great time at Monopole! My friend and I were probably 5 glasses in by the time we got here and we selected to do the blind tasting. The joy of the blind tasting is to try and guess if the wine is old world or new world; the varietal; and which country the wine is from. It is 3 glasses of minimal pour for $15. We got a 4th bonus pour from the awesome owner, who I assume is named Hiro. He was so jovial with the pours and informative about the wine. He definitely made wine tasting fun. Though I was a bit bummed that we got a wine from Lodi. The blind tasting selection is not for ones that do not like control. It seemed like everyone else at the bar was having a good time. It looked as though there was an upstairs also, but I didn't get too adventurous and wander around. I'll definitely be back to check out this place and scope out the entire selection. read more

Extraordinary wine at very accessible prices. We came for one of Wendy's luxury cheese nights (usually one Tuesday per month) which offers a sampler of luxury cheese (and in googling them they appear to be legitimately luxury - from Holland, Poitou-Charentes France and Bourgogne) and wines. Yum! Highly recommended. We came for the cheese and returned for Wendy's amazing wine recommendations and the nicely priced pours. read more

See all

Finally!!! A great little wine shop and bar has opened in the Playhouse District. I am such a fan of this place. It has been open about six months at this point, and they are already doing great business. They have an excellent (superbly organized) selection of wines that appeals to my type A personality...I like to find what I'm looking for without a ton of effort. They also have a couple of nice wine flights available. I've been to a couple of their events already and have been impressed. They also offer an room upstairs for private events. One of the owners, Hiro, has been really helpful and friendly every time we've been in. I'm reserving the fifth star until they add a wider selection of food choices at the bar, which I'm sure they'll expand into sometime soon. Stay tuned! You should stop in next time you're in the Playhouse District; you won't be sorry! read more

This place has been on our bucket list for a while and we finally made it there and we'll be going back. They have such a good selection of wines and the wine we had was really good. We even had some mulled wine which was also very good especially with the chilly and rainy weather. It's always the little things that make the biggest impression and Patricia and I think her name is Ray (sp?) we're great. We really enjoyed talking with them and they made us feel so at home. This will be one of our new spots when we're in Pasadena. read more

Great wine, great space, great employees . If you are in the area peep your head in grab a glass at happy hour !!

I had my 29th birthday party here and it was absolutely amazing. I loved worked with Hiro and Peter to have a blind wine, cheese and chocolate tasting. They have a lovely loft area where I fit about 25 people. Peter was our sommelier and taught my guests and I how to identify wine. We had two whites and two reds. They also provided a lovely cheese and charcuterie plate and had decorated the space nicely. I was able to bring in chocolates from Mignon and cupcakes from polkatots. Next time you want to have a fun, intimate gathering, pick Monopole. read more

Monopole by WineRx - Upstairs where I had my birthday party. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

A true lil' gem in Pasadena! Many moons ago, on a warm summer Thursday evening, a friend and I were walking along El Molino checking out all the food trucks that were parked along the street. I peered into Monopole and saw that there were people drinking wine from real wine glasses and eating food truck food from styrofoam boxes. I knew there and there, that this would be one of my favorite spots to hit up for a casual evening when all you want is a good glass of wine along with your roach coach food. Monopole is very unpretentious local wine shop that offers an excellent selection of wines that you don't usually find in your larger beverage stores. The shopkeepers are friendly, very knowledgeble, and more importantly, NOT SNOBBY! They offer different themed wine classes every month (a great date activity, but classes do fill up quite fast!) and they have a fantastic wine bar that always has a theme and fun blind tastings (also a great date thing-to-do). read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

I'm not knowledgeable about wine but after doing the blind tasting, I learned about more about relying on my sense of smell. Definitely the place to go to learn about wines! read more

I think I stumbled into an episode of The Real Housewives of Pasadena or Sex in the City: Pasadena style by entering into Monopole Wine. We were partaking in the Playhouse Block Party and decided to come into this quaint wine store. As we were enjoying some libations in the middle of the store where there are random tables and chairs, a young guy started his performance on the piano. It was nice to have live music in the space while enjoying a cocktail. It is interesting that they have a front area of the store, but you can't really sit up there. The organization of the store seems random like the fact that there isn't real seating in front of the store and the random tables and chairs that seem to block the view of the wines. They have a large comprehensive selection of wine. The wine is definitely on the higher end of the quality and price spectrum, but marred by the random clutter throughout the store. read more

Wendy was amazing ! Thank you for a fun night and the great explanation of wines loved my French Pinot Noir!!thank you!!!see you next week!cheers read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

Good selection. Knowledgeable staff. Interesting wines. Wine tastings! I'll be back :-) read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beautiful painting to greet you as you come in through the door - by Lynda Pizzuto. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

Amazing wine bar with a fantastic selection with knowledgeable and helpful service will definitely be back when in town.

We had a couple flights, and they were exceptional. We were served by one of the owners, and he was great at teaching us about the wines in a fun relaxed manner. Will definitely be back many times I'm sure. read more

Monopole by WineRx - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Pasadena, California

See all

Such a gem! Make sure you spend some time at the wine bar in the back, and if you can, try the blind tasting flight. If you guess 3/4 correctly you get the flight for free. The owner, Peter, is very knowledgeable and helped me with my wine tasting skills. After spending a couple hours here, I have a whole new appreciation and understanding for varietals I was previously introduced to, and new varietals I've never heard of. In fact, the whole staff is extremely friendly and engaging. I always have a great time here and for some reason, I end up speaking German haha! Every visit is a new and fun lesson in wine culture and tasting. The clientele is always a hoot. Must go back soon! read more

Bryan, Wendy and the rest of the staff are absolutely amazing. They are always serving delicious flights of high quality wines and will ensure you are having a great time. Highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed. read more

I was really disappointed after coming here last night. The experience was just...strange. I had a few glasses of impressive Sangiovese, so the wine wasn't the problem, but I really didn't care for the bartender(s). The girl bartender, in particular, really turned me off. It wasn't that she didn't attend to me, it was more that she came off as condescending, judgmental, and arrogant. The general vibes of a wine bar can make or break the atmosphere -- why else wouldn't you opt to go get a nice bottle and drink it at home? Not sure I'll go back to Monopole again. I didn't feel welcome; the bartender almost seemed relieved to get rid of me when I packed up and left. Also, fun fact: they offset the price of expensive wine/cheese with shitty baguettes from Lee's Sandwiches. Maybe that wouldn't have pissed me off had I been enjoying myself during my visit. I've been on the email list for this place for a few months but didn't get a chance to come in until this week. Now I think I'll get off the email list. read more

$10 for 3 tastings: it was a good selection of whites $8 for the cheese and bread plate: tasty and enough for two i really wanted to like this place but i just didn't get a good vibe from the pourer. i also didn't feel that he was passionate enough about the wine (or their customers) enough to make the time enjoyable. i understand this isnt a winery, but i've been to wine tastings at beverage stores (i.e. total wine, whole foods) that were more enjoyable just because the pourer was super friendly and knowledgeable about the wines they were serving. i felt slightly forced to communicate with him otherwise it would have been a silent tasting. maybe our pourer had a bad night but it certainly rubbed off on us. other than that, we didn't really look around too much because we were in a hurry to get to the show next door. read more

Came here with some friends and had a fantastic experience. The atmosphere, while quite and conservative, really felt like a place that knows wine. We used the yelp deal, which got us a free tasting of wine. We tasted a few more and for the type of wine, it was a good deal. 3 tastings for $10 or $6/glass - not too bad. The owner served us and explained the wine to us, as well as the location where it was made in France. I enjoyed hearing about the wines and where they were from. We ended up buying the bottle of wine that we originally tasted and it was a decent price as well. We would all definitely go back. read more

The SPACE Thoughtfully and beautifully designed space that is easy to navigate. It reminds me of a fine art library where you want to get lost in the stacks and curl up with a glass of wine...or a perfectly comfortable place to curl up with a glass of wine and a good book while waiting out traffic. The LOCATION Easily accessible, without the hooplah and low-rent shenanigans of the the under-25 crowd of Old Town/Colorado Blvd. The STAFF Relaxed. Passionate about wine. Unpretentious. Knowledgeable. Not eager to entertain price-point/lable-whore/wine-snobs but would most likely win if forced to go head to head if one of them came and classy enough to not rub it in their face. The SELECTION A wonderful selection of small production wines from France, Italy, CA, and more. I am sure that no matter which wine you have a question about, there will be someone there to tell you about it. Not only do they have a fantastic assortment of BUBBLY, they also carry sake, and beers (and I'm not talking Colt45). The CLIENTELE A grown up crowd, mixed with a refined younger crowd who appreciate quality over quantity. The type of people who are comfortable in their own skin and don't mind walking into a nice wine store in a suit, work clothes, sweats, or dressed for a night at the theatre. Everyone that I came in contact with on the night we went to the Champagne Event (see below) was charming, polite, and someone you'd want to invite to a dinner party. EVENTS They offer flights and single pours nightly at their cozy little bar in the back of the store. They also offer more formal events in their upstairs loft. LONG and HAPPY STORY My Fine Man took me to the "Exploring Champagne" event at Monopole on Dec 8th that was held in the loft and I was soooo pleased!!! I was a little nervous about the $50 per person price tag on the event since I have been to many-a-champagne tasting that charged up to $100 per event where I left pretty disappointed (almost MAD) due to the staff's/host's lack of knowledge of the champagnes offered; cattle-call sized attendance with no elbow room; low-rent/low-price/BevMo-Accessible Champagnes offered; and thimble sized pours. Monopole's "Exploring Champagne" Event DELIVERED the GOODS! This was their first formal tasting in the store. I was ready to cut them some slack, but none was needed. They were wonderful hosts that were informative, entertaining, and accessible. They maxed the event out to 15 people. Offered 2 selections of cheeses and plenty of bread and bottled water to get us through the 9 different champagnes of the evening. (I did bring some of my own small tasting treats since I MUST have a meaty/savory snack when trying to pick a perfect bottle of bubbly for dining decadence). One of the owners of the store, Peter Nelson, was the man to deliver the info, with Hiro, his partner and another fine gent to help get the bubbles in our glasses. The evening was an overall delight, with 9 amazing bottles ranging from $34-$129. We bought 2 incredible bottles and I WON a bottle during the evening's raffle-who knew they'd be doing that! : ) I love Wine! I love Champagne even more! I love Unpretentious wine stores! Can't wait to return! Cheers! : ) read more

See all

Awesome wine shop you can have a great night out and fun with friends by opting for a blind tasting! Everything we tasted was so amazing and so tasty even though I didn't get all three to make it free it was worth the money and can't wait to keep practicing on Blind tasting the staff is so friendly as well as the owner he's awesome! read more

This is a cute lil wine bar located in the Pasadena Playhouse area. The store is cool the way it is laid out, very linear. There is the main isle down the middle with alcoves of wines on the side and the bar at the end. The person helping us at the bar didn't seem like he wanted to be there and barely acknowledged us except to pour us the wine. The location is cute and convenient, but the service could have been better. read more

A wine store & wine bar without snob factor or pretension. The lamps that look like they are from a church or chapel makes the look of this cathedral of wines. The shelving is done in dark woods and form nooks with in 2 of them some nice banquette seating so you can meditate among the bottles it seams. And why not, cause with this grand selection you might need help from above to help you decide which you want today. The workers were so helpful & knowledgeable and what they couldn't answer, the owners Peter & Hiro could educate you in a heartbeat! The wine selection was a trip from Pasadena without leaving the store and they even had what looked like a few beers I have never heard of. The wine bar with wines by the glass is so bright, chill yet classy on a backdrop of killer wallpaper on the bar wall without being trendy and invites conversation. Come for a bottle or 3, stay for a glass and refresh the soul & mind in this temple to the fruit of the vine... Amen!. read more

First, I know they're new, so I'm hoping to give them a few weeks to work out some kinks - but for now... The wine selection seems pretty good. Eurocentric is right, which is nice since you can find CA wines anywhere around here but not always good selections from across the way. Prices for the 'night flight' were good when we were there - only $10 for three generous pours. The bad news was that the three that were being poured were pretty sub-par: two $9 bottles and one $10. I realize that you can find a decent bottle of wine for that price, but these were not the most shining examples. Good if you're coming in later at night and don't mind some 'enh' kind of wines. They did offer a "higher end" tasting, but it was too expensive for our tastes that night. The bar area is pretty sleek looking, but small. Good if you want to be somewhere intimate. When we were there, the soundtrack was completely ridiculous and skipped from Haydn to some Edie Piaf style french bistro music to Alice in Chains. It was really distracting and I think the owners should choose a genre and define what they want to represent. Are you cool like 'jazz cool' or like 'throwback to the 90s' cool or??? Finally, we were there fairly late and there were a few other groups in the bar area. We decided that it was time to go and we stood up to pay at the counter a mere four feet from our wine glasses. While I was turned around, one of the employees picked up my glass - which had 4-5 more sips in it - and dumped it out! Good thing it was one of the tasting wines which I didn't really love or I'd have been more upset. Basically, I think with a bit of refinement this could be a really nice addition to the area. Hopefully they'll work out the issues in the next few weeks and it will end up as a really mellow place to relax after a play or after a delicious dinner at Elements. read more

I gotta say ... I'm slightly disappointed in my overall experience. I stopped by because I saw the ratings and like the thought of supporting a small business. Hiro ( I believe that's his name ) suggested 4 bottles for an upcoming dinner party. 3 of the four were well received but the last bottle , and most expensive one in the bunch , was vinegary. 3 of the guests who tried the bottle said so and I promptly dumped the bottle out and threw it in the recycling bin. A week later I called and let hiro know but he more or less said there wasnt anything he could do, and it doesn't happen often. I understand , I can't return an empty bottle, but in the end I paid 35-40 dollars for a bottle of vinegar as well. It was a fun little expedition to try a new wine shop but I'm sticking to bevmo and Costco for the wine needs. Same quality wines at good prices and probably more room to help when a bottle turned sour. read more

I must admit I need to enroll in a LA program (Lushes Anonymous) cause I enjoy getting slizzard on random Thirsty Thursday. Well at least I'm woman enough to admit it!! But if Thirsty Thursday isn't enough of a reason to get, then you should try Thursday Nights on El Molino. The warm summer night encourages the lush in me as well as the explorer. So naturally I moseyed into Monople and decided to wine taste with my sug. They have nightly tasting at the bar, which is more than a bargain. We had a Blind Flight, which consisted of the featured wines. We at a quaint lil table in the Persian section and sample wines from Greece, Santa Barbara and France. All a bit more tastier than the last. It was about 15 bucks per person for 3 different glasses which was pretty great. At about 5 bucks a glass, I say it beats most HH prices. Everyone is warm and friendly here and I can tell they have a couple of regulars. Everyone seemed social from the libations So yes come here for Thirsty Thursdays or Thurs Nights on El Molino whatever the reason come here. Then you can make your way over to Zona Rosa for live music or to the many food trucks for nibbles and giggles. This is a guaranteed chill good time and a thirst quencher. read more

Monopole Wine was the last stop on a triple Pasadena wine bar crawl with one of my awesome friends. Love the blind tasting. An awesome concept if you've got a competitive spirit. (It's still awesome even if you're not as competitive.) Fortunately for me, I have a super competitive friend. So I could stand to lose, since she loves to win. (Even if she loses, it's best to not rub it in.) Hiro (one of the co-owners) poured the wine with such trickery (bottle in a paper bag) with comments to boot, which left us guessing what the pour was, and how we'd be tricked for the next. Such blind tastings are an awesome concept as it brings out all sorts of conversations with the wine pourers and drinkers. $15 for three tastings; very competitively priced. Had an awesome time. Worth heading back! Bring your friends, sommeliers (in the making) and anyone who's game for friendly competition... (but hopefully not angry people.) They'll be stumped with certainty. My super competitive friend was the better guesser that evening. We both had all sorts of fun, nonetheless. read more

A nice, pleasurable experience. I went in and was able to find pinot gris which I have been searching for in regular grocers with no luck. Then the staff member inquired about my usual likes, dislikes, and favorite wines before he chose a few samples for me (I wanted to try something new). He did the same with my friends and we all enjoyed a glass in the back of the store. Nice and quaint atmosphere, would definitely return. read more

Was their architect and also a cutomer and wine enthusiast. Had many great wines from south of france (gigondas and chateauneuf du pape) at reasonable prices. Also finally a few reasonably priced Burgundy reds that are actually good. Very hard to find. Peter and Hiro and the brand new and excellent staff are very knowledgable and the emphasis on tasting in the shop is great. Major class (thanks in part to the artchitecture) and good value. read more

What a cool little find in Pasadena! I've lived in Pasadena for almost 5 years and I just visited this place for the first time recently. Check in on your yelp app and get a free glass of wine!! Anyways, the guy who was pouring was amazing. We told him what kinds of wines we liked and he was really knowledgable and informative and did his best to match our tastes and to find something new! We did some of the tasting menus and were really pleased. I even ordered some wine to be delivered and the guy did it himself since I was on the way home for him! Now that is some great service!!! read more

Very cute and cozy bottle shop with a great range of wines for all price ranges. The owners, Hiro and Peter are welcoming and down-to-earth. They are always helpful in explaining the wines and helping you select wines based on your style preference and price range. Wine bar at the back is very cool, with tastings towards the end of the week, including 3 or 6 flights of blind tastings. Unlike most wine tastings in a bottle shop, Monopole does not use measured pours, and often give you "bonus" pours beyond your tasting flight. You can also buy a bottle here and they will open it without corkage so you aren't limited to just what they are pouring. Often I've been the beneficiary of other patrons who have bought and opened various bottles to try. Sometimes the owners bring bottles from their own home cellars. Just awesome. Bottom line, this is a great friendly place to taste and talk about wine, in a comfortable, non-pretentious setting. Feels like tasting at a friend's house (a friend with A LOT of wines, that is). read more

I am so in love with this place! Not only do they offer ten dollar flights, their selection is wonderful. When I first came to this shop, my boyfriend and I met Hiro who is one of the owners of Monopole. Not only is Hiro friendly, he definitely knows his wines. He recommended Perriquita and I loved it! I am not a huge red wine fan, but I loved this brand. My latest love affair is with the Asti Moscato they sell. This wine is just delicious and I love the bubbles as well! The prices vary with each wine, but I can guarantee that whatever wine I buy I will not be disappointed. read more

My colleague, his wife and I came in last night for the wine tasting as the Vendrome canceled their event. I'm glad they did. The atmosphere at Monopole is great. There's a bar unexpectedly tucked in all the way in the back behind a wide selection of wines. It's cosy, quiet and really lovely. Everyone there is knowledgeable and helpful. My colleague did the night flight, I had the focused flight and his wife had the special Christmas flight. We also ordered a board of cheese. We all enjoyed our wines though I'd have to say that my focused flight was the best of the three. My colleague and his wife liked the rioja from my flight and bought a bottle of that along with some others. Meanwhile, I'd have to say that I preferred the Emilio Moro Ribera Del Duero instead. I...think...that's what I had. I enjoyed it and it had a nice spice. We had a great evening and will definitely be going back. read more

Great selection, nice atmosphere, friendly knowledgeable service & LOVE the bar in the back!! The owner was very kind & helpful when I came back out with even more questions! I love to talk wine talk read more

I noticed this brand new wine shop on El Molino and I had to stop in to check it out. I love the concept of a "Monopole" as it applies to a vineyard in Burgundy, which happens to be my favorite wine producing region. I met one of the owners and found him to be welcoming, friendly, and knowlegeable about his wine selections. I appreciate the effort that the owners have made to seek out wines from smaller producers and wines that are "off the beaten path." They have an upcoming Burgundy tasting that is all sold out that I would have loved attending. After checking out the small but well chosen selections, I ended up buying a couple of wines based upon a recommendation: Santenay 1er cru, Clos de la Confrérie Monopole AOC, 2008. The owner mentioned that during a recent tasting, this seemed to be the wine that garnered the most enthusiastic response from the tasters. Pasadena has a growing number of wine shops. I am not a fan of most, but I really liked the selection, pricing and atmosphere of this wine shop. I look forward to attending a wine event here in the near future. read more