The ambiance was inviting, and the service was exceptional from the moment I walked in. Sal made the experience pleasant by taking the time to share the history behind several of the wines and asking thoughtful questions to understand my palate. I was all o er the place, LOL. Based on our conversation, he recommended a few options that fit both my taste and my budget. Three bottles later, I left excited to enjoy my new finds at home! Thank you, Sal, for such a wonderful experience. I look forward to coming back on the weekend for a wine tasting. read more

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We went here for a wine/food pairing event and it was an experience to remember. Most people visiting this area of Claremont tend to forget that this is a restaurant along with an extensive collection of wines. There are indoor and outdoor seating areas as well as seating at the bar counter. We started with Shiso leaf & Ribeye bite, citrus salad with shaved Brie and mint, Potato leak soup, Organic Red carrots, celery root purée with chili oil, Filet mignonette for the main entree and to finish up with a special Halo Halo dessert. Each course was paired with special white or red wine from the packing house. Staff were so attentive and the foods were excellent. From the regular menus, ample selections and at a reasonable price. The bonus is, you can get some wine after dinner. read more

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One of the things I miss most post-Covid is wine-tasting and wine-classes. Many of my old regular spots never resumed their pre-covid wine events. A friend I met many years ago at a wine tasting invited me to a Burgundy wine class at Packing House Wines, and I attended. The store is located up a few steps on the north side of the Claremont Packing House. Parking is usually not an issue as there is a big multi-level parking garage on the east side of the packing house. All attendees sat down to a list of wines to be tasted, a printed out copy of the slides being presented, a big burgundy wine glass for pours, water, and a nice little charcuterie plate. The owner Sal gave the presentation, and it was easily the best wine class I have ever attended. He talks pretty fast, but not too fast, and his delivery was excellent, providing an extensive amount of information that was easy to understand. We pretty much learned everything about Burgundy wines from the history of the region, the stringent production laws, different classes of Burgundy wines, and details about all of the different producers and regions we tasted wines from. The class was scheduled for two hours, but it ended up lasting for two and a half hours. It would have been easy to stay for much longer as the class and wines were very enjoyable. The wine class was a little pricey at $125 per person, but this was a bargain as Burgundy wines are expensive. We were able to taste ten 1.5 ounce pours including several Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines (one of them was $350/bottle). My favorites were the '17 Albert Bichot Fixin ($53.99) and the '20 Domaine Lecheneaut Vosne Romanee ($124.99) which I purchased. They have wine classes regularly, and I will definitely return if one catches my eye. They have quite a selection of wines for sale, as well as tasting flights and food from their kitchen. read more

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We've been visiting for for a number of years and the wines, food, ambiance, and customer service is excellent. They have an amazing wine selection from old world to new world wines with a great mixture of regions. Sal and his staff are extremely knowledgeable and will take the time to guide you as you're looking for the right bottle for that special occasion or to stock your cellar. The food is always consistent with quality, flavor, and overall great value. If you purchase a bottle to enjoy on the premise, the staff will deliver proper etiquette while opening and pouring your wine. There is indoor and outdoor seating and they welcome reservations. We've enjoyed the wine classes they offer and have grown to have a deeper appreciation of wine. Overall, we highly recommend this place to enjoy great wine, food, and ambiance. read more

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My family and I decided to stop by after we had around downtown Claremont and it started raining. We were seated right away. It was really cute inside with lots of options of different wines from various regions. We each had a wine tasting of Spanish wines and ordered some light bites. The wine was great. The food was okay. I think it was a little pricey for what was served. We had a charcuterie board that was pretty limited in the meat and cheese portions. We also ordered the roasted cauliflower, which was delicious. The service was also just okay. Server wasn't really friendly. Just took our order, gave us our food and didn't really check in until we wanted to grab our check. We had other workers check in on us and refill our water glasses. read more

Packing House Wines - Charcuterie Board (Serves 2-4) - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

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This is my first time here. The waitress was very helpful and did an excellent job explaining the menu concept. We had the salad and wine, one glass from Spain and one from Argentina.Wheb you come ask for Hailey she is on top of it providing excellent customer service! We will be back read more

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Flavor 4/5 - I really enjoyed everything we ordered here. I could tell the ingredients were of good quality, and the presentation was really nice. The portion was a bit small for the lamb, but in relation to the price, it wasn't that bad (definitely could use a larger portion of the sides though). Price 4/5 - This place is priced pretty well compared to other restaurants in downtown Claremont, so I had no complaints. I appreciate that the ingredients are high quality as well. They also serve a huge selection of wine, which is worth checking out. Quality 4/5 - A lot of the items on the menu are specified with their organic, grass-fed, and quality status. The sauces are made in-house as well, and the food has a quality feel to it. The cooking oil is unknown, but it seems like there were a good amount of organic options. Service 3/5 - The food came out pretty fast, and they took our order quickly as well. However, the server was pretty rude and short. I read some other reviews about her attitude being similar, but I don't think it's appropriate in a restaurant setting. I wouldn't let it turn me away from going here, though. Ambiance - Bar-like, high-end, winery. read more

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Every time I'm by Claremont I like to stop here to look for German wines. They have a great selection of California wines and European wines. The host is always eager to help with your selections . They offer tastings and mall bites to go with your wine. The soft music and intimate atmosphere makes it ideal for a first date ! read more

Packing House Wines - a wine rack full of wine bottles - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

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Wonderful little place with excellent wines and the cheese board was pretty good too. Came in with friends the other day around noon and we were there quite a while, had a great time. The waitress was wonderful, we talked about wine a bit. She always made sure our water glasses were full which was a nice little attention to detail and she knew exactly when to check on us to see if we needed something or when we were busy in conversation. Awesome spot, will be back for more! read more

I've been here several times and have enjoyed it. I'm not always a fan of their wine flights, but there's always at least one glass on the menu that is quaffable. Every time I've been here it's been relatively slow, maybe one other table, and it's a good thing because I'm not sure they could handle a full house. Service is terrible slow, even when you sit at the bar. There have been a couple times when service was okay, but in general expect to be waiting with an empty glass for a little while. Having said that, I really like that they have a different wine flight every week. It's really fun to try the different varietals and regions. The staff isn't super knowledgeable about all the wines, but they have tasting notes and they're always willing to show you the bottle. We usually share a few things on the menu, if the kitchen is open and everything that I've tried was tasty. They're smaller plates and portions, so don't expect a ton of food, but they're good to nibble on with friends. If you're looking to go out with a few friends this is a good option if you're looking to relax, enjoy some wine and not feel pressed to leave right away. The ambiance and decor is inviting and it's in a great area. Claremont is a super cute town and very walkable. If you're looking for a bottle to bring to a party or to take home, there are a lot of options. They have one of the better selection of wines in the area and their prices are reasonable. If you are looking for a place to enjoy a glass of wine with friends in the area you should check it out. Cheers! read more

Really good place. My first time here and it was really quiet. Would love to come again

Want a relaxing evening without a lot of noise, Packing House Wines is it. We settled for a charcuterie board and a bottle of California Cabernet. The price is down to earth and the service is super hospitable. We absolutely love this wine shop and bar. read more

Packing House Wines - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

The Packing House Wines is a great place to kick back, relaxing, enjoy some "Petite" gourmet dishes, along with a glass of wine, or two from their huge selection. I had been looking for someplace interesting to go with my sisters-in-law and found Packing House on Yelp. We came here after making reservations via the Yelp App. As for the food and wine... we're both fantastic, and half the fun is walking around afterwards looking for some wine to take home. As I mentioned Packing House has these small petite dishes which are just right. The four of us thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Chef Erik Rowse has made some wonderful selections. We started with their Trio of Spreads, which complemented our wines. We then moved on to the Charcuterie Board, Risotto, Grilled Chorizo and more. See photos. We've been coming here pre-COVID and have just started come back. Enjoy! read more

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Great atmosphere and delish food!!! I am always happy with the service. A must try while in Claremont.

Talk about a cozy place to hideout, The Packing House Wine Merchants could be the spot. There is something about walking into a room of wine tasting opportunities and dark wood that sets a nice mellow tone. The staff was attentive and helpful. We greatly enjoyed their AC and calm environment with a couple of glasses of red wine, and the Cheese Board. The Cheese Board had the usual fare: 4 types of cheeses, honeycomb, a dab of jam PLUS bee pollen. Interesting .......... apparently this is the pollen that bees collect. There wasn't much but it's a vey fine powder that has an earthy taste. It was a nicely different touch to the usual cheese fare. read more

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I've been here 3 times. I keep coming back because of the ambiance. However, you don't get very much wine for the price. Food is also overpriced and small portioned but it does taste good. The charcuterie board is pretty small and not really made with love lol, everything looks sort of thrown on there. The truffle fries, Mac n cheese, Ribs, Tacos, poke tostadas are all really good! Service is not consistent. Sometimes you get gals who are outstanding, but last night we had a server who was mediocre in the sense that she wasn't happy to answer a couple questions I had. It's mostly good to come here for a ladies night. read more

Owner not want to assist us for wine recommendation: previously asked owner but he did not want to help, he referred us to his helper Last 2 visits, No effort to assist wine bottle purchase from owner. No other staff was there First time no other customers were there. Latest, was ignored, Someone came after and owner help them but after, was personally ignored again. No one else was there either Owner knew was there both times because said hi on both occasions. Owner just went to his computer Both times no staff was present either read more

Amazing food really goes with the ambience of the place, recommend the Mac and cheese for sure best Mac in a whole you can really taste the aged cheese. The bri cheese was also very creamy ! The burgers were very delish and filling enough, bigger than a slider but smaller the regular burgers. Thank you very much Waiter was patience read more

Knowledgeable staff. Learned about some wines. Good bites. Almost tumbled out of here. (Parking is a hassle.) read more

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I have walked passed the wine shop a hundred times. Finally stopped in for a glass of wine and a snack. The workers here were super friendly when we walked in, very welcoming. I will say that I am not a huge wine drinker but I did order a glass of wine even though they do have a beer menu also. Looking over there menu their prices were very reasonable for food, their burgers if I remember correctly started around 12 dollars. We were not super hungry and ordered the charcuterie board. We very much enjoyed this. Overall this was a very good experience. I will definitely be back to try more of their food, we did see a few items come out of the kitchen that looked delicious, hopefully they taste as good as they looked. read more

Packing House Wines - Charcuterie Board (Serves 2-4) - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

(UPDATE) Okay so... we gave the place a second shot and the team working this evening was significantly better than round one. Get a side of fries and a bottle of wine and you should be good to go! Best part of this place is the take home wines from the shop. Great selection of wines from across the globe at pretty competitive prices. read more

Hello my beautiful yelpers! How yall doing? Yall alright? Good. Listen! Yall! My cousin and I ordered the cheese board and OMG! I think they had a child put it together. The presentation was tacky and horrible. Other than that, you can catch a vibe. However, don't order the cheese board! The staff is nice and will help you with wine selection. Just stay away from the food maybe and you don't get very much for the wine . A shot of wine is 20 dollars . Lol. Food is overpriced . read more

Packing House Wines - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

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Decent. Would I come here again? If I was only craving wine, maybe. The place is decent if a group of friends wanted to relax with some wine (they serve beer too) and chit chat. Came on a Saturday when wine tasting was available. You get four 1.5oz of different wines for $19.99. Unless you really want to try "fancy" wine, I would skip for actual wineries and get a glass or a bottle. I really had to babysit my drinks to go along with the charcuterie board. The charcuterie board was okay. Nothing extraordinary. Do not expect a fancy board like you see on social media. You get three meats, two cheeses, dallops of balsamic vinegar here and there, a jam smear, some toast cracker things, dried fruits, nuts, olives, and a honeycomb. Was it worth it for $29.99? Ehh. By the way, I do not understand why they charge you a $15 corkage fee for bottles purchased there ($30 for outside bottles). read more

Packing House Wines - recent menu 3-5-22 - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California

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I had a group of 15 people there for a custom wine and food pairing yesterday. We've actually done this twice before, and the group loves it so much we keep coming back! Sal and his team (all have been part of the Court of Sommeliers education and training) spoiled everyone and took such great care of us. The tasting was fantastic and the food and wine were so perfectly matched. Outside of group events, this is a go-to wine shop for me. Great menu with a little something that everyone will like, and wines from all over the world for purchase. If you're in Claremont Village, this is definitely a place you need to check out. read more

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This place is amazing from their food to their selection of wine or beer. They have everything you would need or want. Staff is incredible so is the food choices. Great choice for a Friday night. read more

Worst experience EVER!! The server (who happened to be the manager) was incredibly condescending and belittling. When asking questions to learn about the wine we were tasting, my husband and I were treated like idiots. We've been here multiple times and never had an experience like this. We will NEVER be coming back. read more

My husband and I stopped by one day during the week looking to explore new wines. We were greeted by Sal, he was so helpful in providing us a variety of wines, sharing information on each wine and we felt no pressure to buy them but happily bought a few bottles. He even sampled us one of them, a tempranillo from Rioja Spain, it was amazing! No wine tasting during the week. Only Friday- Sunday. We came back on a Sunday and the weekly wine flight was all sold out. So come on a Friday if you really want to try a flight. We came back a 3rd time on a Friday and it was very busy! All tables were full and there was a wait time. Each time we came the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the wine was fun to explore. This will be a regular spot for us. We love it here. read more

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I have been to Packing House Wines a few times, the most recent visit was last week. The vibe is warm and inviting, surrounded by racks of wines. The staff are always friendly, too, and if you can't find a bottle of wine you like here, you may be a bit picky - the selection is vast. The food menu is limited, but it is primarily a wine bar. Sometimes larger groups of people make a bit of noise, and the table set up doesn't always provide for a quiet date night conversation, my only reason for not rating it five stars. I like this place and would gladly visit again when I am in the Claremont area. read more

It had been a couple months since the last time we ate there, by choice. Then, they passed off two old bbq ribs in a bowl with a packet of cheap instant noodles. Called it Ramen? Don't know what it was but not good. This time my wife asked if we'd go back and try their hamburger and a side of garlic fries. The fries were good. We both ordered their burger and was disappointed again. Their kitchen is only open two? days a week. The patty was cooked right and juicy. The brioche buns were old. French fried onions and bacon I didn't detect any condiment to add moisture, no pickle or lettuce to add any moisture. It was just dry. But, I will go back for the Pliny The Elder beer out of Russian River brewery even if they do charge $15.50 for a pint. read more

Nice atmosphere. Really good selection of wines at reasonable prices. Good food. We've always had great service at Packing House Wines. One of our favorites small businesses in town. read more

My wife and I found this place while walking in the area and we're glad we did. It's turned out be our winery away from our winery in Temecula. Delicious food and great wines from everywhere, excellent service from everyone (Asia who has assisted us more often than not) and the ambiance is, well it's in Claremont , so it's awesome. Great place for a date. read more

"Wine is sunlight, held together by water"---Galileo Galilei. Lord knows we need those UV rays with the current health crisis, and in fact, a certain someone suggested we figure out a way to get a powerful amount of UV and disinfectant into our bodies. I agree with the first part, but not the second (LMAO!) And my plan to get those powerful amounts of UV in my body is by drinking LOTS of sunlight held together by water. Packing House Wines has been a huge helping partner with my health plan by keeping their doors open during this quarantine, taking orders by phone and online, and offering what they call "The Essentials Pack" on a weekly basis. "The Essentials Pack" is a selection of 4 or more wines with a theme related to type of wine, geography, etc. I started with the mini pack because I can't drink a whole bottle of wine by myself (well . . . ok yes, I can, but at first, I didn't think it was a good idea.) Then when the advice from a certain someone came out, I thought what the heck, I'll get full sized bottles next time! That lead me to The Essentials 6.0, Wine from Rioja Spain. These were fantastic! I'm almost done--took a little Tequila and Beer detour--but starting next week I'm getting back on my health plan of sunlight held together by water. You should too! It's good for your health (not yet scientifically proven) and it's good for the business---I want this place to make it and be around in our future when we can all dine out again. Cheers and Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro Magnifico-o-o-o! (Queen circa 1975) Btw--their kitchen is now open on the weekends for take out! read more

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Pre-covid, we came here fairly often, and we finally got the chance to return in June 2022. Same great food, wine, and service we remembered from a few years back. Even the entrees are more like "small plates", which I actually enjoy, since too much food inevitably means I'll eat too much. It's always surprising to me that the dining room isn't consistently full of customers. The dishes tend to be somewhat "traditional" but with very creative twists on flavor, sides, or both. Probably my favorite food and wine destination in the Claremont village!! read more

I have been to the Packing House Wine Merchants on prior visits for wine tastings. I wanted to wait until I enjoyed their kitchen before writing my review. On my most recent visit, my friends and I came to the Packing House Wine Merchant to enjoy a quiet intimate lunch. It was during the holiday season when a lot of young teens chaotically swarmed the Claremont Village area so the Packing House Wine Merchant was one of the only viable sanctuaries where we could avoid children. Sorry, not sorry! I'm just keeping it real. This place has an amazing wine selection and also a full kitchen with a great selection of appetizers, small bites and even full entree items. I love the ambiance here and it was a great place for my friends and I to catch over shareable bites and a few glasses of wine. Between the 4 of us we all had 2 rounds of NV Fresita Sparking ($9.50/glass), 2013 Vogelzang Sauvignon Blanc ($8.50/glass), 2016 Dom de Fondreche Rose ($9/glass) and 2015 Adelaida Picpoul Blanc ($12/glass). Mine was the Adelaida Picpoul Blanc and I reallyed enjoyed it. I could really taste the fresh notes of the peach and honey melon flavors and it was the perfect choice for me to go with our lunch. We all tried each other's selections but we ended up getting the same wine for our second rounds since we all liked our own selections so much. We shared a dinner menu Charcuterie Board ($24) which had a nice selection of cured meats, manchego cheese, brillat-savarin triple cream cheese, almonds, olives, a honeycomb and a thinly sliced artisan bread. It was a delicious selection that was beautifully displayed. We actually finished up the first loft of bread and when we asked for more bread, but Sal did not charge any additional value for the second artisan loaf. We also had the Spanish Chorizo Plate ($8) that was also served with manchego cheese and almonds. The warm chorizo was a nice contrast to the cold cuts from the charcuterie board. For another warm touch, we also had the Roasted Garlic Pomme Frites ($7.50/each). These were a nice thick cut of fries with plenty of garlic in the bottom of the ceramic serving cone. It was served with a side of ketchup and a really delicious red pepper aioli. We loved how crispy the edges were on these fries and my only critique is that I wish that the garlic bites were better distributed between the fries. We were also very lucky that the chef had already prepared the Gnocchi from the dinner menu even though we came at lunch. The Gnocchi ($13) was so soft with the perfect ratio of potato to flour to egg. It was served with roasted vegetables and even the vegetables were delicious. This dish is definitely something I would get for myself if I came here for dinner. A delicious meal with friendly service and quality wine. What more can I ask for? The intimate ambiance makes this a perfect spot to hang out with good friends or even be on a date. The Packing House Wine Merchants is one of Claremont's hidden gems and most people tend to forget that the have a full kitchen to enjoy alongside their bountiful selection of fancy wines. read more

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In the past I would've given this establishment five stars. However they've made some changes to the seating areas. It feels more like a restaurant instead of the establishment that used to be. It used to feel more like a wine bar that we could come to just relax with the cushions and the couches. Additionally the last time I was here the pour on the wine had to be less than 2 ounces. I don't know what was going on with whoever was pouring, but it was barely a pour at all. In all fairness I did not bring it up to the waitress server, as I was a bit embarrassed how to bring up the fact that $13 - $15 glass of wine that I ordered barely had three good sips. My date was equally unsure how to bring this up without sounding rude. I would have given at least one more star had this not happened this last time. read more

Great place for a glass (or 2) of wine and a nice nibble. My friend and I stopped in to celebrate her birthday. I missed that food didn't start until 4-5 but we decided to stay anyway. The owner came and let us know as soon as the kitchen was ready. So we started with a glass of wine. I had French bubbly and my friend had a French Sauvignon Blanc. The wines were nice and a good pour. We ordered the bacon wrapped dates first and they were delicious. We decided we needed a 2nd glass so we added on the Brie cheese plate. That was also delicious. Service was great. Attentive but not over bearing. I will definitely be back. read more

Always enjoy wine and food here. The staff are very friendly and greeting. Service is fast but never rushing you. The food is delish and wine selection to match. My husband and I enjoy coming here and sitting at the bar top. Thank you for always being great read more

This little place is a hidden gem. Not only is it a wonderful local spot to pick up a great bottle of wine, but the menu and service are what you would expect at a five star restaurant. You will not be disappointed to try this spot, and if you are unsure of what to order, simply ask because the customer service is fantastic! We will definitely be returning. read more

A very comfortable place to have a glass of wine and visit. It is quiet and the service is excellent. Food we tried was also very good.

My best friend and I stopped by for wine and cheese, and this place did not disappoint! SERVICE: the person serving us was super helpful when he explained to us everything we didn't thi k we needed to know about wine. Thankfully he was very patient with our many questions, and even changed a drink from our flight to accommodate to our preferences without us asking! Also, apparently the kitchen opens at 6 but we arrived at 4. He was able to make it work for us. They should create some sign for that though because we wouldn't have known. FOOD: we ordered the Big Six flight (3 red and 3 white wines) for $16. Pretty good amount and value in our opinion! The cheese board was also really good. And just so you know, some board comes with unlimited bread, so please ask about that! We ended up stuffing all the cheese down our throats and regretted not asking for more bread haha. OTHERS: parking is ample if you park in the public structure. There are many tables inside so I don't think you'll have a problem finding a seat. A reminder that the kitchen opens at 6! read more

Packing House Wines - 4 different cheeses, dried orange, blanched almonds, bread, jam, honey comb, and olives - Wine Bars Near Me - Claremont, California