Wow, what a fun event! Haven't reviewed it until now because I had bookmarked it wrong, but it was such a blast. Loved all the tasty foods, and the incredible wines... The sparkling sake was such a fun surprise! We got to know DTSM so much better, and ending at the shoe store with the orthotic saleslady was a great choice-- both my fiance and my friend's boyfriend got brand new orthotics that they love! Vino, nibbles, and shoe inserts... What more could you want??! read more

Such a blast! I received tickets to this even as part of a Yelp promo and I am SO happy that I had the opportunity to attend. I would gladly buy tickets to this wine walk in the future. The way that the wine walk was structured was that wineries were hosted by different facilities around San Mateo. The facilities ranged from an eye glasses shop to a chocolate shop - really provided a great scope of different places you can go in San Mateo. There was a TON of great food, but the stand out place was Sharona's... my goodness if I lived in San Mateo you would need a forklift to get me out of Sharona's. Wine + Chocolate = taste bud magnificence. read more

Volunteered and then participated in this year's Wine Walk, first helping out with check in and later participating as a walker/taster! This was a perfect chance to first meet the generous and enthusiastic team that organized the entire event before going off and enjoying the experience from a participants perspective. As a volunteer I felt welcomed, my job was pretty simple- to help with placing wrist bands, and I was well supported. I got the chance to offer to help in a few different roles which was warmly received and I appreciated the opportunity to stretch and help in many ways. Overall the experience as a volunteer was lots of fun and it was very easy to transition to participating. As a participant: I was very impressed by the energy and enthusiasm of all of the volunteers and participants. A big thank you to the shops that opened their doors to welcome in local restaurants to display foods, vineyards to share wines and community members to mingle. The event was well organized, though navigating the streets was a little daunting at times with some areas lacking sidewalks and even street side closures. The map provided in the pamphlet was definitely helpful. The central check in area featured a lovely band that really played music to set the scene for an afternoon stroll through town. There was a small booth from KGO and the Harvest Festival as well as an awesome Bacon but not much else happening in the center area- I think this space could be used to liven up community awareness a bit more and generate excitement for the event. The representation of different local vineyards was great, I learned about many more hidden tasting rooms in our local neighborhoods than I thought possible. With 13 different groups pouring in different locations each with food from different vendors the breadth of options was certainly vast and easily could consume the full afternoon. The provisions ran out in several locations so we did not get to try much of the foods but were pleased with what we got. Highlights from the event: - Food: Pacific Catch served little shrimp ceviche and and poke cups that were totally awesome and really refreshing in between tastings. - Wine: Pat Paulsen Vineyards creative coffee wine series takes the prize in my book. Their espresso infused wine opened a new concept that I hadn't tried before and really appeals to me the way a port would. My first description was that it tasted like the Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso beans that you'd find at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Really delicious. - Tasting room atmosphere: Edmond's Plaza Florist was by far the most surprising but totally fun tasting room experience! We walked in and within moments of getting wine happily poured into my taster glass I had a flower pinned in my hair, I was invited to a dance party with snacks and no one was without a smile. This was a great, lively way to celebrate community, happiness, flowers, and a Saturday of fun. Overall a really fun event, I definitely enjoyed participating as a Volunteer/Participant and worth checking out if you like learning about local businesses and a chance to meet their creators! read more

San Mateo Wine Walk - Glasses ready! - Festivals Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Thank you Yelp for giving me tickets to this awesome event! I had bookmarked this event as something I've been wanting to try and am so glad that Yelp gave me the chance to attend. Going in the years to come is something I will definitely do! The wine walk happens around downtown San Mateo, which is an area I already love. It's very low-key and you just walk into the stores/restaurants listed on the map. Each place has different reds and whites to try as well as a bunch of scrumptious hors d'oeuvres. My favorite was the chocolate shop - they had chocolate dipped strawberries, graham crackers, oreos... I only wish I had two stomachs for that stop! read more

My GF and I attended the San Mateo Wine Walk, compliments of Yelp (thanks)! Overall, we had a wine-tastic time and really enjoyed ourselves. There were tons of wineries paired with great local businesses, many of which were catered by local restaurants! Nice work San Mateo. We really enjoyed the Flower Shop on 3rd Avenue which gave a rose to every lady and also Sharona's Chocolate Shop which offered samples of their delicious treats! I only tried the chocolate dipped Oreo, but there were so many awesome things to try here! We also loved the wine and ravioli that was being served in First National Bank on 3rd Avenue! Although some of the shops had long lines, I rarely got the feeling that this event was overcrowded (1 or 2 stores were a tight squeeze). The lines did seem to move quickly though . My gf had the great idea to go visit the shops/wineries on the outskirts knowing that the crowds likely wouldn't venture that far. And for the most part this strategy paid off. We were able to stop at almost all the winery tastings, and we even showed up an hour or so late. Great event Yelp, and thanks for the complimentary tickets! read more

This review is for the 2016 wine walk. It was overpriced ($40 per person) disorganized and the wine purveyors were so CHEAP!!! Unlike other local wine walks, San Mateo doesn't shut down a section of streets. They collaborate with about nine local businesses in downtown that serve wine. You get a map, and search out the different places that are participating and then go on a scavenger hunt trying to find the wine. You have to finish your wine in the store (no wine in the street, which is fine but detracts from the fun wine walk experience of the other festivals like Los Altos or Palo Alto "Hey! I'm walking down the street with a glass of wine!!" Childish I know but it's just a little bit of Mardi Gras for a few hours...let us live it up already!) Look, everyone going to these things wants to drink some serious wine. They should give you a "game plan" - you end up walking all around downtown trying to find different stores that are participating. So you spend a lot of time walking up and down looking for the participating vendors - Baking Arts, Cheap Peets, jewelry stores, florists, frame shops, banks, optometrists, Draeger's. The signage is so poor, it's like they want to make it as difficult as possible to find the wine. Draeger's tasting was on the top floor, and the escalator broken... The 2016 experience was awful. Very cheap pours, seriously like two sips, warm white wine, only two chardonnay's (it's summer!! Have more whites!!) Oh, and the worst was the sad "snacks" (one place had three greasy, cold Amici's pizzas...another, cubes of cheese from Costco. Equinox had "truffle popcorn" that tasted stale.) Cheap Peets' staff was very festive, making smores and being very welcoming. But you can tell the wineries participating look down on the participants. Hey, we are there to drink wine. We took Caltrain and weren't driving, but every wine purveyor was extremely stingy and condescending. I think they start getting discouraged that people aren't buying bottles. What is the $40 for? The equivalent of 2 glasses of wine, seriously. Oh, and the sad "snacks." The one exception was the gal from Wrights Station. She gave nice pours and passes to a tasting at their tasting room. Also a shout out to both jewelry stores staff that participated. They were very welcoming. One offered to clean my wedding band and it looks so sparkly! Most of the businesses were extremely overheated and we couldn't wait to try the wines and get out. Skip this wine walk. Go to any other of the local wine walks. read more

I received complimentary tickets to this event from Yelp and it was a blast. I had been to one other wine walk before in San Francisco, so I kind of knew what to expect. It was a little more crowded than I had anticipated, but I think it is because it was on a Saturday. Easy access from the Caltrain station. I also was kind of confused that some vendors didn't have wine at all... they said they were a "water station", yet it didn't say any differently on the map. Maybe for next year they can designate which locations are wine and which are water (and maybe even have the winery that is pouring on the map so we can refer to later if we want to look them up)??? Anyway, we still had a great time and the area was condensed enough so as not to have to walk too far. Would definitely attend again. read more

Hit & Miss. Sadly, the information available online prior to the event was lacking - would streets be closed? Was it an outdoor event, or inside shops? Were actual wineries providing the wine or the local businesses? Would we get a wine glass? Could non-drinking friends participate? I was able to get the last question answered by the Downtown SM facebook page - another person asked and they replied. So it seemed if I cared enough I could have asked my questions and gotten answers. It would have been nice though to be directed to an information page rather than facebook or the eventbrite ticket sales. Check in was simple and painless. The route seemed great, and easy to follow - however because it was a pretty good layout, it seemed like everyone started in the same place. I loved that we had actual wineries participating (rather than local businesses buying 2 buck chuck and serving that themselves) - however there needed to be a better flow of people. The downside to the wineries, is that it seemed as though people were getting "private tastings" - all about grapes, and growth, and methods, and vinticulture, while the line grew behind them. The stores became easily packed and a little bit claustrophobic feeling. By the time we reached the front we were so anxious to not contribute to the crazy crowds, we got our pours and bolted. Which led to the pink shirt police - no leaving the premises with your smidgen of wine. I get it. But let's do like summer fest, and close the streets, and allow for a little bit more of a relaxed atmosphere. The weather was beautiful, and it was a HOT day, being crowded in a store packed in like cattle was no way to enjoy the wine. I also felt like this took away from the feeling of being at an event. I will say Sharona's and Edmond's both were fun places to visit. They really went for it! This style event works so much better for some businesses than others - and they both tapped into something that worked for them! Sharona was able to sell chocolate to customers while waiting in line (making it a much more pleasant experience), and once we reached the tasting area, she had chocolate dipped strawberries, graham crackers, and oreos. Edmond's passed out a flower to each of the ladies. Had bites from 31st union, and a great layout for Wine Walkers to walk in, get their wine, walk through the store and see their wares, grab a bite or two, enjoy some dancing (if so desired) and then walk back out. It also helped that it was nice and cool inside. Unfortunately, the crowds in the stores (it didn't feel crowded on the streets) made us want to head out early. We only got to about half of the businesses, and didn't get to taste much wine. The wine walk has so much potential - and I wanted it to be fantastic - the addition of Wineries is a huge plus - there just needs to be a different type of layout. Local businesses partner with a winery for a street booth, perhaps? And more information up front. Please & thank you. Keep at it. This event has great bones, it just needs better execution! read more

I've attended the Wine Walk several times over the years -- from its original iteration (nighttime, wander from store to store, happen upon some spots offering crummy crackers and Martinelli's--which I love, but I didn't spend $ to get Martinelli's) to its close-off-the-streets-and-visit-booths version (featuring a kind-of-random-selection-of-wine from all over the world), and now the 2013 version -- which, in many ways, went back to the roots of the event, but with a bunch of improvements. I have to say that I loved this year's version best of all. I had a grand time. First: yay to going into the businesses for the vino and nibbles. Quality stuff everywhere -- even if someplace "just" had cheese, it was good cheese. BIG props to Sharona's Chocolate Shop, which not only had Kathy's Kreative Kakes, but also was putting out chocolate-dipped graham crackers, strawberries, and Oreos. DANG! Plus, I really didn't need to know that they sell not only their own chocolates, and not only Portlandian awesomeness Moonstruck, but the awesome TCHO + Blue Bottle collab bar. SIGH. And the wine on offer definitely represented a huge step up in quality. They offered favorites like Rock Wall and Burrell School, to new-to-me finds like Jazz Cellars, Left Bend, Liquid Sky, MJA, Pelican Ranch, Vino Vargas, and Two Mile. I thoroughly enjoyed what I tasted, and felt that the choices reflected a great selection of local (REALLY local, as in Foster City!) wines and Santa Cruz Mountains wineries. Most spots had more than one wine to choose from (in fact, several had three, and many offered a couple choices that weren't listed in the booklet in addition to what was represented there). Though Syrah and Zin seemed to predominate, the different spots offered us imbibers quite a round of choices. Interestingly, several spots had Viognier, and I also spied a couple Pinotages around. Even better, most (if not all) of the spots had winery reps there. What an awesome experience -- discovering new wineries (and for some, learning about different varietals). Given this serious upgrade, it's no wonder they raised the price of admission. I can't think of another local wine festival that even compared AT ALL in this respect. Also it was really nice to go into all the businesses. I think this model really benefits them. I went into several places I wouldn't normally (need to) visit and had good chats with the owners and employees. Other major pluses: * I'm SO glad the organizer went with the stemmed glasses. The non-stemmed are nice, but they get difficult to carry around. * Flywheel Press and the superawesome opportunity to make my own letterpress print and buy some local art (PS Go to First Friday!!). * Hydration Stations Elements Massage and Scandanavian Designs with cold bottles of water. * Thanks for the free tote bag, Scandanavian Designs! * Not blocking off the streets meant that more parking was available. * 2-5 PM: smart planning on their part. "Enjoy lunch before or dinner after!" Gotcha. And it's not like eating downtown requires much twisting of my arm, anyway. * Did I mention Sharona's Chocolate Shop and their chocolate? I was seriously giddy! * Loved "The Grotto": art and wine. Would love more collaborative art spaces downtown. And let's add more literature to the mix! * Somehow the crowd stayed mellow. In the way-past, I used to refer to this as the "Wine Stumble" because that's basically what it was: a slice of Isla Vista right in downtown San Mateo. This year, people had fun, but it didn't seem like one big dragnet for public intoxication. * And a shout-out to the Creator for the beautiful sunny day we got to enjoy. He cooperated with the downtown association on that one and didn't even ask to be a sponsor. ;) TL; DR: Experience local businesses. Talk to business owners. Mingle with other locals. Discover new wines and wineries. For me, this is what the experience should be all about. And it makes me proud to be a part of this community. Good job, DSMA, local businesses, wineries, and all involved! OH and one more thing. I'd love to see San Mateo have more fun events like this, but that didn't necessarily focus on alcohol. The festival earlier this summer was a step in that direction, but I'm thinking maybe it needed a bit more promotion... and perhaps more collaboration with the local businesses and community organizations. read more

Great event. Low key... which is nice compared to wine walks in the city. No drunk people stumbling around! It was a good way to get to know downtown San Mateo. The shop keepers were nice and I even picked up a birthday gift for a friend's daughter. There was plenty of appetizers everywhere and the wine was great! I came this year with Yelp tickets. I would definitely go back next year. read more

Love these kinds of events! I luckily got 2 free tickets to this event, so I invited a friend for a perfect day of wine and food pairings. The weather was absolutely perfect that day too. It was a great way to try some Bay Area wineries that I'd never even heard of before. I'd always gone to Napa for my wine excursions, so it's nice to know we've got some great local options as well. Not to mention food! I think it's very worth the ticket price, and I'd definitely pay for admission next year. read more