"You telling me that wine is better than Pepsi? Huh, no way wine is better than Pepsi." - George…read moreCostanza, Seinfeld da Scene: Yelped them for pre-dinner spot. Kinda hidden on a corner right off University & 5th; make the right onto 6th & scoot around to park on 5th or University. They buzz you in, best to make a res., but seems like walk-ins are ok. Very modern, yet welcoming feel, tables spaced well for intimate encounters and a bar with Hightop seating. da Grub & Libation: I had res. for a buddy & I and belly up to the bar; they offered a table, but we're bar flies by nature. Very diverse wines by the glass & bottle so we had 4 different glasses w/ a modest charcuterie plate. da Service: Excellent, warm, friendly and genuinely so. I look forward to my next visit, whether it's for a contemplative glass in solitude or with the wife on a pre-dinner excursion. Hidden Gem, find them and enjoy!

Amazing place. Very comfy, elegant, and the owner is an amazing person that understands a lot about…read morewine and has amazing recommendations. You definitely need to come and have a good end of the day relaxing with good wine.

Now that I have a lot more experience with Noria, I wanted to update my review. We've visited many…read moretimes and joined the wine club as well. First, these are the nicest people in the wine business. Warm and gracious and extremely knowledgable about the wine and vineyards. When we first qwnt to Noria, it was mostly superb Pinots and Chardonnay. Since, they've added a wonderful Gewürztraminer and a bomb Sauvignon Blanc as well. These are finely crafted wines from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma and beyond (no, they don't have rows of vines in Berkeley) and the bang for the buck is off the charts. I'm mostly a red drinker and only enjoy Pinots occasionally and Noria was my go-to. The addition of more white wines (and rosé) combined with my move to a warmer climate have made Noria indespensible for me. Absolutely check them out. Do yourself a favor and start at Noria, go across the street to Broc Cellars and then Donkey and Goat for a perfect wine tasting day right in Berkeley.

Nestled in an unexpected location, Noria Wines, a Japanese-owned winery, is a true hidden gem that…read moresurpasses all expectations. From its modest façade, you'd never guess the incredible wine that awaits within. Stepping inside, I was greeted with a warm and inviting atmosphere that harmoniously blends Japanese elegance with classic winery charm. The selection of wines is nothing short of impressive, offering a diverse range that caters to both red and white wine lovers. Each wine I sampled showcased unique flavors and a refined balance that spoke volumes! The barrel room and outdoor seating area made the winery cozy and comfortable! Definitely will be returning to try out more of their wines

Love love Hammerling! They are located in the Berkeley or Gilman wine block, an area with several…read morewineries. They are known for their California Sparkling wines. My first visit was for their "Thirst Trap" sparkling wine tasting. It is a very cute and comfy and spacious tasting room with seating inside and outside. They also partner with a few wineries in the area for1st Fridays, the perfect time to try wines and food from their vendors. This spot is on my list for wine tasting in Berkeley!

Who knew Berkeley had some nice wineries?! Parking isn't too bad and there are wineries close by…read moreyou can walk to. I only stopped by here for a glass but the ambiance was really cute. Their outdoor seating is perfect for a nice sunny day. They share walls with Donkey & Goat which is perfect for a nice wine hop. They do have different food vendors too, so be sure to check out their IG to see what's on the menu. Their wine was a pleasant surprise and very pretty colors! I admired their wine label designs too. Would probably buy a bottle just for the look haha. Can't wait to come back here again and try more of their wines. And maybe eat somewhere beforehand or afterwards.

Very nice staff, fun location with a really nice outdoor seating area, interesting wines!…read more We didn't try any of the snacks, but they had some that we might try next time. We did teo flights of wine and they were very light and crisp. The staff was super nice and walked us through the wine selections and helped us to an outside seating area where we got to enjoy the sunshine. The outdoor seating area looks to be great for groups as it's large and covered!

Great wine tasting service! Alex was very patient with my indecision lol!…read moreWe selected tasting the Thanksgiving table, $35 And Fox Hill harvest $30 Loved the 2014 Sunshine Rosato! Since it was a cold night we finished our night with hot tea Genamaicha

A little urban winery with back and front patios. They offer really unique and well-produced wine…read more Came for a break between jobs near by and enjoyed two glasses of the Greco Bianco. This was s totally new varietal for me and its so unique with beautiful color. They do offer little snacks but its more of a curation of prepackaged things that they them bring to you to open and enjoy vs a kitchen where they're producing the food themselves. Prices a little steep but I think thats just bay area things....

We used to like this place enough that we were actually members for several years, but definitely…read morenot anymore. The biggest reason is how extremely unwelcoming most of the staff are. We regularly felt ignored, talked down to, or just uncomfortable. We also got repeatedly over charged for things and would have to get it fixed. We went back for an event today for the first time in 5 or 6 months, and were reminded of why we stopped all over again. We got 2 glasses and the pours were tiny, and we got over charged TWICE. Even after catching it the first time, they messed it up a 2nd time that we noticed once we saw the emailed receipt. I just can't go back counting on an unpleasant or frustrating experience almost every time at this point.

Cute little spot and delicious, unique wine! The winemaker poured our tasting and was very friendly…read moreand knowledgeable. Dog-friendly and relaxed!

A small winery, with a cozy tasting experience. This spot is cool because you get to sit where the…read morewine is made and interact directly with the owner who makes the wine himself. All the wines were delightful and would be worthwhile visiting for again :)

Had the Mensch wine last night. The red was excellent. I don't drink much white wine but I had…read moresome and it was quite drinkable. If looking for a wine for a Jewish holiday I think this fits the bill

We highly recommend a tasting experience at Covenant Winery in Berkeley. The Morgan family has a…read moreheartwarming approach to making wine, coupled with years of experience and vast knowledge of the science as well as the art of producing a truly great product. We'll be going back again!

Attempted to call as choice one to visit this business the the # located on the yelp…read more.. I call apparently unaware that I am reaching someone's personal phone. I had to ask probing questions about if this phone # is affiliated to this business because the person on the other end seemed to not know what I was talking about. Found out it's the "owner" and u must visit by appointment. The add on yelp is very misleading and left a foul taste speaking to the owner that seemed completely unaware that this # was listed for his business on yelp.

This place is an incredible find. A friend of a friend recommended this place. The wine tasting and…read morepaired with some delicious za. We truly enjoyed both their whites and red and even bottle of sauv blanc to enjoy at home. Can't wait to come back, though they only are open on weekends.

What a fun place to find! We weren't even looking for a sale tasting and museum place. My hubby and…read moreI were just driving around and found this gem! The people here are super friendly. They greet you and they accept walk-ins. If you want to go on a weekend then it's probably best to make a reservation. I was told it gets crowded. Lucky us, we came in on a weekday. No crowd. We watched a video on the process of making sake and we also did a self tour of the museum. We spent most of our time doing the tasting because we have never done a sake tasting before. It was very enjoyable. Karen was our lovely host and she knew enough about the sakes to help us out, The place is absolutely beautiful with paper looking birds hanging from the ceiling. Also the woodwork and displays were very elegant. I will probably visit again if I'm ever up here. I'm so glad we found it.

This was a completely last-minute stop for us, so we didn't make reservations ahead of time for the…read moresake tasting. The original plan was just to check out the museum, get a feel for the tasting area, and maybe come back another time with a bigger group for the full experience. We had no idea how large the facility actually was or that it's been around since 1983. The museum itself was really well done and surprisingly informative, and we enjoyed being able to look through the viewing window into the sake production area. Before leaving, we wandered into the retail section to check out the products for sale. They carry both the sake made on-site as well as selections imported from Japan. One of the employees came over to see if we had any questions, and I mentioned being curious about the fruit-flavored sake they produce. She immediately offered us samples. The pineapple and Fuji apple flavors were the ones I was most interested in, and both were fantastic. Then they mixed in some unfiltered sake with them, which somehow made them even better. After that, they offered us a sparkling sake to try, and we loved that too. Needless to say, I didn't leave empty-handed. I ended up buying bottles of the pineapple, Fuji apple, and sparkling sake before we headed out. The two employees helping us were absolutely wonderful... friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely excited to share the products with us. I joked that we somehow managed to get a free sake tasting without even making a reservation. Even after all that, we still plan to come back for the full tasting experience, which sounds much more in-depth and includes a guided production tour and short film over about 90 minutes. The entire facility was spotless and beautifully maintained. Overall, it was an unexpectedly great experience, and we're definitely planning a return visit with friends to do the full tasting next time.

Local iconic cocktail bar with a standout whiskey and mezcal collection. Always enjoy the warm…read moreambience and impeccable service available here. We hosted my wife's 40th Birthday party at Acme for 40+ guests and worked directly with Jennifer (owner) to plan the whole thing. Jennifer did an absolutely knockout job ensuring the party had the best variety of tasty finger foods (including platters of fresh oysters from Monterey Fish Market with champagne to start), a hosted bar with specialty cocktails (Terence's drinks are always ), and incredible staff to keep my wife - and all our guests - incredibly happy. We were able to reserve a cute patio area with private bar and a private large room for our guests. I cannot wait for the next opportunity to host an event here again!

I'm not sure whether it was the bartender who assisted me that evening, but unfortunately the…read morecustomer service I experienced was very disappointing. I tried to start a friendly conversation and ask a few questions about the drinks, however the responses I received were very brief and limited to only the drink names, which made the interaction feel unwelcoming. I also noticed that we were the only Latino guests there at the time, and throughout our visit we felt largely ignored. As a result, the overall atmosphere did not feel comfortable or inclusive to us. Based on this experience, I did not feel welcomed at this bar in Berkeley and would not recommend it. Even though we live only a few minutes away, it didn't feel like a place worth returning to or spending our time and money at.