Fantastic spot to find good and reasonable wines. The bulk of the store is below $30, with the back room being the exception. The staff are attentive and will answer even the most banal questions, plus if you get on their email list you can hear about tasting events with winemakers. Definitely will continue to support this local gem. read more

I wandered in looking for a wine I was sure they would not have. (Cambiata Tannat). Napa Exchange, from which I had ordered it last, did not have it. Vintage Berkeley said they were sure they could get it for me. They had a case in a few days. And carried it to my car. read more

just stopped into this shop for the first time despite living merely blocks away. I was wowed, not only by their beatify lla curated and a affordable selection, but also at how attentive, knowledgable, and friendly their service is! kudos to you, Nicole! read more

I love how quick and easy this place is. I always pop in before a dinner party to grab a bottle or two. The service is incredible. I love wine but hate wasting time picking it. The staff here is very knowledgable. I normally just tell them my food pairing and my price range and let them do their magic. With their help, I now have a favorite bottle of wine for every protein :) read more

The wines are great and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. Great neighborhood wine store! Highly recommended. Also, the prices are really good. read more

Love love love love. I wandered in one day looking for a sparking red after work, shocked that it was nearly 9 and it was still open. The man behind the counter was super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Not only did they have a fantastic sparkling red, but it was kept in a bath tub! I knew I was in the right place. I am a wheelchair user, and get really nervous around stacks of breakables. As I was talking with the man, I made a confession of my paranoia. He smiled and said that if I was able to knock anything down, it was their fault, not mine. WHOA. I mean, I know this is Berkeley, but I was honestly blown away by such a lovely and genuine response. Every single person who has helped me there since has been just as helpful and knowledgeable. For instance, I once brought some friends of mine in with me, and we jokingly asked the woman there what would compliment the See's root beer flavored sucker my friend had. She laughed... and then proceeded to show us a wine to pair it with. I bought it, because how could I not, and it was great! I try to make it to one of their tastings once a week, and always come home with an exciting new treat. I highly recommend stopping in and supporting a fantastic business. read more

This place is the best the neighborhood has to offer. The staff are friendly, unpretentious, and helpful. The concept -- drinkable wines for under $25 -- is a welcome one, and they often hit homeruns with hard-to-find bottles produced in smaller quantities. Not much else to say. If you go to Vino over Vintage Berkeley, you are either a new resident or just plain confused . . . . "Can I have some more condescension with my purchase, please?" "Just the one bottle today?" [insert nods of agreement from one-time Vino customers ---- here]. read more

I live very close to this location & it always a great experience when I walk by & grab a bottle of wine. It seems like they have something for everyone, some lower-end good California wines to the big bucks. There is always a VERY friendly person at the register who is full of great advice & knowledge. I think that it is on the weekends when they have a tasting for a particular wine, definitely worth it if you are shopping around. read more

This place is fantastic. It takes the whole prentention that tends to surround such establishments and kicks dirt in its face. Affordable small batch wine selection from all over. Super friendly (though not up in your grill) staff. I go in with my wife for a tasting every week to check out the new arrivals. Stay away from Vino on College (towards Rockridge). It is everything Vintage is not. read more

I have purchased numerous bottles of wine in all price range from this shop since they first opened on College Ave, always renewing hope that the last purchase was not representitive of their overall selection. I live in the neighborhood so I want to support Elmwood businesses. For me, wine here almost always has a major taste flaw. Perhaps I have been consistently unlucky, but that rarely happens when I buy recommendations from the wine shops further down College Ave in Oakland. read more

Such a refreshing, wonderfully low-key wine shop! I meandered in there this afternoon in workout clothes and running shoes--not my most serious, professional look--and was happily surprised by the staff's willingness to engage in conversation and answer questions. The set-up of the store is simple: reds on the left, whites and rosés on the right. The airy, expansive atmosphere lends itself to wandering and the placement of wine bottles and written descriptions right at eye-level makes for easy, comfortable navigation. Decor and set-up aside, the phenomenal prices are by far the highlight of Vintage Berkeley. All the wines on display are sold for less than $25 and there were some outstanding bottles in the $15-$18 range. Furthermore, all the wines come from small producers and the selection changes frequently. Along with the creative, deliciously irreverent descriptions of each wine, this lends an intimate feel to the selections and gives you a great feel for the owners, their style and taste. I am always happy when wine is removed from the realm of snobbery and placed where normal people can access it in a comfortable, unpretentious environment. Between it's layout, prices and mellow, knowledgeable staff, Vintage Berkeley provides that in spades. read more

Best wine store ever. Period. I know that every time I go in to the shop that I will get a quality bottle for a great price. Everyone who works there knows their stuff and is super helpful and friendly. Plus, wine tastings!! read more

When this wine shop first moved into the neighborhood I had high hopes But have since been disappointed. I'd say one out of four bottles I get from them is not great but has never been bad. (Not Spoiled but not a good wine.) Unfortunately I had one the other night. These things happen and I would expect with a quality local Merchant like this they would respect the feedback and happily exchange the wine. Unfortunately that was not the case. Why go here when I can get better service from Trader Joes? They have lost my business over the profit from one bottle rather than earn a loyal customer. I hope other merchants can learn from this review. read more

I used to go there a couple of years ago when the staff knew their wine very well. But the current staff is a complete joke. They have no idea what they are talking about. When I went there today, I asked for a Grenache rose from the Cote du Rhone region. They offered me a Chinon rose (that's made from Cabernet franc in the Loire Valley). But even if they didn't know these technicalities, they could still appreciate the taste of the wine. But what they recommended was about as tasteful as lemonade. I dumped both bottles after tasting half a glass of each. If you like good wine and seek good advice don't waste your time going there. read more

This is my favorite wine shop, hands down. Their quarterly wine club is a great deal and I have never been disappointed. In store the service is attentive and knowledgeable. read more

I know beer very well but little about wine. I walked in and the descriptions were so well-written I went home with a couple affordable bottles I really enjoyed. The descriptions talked about the specific vineyard, described the style and grapes, and also went into the process. I felt like I was becoming informed and if I paid attention, I could become knowledgeable and have a deeper appreciation of what I was drinking. Again, informative and unpretentious, none of that absurd florid narrative that reads like mediocre poetry. I'll be back! read more

Boooooo. Asked for a wine recommendation for a dinner party tonight. Guy made me feel stupid for not knowing what kind of spices our friends are using on their seafood tonight, and said he couldn't help. Really? You couldn't just steer me in a direction? Make me feel glad I came in? His tone and snobbery were really condescending. This is the second (out of 2!) time I have experienced noteworthy rudeness there. Going to stick with the wine shop in Rockridge a few blocks down. read more

I was having dinner in the area and just dropped in to pick up a bottle of wine. The attendant was very nice, not pushy and informative. The space has a wide selection but is not pretentious. Will definitely return. read more

Whether you're at the North Berkeley location or this one, the service is top notch. I've been to shops where they simply try to sell or give you a b.s. line about the wine. But, at Vintage Berkeley, they listen first and then offer recommendations tailored to your needs. And, if you tell them your price range and it's on the low side, they don't balk and they don't condescend. This was totally cool, especially this past year when money was tight for so many of us. read more

A great local wine shop and really helpful people. You know that already from other reviews, but I am writing this review because they went above and beyond when I clumsily dropped a bottle on the floor. It shattered, spilling wine everywhere. They couldn't have been nicer about it and wouldn't even let me pay for the bottle. How cool they were about it is just another reason to love this place. read more

Bought a bottle of wine last night. Asked person at counter about it who said it was unique but nothing more. Tasted like cleaning solution. So, went to return it today, including the two glasses I had poured. She said she warned me it was funky (which she did not). Would not return my money or give me a store credit. Really unfortunate as we live two blocks away, on my walk home from BART, and I will never by a bottle of wine there again. Thank God there are many other nearby options. read more