CheeseboardExcellent service and ambiance. Troy was the best wine server. Extremely knowledgeable and personable. Wine was delicious! Will definitely be going back with friends. Wine Lab is a gem. read more

The server was really knowledgeable and created a great wine flight. Food offerings were good but limited. Need a gluten free option.

Service could have been better they were too busy enjoying themselves with wine RATHER than recommending what else was good. STAFF DRINKS ON THE CLOCK NOT JUST TASTE read more

Cool concept but terrible service. Edwin seemed like he didn't care to be there and didn't really provide any suggestions. We got the tasting and left. read more

I love this place. It is so convenient to expand your wine horizons, and they have some really great deals! The staff is super engaging about their wines and love to tell you about the ones you're interested in. I highly recommend the wine lab! read more

I booked a candle making and wine experience at the Wine Lab. We were hyped for the event and couldn't wait to have wine and learn something new. While the owner of Wickid Candle is awesome, my experience at the Wine Lab was not as great. It was so insignificant that I can't remember the guy's name that was pouring us the wine. I'm not a wine snob but I have had some wine education and drank my share of interesting wines to enjoy good wine. He went off on a particular wine that we were not too keen on. He went on and on that "earth notes" are invalidated. I was ready to buy a couple of mediocre wines just to support but now I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there. Overall, we enjoyed our pleasant encounter with Jeff from the Wickid Candle workshop. Gave 2 stars to be nice. read more

The wine lab is located near so many good restaurants! We wish we knew this before coming for our 3pm reservation since we ate somewhere else beforehand. The wine comes in cool test tubes and you can order either the red or white wine flight to taste test the variety of wines. They also have a by the glass wine selections - the moscato was our favorite and a great choice if you like sweet wines. We also really enjoyed our cheese plate which came with fig jam yum yum yum. read more

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service is always wonderful. friendly staff. serving warm red wine makes no sense for a wine bar. red wine is not served at room temperature. any wine bar owner must know this. ruined what should have been a nice glass. read more

The Wine Lab has been our go to after dinner "dessert" bar on our monthly date nights or anniversary celebrations over the past few years. Its staff is always presentable, friendly and helpful with suggestions for wine that you may like to try. I am usually a beer guy, and since going to the Wine Lab for the past few years I've re-opened up my pallet for wine. Which makes my wife happier, although we're not on the same spectrum for flavor. lol From a previous visit in February to one this weekend. The staff helped me chase down what I enjoyed the last visit. Which I will admit took 3-4 samplings to narrow it down. Even though I took a picture of the bottle from our last visit, I misplaced that photo... Got one this time though. =D We truly enjoy sitting at the U-shaped bar. If we're stuck sitting at a table, we try and move to the bar if able. The tables are nice to have those indiscreet conversations with your date. And a few are large enough for 4 or more people. There's outside seating, but we've lucked out on being inside each time. The lab itself has a nice comfortable relaxed and fairly quiet atmosphere. They routinely show classic movies and silently too. Which makes it more fun when you overhear someone making a comment about the movie being shown. We are always pleasantly surprised with the near 3:1 service the staff provides. All of them seem cover each others customers, making sure everyone is having a great time. Yesterday's service was exceptional. Especially with one of them chasing us down into the parking lot to return my cell phone which I left on the bar.... Oops, and THANKS! We look forward to going again. C. read more

Great atmosphere with delicious wines. I got a flight for some variety, and they were all delicious. The only bad thing was finding parking. read more

Wine Lab - Wine flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Such a cute date spot! Either with your significant other or with one of your friends to catch up :) The setting was pretty small and intimate. There wasn't a lot of people when we went on a Wednesday afternoon for happy hour. Pretty easy to find a spot to sit at but if it were busy I could imagine how hard it would be getting a table since there wasn't that many. They don't take reservations for a party of 2 (FYI). I would suggest going during happy hour because of their prices :) 1 flight (either white or red wine) comes with 3 test tubes of different type of wines but is only equivalent to 1 glass of wine for $9. I feel like I wouldn't want to spend more than that on such a small amount of wine so happy hour is the way to go but you are paying for a mixture. Getting the flight helped us choose which types of wine we wanted to drink after. We got 2 flights of wine, 1 cheese plate & I believe 6 glasses of wine and our check was about $75 before tip. Pretty reasonable for a nice little place that's definitely Instagram worthy :) Both of our servers were really nice and helpful when choosing wines as well which was a plus! read more

Wine Lab - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Really loved the experience here! Decided to come here last minute on a Saturday night and called to see if I could make a reservation for a party of two and was informed that it was not needed because we would probably be able to find a seat anywhere. Located in the CAMP, we walked right in and saw a sign that said that we could seat ourselves so we sat up at the bar. We were greeted right away and the flight menu and was explained very clearly to us and also saw that food items were located in the back of the menu. We ordered our flights and a Goat Cheese plate with a Brie flatbread that never came. The Cheese plate was dropped off by another server and he walked us through the cheeses and his suggestions on which to pair what with and we enjoyed it. Halfway through we realized that our flatbread still didn't arrive and our original server never came back to check on us until we were done with our flight and Cheese plate. We didn't say anything because at that point it didn't matter anymore. Really enjoyed it here, just wished the server was a little more attentive to us to check back on us to see if we needed anything or if we were missing anything. PARKING: Private lot but you can do valet for $3 read more

Wine Lab - Goat Cheese plate with wine flight - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Tried this place out while we were on our way to our last bridesmaid dress appointment. The place was small but clean & quant. We got service pretty quickly considering it was a little place. We tried out the famous flights which is how the name comes into play. "Wine Lab," a very creative & luring way to bring in new customers. I did enjoy my self & service was great. The whole shopping and dining spectrum offers a couple options for everyone's unique taste. Mine was definitely satisfied with my few glasses of wine! read more

Wine Lab - Bar area, selection of red flights. Hence, " Wine Lab." - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My husband and I really enjoyed ourselves here. We decided to stop by while waiting for a table at a restaurant next door. The service was great. The staff was friendly and attentive. The wines and cheese plate were good and the lab theme is a cute concept. We would definitely return! read more

Came here with some friends to have a fancy night. The Wine Lab does go with its lab theme and serve their flight of wines in test tubes. The room is very dim, also lit by candles in pyrex beakers. The area is also pretty small and when we went, a majority of the seats were reserved for an event. We were seated on the side bar area. My friends and I ordered 3 flights, two red and one white. The people serving us were super attentive and checked up on us a lot. They give you a description of each wine they are letting you sample from its origin to the taste you will be experiencing. From tasting all the types of wines, I personally liked the white wine flight. I loved the flavor of each of the wines and they were very light ( I'm a lightweight so this was perfect). Each flight was $9, so splitting it with a friend was super affordable. Come during happy hour from 4pm-6pm I believe (thats where you can get the $9 flights!). The atmosphere is super nice, the wine is nice, the servers are super nice (and help you take aesthetic pictures). I'd come back here again for a destressor! read more

I hosted my daughter's college graduation party here with a group of about 14 people. I was able to preorder food which was delicious and served right on time. Edwinn's wine selections were perfect and complimented the food wonderfully! The event coordinator, Jade, was very attentive and anticipated our every need. She provided exceptional service and was a pleasure to work with. We brought in a few small decorations to add to the festivities. Her party was a huge success and enjoyed by all thanks to the excellent care and service provided by the staff. read more

I visited this place on Friday last week and had a terrible experience. It's such a beautiful spot, ruined by bad financial conditions. I liked the wine I tried, so wanted to buy a bottle to continue enjoying from. I was told that after buying the bottle from them, they would charge me a 18.00 corkage fee. I understand this if I bring my own bottle, but not if I'm buying theirs. I chose to check out and left, very disappointed. Way to pretentious a place for me to enjoy. read more

Wine Lab is so trendy and by far the COOLEST wine bar I have ever been too!! :) We went in on a Wednesday night and got in at 5:00, right before happy hour ends. We got the happy hour red flight and white flight ($8 each). The wine was amazing and also a great price! My personal favorite was the rosé we tried :) This place is very very cool for people who want to experiment with different wines and try to figure out what they like (quite like myself). The staff is so helpful and throughly explains every wine, answering all questions in depth! The cheese plates are AMAZING. We got the cheese and honey pairings plate and I was so impressed! Everything tasted great and the plate was so different, nothing like I have ever tried before. I will most definitely be back to this place, hopefully very very soon!!! :) read more

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Not only was this place so cute and in a really cute outdoor shopping center but the wine and the flatbread they have omg SOOOOO GOOOD

#7 review for Yelp 100 Challenge Totally love this place. What a great find! It's modern and unique ambiance makes for a casual setting whether you are on date or with a small group. Our pairing was chef's choice. I do recall slices of apples and fig, grapes, crackers - regular and graham, charcuterie which included prosciutto & salami, goat cheese, brie, and other yummies like macadamia nuts & cashews, etc... We ordered two of their wine flight which was a good deal. It included four test tubes of whites and reds together. Our server gave them a few choices, otherwise I think it's house selected. Chel is a cab dranker so I went with what she recommended after asking me what I liked. The Cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon was suggested and poured. The scent of oak and taste of dark plum made this my favorite almost instantly. I recall tasting this at Rutherford during my Napa trip in 2014. Absolutely a great pick. I know I am not an expert on wines by any means and having gone on several wine tasting tours doesn't make me an expert either but I know what I like and don't like. And this one I likey! I can't wait to return and experience it all over again! Cheers! read more

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What happens when a bunch of science nerds find a hidden little gem that serves wine in test tubes? We gotta try it! As someone who doesn't have much wine experience beyond Stella rosa and sangria, I was very excited to come here with my boyfriend for our first mini wine tasting. We came during happy hour and the bar was pretty chill and empty. We ordered a cheese platter which was about $13 and two flights- one red and one white($9/flight). The server was very informative in telling us what type of wine we will be trying and where it came from. The wine lab is situated inside the Camp which is like a very hipstery, mini shopping strip so we got to walk around a bit afterwards. Overall I very much enjoy my experience and I can't wait to come back! read more

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After asking a worker which flight of the week she recommends, we ended up going with the Organic Spanish Tinto (~$15) & the Boutique Pinot Noir (~$18). Each flight, which consists of three test tubes full of three different types of wine, is equivalent to a glass of wine. My boyfriend & I aren't huge wine drinkers so this was all very new to us haha. Along with the two flights, we of course ordered a cheese platter as well, which had two different kind of crackers, jam, pickles, apple slices, goat milk cheese, cow milk cheese, & sheep milk cheese! (sorry I forgot the actual names of the cheeses) I really enjoyed this new experience and I would most definitely come when I'm in the area again. It was a cute, classy date with a nice ambiance & very sweet workers! read more

Wine Lab - two wine flights & a cheese platter plate that was recommended to be ordered with red wine :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Located in the camp. For Costa Mesa restaurant week, they are offering a special for 3 wine and 3 cheeses for $20. They have good service and explain the wine flavors and wine pairing before you eat. They have unique pairings of sweet and salty. The presentation of the wine in test tubes is very cute. You can pay ~35 per month to join their wine club and you get club member discounts and 2 bottles of wine a month. read more

Wine Lab - $20 Costa Mesa restaurant week deal. So worth it. - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Just came here with a friend for drinks. We got a flight of whites. It was A-ok. The ambience is well lit and the bartender is friendly. Probably wouldn't visit again. Located in the camp, it's in a very hipster and trendy neighborhood but my visit was mostly unmemorable. They also have bites and some cheese pairings but don't expect anything too fancy. Parking is easy enough to find. The wine sampling does come in test tubes. Three test tubes per flight. read more

I think I'm going to paste whatever is in my cache: Noon - 6, Tues-Fri Noon - 4, Sat & Sun, 4-6 Mon Yeah, that's from my CAMP review, and it refers to their happy hour(s). If you're going to check out Wine Lab, do so then. The wine selection is good (it had better be), but I'm more qualified to speak to the beer selection, and I'm here to tell you that I'm a fan (yay!) I had a Great Divide Hercules Double IPA today, and it hit the spot (I had to look it up because Wine Lab's website is outdated). I was tempted by Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero, but, damn, was it expensive. My wife and I pretended that we were in Europe, and we took seats on the patio that faced outward. We saw people enjoying their Native Foods lunch at one of the big, wooden tables on the other side of the walkway, and we couldn't help but notice that one of them was sipping wine. Is this allowed? I don't think that Wine Lab will serve you out there, but as I was researching this review, I saw this on their website: "You are welcome to order in food from our neighbors at The CAMP." That changes everything! Why did no one tell me about this before? If you want/need something more substantial than cheese or flatbread pizza with your wine or beer, now you have a world of options. I'm thinking sandwiches from Black Market Bakery or Native Foods for me. UPDATE: The above may only refer to before 4 pm weekdays and 3 pm on weekends. We were here around 1 pm today (Saturday) and the kitchen had not opened. It's always best to ask, right? As my buddy Dan H. has previously mentioned, Wine Lab is by no means a sports bar, but they will (silently) show games on special occasions (especially if the bartender is a fan of one of the teams). Call ahead? They often project films on the wall. They once showed The Rocky Horror Picture Show and I relived my youth by shouting out responses, embarrassing my companions, and amusing the other patrons. Well, maybe one of them. Tip: no bathroom inside. Get out and wait in line at The CAMP's communal lavatories out back past Ecco. read more

*This review is mostly based off of my happy hour experience/value. This place was really cute and clean and the service was great. The ambiance was really nice and it was in a really trendy area in the Camp in Costa Mesa. I came here for Happy Hour on a Wednesday night and did a wine flight. My wines came back in 3 test tubes and they were definitely not filled to the top. I would say they were filled a little more than half way. The three together were probably around 5 oz which I thought was kind of a rip off considering it was happy hour and I didn't even get to choose my wines. I would never pay the full price for the wine flights and I thought even the happy hour price was steep for how little wine you got. I think I would have gotten more wine if I asked to sample one to be perfectly honest. The wines themselves were just OK. Nothing special and I feel like there are so many other Wine Wednesday deals elsewhere that I would look into those first (if you are specifically looking for Happy Hour). read more

The service here is wonderful! They made sure to check up on us consistently and the waitresses are sooo nice! Not to mention the scenery is wonderful. I would suggest sitting outside on the patio- great place to drink wine and observe your surroundings and take a cute picture! I ordered their rose wine and it was amazing! We also got the $9 flight during happy hour. The waitress was so nice and switched one of the Rose flights for a different white wine so that I could try something new since I ordered the Rose already (so thoughtful!) I would reccomend going for happy hour because it isn't crowded and the prices are reasonable! Make sure to get the Wine flight that comes in little beakers. Honestly they are just so cute and the whole concept of a chemistry lab is amazing!!! Overall great location and service. Happy Hour anyone? :) read more

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Edwin was amazing tonight. We had a great experience here he knew the perfect recommendations for the whole party. Thank you Edwin.

Interesting spot. Got the sampler and they give you the wine in test tubes. I really enjoyed the Davis Bynum Jane's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013. The charcuterie was alrite, didn't like the cheeses very much and wished they gave us a little more jam and other stuff. I would recommend that they dim the lights a little and play better music, such as jazz, to set the mood. Was here on a Saturday night and it was way too bright inside the store and they were playing pop music. read more

Wine Lab - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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This is such a fun place to enjoy a great glass of wine. Once we found parking (took about 10 minutes but we found a spot) we headed right in and found a couple of seats at the bar. We had their rose and red of the day. Delicious and night staff. If we lived closer this would be a regular place for us. read more

The people that work here are always so friendly and soooo helpful and they don't even seem annoyed when I keep asking them to tell me what wines were in my sampler ( and I mean I constantly ask because I keep forgetting ) The wine samplers are a super affordable price if you want to taste a few things to get an idea of what you like. I usually do a red and a white sampler and then I'll get a glass of that I liked. I usually just go with the suggested sampler of the day, but you can pick them as well. The test tubes they come in are super adorable. We don't usually have an issue with seating here we just get lucky enough to beat the crowd, but it's a small place so it does get crowded pretty quickly and people definitely stay for awhile to drink and eat ( they have a food menu at night as well like cheese plates and meats) Overall it's a cute place I like to go with my girlfriends to, chill and catch up while drinking and eating. What more can you as for. read more

Wine Lab - Red and white sampler! It's so cuuteees and tastes even better - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Located in the CAMP shopping center, Wine Lab serves wine from a MicroMatic wine dispenser. Its offering of 8 wines on tap is a first in Orange County. Wine Lab also features a beer dispenser with 6 taps offering local microbrews. This small but quaint wine bar is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or evening exploring your taste buds. The Wine Lab's cozy yet modern environment lends itself nicely for a great date setting. You can sit inside at the bar or outside on the small patio. They have new wine flights every week. Normally a couple of different red flight options and a white flight option. Wine flights are served in little test tubes...very clever :-) Overall excellent and knowledgeable service, interesting collection... a low key way to spend some time, learn about new wines, and relax a bit... read more

Wine Lab - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Love coming here to chill and catch up with friends! Came by yesterday and got the same as last time- red wine flight and the cheese and honey platter. Although the kitchen had already closed, they were still able to make it for us, so plus one star for that! The red wine flight is $15 for non club, but if you are club it is a few dollars cheaper. I really enjoy the honey and cheese combo, and the people who work there really know their food and alcohol. For this time around, they offered a pinot noir and two syrahs for the flight (three in total). The lady was also very conversational and we had a great talk with her as well. The cheese plate was $21, and had four types of cheese (triple cream, double cream, blue cheese, and one more) as well as four types of honey to pair with the cheese. There was also a side of fruit to go along, and the baguette was toasted. Overall, a great hangout with friends to eat and relax, or even a romantic date! read more

Wine Lab - Red and white wine flight with cheese and honey pairing - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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What an awesome concept: A WINE LAB! Charcuterie, delicious wine flights, or served by the glass. There are also ample bottles that you can purchase and give as gifts OR take home to enjoy yourself. Why 2 sad stars, you ask? Service. Mr. Cashier was busy checking his phone for important personal messages, not supporting Ms. Server. There was another person -- let's call him THE BUTTERFLY, because he flitted around the room, occasionally landing somewhere for a moment. This could be such a wonderful experience for so many different types of customers... Alas, the albatross of vacuously poor service weighing it down.... Sad day. read more

Wine Lab - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This was my first time and would I go back? Yes. I would definitely go back for a glass of wine and/or for the cheese platter. I enjoyed the environment mostly because it was small and quieter than most places nowadays. I went on a Friday night and it was pretty busy (seating is limited inside), so I would try to get there somewhat early if you want to sit at a table. read more

Came here for the second time with a couple gal friends for happy hour on a Tuesday. With the happy hour, you can get flights (3 test tubes) & appetizers for a cheaper price! We ordered a flight of whites, flight of reds, & the honey/cheese platter. My friends & I honestly didn't like the red wine flight at all. The white wines flight was decent & the cheese board was just average. Despite the cute concept & decent service here, I would rather go somewhere else and enjoy a nice cocktail/drink. read more

Wine Lab - Come for happy hour! - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Pretty awesome new place in the Camp. We went for Happy Hour, so the prices are much more decent! WINE FLIGHTS We got the first flight with a pretty easy white, a light red, and a much better Cab at the end. I liked the ETC Cab the best of the three. 2009 Lone Madrone La Mezcla , 2009 Bodegas Paso Dona Blanca, 2009 Lone Madrone Points West White The 2nd flight is all red, and better than the 1st. The reds are a bit bolder, and we liked this flight better. HALF/FULL GLASSES [$4/$8 during happy hour] Holus Bolus Syrah is delicious. Very bold and strong, but smooth. My personal fave. Trenza Tinto 2008 Edna Valley was my friend's favorite. Very easy dinner wine. Cultivar Cab Sauvignon was my other friend's favorite. BREAD AND GOAT BUTTER with ROCK SALT During happy hour, it's $1 for the bread and $1 for the goat butter. It's kind of the most amazing thing. The goat butter is creamy, almost lotion like. They also give you some rock salt to sprinkle on top. Best thing on the menu for happy hour. CHEESE PLATTER Very good artisan cheeses. Comes with dried cranberries and walnuts. Crackers and bread as well. We got a nice cheese with espresso flavors, a sharp cheddar, and a sharp goat. LOCATION It's located right under Bikram yoga. FURNITURE They need some comfy couches, and a patio...and then it'll be awesome. read more

Wine Lab - Flight tasting - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

A fun place to come with a friend! This hidden gem is located in The Camp which makes parking really hard. If you come during happy hour on a weekday, it'll probably be a little easier (or you could opt for valet parking). I went with a friend during happy hour on a Sunday (noon-4:00. It was Labor Day Weekend around 1:00 so there weren't very many people in the store or outdoor patio area. Nevertheless, we ordered a flight of the red and white wines. Their flights are "bartender's choice" so I ended up getting a chardonnay (which I really liked) and two mediocre whites that I didn't particularly care for. My friend's red wine flight had a delicious Malbec which I sampled and really liked despite the fact that I usually don't care for red wine. They served the flights in cute glass test tubes (accompanied by real wine glasses) which was a fun aspect to the experience. The entire flight (three 2 oz. samples) were $8 during happy hour which wasn't bad! They also had a bevy of happy hour prices (around $6-10) for a full single glass pour- I think I'll return for their German Riesling next time! The only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that you can't order food until 3:00pm which I didn't find out until we arrived. I was very tempted to try their cheese platter that is accompanied with various honeys and bread. I guess I'll have to return to try it! read more

Wine Lab - Red and white flights of wine - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The second incarnation of the Wine Lab (the first on PCH in Newport Beach) is the best incarnation for me. Let me count the ways: More convenient location Better use of space More convenient location Surrounded by a number of eclectic restaurants More convenient location Hip and cool More convenient location You get the message. I have long been a fan of the Wine Lab and the only thing that could make it better was the addition of a second location closer to my home. Wine Lab at The Camp (AKA Wine Lab Camp) is my wine bar in orange county. A casual place to hang with friends and enjoy a glass of wine or beer, maybe some cheese, etc. Friendly caring staff and ownership that loves wine and loves to talk about it. A place to discover new wines to "Find Your Taste". At the Wine Lab Camp they have a wide selection of wines, red, white, sweet, dry, from the bottle and from the tap! That's right they have wines on tap (beer too)! On a recent visit to Wine Lab Camp I was privileged enough to taste a bright fruit full Syrah called Holus Bolus from a local winemaker that blew me the F&%3 away. So amazing and in short supply because the source of half the grapes for this baby was sold to another wine producer so Holus & Bolus can't get none no more. You have to get down to the Wine Lab Camp and try it before it's tapped. Potential Scenarios that would bring you to Wine Lab Camp 1. After a long day at work you feel a bit peckish 2. While you wait for your table at Old Vine Cafe 3. Following a exhaustive shopping trip at South Coast Plaza 4. While you wait for your Umami Burger (yep they are at The Camp too) 5. Because there is a special Winery Event 6. Your spouse likes beer but you like wine (they have both) 7. You want to find a nice bottle as a gift at a reasonable price I have been to a lot of wine bars/shops and by far Wine Lab Camp is the best. Best selection, best staff, best prices. Wines that you will not find at other shops and a number of familiars. read more

Pretty good place 1st time here. The ladies there are nice and answered any questions we had, but the guy with glasses is not welcoming and is rude. Didn't even bother to look at us or make eye contact. The environment at night is pretty nice. read more

Wine Lab - Wine Bars Near Me - Costa Mesa, California