Blackwell's Wines & Spirits
Category: Beer, Wine & Spirits [Edit]
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond5620 Geary Blvd
(between 20th Ave & 21st Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121 (415) 386-9463
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
4 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"A friendly and inviting wine shop Very knowledgeable staff, with a huge selection of quality wine and champagne + Free delivery......."
51 Reviews for Blackwell's Wines & Spirits
I use to always go to Bevmo (like most others) for all my wine and spirits, but this place is better - better selection in wines, more knowledgeable staff and they're friendly which is helpful.
I haven't had time to go to their wine tasting classes, but I'll say there's one thing the Richmond has that the other neighborhoods in the city can be jealous about, and it's about time!
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I'm not sure how I managed to live in this neighborhood for two years without knowing about this place, but I fully intend to make up for lost time. Their selection is mind-blowingly diverse -- and the prices run the gamut as well, so you can be assured you'll find something delicious that fits your budget. The best part: There's a card with detailed tasting notes for every wine, and I'm not talking BevMo's little gems from Wilfred Wong or whatever they slap on there -- these are actually helpful. And the staff knows what they're talking about. Best of all, I don't feel intimidated here; whenever I go to a place like K&L, I'm awed by their selection but I feel a little out of my league, and that's not the case at Blackwell's.
I have yet to make it to a Saturday tasting, but the Wednesday night "Guess the Varietal" tastings are challenging, eye-opening and fun. Learn to listen to your gut -- no guess is too stupid! I love when they throw in the really obscure varietals you'll never figure out in a million years, because how often do you get the chance to taste something like a Tannat or an Altesse? And many of the wines in the Wednesday tasting are in the $10-$15 range, so you might find a new favorite that won't break the bank.
LOVE the wine tastings here!!! Wednesday nights are $5 and Saturdays are $10, and they always hook you up!
Great crew.
Not to be outdone by the posher neighborhoods, the Outer Richmond delivers its own killer wine store with Blackwell's. Personally, I don't like to spend more than $12 for a wine I've never tasted, and Blackwell's doesn't have much in that range, *but* their labels are color-coded by price, a brilliant touch which makes it real easy to narrow your search. Friendly, helpful staff and 10-glass, $10 wine flights on Saturday afternoons are a plus too. Good liquor selection, and a small (but eclectic) beer fridge.
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I come here to stock up on my usual drinks, and also to find some off the beaten path wines that may have been overlooked by the likes of Wilfred Wong and Robert Parker. Knowledgeable and friendly staff make this a very un-pretentious wine store for amateurs and connoisseurs alike. When I can't decide, or am in an adventurous mood, the staff selections that i've bought have all been excellent, and I have yet to be let down.
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Great selection, great environment and friendly, knowledgable staff. A large selection of beer that is well-chosen and I have picked up some real gems when I asked for wine and whisky selections.
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The outer Richmond keeps getting better and better. Like the others who have posted reviews, I stumbled upon this shop when I was headed towards the post office. And what happened? I found a parking spot right in front of this lovely little store.
I'm not so sure that this is a good thing to have close by to me (oh, my pocketbook) but I can't tell you how thrilled I am about it! Before I discovered this little gem.....finding good wine to satisfy the oenophile wannabe that I am meant traipsing to Laurel Heights or Noe's wine shops. If I was absolutely desperate I'd go to Safeway or my local corner store...later battling the sulfite induced wine headache that those cheapo wines always give me.
Well no more! Blackwell's has an EXTENSIVE collection of wines from around the world, all neatly organized by region and price point. The liquor selection is fairly comprehensive as well. And on Saturday afternoons they do theme wine flight tastings. How fantabulous is that?
Best of all? Parking is notoriously difficult on this stretch of Geary. Best way to solve that problem? Curbside service. Just call and let them know what you want, or better yet, let them guide you. Pull up in front of the store....wine delivered right to your waiting car. It's the loveliest thing ever.*
*You'll need to fill out an application in the store, and provide a CC#, but that 5 minutes alone is totally worth not having to circle the block for eons trying to find parking, in a part of town with a very high concentration of bad drivers.
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Nothing but praise for this great neighborhood joint. The selection might not be as vast as BevMo's but the prices are incredibly reasonable (with some bottles being screaming bargains). The selection is chosen and presented with great care and love, with wines from all over the world, as well as a solid collection of spirits and beers. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and unpretentious, there are weekend tastings, and it's only a few blocks from the house!
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While slum in it in the Avenues, stumbled upon this shop and was pleasantly surprised. Definately better than the BevMo down here and some very interesting wines on the shelf. Would have enjoyed someone a bit more knowledgeable on the wines, but they were very friendly.
This is the only place I go to pick up beer and wine--what they don't have Gary will get. Gary, David, et al are just sublime with service. As is with most reviews of great places--less typing means more drinking.
PS. They have nice weekend wine tastings.
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Great wine shop with intriguing selections that are hard to find in the city. I've been introduced to many a great wines here in the $20-30 range (Lemelson, La Storia by Trentadue, Orogeny, Earthquake Zin) and are always happy to go back and spend some more $$ (as long as my wife doesn't find out). Love their weekend tastings, especially the zinfandel, pinot and cabs. I'll be back for more!
Blackwell's is my kind of wine shop. They have a great and varied selection but it's by no means overwhelming. The staff greets you upon your arrival and is there to answer all your questions. Their suggestions have always been spot on!
They also have affordable and very educational tastings.
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Let's just say that they carry hard liquors hard to find in other places and impossible to find at chains such as BevMo. I've never gone in to buy wines - so I can't speak to the price. But their prices on cognacs, scotches, etc are reasonable, considering they have to make a buck off of it too. they always seem to have what i'm looking for, and they've ordered bottles for me from the distributors as well.
the staff is friendly and very helpful even with dumb-dumb questions
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This is the best wine store I have ever found. Gary and Dita are warm and knowledgeable, and their staff are just as good: every recommendation they've made has been right on the money, just what we wanted in our price range. It doesn't hurt that the place is stumbling distance from home.
D&M on Fillmore used to be my standard, but this place is better for hard-to-find wines, in a wide range of prices (you can get a delicious bargain wine for under $10 here), and Scotch at a fair price: my pet peeve. Also, for those who don't live nearby, ask about the curbside pickup service: you can phone Blackwell's ahead and place your order, and they'll have it waiting when you drive by. This is helpful on those Sunday afternoons when the dim sum crowd makes it hard to find a parking spot.
Blackwell's is the rare business that has no negatives: it's run by great people, well-stocked with quality merchandise at good prices, clean and pretty, holds wine tastings on Saturdays, and convenience is a priority. If there were more stars to award I'd do it!
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Let me start by saying I have never purchased wine from Blackwell's. BUT...I am a faithful Voss water addict and this is my store of choice for buying it. They actually started carrying the smaller size of the sparkling variety when I told them that I thought they should carry it. Now, perhaps they were already planning to expand their Voss selection, but I like to think they listened to a customer's request and fulfilled it...1) it makes me feel special 2) it reinforces the awesome customer service that I always get when I go there. Only at independent places like this does a customer's request actually get that kind of attention :)
Although I've never bought wine here, the staff seems really knowledgeable, they made some great vodka suggestions for me. I think there's only like 3 people that work there, but I also like that because you can associate faces with the business.
Places like this give me continued faith that someday, somehow the richmond will get some credibility as a sf neighborhood worth mentioning.
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4.5 stars ( I save the superlative or this place would get it).
Friendly people work there and the owners are pretty cool too.
I've gone to some really good tastings there--the zin tasting was great. They have a wide selection of booze, wine and beer. They also have a decent email letter that I peruse.
Their prices are fair (not the cheapest) but pretty much the same as Bevmo down the street, but with much better selected wines and much better service. I personally don't trust Bevmo's Wilfred Wong selections, but Gary has referred me quite a few winners, some of which were sub $10. I'd say the average wine there is in the $25-35 range, but if you want the cheap stuff, hit TJ's.
Also, they have a cool service where you call and they run your stuff out to the curb--because of the lousy parking situation in the Richmond.
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Great selection, good service and fair prices make this a great spot to get wine and liquor. They have many of the beers that I thought I could only find in Europe( eg. Leffe, Golden Draak). Much better than BevMo.
My boyfriend and I were recently invited to a wine tasting party. We came by here and asked what was recommended in our price range ($25). The staff member with out hesitating picked out two bottles: one Zin and one Pinot.
At the party, everyone raved about his selections. I, of course, claimed the selections as my own and got very tipsy. Yay!
Wanna go to Napa for wine tasting, but your too cheap to leave the city? They do wine tasting Saturdays from 2-6. $10 for 10 wines and 10% off the wine they're sampling.
Seriously, this place rocks.
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This wine & spirits store is the best I have ever encountered. Stumbled upon it when I lived in the neighborhood, this family owned established welcomed me with their wonderful selection of wine. Gary and Dita know their stuff and the suggestions they offer have never been disappointing. Also the prices are very reasonable compared to other places. The 20 year Van Wrinkle is 87.00. The fact they even have the 20 year and the 23. Stop by any Saturday for a wine tasting and get to know these warm, friendly and very knowledgeable people. And let me make a small plug to buy anything from Owen Roe (a favorite recommendation from Blackwell Staff).
So, a typical Saturday for my girlfriend and me is to get up around 10, bum around, hit up Subway on Geary and then swing over to Blackwell's. Her for water, me for beer. This place has a really great selection of west coast brews and a lot of really great imports. (I just finally drank my bottle of Deus Brut de Flanders the other day... wow. Next time you are thinking champagne, try this instead!) As far as beer goes in the Richmond you're not gonna find anything better, yeah, bevmo may have an overall bigger selection, but it's not as perfect and eclectic as this place. The staff's always really friendly and helpful as well. Next time you're sitting at home in the Richmond choking down another awful macro domestic... just remember to swing by Blackwell's next time!
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Walked in by chance yesterday and was surprised that this wine store was in this rather seemingly blighted section of Geary St. -- knowledgeable, friendly, solicitous staff; the best blurbs / reviews on the wines (I spent a bit of time just reading the cherry / moss / chocolate / coffee / earth comparisons). Walked out with a bottle of Fernet-Branca and a 2005 Jekel Pinot Noir, though a pricier, more sexily-described Chateauneuf-du-Pape beckoned. Maybe next time.
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Great place. Always very helpful staff. Good selection of booze, beers and wines. And if they don't have something, they are always eager to help you get it. And prices are spot on. Damarack Gin for $17 a bottle. That's crazy. BevMo is like twice that.
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There are very few decent places to buy wine out in these here parts. If I'm left up to my own devices, I usually do a very bad job.
But then came Blackwell's.
The staff is always helpful and I love that they're open until 9pm most days of the week. I no longer have to waste my time ambling up and down the aisles trying to apply my limited wine knowledge in choosing a bottle of wine (i.e.-usually the most attractively labelled). I just give one of the staff (there's usually at least 2 ppl working) my price range and a vague description of what I like in a wine and poof! They somehow choose a bottle of wine that is absolutely lovely.
Way better than my previous choose-your-wine-by-the-label kind of shopping.
This place is the sole reason for my moving into the neighborhood...well, at least it's the primary reason for my staying here despite the commute downtown. Every single person I have talked with at Blackwell's has truly been knowledgeable. I can go in with nothing more than what I'm intending to have for dinner and get great recommendations. Plus they have amazing tastings every Saturday afternoon, usually 6-8 wines by the owners themselves. Come now, why would you go to any supermarket when you can go to Blackwell's for great wine at any price level, friendly and smart sales people and to support a local small business. Do it. You won't regret it.
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This wine store has an excellent selection of all kinds of stuff. Its not like its even a wine store with all the vodkas and whiskeys. But I'm more into the beer. Great beer selection! Belgians, everything.
This wine store is fantastic! The people who work here really know their stuff and are super helpful (give them an idea of what you like and your price range and you will leave with a fantastic new wine that you most likely never would have found on your own!) Great, clean store; awesome selection.
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It's pretty sick *bad sense* how much I'm in this store (see reviews of Green Apple and 6001 California), but not as sick *good sense* as the Peju Cab they sell for much less than at the winery. I wish I could say that Blackwell's is forcing me to drink wine every night, but really, honestly, I just love me some o' that red nectar. And how!
Friendly and VERY knowledgable staff rounds this almost perfect place out.
Almost perfect because they don't carry Grand Marnier. A very small point, almost ridiculous, but hey, I'm needy.
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The BEST WINE SHOP IN SAN FRANCISCO!!!! I love this place, the staff is fantastic and extremely helpful. They are very knowledgeable and willing to help find a fantastic wine to suit your taste and budget. They also have an excellent selection of fine wines as well. The wine tastings on Saturday is also a very fun treat.
I frequently stop by Blackwell's on my way home from the gym. Nothing better than indulging after a hard workout! They have a wonderful array of wines at every price range and little write-ups as well. I haven't been disappointed yet. Super nice, unpretentious staff. I would rather support Blackwell's than BevMo or Safeway any day. If you're into Marlborough region Sauvignon Blancs I highly recommend "The Crossings" (13 bucks). Yum yum!
What a fascinating selection!
I have been a wine aficionado for over 2 years, not that long, but I have been all over (NZ, Aus, no/so Cali, Niagara, France), and I have never seen such an eclectic inventory.
Oh, and they offer wine tasting on Saturdays, with region-based themes (eg My first time was for the "Alsatian" experience)
Great selection, good advice, helpful but not pushy staff. I'm really glad they are in our neighborhood.
I have shopped here on multiple occasions, they always have what I need. The staff is very helpful. This is a great place to go if you have no idea what you want and need some trustworthy wine advice, but also a great place if you know exactly what you want. Well done.
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Friendly. Very friendly.
Knowledgeable and Helpful.
Nice selection.
2 blocks away
SO happy.
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Finally a wine shop in the Richmond District! And it's good!
Stopped here after work for a bottle of Billicart Rose. They even had it chilled. Great selection of wine, spirits and beer.
lots of nice little gems and surprises. Friendly, knowledgeable staff.
Sometime parking can be tricky in the neighborhood. If you call them they will bring your wine out to your car! How is that for service!
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My experience here was poor and the price on the wines I purchased were $20-$30 higher then elsewhere. The owners read it responded and have continually emailed me. I've taken the review down so they will leave me alone. Don't shop here.
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This place really is truly awesome. My boyfriend likes it too. He goes straight to the back like a lil girl in a barbie store. I sure hope they have 'Dead Leaf Green Ale' soon...
Great selection all around. Beer, Wine, Scotch, Sparkling wine. They also have sake, mead, various spirits.
Discount on a case of wine (mixed case, even)!
Periodic wine tastings with a variety of themes.
Oh, and Voss water, for in between the drinking.
Great, warm, woody decor and comfortable, inviting layout make this place a very pleasant place to shop. Tristan will be more than willing to take a few moments with you to help you select that perfect bottle of wine you're looking for. Also, check out their weekly wine tastings from 2P - 6P and their curbside delivery service!!
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Like everyone else has said, Blackwell's is great. The staff, the selection, and the wine tasting - all great! Wine tasting is so much fun on Saturday's. - staff favorites are my favorite. They always have great suggestions, especially Tristan!
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Great place. Great selection of fine beers, which are our drink of choice. We have had problems with beers having heat and light damage from shops all over the city & bay area- wine is such a big deal here that I guess stores just don't bother taking care of their beers. Everything we've gotten from Blackwell's has been great. Not cheap, but not more expensive than anywhere else in town - even if it was, it's worth it to guarantee that your beers won't taste like piss. Really friendly employees and a neat little selection of refrigerated non-alcoholic beverages too. Easy to get to via public transit on the 38 Geary. My favorite beer store in town.
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