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Tue-Wed 11 am - 10 pm
Thu-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 3 pm - 9 pm
Loved the experience. At first, I thought that the 1oz of wine that a machine pours into your glass looks somewhat paltry at first, but it… read more »
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Went in to kill some time while waiting for a friend. Ended up spending the evening. The place boils over with friendly service. The food is really tasty and the wine is, well, wonderful.
I'm a late comer to the rose trend but they had a flight of rose that was just what a hot day needed.
Thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Love, love, love, love, love Heritage Wine!!
This place is freakin awesome. This is a great place to come and experience a great glass of wine and learn a little something new. The staff here are super friendly and really knowledgeable and helpful. I always have the staff guide me in finding a new wine and every time they find something I love. Recently I tried the Heartstone Pinot Noir and it was heavenly. They have a great rotating selection of wines by the glass OR you can opt for their flights. Really warm and welcoming environment. This place is down to earth and you can tell that the people here love what they do. Half the place is a shop where they've accrued a great variety of top notch bottles for sale. Very convenient!
ALSO: Over the summer I took a trip up to Santa Rosa and stopped by Heritage wine beforehand to get suggestions on where to go. They were so helpful, I got great suggestions on which cellars to visit and they ended up being my favorite places! I'm just head over heels in love with this place. Bravo Heritage Wine. Bravo.
Listed in: Drinky drink drink... drunk
We came here for an art show. Every month, thye feature an artist and put up his or her work for the entire month at the place. The artist is there for an opening night reception to talk about their work and chat.
The place is large but there are few tables that take up about 30% of the space. The rest is their wine collection which is neatly displayed and organized.
They have wine by the glass and flights and were quite knowledgable without regard to how much you knew about wine. We did not eat here but the menu looked creative and good.
A great place with a neighborhood feel. Many of their patorns are locals and regulars.
It's nice to find a place where you can actually taste wine without feeling like you're at a nightclub.
This is a place for people who really want to appreciate wine. However, no need to be a wine expert to learn about wine here. Bruce is great at helping you find something you might like or learn about a varietal you've never tried before... his service (and knowledge) is great! The one time I went, and he wasn't there, (I think it was the owner/proprietor serving us), the service and friendliness was not good. Nonetheless, being able to create your own flight from a selection of wines from all over the world is awesome.
Whether you're a wine expert or a beginner, you'll enjoy the experience!!
We stopped in for a couple of glasses of wine on a quiet Sunday night and had a great time. The owner was friendly and interested in pouring something we would be interested in and hadn't tried before and the other staff were all efficient and chatty. We didn't eat but the dishes looked tempting.
Love this place....the ambiance is nice & enjoyable for a great glass of wine....great selection!! Good service.... : )
However, one star lost for the pricey appetizers!!
Well I have been here twice now for drinks and light bites.
The first time was with a large group (couples) that I met on a meet up group and it just didn't fill all the manly men in the group for food but I found myself with the 5 girls chatting it up girl style while the boys talked about sports and the like. We later decided to eat a hearty meal at Louise's Trattoria but Heritage sure warmed up the buzz and took the edge off of the hunger. I can't say I had great service that night as the server was a little short and didn't care to educate us on wine since lets face it at that time I knew almost zero about wines.
The second visit to Heritage was just the other night after work, we were on our way to Pop for some light bites and sweet food and drinks to accompany but we were so tired and it was a Friday night. Worried about a possible wait and the whole two blocks I was going to have to walk from the free parking, we decided to give Heritage another go. This visit we sat at the bar and had excellent service and this time by three different servers who were not only helpful but just fun to talk with about various local flavors and trends. I stayed away from wine and grabbed a bottle of optimator for $3.50 which I felt was a steal (turns out it rang in at $5 a bottle but it was posted at $3.50 on the sign so they fixed the bill) so I had a few. A short rib grilled cheese on sourdough tasted nice with marinated o.nions. Dessert was a combo of truffles rolled in spices of your choice (we got cinnamon and salt) and lava cake with ice cream dusted with chili powder.
Although a little spendy, our service, food, low key atmosphere were all perfect for the relaxing exhaustiveness I felt from a day that had started at 4 a.m. with a 5 mile run. After indulgence in beer, cheese and truffles I had no choice but to go right home and sleep
Came here for V day this year. . . they were having a special V day - two flights, sparkling wine and red wine, and then two different dessert plates to match either flight.
We had never been to Heritage, but I've been dying to try it because hey, just because I'm a vodka girl doesn't mean I don't love my wine.
And I LOVE my wine.
I love wine bars (bodega, magnolia, etc.)
Heritage is like being in a wine cellar. . . that's the ambiance. It isn't a wine BAR. . . I felt like if I got drunk here, it'd be a little out of place. It seems a little more classy than that. It's for those people that want a GLASS of wine (yes, I mean JUST ONE GLASS) after work, or a pre-drink before a date. No getting sloshed here!
We both ordered the red wine flight ($20), and a cheese plate (1 cheese - $8) that came with a soft cheese, bread and crackers (they actually gave us another basket of bread when the first was gone), and like, three grapes cut in half. . . oo! and half a teaspoon of some preserves. Maybe it was because I was hungry, but I was having a nice little buzz off of the four wine flight (and I wondered why they called it a flight??)
The girl that helped us out talked about each of the wines, and answered a few of our questions. At first I was a little intimidated since I know almost dirt about wines (I know, I love wines but know nothing about them), but she was sweet, knowledgeable and down-to-earth.
This was a great different type of date place than we're used to. . . I think we both liked it. Plus, it was fairly inexpensive and we got buzzed off of our flights (+++!!!!). I think we'll be back!
I met some friends at Heritage Wine Company for some wine, dessert and chit chat last weekend and fell in love with the place! There were 6 of us and we had two bottles of wine and a few desserts. I like the casual, "cool" ambiance of Heritage - it's a great place to meet friends, talk without having to shout, and try good, affordable wines. We didn't try any food but the desserts were okay. The owner and staff are really nice and pleasant.
"Cordon Bleu?" Seriously? Yes, that's what the waitress replied when I raved about the few appetizers that we'd ordered. The selection isn't big, but everything sounded tasty. You could tell a lot of TLC (do people use that term anymore) was put into the simple foods that they offer. Take the bruschetta, which had perfectly ripen cherry tomatoes, topped with some herbs, tossed in really good grade olive oil and basalmic vinegar, served with a creamy goat cheese. And the warm brie coated with slightly caramelized sliced almonds and a few apple slices, served with crackers and baguette. Three words. W O W.... well it's three words if you drag it out and emphasize it.
And that's just the food -- the wine selection was extensive and global. For that evening, they had a South African flight tasting consisting of a chard, a cab and a couple of blends. Great value for $12. Highly recommend doing the flight tasting!
I'd chosen this place to get away from the noise and crowd of the Pasadena crowd--just north of Old Town. And it was just that, very laid back, with a little bit of the wine lovers din, and that's it. Perfect.
Good ambiance! Staff was totally accommodating and reserved/put together a series of tables for me & my group of 10.
The tapas were good - not a huge selection, but all very tasty.
The flight that night was a french flight. A sparkling, white, rose, and red. The whites left a lot to be desired, but the rose & red were pretty good. I guess that's what a tasting is all about - finding out what you like and don't!! Sampled some of their sangria that night too - tasty but pricey!!
They have a parking garage space right behind that is free to customers - there is also a 90 minute free garage just north on Raymond.
Some friends invited us for wine and appetizers at Heritage Wine Company and it was a delightful evening. The decor, clientele, wine selections and the assortment of appetizers are all very chic and civilized. Highly recommend the trio of dips, salad and pizzete appetizers. They even have their own chef which translates into how serious they are about the food selections. Very nice place for connecting with friends.
I came here with the girls after our happy hour at McCormick and Schmick's. They had the owner of a winery from Paso Robles here who was doing wine tastings. It was $15 for 4 tastings about 2 oz each. They also had a complimentary bread and cheese spread.
One of us ordered the 3 course prix fixe that they had for $25 which seemed like a pretty decent deal. We also decided to split the portobello crepe which was really good....it had goat cheese in it which makes everything taste better.
I'd definitely want to come back and check out some of their other wines. Seems like a pretty nice place for date night too.
This is a frugal to moderately priced wine bar that seems to be a little schizophrenic when establishing a mood. There's a portion of exposed brick, an area with high tables and stereotypical wood paneling characteristics of many wine stores, and a long bar with an odd scattering of wine bottles on a giant pedestal. The sort of pedestal you would expect jewelry stores to maintain on their windows.
The wines were decent, and the flight of wines were generous and reasonably priced. The food was palatable, but the grapes tasted freeze-dried, in that 'fruit cocktail' sort of canteloupe-honeydew-grape concoction. We managed to find a great St.-Emilion featured in a cabernet flight (Very soft and complex for a Cabernet?!).
The problem with the place was the human atmosphere. The usual wine store crowd was present:
1. The 3rd date couple - the woman fawning over the wine, the guy just guzzling it up and feeling her breasts.
2. The mid-life crisis group - Hawaiian shirts and wide-brim hats come standard.
The servers, however, were pretty much waitresses and cashiers and clearly hired on the priority of their appearance in a skinny tank top. They knew extremely little about the wines, offered no details (except "$16.99 with tax"), did not talk about the wines, and generally treated you like the retarded cousin of their high-school crush. Plus, the music was club hip-hop, making the entire atmosphere add up to a mid-life crisis sex-oozing aging sorority house feel. Cougar Central, perhaps.
Listed in: Wine Bars and where to become…
REVIEW FOR THE WINE CLASS SEMINAR!
I just completed "Wine for Beginners" taught by sommelier Colom Keating at the Heritage Wine Company in Pasadena. I have attended many wine tasting seminars, etc. but I must say this was by far my favorite. I learned a lot! The class was comprised of three sessions and each was about three hours long (the time really goes fast). Colom really knows his stuff and is willing to share his knowledge. The best part was the wine tasting and comparative analyses we did for whites and reds. This wasn't one of those routine wine tastings with only three or four wines. We sampled more than a dozen wines each session and were able to make our own comparisons with wines of California and wines from around the world (especially French). The last session included sparkling wines, Champagne, ice wines and dessert wines. It was fun being in class again but the best part was being able to drink in class! I was in "hog heaven" the whole time. If you like wine this class is a must. I am now ready for "grad school" and we put the arm on Colom to continue on with us and teach us even more. Here's to Colom... "Salut!"
I strongly encourage my fellow yelpers to go to Heritage and take next course! (sometime in January, ask for Colom!)
I only go here to buy, and to taste a couple times. I haven't tried their food, in fact I didn't even know they HAD food. But the wine shop is good. Nice selection. I bought a great NZ Sauvignon Blanc at a reasonable price.
I wish I could afford to hang out here all the time.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!
Excellent service!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just love the staff! they are so incredibly friendly and ready to share their wine knowledge and recommendations.
I suggest trying out the wine flight tasting (for $15 to $20 you get to experience 3 or 4 carefully chosen wines put together around a common theme and read and learn about them).
Their menu is to die for!
i love their cheese plates and the mushroom pot pie. Also the banana dessert is just amazing (don't be fooled by its name!!! GO ahead, TRY IT!!)
I can't wait to come here again... every single time its such a pleasure!
I'm trying to be a wine aficionado, and I do agree with Annabelle to a certain extent. I don't think they are jerks, but it seems that the employees here aren't very responsive. My winer accomplice Jairo asked one of the employees what he thought about a certain wine, and his response was: "Good. I like it." I was hoping for more, because I like to follow the palate of wine regulars.
I like walking into this establishment, because the wine bar is on the left as you walk in and usually you are greeted with smiles. Some of the employees are chatty and friendly, and will help you look for whatever you're looking to try, whether its red or white, familiar ground or new territory, etc. There's also a homey atmosphere, a very cozy ambience that harbors sociability among the unrelated patrons. The wine probably helps, too.
Food-wise, I've only tried four platters. My favorite: duck quesadilla with brie. Great with white wine. I wish I could be more explicit regarding which white wine, but I'm just not that conditioned, yet. The meatballs, to be honest, tasted like they were microwaved. Parts of the meatballs were warmer than the other parts, and certain pieces were colder than the others. The pizza was no exception, although that was on the house because they brought it out to us on accident, so at least price was right, and thusly, the taste wasn't so bad. The tapas plate was good, though---although, the portion was inadequate. I just wished for more prosciutto, and ditto on the sun dried tomato pesto.
I'm growing more and more fond of this place, or perhaps I'm growing more comfortable with selecting the wine and holding the glass in my hand. Kudos to honest mistakes and free pizzas!
Listed in: Arriba! Abajo! Al centro!…
5 premade Trader Joe's-like meatballs heated up with tasteless cheese in a microwave. $7. There are some things money shouldn't buy.
Minus four more stars for the exposed-brick decor straight out of the 80s.
i love this place! Its the perfect place to catch up with old friends. No need to wait 45-70 minutes at the snooty wine bars across the street. The service was great and they definitely know their wines here! No corkage fee for any of the bottles you purchase there. How amazing is that!?
Jerks! Go anywhere but here. And there are plenty of other places to go-
Mission Wines is a great place with very nice folks that will guide you towards a great bottle (unlike Heritage). And it's worth the drive to Eagle Rock to shop at Colorado Wine Co., or a bit further to stop at Silver Lake Wine. I'm sure somebody else can mention a few other Pasadena wine shops, too.
I think this is one of the best combination wine bars and wine stores in Los Angeles. It is carved out of an old building, in old Pasadena and has brick walls and tall ceilings. A large bar with tables and sofas to accommodate wine drinkers occupies half the space.
They sell about a dozen wines by the glass at prices ranging from $5-11 a glass. You can also sample any bottle, and they will open it, pour it and charge you accordingly. You may sit at the bar and order some cheese and bread and other small appetizers.
The wine store is stocked with a large selection of international and domestic labels, with an emphasis on hard-to-find brands. If you are searching for an obscure German Riesling, Italian Barolo or French Bordeaux, you may find it here. The prices vary. I found great small bottles of discounted French reds at $5.
Heritage also has special day trips to such destinations as Santa Barbara and Paso Robles, which combine food and wine. This business has a warm, friendly, convivial and welcoming way about it. You walk in and instantly feel like you are with your family.
I was in Pasadena for 2 months on business and went to this place all of the time. The staff here is awesome - really friendly, nice, knowledgeable, generous.... Don't be intimidated, these people love wine but aren't pretentious about it. I think this wine bar singlehandedly took my interest in wine from passive to fanatic - always a bunch of amazing wines by the glass, great corkage policy, and good cheese. I hope I'm back in the area to see what Onil does with the kitchen!
Not sure what the negative reviews are about, but give it a second chance. Wine can be intimidating, for reasons beyond any of us, but the staff here is anything but. You'll get hooked, trust me.
Try one of the flights if you're looking to spice it up. Sometimes they do a staff picks flight which can be fun - be sure to ask your waitress/waiter which one they picked (and why)!
I really like Heritage Wine Co. The staff are knowledgable & very friendly. if one of them can;t answer a question, they will find someone who can. You can either choose something off of the wine menu at the bar or tables, OR... you can buy a bottle from the shop and they will open it for you and you & friends can have that one.
Since they started working with a local restaurant the food selections have gotten much, much better. I also think that they have a much better selection of wines than the few other wine bars in the area. It's also a lot more relaxed an experience (though it can sometimes get crowded).
When I was working in Pasadena my coworkers & I were pretty much Thursday evening regulars.
I highly recommend grabbing a glass and having a bite there if you get the chance.
Listed in: Kevin's Favorite Restaurants, My Neighborhood, Shopping List
Update 3/4/08:
While I stand by my review of the Central Coast event, I've decided to bump my review up several stars because honestly, the shop deserves it. I forgave my grudge ;-) It recently under went a ownership change and, while my experience before is very limited, it seems to be a change for the better. The new owner (Elements Kitchen?) has instituted a new food menu that now has limited entree's and some excellent cheeses . The cheese plate are not for Monterrey jack eater's out there. The deserts are great and I can vouch that Osso Bucco is appropriately savory. The wines, despite my previous complaints, are excellent. The carry a nice variety of wines from all over the world, in many different price point and doubt there is a dud among them, depending on for taste. You will not only get wines from France and Italy, but you will also get a good selection of lesser knowns from the various regions of California, and you will get a pourer or sommelier that knows about the wine.
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For shame Heritage Wine Company - I wanted to like you but now you've pretty much made it impossible. I'm embittered. I paid $40 for a central coast wine tasting event on Saturday. Little did I know I was paying to taste what amounted to there back stock that nobody buys because it tastes like swill wines from the central coast. Seriously I must of tasted 15 different wines at this place and found perhaps 1 1/2 that I would even remotely consider buying. They provided food, but the of course over cooked everything. And after all that I had to return the tasting glass - in Santa Barbara, half the wineries let you keep the glass for 1/3 the price (though admitted a lot less tasting, usually 4-8 different wines). It's too bad it rained on Saturday, because if it had been outside, at least it would have been less crowded and more relaxed. Really, I'm bitter, and I don't think I'll forgive this grudge anytime soon.
That said, in the shop, the people are nice, the wine bar area is cute and they deal seem to have varied selection of wine.
I cannot for the life of me understand the review by Michael S. regarding the Central Coast event. This event has been going on yearly since Heritage opened four years ago. Last year was the first time it had to be moved indoors due to rain. Let me tell you what they gave you for $40. Robert Hall, Alma Rosa, Maddalena, Taz, Foxen, Summerland, Au Bon Climat, San Simeon, Martin Weyrich, Zaca Mesa, Eberle and Whitcraft were all represented with at least 2 or 3 wines and some offering 4 or more. The tasting went from 2 till 6 PM. The glassware used was Riedel, not the 'free' tasting glasses you get at a winery. In the hall where the pourings were taking place were a couple of cheese and cracker spreads. In the dining hall they served your choice of barbequed tri-tip beef and/or grilled chicken, pinquinto beans and salsa, along with Santa Barbara (?) salad. ALL for $40!!! Some of the wines were not that spectacular, but for those familiar with Central Coast wines you could go straight for the Whitcraft, Au Bon Climat, Alma Rosa or Foxen which were offering some of their estate wines (costing up to $50 a bottle for some of them). ALL for $40!!! What a bargain and even proceeds from the event went to the American Red Cross charity. So again, I do not understand the previous review. This event was a winner.
That said, the wine bar itself offers numerous wines by the glass, flights and you can select any bottle in the retail section of the shop and open it at the bar for ZERO corkage. A $12 bottle in the store is $12 if you sit there and enjoy it with 3 friends. Basically, $3 a glass. Or you can open up a $100 Bordeaux. The selection is very good.
Recently, they paired up with a local caterer, Elements Kitchen, to offer cheese plates, Charcuterie and savory small dishes like Tak Dal, Coq au Vin and Osso Buco. Perfect wine fare and very reasonably priced.
I highly recommend this place for causal socializing. Very friendly crowd there.
I love Heritage. I love the wines at Heritage. I love that you can buy a bottle of any glass of wine you try and happen to fall in love with. And lastly, but most importantly, I love the food offered to escort the wines. There are various cheeses available, my favorites being the petit basque and the blue, which are served on wonderfully fresh baguette and with dried fruits and nuts. Occasionally I go and get surprised by the presence of delicious dry figs that only sporadically enter the dried fruit mix. Their green salad is good too, filling, and not too expensive, and entrees are about $10, and look a little small, but are full of flavor. I love Heritage, and always have the best time when I'm there.
Great place, you can get very good wine for a very good price, or you can get something expensive if you really want to. The flights are a a fun, inexpensive way to try new wines, and the staff is knowledgeable and NOT snooty.
I found the warm atmosphere to be somewhat inviting and cozy.
Good crowd, not snobby like some other places. The music was pretty cool, and in the end nearing closing time the played a good east coast hip hop mix which I thought was awesome for a wine bar.
I wasn't too sure about this place when we walked in. My party and I figured after a few minutes of standing around and no aknowledgement that we should probably just seat ourselves. Apparently, the couple sitting next to us asked after about 15 minutes "Do you know if we're supposed to order at the bar?". We all agreed service was very slow.
Soon after, someone arrived to take our order. She was quite short and to the point, not very personable etc but hey. I had the Spain/Portugal flight, it was pretty good but ntohing to rave about. I was hoping I'd be buying a couple of bottles but left emtpy handed. The cheese sampler was great (we let them pick for us). My bro had a glass of Reisling and was impressed, everyone loved the cheese platter but the portion was less than generous. Before leaving I tried the Sangria, it was pretty good. We all felt the prices could be a little better, especially after walking a few blocks down to Red White + Bluezz and leaving there more fulfilled. I'd probably try this place again, but after trying a few of the other spots.. Service can always be better.
I absolutely love this place. The wines are wonderful and their staff is very knowledgeable and very welcoming. My friends and I always come to have a bottle of wine, they do not charge corkage if you buy their bottles. What a great deal. I also had some of their food and it's pretty tasty. My favorite is the goat cheese and mushroom crepes. I wished they could open later..
I brought three friends here on Saturday , 11/15,for a wine tasting. The selection is excellent and the ambiance is lovely and comfortable. I did not know what to expect but was more than pleasantly surprised as were my guests. We had a flight of red wines, cheese and two other snacks "comped" by the chef, Kevin, who was trying out some new snacks. He was open to criticism and appreciated our comments. The cost was reasonable, $19.00. I was told there are about 30 open bottles from which to choose. The pours were very generous. It's a lovely way to spend time after the theater or before dinner. Seems like a place for ladies to enjoy a glass of wine and perhaps "tapas." The choice of music is a bit disconcerting, i.e., I suggest eliminating "hip hop" but otherwise, it did not interfere with our conversation and general enjoyment. Adding some lower seating may be more comfortable for those of us who don't like to perch on a bar stool.
I do hope the location, sort of off the main track of Old Town does not dissuade people from trying this wine bar. The wine collection is handsomely displayed and expansive. The staff friendly and open to teaching what they know in an unhurried manner. All in all, a terrific addition to the dining scene in Pasadena.
Dessertarian
Neighborhood: Pasadena
Neighborhood: Pasadena
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