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OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar
Categories: Food Beer, Wine & Spirits Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Food Specialty Food Cheese Shops Beer, Wine & Spirits, Wine Bars, Cheese Shops
2272 Michelson DrSte 100
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 250-0033
- Must be 21 years old
- Not to be combined with other vouchers, coupons or discounts.
- Only 1 Certificate can be redeemed per person. 0 Certificates may be purchased as gifts for others. Must be 21 years old. Not to be combined with other vouchers, coupons or discounts. Certificate not redeemable for alcohol purchases. Subject to the Yelp Deals General Terms.
- Reg. Price $20
- Discount 25%
- Savings $5
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 10 am - 8 pm
Sat 11 am - 7 pm
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
161 reviews for OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar
Review Highlights
"Julie, the owner, was super personable and fun."
(in 80 reviews)
"Opus One; (not pictured**): Finally, the creme de la creme."
(in 9 reviews)
"XT Patisserie macrons were for dessert."
(in 6 reviews)
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161 reviews in English
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Review from Stacy N.
Irvine, CA
2/7/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
My friend introduced me to this place a couple months back and since then I have been several times. to start with, I am not one to normally write comments on yelp, but I love reading them. I know most people hate people like me and ask why and my answer is this, I write them when I think they are deserved.....either I really hate the place or I really love the place. Other than that it isn't worth my time. Well, OC Wine Mart is worth the time. My first visit there, I was welcomed by the staff and given their card for tastes. I had purchased the$15 yelp deal for $20 worth of tastings. The staff there was very pleasant and helped walk me through all their great wines.
It was just my friend and I and the both of us were starving so we ordered the cheese platter and meat to split. It was so yummy and not just average cheeses.
The atmosphere is cute and we went on a Wednesday so we were able to find seating. I hear going Thursday to Saturday is a packed house. I have since always gone during the week to keep myself able to find seating. I love the friendly staff, I am friends with the owner on Facebook and she sends event reminders regularly with amazingly fun events.
I also just purchased their deal on the Travelzoo $20 for $40
I highly recommend checking this place out!!! -
Review from Ryan S.
1/30/2012
Pretty cool little wine bar in this old beat up center. Not a bad deal for the samples they have but $7 for a tiny little taste of Silver Oak? I mean, Silver Oak is great but $7 for 1 ounce is a little aggressive. The cheese platter was $19 and had good cheeses but again seemed pricey given the salame was straight out of the Columbus bag that I buy at Costco. They have a great beer selection for those that like craft beers.
Good experience and good time with friends, some things were a tad overpriced in my opinion though.Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 2/1/2012
Thank you very much Ryan, for taking the time to leave a… More » -
Review from Laura S.
Orange County, CA
1/25/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I was kinda confused when I walked in, even though I was surrounded by regulars.
Go to the counter.
Buy a tasting card. The $30 card actually gets you $40 - good deal.
Those empty wine glasses you see on the counter are yours to try with. If they are not there, the counter has cabinets you can open and grab a glass.
Go to tasting machine.
Insert card in machine.
Put wine glass under desired taster.
Push button, hold wine glass there.
Now ... realize ... these are 1oz pours in big fancy wine glasses. No heavy pour for you!
But, overall, I really like the ease of this system. You can pick and choose and go at whatever speed you'd like. There's $1 pours and there's $5 pours. You pick.
I had some kinda smoked gouda cheese that was packed with goodness. Good-ahhh .... get it?
Place is bigger than I expected, super clean, super friendly, and they even carried my sexy boyfriend's favorite beer that's damn near impossible to find. -
Review from Katie S.
I am a total control freak, and I hate new year's resolutions. But this year I decided to reduce my personality type from A to A- (of course, this is no reflection of the grade I would receive, as, clearly, it would be an A), but, part of going for regular A to A- is to be more spontaneous. Which is in part of what led me to OC Wine Mart on Saturday.
Since this place comes highly recommended by some of my most trusted yelpmigos, special thanks to wine martechie Sidney S. who joined me for a tasting or two, I knew I had to try it. After a relaxing half day of movies and yoga, I found myself wanting to go, but, alas, I am type A and I like a plan. Oh wait, I remembered I am now A-, so I'll just go! And go, I did, and it paid off!
When I first walked in, I was the only one there. Pleasant enough. I liked spreading out throughout the tasting area, where I got a special tutorial from Audrey, who was manning the shop. She was delightful, and we talked for a few minutes about all sorts of fun things. Before anyone tells, I am not a true wine connoisseur, but I do enjoy a yummy and fun time. Now that I am super spontaneous KT of 2012, and not controlly KT of yore, I was able to venture out of my wine comfort zone and try all sorts of wine. I did, finally, settle on a Riesling, that I took home for a later meal.
Being spontaneous has its downfalls, I recently encountered. I didn't eat lunch, and I was drinking wines called "Royal Bitch", OC Wine has a delish solution. The exquisite cheese plate. Even sharing, it was huge! Filled me up for lunch and dinner. Yum ... cheese + grapes + delish crackers = spontaneity paying off threefold. I also (on a whim, look at me) picked up some delicate roons and some purple haze for later treats. All in all, I am glad that I went, and I will return only this time for class! I also will return for Audrey's truly touching rendition of "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", which had these Irish eyes smiling for a few days.Listed in: Get your roon on! For the…, ROTDelights!
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Review from Lica N.
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yes I finally made it, thanks to Jeena E for the invite to join fellow Yelpers Dan H, Steven N and her hubby and closet yelper Aaron! It allowed me the opportunity to finally meet Julie L Owner/hostess with the mostess!!!
What a great place with a great selection of wines and beer! One reason it took me forever to get here is that I've recently realized I'm allergic to wines. Yes I know that totally sounds crazy but I happen to have it. I like reds over whites and when I do go out for a nice meal I will get a glass but often times I end up not even being able to finish it. Plus being hapa my mom's Japanese genes take over when I drink and I look flushed and drunk after one glass. Well lucky for me I also learned they have a good selection of specialty beers. Well now I can handle beer better. Aaron shared a bottle of beer with me that was very tasty. I cant remember the name of it but the it was really good.
Julie is amazing!!! It was such a pleasure meeting her. She really takes time meeting everyone and speaking to you and sharing her knowledge of the wines she carries in the store. She truly makes it a point to ensure that your enjoying what your drinking and that your having a great time. Not a lot of owners do this but Julie definitely takes pride in her business and that is wonderful thing to see when you walk into any business.
There are several wines setup at a dispensing machine. You purchase a card and use it at the machine by sticking it in a slot and push to pour! Howe easy is that right! If you want beer you go and grab one out of the cooler and pay for it at the counter. Whether you decide to taste wine or have beer you can purchase a cheese plate that includes artisan cheese, fruit and nuts. The store also has macarons. Julie also has a gourmet food truck out right in front of the store several times a month where you can bring into the store to eat along with your drinks.
This is a great place to get a little wine during your lunch break or start off your happy hour right! -
Review from Sidney S.
Updated - 1/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence -- Robert Frost
A single lie destroys a whole reputation of integrity -- Baltasar Gracian
Let me tell you what OC Wine Mart is not. It is not as large as Wine Exchange, Total Wine, Hi-Times or even Wine Club or Bev Mo. The Tasting area is not a sanctum to wine yuppiness and trendiness like the Tasting Bars you find all over California (or in certain wineries that appeal to a certain wine lover type). It is a corner of a liquor store with a 20 bottle enomatic self-serve wine machine with both whites and reds to choose from. Because it is a small shop most times prices are a few bucks higher than elsewhere and selection is not as esoteric as the big boys like Wine Exchange (but different than Total Wine where too many of that chains 4,000 + bottles are just Gallo and Franzia level crap). The store is too small to be all things to all people and some people are not going to like it. Many of the 2-3 star reviews are perfectly valid.
What OC Wine Mart is though:
*It is Julie, the wonderfully energetic and knowledgeable owner
*It is the events, especially the food truck and wine tasting combos.
*It is the service like free local delivery or wine basket preparation as Robyn F. mentioned.
*It is the smartly chosen gourmet section which includes the wines (I have bought favorites like Sea Smoke, Broadside and Eveningland here), the cheese, the chocolates and other items like the macaroons.
*It is all the Yelpers, Elite and non-Elite who have taken this shop and Julie to it's heart and create a little community at almost each event.
That last point is why a certain reviewers asinine and flippant comment below "how this place has such a high rating; something is very fishy about that" is just so ignorant and irritating. With only 25 reviews as an insignificant contributor to the Yelp site, with no proof he not only maligns an inspiring business owner like Julie Lim but he also maligns every Yelp Elite or non-Elite that gave this shop four or five stars. This coming from a guy whose only writing of note is a one-star review of the City Of Irvine (really Captain Obvious??? Irvine is only meant for families and has no nightlife? Gee, what's next? A review of the sun making note that it rises and sets every day? Who doesn't know that Irvine shuts down too early - with the exception of Diamond Jamboree - and that OC still has sleepy backwater aspects to it in spite of it's wealth.)
Listen Sparky, your two star review is probably valid if you had different expectations based on the Yelp reviews, if you are comparing it to all those "great" wine places you mentioned you go to, but, don't smear other people's reputations just because YOU didn't like the place. Oh, look Ma, the great Rich C. doesn't like a place I guess that means the rest of us have "fishy" reviews because how could anyone disagree with a guy with 25 Yelp Reviews! All of those other reviewers must have been paid off or something! Quick, get the Warren Commission up and running again maybe we'll find out who killed Kennedy too! Where's Mulder and Scully???!!! Is the Smoking Guy involved??? The Men In Black??!! Trust No One!
Geez, buy a Parker Brothers game and get a Clue. We gravitated towards this place based on Julie's smart use of social media (you do realize Yelp is a social networking platform, right?) and we have stayed supporters because of all that I listed above that she does right.
The difference with an intelligent reviewer, and referencing Robert Frost's quote above, is that said reviewer can like or loath a place as much as possible while not questioning the motives of the people who disagree with their take. Pity that the "fishy" reviewer did not give the 140+ Yelpers who have rated OC Wine Mart so high the same benefit of the doubt before starting to spread unsubstantiated accusations online (which frankly says more about that reviewer than the Yelpers who made OC Wine Mart such a well-reviewed establishment).5 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/10/2011
Dreams have only one owner at a time. That's why dreamers are lonely -- Erma Bombeck
The difference… Read more »
Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 1/15/2012
Sidney, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for taking the… More » -
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Review from Robyn F.
I love, love, love Julie Lim and her wine shop. The constant procrastinator that I am, I needed to send two wine baskets as gifts for colleagues. One basket was to congratulate and thank a rep of mine, the other was for a colleague who is in her twenties and really doesn't know a lot about wine.So I called Julie. This was Wednesday.
When she called me back, her first question was' when does it need to be delivered?' Friday. She said no problem. I told her what I wanted, she asked me my budget, and she collaborated with me to figure out what to put in the two baskets. She got to work and once they were done, she sent me photos. She created specialized cards based on the occasion, and tailored them to include my message.Then she sent me the tracking information and even let me know that one of my baskets tried to get delivered 2 times and asked me if I wanted her to just deliver without a signature. She is amazing.
Basket one included the following:
Bottle of Dom Perignon
eclipse chocolate
salted caramels
B Toffee
Godiva chocolates
John Kelly Truffles
Basket + shipping(overnight - my request)+ wrapping
Basket 2 included:
2 bottles of Conundrum (red + white)
Popcorn
B Toffee
Godiva chocolate
John Kelly Truffles
Basket + Shipping(2 day - my request) + Wrapping
All of this cost around $350!!!!!!! This is crazy cheap. Last year I bought a bottle of Dom from Bevemo and it cost $200 alone. That was the cost of the high end basket!
Julie, thank you so much for your amazing customer service and patience with me. I will be going through you for all of my gift baskets!
I have added 2 photos of the baskets that she created for me.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/17/2011
I have died and gone to wine heaven.
They have all of my favorites: Rombauer, Cake Bread, Silver… Read more »
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Review from April P.
1/24/2012
Yes Julie rocks!!
We came here the day before we got married to pick up a couple of champagne bottles. Julie assisted us and gave us some great recommendations to pair with the strawberry cream cake and dutch chocolate cake we had. One of my favorites was the strawberry sparkling wine she suggested which turned out to be my favorite and the cheapest bottle we purchase. She also suggested one of her favorite wines from Napa and it was superb. They also have snacks to purchase which look good so we'll have to try that next time.
Oh yea, did I mention Julie rocks!!Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Jimmy B.
Irvine, CA
1/22/2012
Julie rocks! She was so helpful when I came in looking for a semi-rare Tignanello. There were no other locations within 50 miles that actually had the year I was looking for. Now if only I could find a 1996 Krug Grande Cuvée. ;)
They have a wide selection of wines and have regular wine tasting events. The interior is nicely done and more spacious than I would have expected looking in from the outside.
Julie gave me a couple great suggestions based on the wines I told her I liked. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking to try out some new wines. -
Review from Robert M.
1/16/2012
This is in an unassuming strip mall, but is a beautiful location inside. The owner is usually there and they made the delicious cheese platters by hand.
When we were here, one by one the machines dispensed less and less and then none of the wines. The owner's mom looked at the machines and the wine bottles were full. She was nice about it and offered to use her master card to give us additional pours so that we could get a normal size pour. Finally with about eight people having problems, she poured wine by hand.
Apparently there are sometimes problems with the machines. She tried resetting the entire machine, but it didn't work. Also, when you're drunk, you may not be able to figure out which card slot goes to which wines. That's when you know it's time to stop tasting! -
Review from Scotty T.
Costa Mesa, CA
1/11/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 2 Check-ins Here
such a great little place to try some wine(s) , tucked away in the most unassuming corner of Irvine. It looks like your "run of the mill" mini-mart kind of place, until you step inside -- GREAT selection of BEER and WINE. The coolest part -- if your there with a group or when they're busy, they'll let you choose what bottle to put out next for tasting!!! very chill place, GREAT owner attentiveness. I found the majority of their offerings pretty reasonable as well, especially if you have recently shopped say at Bevmo or High times.
They have some small plates available, but will let you bring food in as well --- I opted for RENZO's next door, and saw some others who had brought in a Pizza. Good times!!! They've since gone on to hold regular special events as well, whether it be themed (like food pairings, or CHOCOLATE nights) and/or FOOD TRUCK(s) outside. Nice!!
Im a fan, andyou should be too!!! -
Review from Bryan F.
Playa del Rey, CA
1/8/2012
When I stepped in I was expecting an emporium due to the high ratings, but in reality, this is a liquor store that somehow curate fine cheap wines that you can get along with your Mega lotto numbers.
Best find so far: 2009 Chateau d'Arthus for $9. That's right, a Bordeaux red from what Robert Parker calls the bestest vintage year ever ever is selling here for less than 10 bucks. And it's damn good. The wine comes in handy when you get all the lotto numbers wrong.Listed in: Vintastique wine stores
Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 1/9/2012
Holy cow, Bryan, thank you for rating us one star higher… More » -
Review from Kristin A.
Anaheim, CA
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Almost every Friday, they have some hosted event going on. They know how to throw great events. Their service is excellent and their staff is really friendly and knowledgable. I absolutely love the system that dispenses the wine tastings. Put your pre-paid card in the slot, place your wine glass under the temperature-controlled wine you want to taste and out pours a perfect tasting amount.
I will admit that I am not a wine person and I am intimidated by wines and their ratings and all that. So I love that each wine has a description about it along with its rating and an explanation along with suggested pairings. I can feel like I know what I am doing, when secretly I have no clue. Julie, the owner, has a knack too for knowing what kind of wines you'll like. Just tell her a few things you like, and she'll serve you up a glass of something that suits your tastes. The shop is small but I prefer that to one of those large warehouse wine and alcohol box stores. Since the shop is smaller, their selection is more refined.
The decor is beautiful and I recently found out that you can throw private parties here too. It's like an adult version of a kids play place! Happy Birthday to you! haha They also have a nice selection of beers, cheese and desserts so it's a great one-stop-shop if you need to pick up a little hostess gift. -
Review from Anthony C.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.5 Stars (Amazing Wine Tasting Deals + Great Customer Service - Atmosphere)
I mainly take points off of this place due to the atmosphere of the place, not really because it is bad. Place is, in general, very nice and clean (especially the wine tasting area), but I came to this place expecting more of a wine tasting experience.
I came expecting this place to be an actual wine shop of sorts, which it is, but it felt like more of a wine convenience store (like a 7-11 for wine). Maybe it was the glass refrigerators or the hard liquor cabinet layout or the lotto ads or whatever, it just made this place feel a little off for a wine tasting place. Moreover, the wine tasting area was rather small, as it consists of a corner of the already small shop.
As for the wine tasting, their had two machines for charging the 1 oz pours - one rectangular one with about six white wines and one circular one in the middle with about twelve red wines. Each of the pour ranged from $1.25 to upward of $5, very reasonable prices. As for the bottles themselves, well they were priced okay though some you can find cheaper at Costco.
As for the tastings themselves, we ended up coming here because of the Groupon and expecting a standard list of five or so wines for tasting but was pleasantly surprised as the lady gave us a wine debit card! The Groupon was so worth the price as you got $30 for $15 which is enough to try out almost all the pours in the place. Another bonus of this place is the Yelp deal for so smaller savings - though the lady seem to also sell the savings in store (i.e. $25 gets you $30 or something like that, don't quote me on that) which is really cool of them. -
Review from Steven N.
I hate Irvine for many reasons, which I won't go into details. Because today is about love, which can conquer hate. After watching all 12 episodes of Season 6 of Dexter all in one day, I felt it was time to kick my "Dark Passenger" to the curb.
Since my "Dark Passenger" isn't with me for the minute, lets talk about love. I love some good cheese with my wine. Normally, I have good cheese with my whine. That's right, I'm cheesy. Anyways, they have excellent cheese here. Julie, the owner wouldn't have it any other way. Her selection of cheese is so amazing that I'm willing to bet my left toe that both Californians and Wisconsinites would agree that it is excellent. I think I must stop by after Christmas and pick up some cheese since there has been a lot of wine and whine in my life lately.
The wine in my life lately has been quite good. I scored a $40 wine tasting card here for $30. Since I was feeling "Ballerish" I went for the single oz pour of Opus One for $13. It is very rare for places to offer a tasting of this overpriced wine. It was pretty good, but definitely not worth $200 a bottle. Jeena E was the only other person in our group that tried a tasting of this wine. Thanks again Jeena for suggesting this place! Bob T told me he didn't want to try tasting a wine that he knew he would never buy a bottle of. There is logic in his reasoning. But my "Dark Passenger" would have to rebuttal with, "Have you ever had a lap dance?" Can't seem to get rid of that dude. Like Brother Sam told Dexter, "He is still with me, I just got to fight him off everyday."
Lets bring this review back to love. I love Julie, the owner. She is so sweet, knowledgeable and helpful. She gives you her honest opinion and not a sales pitch that will get you purchasing the pricier products. So even if you hate Irvine, please stop by and pay this wonderful business a visit. I did and there is a lot of hate in me. But love can conquer hate. I also love the Ds. Chris and Donna were here too!Listed in: How about OR?!, Irvine, I hate you
Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 1/9/2012
It's a great honor to receive a 5 star from you, Steven! More » -
Review from Gregg S.
Oceanside, CA
1/15/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Purchased a Yelp deal for a $30 wine tasting credit at the OC Wine Mart a few months ago and finally got a chance to visit them on Saturday. The store itself isn't that big, but the have a great selection of wines at a decent price.
As for the wine tasting, the idea of the card and the 1 oz pours is great. Sure there is a mark-up for the wine and that you only receive 1oz for upwards of $8, but its nice to have the opportunity to try a wine that you normally wouldn't buy because it's $95 bottle.
I like the fact that they have a good selection of whites, reds, and some sweet wines. The owner even told me that if I call the morning I come, I can request to have a specific wine placed in for tasting. Very nice. The overall experience was really nice, no pressure to buy anything more.
Take a stroll over to Irvine and have some tastings, its worth the experience. -
Review from Vanessa H.
Aliso Viejo, CA
12/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
FINALLY I can take this place off my Bookmarks! I came here last week with Trina D. and Azya C., and it was the first time for both Azya and I. You pay for a card up front, and then use it to taste the different wines they have at this carousel-looking machine in the tasting area. A few things I like about this place:
1. It's clear that Julie, the owner, knows and cares about her regulars.
2. Specials for this place run regularly on Yelp and Groupon, and it's not hard to get a great deal here.
3. The cheese plate is a little pricey at $18-ish. But it is SO. GOOD.
4. Of course they have a fabulous assortment of wine, beer, some cheeses, and gift-ready items!
I have yet to come to any of the events that OC Wine Mart puts on. But I've heard fantastic things about them (including the very high possibility of having a food truck here!) and can't wait to try it out.Listed in: Let's Do Something - OC
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Review from Chris D.
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Donna and I met up with Bob T. and his wife Ruth, Jeena E. and her husband Aaron, and Steven N for some wine tasting and cheese eating at Julie L's very cool wine mart.
Wine tasting is done by purchasing credit for a plastic card which you use at a self-service automatic wine dispensing machine. You stick in your card, put your glass under the spout and push the button for your wine of choice. Reds are served room temperature and whites are chilled. They cost anywhere from $1 to $13 a taste depending on how expensive the bottle is. Each wine had a placard describing it. Pours are done by machine so no heavy pours... just a perfect 1oz.
I personally prefer the traditional wine tasting room with a human pouring the wine. I like hearing the descriptions and the interaction. This is good for couples and people by themselves. With a large group though this automated wine tasting was perfect. The wine dispensing machine was circular and all around were tables and chairs. This allowed for mingling and you were not at the mercy of a busy employee who's pouring the wine. Even though you're missing the human being pouring the wine Julie knew everything about the products she offered and was able to describe them in detail along with give recommendations.
If wine isn't your thing you can buy a beer out of the fridge and drink it along with your wino friends. If you want to snack on some cheese while you drink you can purchase a cheese platter which includes a variety of artisan cheeses, nuts, fruit, and jam. Julie provided us several cheeses all which were delicious. Even the people who walked in and were not part of our group enjoyed our cheeses as they took them off our tray! Watch your cheeses like a hawk for sneaky people!
The store also serves hard liquor, macarons, cheese to go, snacks, lottery tickets, even beef jerky! My wife and I bought a variety of wines and some cheese to enjoy later. I really liked this store and will be back! It's family run with both mom & daughter working in the store. For an independent shop I thought the prices were very good and was pleased to see not only Napa Valley wines but plenty of Paso Robles wine too.Listed in: Genuine Customer Service
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Review from Izzy S.
Irvine, CA
1/28/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Great wine $ great service
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Review from Cathy S.
12/1/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar's success is due to Julie LIm and here's why:
1. She has an eidetic memory.
2. Classy, yet down to earth.
3. Energetic and gregarious but not over the top.
4. Meticulously tastes all of the cheeses she sells and presents at her events
5. Impressed that she knew of Epoisse.
6. More impressed that she had a Pinot that would go well with the Epoisse.
I just love her store and the amount of energy she puts into it reflects in the type of merchandise she sells, the cleanliness and organization.
I can only review the store and Julie herself as I have not been fortunate enough to be able to attend one of her lovely events yet.
I am so glad that I have found this gem of a business for both my personal and business needs.
Julie - 5 Stars
Customer service - 5 Stars
Organization and selection - 5 StarsListed in: Local Flavor, Date night, Working the mind and the…
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Review from Randi B.
Returned on Friday for the Anniversary Party. Julie has invited me to quite a few events over the past couple months - glad I was finally able to make it to one!
We arrived around 6 and they were pretty busy. I admit we were a bit confused about the "free tasting" for Yelpers. I checked in on my phone and thought there would be a check in deal, but there wasn't. So we all paid (I was here with two other people) the $10 for the tasting.
Luckily, I ended up meeting Julie and told her what happened, so she did give us a refund. The wines offered in the complimentary tasting were all very good, I really enjoyed the Chardonnay.
My friend and I decided to go ahead and purchase a tasting card - the deal that night was $20 for $10. I like the concept of the machines. Some of the tastes are pretty pricey though, and it was easy to blow through the $20 card.
The night was fun. We had some other friends who happened to be there and it was fun hanging out with them. Julie offered us a cheese platter and we couldn't pass that up. The cheese platter was delicious and a perfect compliment to the wine.
I would definitely come back here again. I had a much better time on my second visit, i'd like to give it another shot on a weekend night with some friends - hopefully it wouldn't be as busy as it was the night of the event.Listed in: The Adventures of Lil Wino.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/26/2011
I know I am the odd woman out here. Everybody loves this place, and I feel bad for not loving it… Read more »
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Review from Kenny L.
12/8/2011
5 Stars for having Pliny the Elder and Racer 5 available!!
The 6th star is for being locally owned and run by the super friendly and personable owner Julie L.
Oh, Yelp will blow up if I gave it 6 Stars? *Regrettably removes a Star* -
Review from Jun N.
Yorba Linda, CA
12/4/2011 1 photo
No wander this place has 5 stars on YELP.
I finally had a chance to attend their two year anniversary event yesterday. Julie was so surprised and happy to see me because she knows my work schedule. Yes, she cares about people who she knows. I am so glad I finally made it this time.
OC Wine Mart is so comfortable, clean and organized. The huge variety of wine bottles on the display are very impressive and dust free. The automatic wine pours is a great way to choose a wine. All you have to do it is insert your card, select wine you want to taste, and push the button. No wonder people love this place once they know!!
The owner, Julie, greeted to every guest with passion and love. I can tell she works very, very hard, but she enjoys it a lot. As a small business owner, I respect her a lot and she deserves more than 5 stars from me. -
Review from Vanessa R.
Mission Viejo, CA
12/16/2011
I like this place!
I had emailed earlier in the week to hold some wine for me. When I went to pick up the wine, the older lady had call another employee regarding their location. Not bad considering the wine was still there. The lady rang me up and I was out the door as quickly as I came it ( and just in time because a line of 6 people had formed by the time she finished ringing me up).
I'd like to come and try the wine bar. It looks pretty cool. It takes up a fair amount of the store. -
Review from Erica I.
Santa Ana, CA
12/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
We love the OC Wine Mart!
We bring our social group there often and Julie just has a way with making everyone feel at home. Julie and her Mother are truly amazing people and really care about their guests!
We had a couple wine tasting parties hosted by Julie and our members did nothing but RAVE about the place!
They loved the wine tasting machines that allowed people to be in control of their wine tasting. When we came in Julie gave us cards with credits on them and an empty glass (that didn't say empty long!). We got to pic which wine was on the tasting machine, put the card in, and choose which wine to taste next. SMART!
When wines ran out, in our group they run out fast, we got to go through the store and choose which wine to put in next. :)
Julie set out plenty of great cheese plates. Goat, Bleu, cheddar, and some Reggino cheeses plus the best grapes (they were so sweet), and a never ending supply of crackers.
It was a great experience and one of my favorite spots to bring people too! :)
Thanks for everything OC WINE Mart!!
Erica "The Diva" I -
Review from Sinnary S.
Anaheim, CA
Updated - 1/13/2012 1 photo
Thought I'd post an update and a photo of my most recent client gifts. I quite literally waited until the last minute again for holiday gifts. Since I didn't order a gift basket on time this time, I ended up buying a wooden box that packaged the wine as well as some wine tools. It was very elegant. I was able to pick one up with a bottle of wine, threw some Godiva chocolate inside as well for each owner of the client company. Thanks again for making it easy for me!
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/7/2010
I'm always really bad when it comes to gifts, especially on the holidays. I had 3 big clients I… Read more »
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Review from Jeff C.
Irvine, CA
11/10/2011
First and foremost, this review relates purely to the wine tasting part of the store. I will say that lady whom I think is the owner, is VERY nice and professional, which is why I kind of feel bad giving a lower rating, but based on my experience with the wine tasting I just can't give a higher rating in good conscience.
I saw a deal for this place on Groupon, and being that it was a new (to me) wine bar" near my house, my girlfriend and I decided to try it out. ESPECIALLY as the ad stated that they had tastings of "Caymus Cabernet ($5), Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet ($7) and Rombauer Chardonnay ($2.75)."
We got there, and realized that it wasn't a "wine bar," but rather a liquor store with a wine tasting area taking up roughly 30% of the store. Granted, it's a nice looking liquor store, but it's a liquor store nonetheless. Disappointing. We picked up our tasting card, grabbed a couple of glasses and went to the wine machines.
Here's where the even bigger disappointment came in.
None of the wines which they advertised were available for tasting. And in fact, we had never heard of ANY of the wines 18 or so wines which they had available for tasting, and both of us know a decent amount of wineries. While it was a little bothersome, we took it as an opportunity to (hopefully) find some new wines. Wrong. We tried most of the wines, from the cheapest to the most expensive, and only one of them was even palatable (not the most expensive one BTW). The rest just did not taste good at all! After trying several of the wines, I took a break and wandered around the store. For some reason I got the feeling that someone had talked the owner into buying these (not good) wines, and she was just trying to get rid of them any way she could. We left shortly thereafter with money still on our cards.
Hoping that it was just a fluke, we went back a couple of weeks later to try again. This time, they actually had a couple of wines, from Justin and Lincourt, which we had heard of. The Lincourt wine white we had previously tasted just a few days earlier at the Lincourt tasting room up in Santa Ynez and really enjoyed it. However, again, disappointment. All of the wines did not taste good, and had kind of a plastic-y taste to them. Even the Lincourt, which we had really liked when we tasted it at the winery, did not taste good. My girlfriend thought that maybe it had to do with their Enomatic system not being cleaned properly or something. We've tried wines from Enomatic systems at actual wine bars and they never had the palstic-y taste to them.
All-in-all, I was disappointed with the experience. The owner is super nice, but that's not enough to overcome bad tasting wines.Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 11/10/2011
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your… More » -
Review from Kelley U.
Julie Lim continues to throw such wonderful events at her OC Wine Mart and Tasting Bar. We received an invitation for her latest event, a chocolate and wine tasting evening, and were very eager to sample the pairings she was going had to offer.
Julie shows such love for her store and customers by meticulously researching all the products she carries. She had so many wonderful samples of chocolates and truffles for us to sample and tastings of wine that were perfectly paired with each delicious piece of chocolate. You don't need to twist my arm to try any kind of chocolate and there were some great ones to sample there from Vosges, John Kelly and Eclipse Chocolat, to name a few. I especially loved the Mo's Dark Bacon Bar and John Kelly truffles. The Mo's Bar has dark chocolate with hickory smoked bacon and Alderwood smoked salt. Absolutely delicious. Of course, I bought one of those for home consumption :) Their were some lovely wines to sample that complimented each chocolate treat. Of course, she also had some wonderful cheese and salami to cleanse our palate between bites of chocolate.
It's no wonder this place is packed on a Friday night. Julie is such a gracious host, and I love the wealth of knowledge she imparts about all products she carries at her store. As usual, another great event at the OC Wine Mart and Tasting Bar!Listed in: Mac Attack
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/17/2011
Thank you so much, Julie L., for inviting fellow Yelpers to experience all the wonderful things you… Read more »
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Review from Rich C.
Irvine, CA
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I cant figure out how this place has such a high rating; something is very fishy about that. my wife and I go to pretty much every wine place in and around OC, and I can say that we are just not terribly impressed with this place. Its basically a liquor store with a couple enomatic machines that are way overpriced. there is no real wine bar type atmosphere here either; its just sort of meh. value 2 stars. atmosphere 2 stars. There are so many other great wine places around OC, I just dont see myself hanging out here. This review is based on 4 vists by the way, so Ive certainly given it enough chances.
Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 1/9/2012
Thank you Rich, for visiting and taking the time to write a… More » -
Review from Bob T.
12/18/2011
So many great reviews on Yelp - now I know why!! If you enjoy wine tasting, OC Wine Mart is a "must go". What is so great about this place? "Pretty much everything" would be my answer! I'll try to put it in a quick hitting format:
- Casual, yet classy Napa style environment; very comfortable place for everyone
- Independent, family owned and operated.
- Honest and knowledgeable service; truly there to help you find something you will enjoy and at a price point that provides good value.
- Able to taste both reds and whites; you don't need to choose a flight or be locked into a tasting menu - self select from about 20 reds and 10 whites.
- you can taste in any order you would like to, and go back for 2nd's if you need to compare or confirm your favorites.
- price per bottle is clearly displayed, along with descriptions, as you taste.
- great selection of beers - you can buy and drink there - works out perfectly if you have someone who is a beer fan with you.
- tasteful selection of cheese and "on the money" recommendations.
- happy hour discount specials!
- Julie L - Five star owner! Appreciates your patronage, and shows it in everything she does to help you enjoy your time there; I have noticed she follows and responds to reviews/concerns, can't ask for much more than that!
OC WM is a great place to start an evening - for date night, or even better, do what we did - go with a group! I find wine tasting a very enjoyable group activity, you can share thoughts and discoveries with each other. My wife and I enjoyed the tasting with fellow yelpers; Chris and Donna D, Steven N, Jeena E and her beer connoisseur husband Aaron. Jeena contacted the owner Julie to give her a "heads up" that we'd be coming in, and in turn Julie provided some fantastic cheese pairings for the tasting. Everyone was very impressed with Julie's choices and her generosity. It made for a great little wine tasting party. I highly recommend getting a group together and setting up your own event!
I contacted Julie about a Pinot Noir we enjoy, she can special order it for us, but in the meantime she suggested a wine with a similar flavor profile, when there was a vacancy in the tasting line up - she opened a bottle for tasting. Once again Julie was right on point with this choice - and it was half the price per bottle than the one I originally asked about - Score!!
We ended up getting two bottles of the Pinot, a great bottle of blended Tuscan red, a Riesling, a 6 pack of Hoegarrden, a double cream soft french cheese, and some quince paste from Spain. Happy to say, no gifts - all for us, and guests to enjoy :)
A wonderful evening was had by all - thanks for a great time!
If I could sum up my entire review in one word it would be "Go!" -
Review from Jayne L.
MACARON LAUNCH EVENT @OCWINEMART
Last month, I was invited to OC Wine Mart & Wine Tasting Bar's Macaron Launch Event. All Yelpers and friends of OC Wine Mart were invited to complimentary wine tastings and were given FREE macaron samples!! Yelp Elites got FREE cheese platters in addition to extra macarons.
The Slapfish truck was also there serving their specialties, but I didn't really try any of their food.
I was also lucky to meet the wonderful host, Julie Lim!! She is such a sweetheart! She's really friendly and easy to talk to. Her knowledge of wine, cheese, and now macarons amaze me! I wonder what's next!!!
As soon as I walked in, I saw two towers of macarons: http://www.yelp.com/bi... and http://www.yelp.com/bi...
These can also be purchased in a nice box: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Wine Tastings began with: http://www.yelp.com/bi..., then http://www.yelp.com/bi..., and then http://www.yelp.com/bi....
Cheese board was neatly decorated: http://www.yelp.com/bi... I loved her choices with cheese!
Speaking of which...I LOVE CHEESE!!! They had more cheese selection than Trader Joe's:http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I left with a macaron treat bag: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
They are officially selling XT Patisserie's macarons, which are REALLY delicious and not too sweet.
PS - I was able to compare some prices of OC Wine Mart's wine and the prices of Total Wine & More. OC Wine Mart had a few items that were more than 25% cheaper than Total Wine & More! Whenever I need to shop for great wine, I'll definitely come here to buy it! -
Review from Brenda B.
CAPO BEACH, CA
1/16/2012
I don't like wine and wasn't here for a wine tasting event. I only came because I found out that they sell macarons. I've seen pictures of them on ads for Groupon probably since about 2008 or 2009, but never tried them before now, so I'm quite late to the party on this. One thing that held me back from trying them in the first place was that I thought it was a misspelling of "macaroon", which is a humble kinda boring coconut cookie that I had sometimes as a kid. Also, in the pictures, they looked kinda hard and I was worried that I'd chip a tooth on them or something. Dry looking as well, which didn't appeal to me. I had to really search through the Yelp reviews to find out where they're sold. There's Merely Sweets in Brea, but that was out of my way. This place was more convenient.
I made a 2012 New Year's resolution to finally pop my macaron cherry, so I finally made it out to this store. The pictures on here show macaron towers, macarons in jars and in displays by flavor, but maybe that's only done during the wine tasting events. I strolled on into here earlier in the day and was the only customer. It almost had a convenience store/ small corner liquor store vibe to it. All I saw for macarons were a few packages of 12. I bought one as a little present to myself. They weren't cheap.
I was almost tempted to eat some on the drive back to my neighborhood, but I had dropped some money on the way to the car and picked it up, so my hands weren't clean. I waited til I got to the clubhouse where I live, washed my hands in the restroom, then sat in one of the nice easy chairs and noshed on 1/2 the package! XTPattisserie's package doesn't have any label on it indicating which colors go with which flavors, how many (small) macarons are in a serving size or how many calories each one has. So I may have been seriously splurging there. I probably should've stopped at 2 right then, but was curious what the next surprise flavor would be. The texture was nice. The first one I had was raspberry - yum. There were 2 whose flavors I couldn't discern - perhaps almond, vanilla or coconut. One of them tasted like cheesecake - YUK! - so I had to spit that one out...so maybe I *only* had 5 in that one sitting after all. One tasted like lemon. The last one I ate there was Orange Blossom! My fave!
After spending more time at the clubhouse to catch up on some reading, I returned home. After dinner, I shared one of the remaining macarons with my boyfriend. I asked if he could tell what flavor his was, but he couldn't. I then had another indistinct one, a nice praline one, a hazlenut one, a rich chocolate one and then bit into what turned out to be a coffee flavored one and spit it out. -
Review from Miyun C.
*********Happy Hour Food Trucking - Tobin James and Rancho A Gogo BBQ Event********
Resplendency comes to mind when I imagine Julie and The OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar. Her radiancy tickles you and her personality dazzles you, while the wine and cheese satisfy you. This destination transports you to a place far away, where happiness is the status quo.
Did you know that she meticulously tastes all of the cheese and accoutrement that compose her cheese plate, available in small and large?
Well, this 100 lb TITAN (that's you, Julie) of food and wine understands the intricate details of pairing food, wine and hospitality.
If Dionysus had a child - an Asian daughter, Julie L. would be her name.
Namaste!Listed in: The Elite, French Macaron
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/17/2011
Macaron Launch Event & Slapfish Food Truck is a smashing hit!
Guests were engaged and occupied with… Read more »
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Review from Jeff L.
10/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is a bit overdue.
You know, sometimes you come across a cool place, you file it in your mind to definitely announce it to the world on Yelp, but then life kind of takes over...?
Yep, few weeks back, after noticing OCWM&TB buzzing on Yelp, the wife and I decided to stop by late one evening after our date night dinner. It was about 5 minutes before closing time and you can tell that last call had been made as the small but packed store was still buzzing. "maybe we'll come back another day" my wife said. "lets just poke our head in and check it out" I insisted.
Were we turned away at the door? No! we were welcomed by the owner Julie who walked us through the store and the concept of the tasting bar. We probably overstayed the closing time by 40 minutes while we talked wine, food, and Yelp!
I love the fact that a small business owner is not only passionate, but also knowledgeable about her products, and savvy about marketing through traditional (word of mouth) and new (social networking, YELP!). We had a great time while trying some wines from the bar.
Speaking of the tasting bar, all wine from the store are available for tasting. We saw a bottle of Opus One on tap that night...!
Thanks for your hospitality Julie, we will definitely be returning in the future.Listed in: Bottoms Up!
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Review from Oanh N.
10/20/2011
Seriously there's a reason why this place is 5 SOLID stars after over 100 reviews! I am GLADLY to add on to it and here's why....
Local convenience store:
Has all the fixings that you would need but so much more! I guess the best way I can describe it's like a novelty "Hallmark" like convenient store for alcohol. I saw items there that I wanted to buy but I knew I didn't need! Haha.
Wine Tasting:
I never went to a local convenient store that's 1) so nice and 2) that had the wine tasting dispensers. I thought it was so cool. There's their own section for it and they have pretty good deals to taste a good selection of wine.
My gf had a birthday party there. Yes. At a mart. And I thought it was such a novel idea. Very creative and inexpensive with the wine tasting experience so keep that in mind you can throw a small birthday gathering there. Just talk to Julie (the owner) and I'm sure she can arrange to have cheese and crackers there too.
Julie the owner:
She's such a wonderful delight. So welcoming, grateful, and a great person. i had the pleasure of meeting her when I came in and she was such a breath of fresh air. She was also so generous to donate wine to my organization for our Plate by Plate event. Besides having an awesome shop she adds a lot of love to it and you can definitely feel it when you run into her. Her staff are absolutely wonderful as well.
OC Wine Mart is worth checking out and you might leave buying things you weren't planning on haha. Thank you for your great hospitality Julie and giving OC a great wine mart and tasting bar. You're the absolute best~! I will come in soon to buy some of those XT Patisserie macs. Yums! -
Review from Adam H.
Irvine, CA
1/8/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Believe all the rest of these reviews. This place is awesome! The wine selection is really good but what really makes this place great is the customer service. Also, some things that I didn't expect. Great beer selection! And the wine tasting selection rotated while we were there. Gave us a chance to try a lot of great wines.
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Review from Mahesh S.
Updated - 10/7/2011
I now have heard from bunch of my friends who went to OC WIne mart after reading the reviews and all had one common thing to tell me... they all decided to go in a spur of the moment decision at random hours, and they found themselves in the dark alone lonely place with no one to guide and they couldn't relate all the 100+ 5 star review experience to what they experienced!!! So i thought i would take the time to update the review and clarify it to set the expectation correct.
Its a wine mart/liquor store that also has a wine tasting area set apart that is self serve enomatic machine.
I would say the 5 star reviews are for the 'hosted events', where the owner is present, or when you go with a whole bunch of crowd(7+) to make it fun here. But if you are going with a friend and looking for a wine bar to hang out and enjoy OC WineMart isn't the place for that - at all. Most time they have someone behind the counter that can check you out but you just have to guide yourself through the store/wines/wine bar... if you aren't intimidated by that you wont have problem, but if you are expecting to have some one to wait you, explain you wine at any random hour of the day - this place may disappoint you as they dont have a wine knowledgeable person on staff full time.!!!
Having said that, I do like the place for the wine and beer selections (very unique), and the constant additions of cheeses and other wino stuff. Its not a bargain shopping, but a place of convenience for a really good selection of wine/beer/cheese.
I hope that helps!!Listed in: Support Local Businesses, ROTD - Mahesh S
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/20/2010 ROTD 2/17/2011
10 years ago when I moved to US, I stayed at Crowne Plaza across the freeway and this little… Read more »
Comment from JULIE L. of OC Wine Mart & Tasting Bar 10/8/2011
Thank you Mahesh for taking the time to update your review… More » -
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Review from Michael Y.
Diamond Bar, CA
10/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'm a wine lover and I will have to thank Yelp and Julie L (owner) for inviting my wife (Jayne L) and myself to this gem. The owner was such a great host to us as she conducted the wine testing.
As I walk inside the store with my wife, the atmosphere was great, the wine selection was good, and the fact that the owner gave us good tips about wine.
Julie give us complimentary cheese plate with yummy jam and wine testing. For my birthday she gave me taste of fine wine from the wine station. They have a great area of various wines displayed and a great seating area around wine tasting station.
So keep your eyes open, or you'll miss a great find. I would definitely go back again. -
Review from rachel t.
Garden Grove, CA
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place deserves a million stars :)
OC Wine Mart is a gem! I came to purchase a GC for a charity fund raiser my company holds annually. I messaged Julie, the owner, and asked her about promotion for GC since I am not familiar with her store. She immediately offers a gift towards the cause; and of course gave us the fantastic deal of 25% off GC. I love how responsive Julie the owner is and I can tell she has the ability to awe every customer who walks into her store if she was there everyday. I didn't even get to meet her when I visited on 10/11, however I know she has the WOW factor because her employees are helpful, happy, and accommodating even though I surprised them about the offer Julie gave (they weren't in the loop about the entire situation; but they called her to confirm and made the transaction smoothly).
The location is fantastic; I work in South Coast Plaza area, so this location is only about 10 minutes drive from where I work, and it's so nice that it is on the way home for me.
I only planned to come to pick up what was offered and out of curiosity, I asked Katherine (I think that's the correct spelling) about a beer that I had a hard time locating (it's new in the market). I asked if they carry Evans; she had excellent product knowledge; she said "oh yeah, it this you're asking for? We only have one type from Evans, its premium/original." I was beyond impressed when she knew what I was asking for right off; and I happily paid her for the pack. I was excited to surprise my BF since he had a bad week; and we've been looking ALL OVER for this beer. I also picked up half a dozen of macaroons also. They're really tasty! I am excited to come back to visit during one of Julie's event (food trucks, wine tasting, artisan cheese, macaroons YUM!!!!)
This place is the real deal and has the total package.
I can't wait to visit this Wine Mart with my girlfriends soon in the future. I have many wine lovers in my life (I swear we're not alcoholics...haha!) -
Review from Maria N.
Fountain Valley, CA
10/9/2011
On the way to taking my Work Brat out for a bday dinner, we stopped in here to pick up my $30 tasting gift card. Little did we know we'd fit in a mini wine tasting session in before dinner! Unexpected Birthday Bonus for the Work Brat!
We came during their Macaron launch event, which had live music, free samples, and a good amount of patrons tasting the wines in the tasting bar. The ambiance and our curiosity got the best of us so we decided to stay and get our wine-o's on!
Neither of us had ever been here before, so we were a couple of deer in the headlights, but the owner Julie was absolutely fantastic! She held our hands thru the whole experience - she grabbed us some wine glasses, showed us how to use the tasting station, accompanied w/ some sommelier action, and educated us on the cheese plate we got to go w/ our wines. (Tip: we checked-in here on Yelp and got a discount on the cheese plate!) She definitely elevated what would've been just a pitstop to a liquor store to a wine tasting adventure at a cool little wine shop.
Since the Work Brat is a wine-O, and I just like to pretend I'm tasting wines, $30 was enough to let us taste just about everything, including the $15/taste Opus One! I know he and I left there feeling just that much baller knowing we can officially say we tasted such luxury! All that was missing was a bejeweled pimp cup!
This place is such a gem for those who are looking for something new and different to do in the local area. I left here with a bag full on yummy macarons, my updated baller status, and the hope to come back soon (but only when Julie is there bcs. i don't know if we would've had as good of an experience if we had to navigate thru all of that by ourselves - check out their website; events are all listed for your planning convenience!).
