The Grapevine
Categories: Cheese Shops, Beer, Wine & Spirits, Wine Bars, Ethnic Food, Wineries [Edit]
1389 Lincoln AveSan Jose, CA 95125 (408) 293-7574
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 12:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Best Nights: Tue, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
19 Reviews for The Grapevine
I am so happy that this place is here--like a little bit of Europe in my own back yard! The cheese is great, the wine selection is outstanding, and they've even got superb Belgian beer available. The vibe is friendly--no pretention here--and it's easy to connect with a friend due to the fact that the noise level is a-okay.
Major bonus--the prices are reasonable! I had expected that an epicurian delight of this magnitude would be very pricey; it's not.
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I actually like this place for the cheese - they helped me put together an amazing cheese plate for a dinner party i threw and my guests were blown away by it. including several europeans who are weaned on stinky delicious cheeses. they probably have wine too... hahaha
I've been to this one and the one in Campbell and they are both nice wine bars (and nearly identical). They pour good wine, though a little on the pricey side for me, and mostly from the "beaten path" local wineries. The cheeses and other munchies are good too. But both times I just found this place a little bit strangely uncomfortable.
I think it is the staff. They were nice enough, but didn't exude that excitement about wine that you expect from someone who makes their living off of selling wine. They just seemed a little put out by my presence both times and it was completely different staff.
I love wine, but $18 for a 4 oz. glass is a bit of a splurge for me. When I'm plopping down the money at a wine bar, I'm really hoping the staff will engage me a little bit in wine chatter to help steer me towards something I'll really enjoy. The staff just didn't seem all that interested here. Either they're not that interested or they are such big wine snobs that they deemed me unworthy of education. (And I'm probably not. After all I have been known to pick up the occasional bottle of $2 Chuck and I have no "collection" to speak of because I can't afford to buy wine at the rate I'd like to consume it.)
Contrary to what others have written, I found it to be a little bit on the pricey side. I'll give it two dollar signs because it's in the middle for a wine bar. They don't tend to carry a lot those bargain finds, though they had a few. The ones they had when I went were wines I'd had many times before, so I went with the more expensive stuff. You also won't get enough food from ordering noshes to tide you over if you haven't had dinner. Both times I came after dinner (with drinks) and spent more here than I had at dinner.
All that said, I'm glad we're getting a proliferation of wine bars in San Jose. It's nice to have a choice of where to go for a drink that's not a "bar" bar. I'm sure I'll be back soon.
The first time I meandered into this store a couple years ago I had gotten off of a miserable Saturday work shift and I figured I would take a shot and go to this little wine shop that I heard about. And I am so glad that I did!
After meandering around to see their selection I finally noticed that people were sitting down and drinking wine at a cute little wine bar. Awe... that looked like fun... if only I had someone to sit with... I sadly continued my wandering and the lady who was working that day came up to me and asked if I needed any assistance. We got to chatting, and I eventually ended up at the wine bar, hehe. That's right, me, myself, and I. There were a couple of other people there and all of us started a conversation that lasted a good 2 hours I would say, with different people coming, and going. The wine and cheese were so delectable that I couldn't help but instantly fall in love.
That's the kind of thing that I have come to expect with the Grapevine. I have taken friends and family there since and, and most have had a similar experience. It's a fabulous place to find wines that perhaps other people may not know of, and you can't beat the welcoming atmosphere.
Selection was limited and service was mediocre. The cheese plate was a good value. Wine prices were a wee bit on the high side.
Not the best of place to learn about wines though, based on staff knowledge, wines offered in tastings, and patrons who frequent the establishment. It is a fun place to hang out and grab a drink, but if you're serious about wines, head to the Wine Club, K&L, Vin Vino, or Beltramo's.
I am sorry I expected great things...but the place had such a strange odor yes it smelled. But to be honest the odor was not that unfamilar it resembled a litter box. Not sure what was going on and hopefully that was a one time thing but my nose was so offended I can't go back. Plus there are so many other that are great to try.
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I came here for Cheese 101, which was very educational. I learned a ton about stinky cheeses and the wines that taste good with stinky cheese. Most of the cheese was pretty good, but I'm not hardcore enough to have liked all of it. I think it was $20 per person. Wine was all very good, but I think they could have been a little more generous. If I was a cheese buff, I would have enjoyed it more. But, I'm not so I got bored. Plus the guy sitting next to me was creepy and insisted on talking to me.
I've also been for a beer tasting, which I enjoyed much more. They provide you with samples of beer and cheese without the lecture or semi-assigned seating, so no sleeping or creepy guy conversation. The beer was fabulous and the environment very comfortable and casual, which makes it nice for a small group of friends looking for a nice place to hang out or catch up.
As far as the shop goes, it's pretty small. Prices seem reasonable if you want to take home any wine or beer.
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Back when my alcohol tolerance was a little lower, I came here for a couple cheap date nights and left prettttttttty tipsy. The grilled cheese one is my favorite! All those fancy bread & cheese combos... MmmmMmmMMM.... Anyways, they're highly recommended. Casual atmosphere, hang out with some friends, try around 4 different wines and eat gourmet grilled cheese! They host a pizza one as well. Maybe I should be advocating the pizza (from Pizza My Heart) so I get more grilled cheese to myself? :)
Anyways, I just looked to see if there's one coming up but it looks like it's a good month & a half before the next one. I've never been here for a non-cheap date night event so I can't rate anything else except the staff is always very nice and attentive.
i normally try to avoid places like this like the plague, wine shops in general tend to bring out the snarky side to me. the pretentious and obsessed employees, who ramble on and on about notes of pencil shavings and unripe peach skin usually make me want to stab a hot poker through my eye-but not without stabbing them first. as far as i'm concerned there's no difference between those freaks and people who obsess over the lord of the rings trilogy.
this is what makes grapevine so special, the lack of douchbaggery! first of all it's mostly women run, who seem to genuinely enjoy wine as a beverage and not a status symbol. the last time i bought a bottle of sparkling wine here it was described to me as "really yummy!" not " a visceral and intense experience for your palate". last night alicia k. and i ran in here to grab a bottle before our hot american idol date at kitty m.'s house. i asked the lovely employee if she could recommend something to go with the frozen yogurt topped with fruity pebbles we had just picked up down the street, with only a slight pause and no judgement she recommended a delicious moscato d'asti. i swear to god i have never experienced a better pairing in my life. anyone that can pick something to complement fruity pebbles is a freaking hero in my book. 5 stars to you mama!
they also usually stock one of my favorite cheeses of all time, a triple creme called pierre robert that is always a hit with my fellow fattie brethren. check it out!
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Everyone who works here seems so friendly and helpful. I don't know much about wine, but I do love to drink it! I love how the owner and all the other staff members are so knowledgeable and unpretentious. I love how they pour the wine so generously even for tastings. I wonder why it never seems so busy when they've got good wine, great cheese and friendly faces. Maybe it's the plastic chairs? Oh, well. More vino for me!
Joined the cheese club here and what a great decision on our part? Not only do we get to try different cheeses .. but it encourages us to drink all the wine we've been accumulating. We met someone from the shop at a Fund Raiser/ Wine Tasting event last year and she was very friendly and knowledgable and not at all nasty about me coming back for more and more cheese :-)
I've seen alot of wine in the shop that we have here in our stash and the prices dont seem to scary, always a good thing.
2 Thumbs up!
I've been to a handful of wine tasting/pairings/cheap date nights here, and they're fun and worth going. The selection of cheeses & other foods they have at the events have always been great. There's been a couple times when I left really full, and they were walking around with more fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, and I couldn't eat another bite! The wines they select for the tastings have been really good too.
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This is a quaint little wine shop in downtown Willow Glen. They offer a good variety of wine, beer and cheeses to buy or taste. In tasting wines, the pour is very generous and the small meat, cheese and antipasti plates are very reasonable at $5 each. We haven't tried one of their event nights yet, but hope to go soon. My only complaints are that the seating area could've been more inviting and it was pretty quiet. We were the only ones tasting. I prefer a bit busier of a place for people watching.
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We had a great time doing both of the Wine Sample Flights and then enjoying a bottle of wine with a great cheese platter for 2, which had a great amount of cheese. The place was pretty quiet the whole time we were there, and the 2 women working said it was slow for a Sat night.
The two emplyees were super sweet, giving us great tips on where to go/what to eat at dinner and then where to go in wine country.
Overall just a very enjoyable prelude to dinner
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We do "Cheap Date Night" at The Grapevine. They alternate the event between pizza and grilled cheese every month. Last night I went for my third time. For $20.00, you get four flights and the best fricken grilled cheese minis ever. They literally cook these fantastic gourmet G.C.'s on a fricken George Foreman grill in the back of the house! And these are not your ordinary Kraft cheese flavored products on "stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouf" Wonder. These are fancy schmancy prosciutto and European cheese or apples on walnut wheat with wine yum yum pass me the hot melted love on the good bread sandwiches.
The wines are not have bad, either. Usually we like 50% of what they're pouring which is a decent batting average since the selections are moderately priced to encourage take home purchases.
The ladies who run this place are really nice and attentive and it gets packed so make reservations on their website in advance or no G.C. and vino for you!
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I went on my first "cheap date night" event here. This little quaint wine and cheese shop in the Willow Glen Neighborhood really is worth checking out. For a $15 we got to taste 4 different selected wines and feast on Pizza My Heart pizza and cheesy bread. They change their events every month and have sake nights to Spanish wine nights. Very intimate. Great spot to bring some girlfriends for some wine tasting....only complaint...more chairs :)
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While we've had good, knowledgeable staff help us here in the past, they need a little more planning when it comes to staffing the shop on busy days - such as the day before Thanksgiving. My husband waited for a long time for help after not being able to locate the specific wine on their shelves. He was hoping for a suggestion for an alternative. The entire time he waited - while being very attentive to another customer - the woman at the counter never looked up to acknowledge his presence, nor offer an "I'll be with you as soon as I can" type of smile. Albeit, this really is less a concern as just needing additional staff on a busy day like this. He left to go to another shop.
The Grapevine has been my favorite wine & cheese shop for a long time. They've got to have 200+ labels, and they specialize in finding small wineries with limited production at a great value. Everything in the store was hand picked by someone who actually works there.
And they've got dozens of cheeses that you can buy by the lb.
Recently they've revamped the place, turning it into a full on wine bar & "noshery" (how awesome is that?) with a great small plate menu.
Several tasting flights available everyday, big by the glass & bottle menu (at a way lower mark up then you'll see in restaurants), even sake & port. How many places are you going to see Kathryn Kennedy or Keenan on the menu?
Service is always fast and friendly.
The special events are always a blast. Be sure to check out Cheap Date NIght, and make reservation EARLY because I've been turned down.
Grapevine deserves 4.5 out of 5 stars -- when are we going to get half-stars (or a 10 point scale) at Yelp? Grapevine is a neat little wine bar tucked away on the "main drag" of Willow Glen. The proprietors are very friendly and inviting. The space is relatively non-descript; there is a tasting bar/area that doubles as a retail space in the front and a small patio in the back.
The thing that makes Grapevine shine, however, are their special events. The Grapevine regularly hosts winemakers from Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and all points in between to showcase their fabulous wines. The events are fairly inexpensive ($20 or so per person for the most high-end ones) and offer a great value and a nice change of pace for a date/outing. The wine selection is fabulous; Grapevine generally has smaller production wines that you might not know but will remember once you taste them.
Should you find yourself in San Jose or Willow Glen, Grapevine warrants a trip. It's a pleasant place to have a glass of wine with a friend.
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