Chris Kern’s Forgotten Grapes

Love stopping in for wine tasting and some of the wine classes. Chris is so knowledgeable about wine in every variety. Stopped in with my son this afternoon to get some suggestions for wine tasting on my upcoming trip to Paso Robles. Chris was great and gave me lots of ideas. Can’t wait to try them out. Lucky to have such a wealth of knowledge in town!

I tasted at forgotten grape a couple of times with friends and it was really fun. Chris really knows his wine and gets all into the stories of the grapes without being pretentious — it is just about good wine of all kinds. But… when I was going to visit Santa Barbara wine country, I stopped in just to ask him where to go, and he told me to check out the Lompoc wine ghetto, a business park in Lompoc where new wine makers rent out small spaces to get known. This was so awesome! It was like discovering the frontiers of wine in the best new producing areas of California! It was then that I realized how many wine makers in California he actually knows. It is brilliant to have him right here in Riverside! Cheers!

Great wine tasting, Chris is a very friendly and hospitable owner and very knowledgeable about the wine if you’re into wine as an Art, and we just happened to stumble up on this place! We had a GREAT time and we will be back!

Great little wine place.
I don’t really know a lot about wine but I found the tasting and information given during it to be interesting and enjoyable. Definitely a great little place to visit if you love wine.

So glad to see a wine establishment with very knowledgeable people! I found out about this place from an article in the news paper and checked it out with my husband. It’s a $ 10 tasting but with it comes a wealth of information on the art of viniculture, wine tasting, interesting company — you get the whole experience! I like that Chris was extremely knowledgeable and was obviously very passionate about wines. We are wine aficionados so learning about even more obscure grapes was really right up our alley. Kudos!

First time in there and fell in love with their selection and style, Chris was knowledgable and helpful.
I signed up for their email notifications, and Chris told me of their upcoming 12 for $ 12 President’s Day weekend tastings, cannot wait to go have fun and try them!!!

First time in his store. He was very polite and very helpful. I really loved that he was so knowledgeable and was able to answer all of my questions. He also has a great selection of wines and other great things.
Looking forward to going back again to purchase more of his wines. Prices are so very inexpensive.

What a great place to purchase wine, have fun and learn about the process of wine making and enjoying it! I had a holiday party there and my friends loved it! Chris is very knowledgeable and a great guy too. A bonus is that when you purchase some of the wines there, a donation is given to the local animal shelter. Love it!

Great things come in small packages — Chris Kern’s «Forgotten Grapes» is a place you won’t forget. It’s a wine store that offers tastes of lesser-​known, oft-​overlooked varietals from near and far. They also have the «regulars,» but from wineries and regions that don’t normally come to mind when you think «wine.» We bought some great Pinot Noir from Bulgaria. (I shouldn’t tell you that, because it’s limited, and we’ll probably want more and now you’ll buy it out from under me… ;)
Seating for the tastings is limited — maybe 10 people or so (?) So it’s an intimate place, and Chris is very knowledgeable about wines and what to pair them with.
Now, here’s a tip: Tastings for… I think it was six in all, are 10 bucks — normal for most places — BUT, if you show up on Wednesdays, it’s $ 5! Now, I probably shouldn’t tell you that either, because it’ll become increasingly difficult to get a seat with all of you there, but it’s such a neat experience that I had to share. Me & my big mouth!
It’s in a little strip mall (no, not with «strippers» — go to Vegas if you want that kind of thing…) a strip-​mall that shares a parking lot with «Best Thai,» and the old, original Mario’s Place — near the intersection of Spruce & Chicago.

I’m so glad I decided to venture out and try Forgotten Grapes. The tasting was great and only $ 10. Typically I am a red wine drinker but I ended up buying a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc because it was so delightful. I definitely recommend going to a tasting because you’ll end up walking away away with a great bottle of vino. Thank you for the hospitality and lovely wine.

We have been stopping in to see Chris for over a year and this place is top notch. I don’t drink much wine myself, really only when I go visit Chris with family but he does a great job of making you enjoy the wine you go to taste. He really, really knows his wine, this will be obvious after your first taste. Even if wine tasting isn’t your thing and you’re just looking to pick up a bottle for a special occasion, this is your place. The wine selection is plentiful and the price is spot on, with most bottles in the $ 15 range. Go to here.

Back to Review the last wine on my list (that I got for free thanks to my Unilocal review) :) Super happy.
Wine: Bodegas Francisco Casas 2010 Tochuelo
To keep it short, I really loved this wine. I had it a few months ago, but I can still remember the taste! Chris, the owner, said it is best paired with spicy food, but I believe it was delicious by itself. You could even pair this wine over dinner or just relaxing with a group of friends. It is a red wine, a little bit on the heavier side, but the taste was worth every minute! I really enjoy Merlots, so I would say this wine came pretty close! My best friend and I enjoy new wine’s at times and he even said that this particular wine was one of the best he has had in awhile. He is not that picky, but he has tasted a wider variety of wines than I have ($ 6 wines to $ 100+ Ice Wine, Merlots, Moscato, etc.) and we tend to split bottles of wine on random occasions. We’re not the best wine drinkers, but I would say we’re average wine drinkers and college students who enjoy splurging on specialty wine on a few occasions. :) Anyway, I hope you purchase this wine, because I will be coming back for more wine’s and Moscato from Chris Kern!

Thank you!
Chris gave us some great recommendations before going to Paso Robles for the weekend. We bought the Dubost and the Cass and loved them. We plan to stop by both tasting rooms next week.
You know your wines and listen to the customers needs.
We will be back soon.

Stopped by to pick up two bottles of the BrayZin Hussy Blonde (my boyfriend’s favorite wine — no comments please) and after discussion with Chris, who truly is an expert on the wines in his shop, also took home Vino Noceto 2009 Amador County Sangiovese for dinner last night. Paired perfectly with Indian food from Trader Joe’s. A very very good summer red.

Relatives in the area pointed this place out and we decided to give it a try. Chris is a super friendly guy and he knows his wines, that’s for sure. One advantage is that most of the bottles are in the $ 10 – 15 range and almost none of them are more than $ 30, which is great if you’re looking to expand your horizons without busting the bank. Will definitely be back!

This wine shop is a hidden gem just like the wines he finds. Chris takes the time to understand your tastes & price point and gives great recommendations. I learn something new every time I visit his store.

See full review and photos on Food Coma 911 blog.
I’m more of a beer girl, but have been slowly learning more about wines. Just like most folks, I’ve heard about these types of varietal grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Syrah. So I thought nine grapes is doable and I can do this. Then I find out from Chris Kern, the owner of Forgotten Grapes that there are approximately 5,000 different grapes that can be turned into wine. Talk about the song 99 bottles of beer on the wall being just pre-​game for the winos ;)
Not only does Chris Kern’s Forgotten Grapes sell uncommon varietals, but the wines are from uncommon producers from all over the world. Chris Kern’s Forgotten Grapes focus on smaller, family producers that craft quality wine only in small batches each year. Oh, and at an affordable price ranging typically from $ 10 to $ 30 a bottle. Yipee, love you long time Chris!
My favorite is that they offer wine tastings for $ 10. This is a great way to figure out what you like and at six tastings, you will be slowly chipping away at the 5,000 bottles of wine on the wall ;) They also change their tasting list weekly.

I am such a wino.
Cool little place tucked in an industrial park in Riverside. Blink and you might miss it.
Since I used to sell wine a few years ago I’m very fond of places like this. I met the owner Chris who took me through the wines he carries. Most of the regions are places I’ve gone myself in search of small production good quality wines. Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles are a few areas I frequent. As a matter of fact he had a wine I was looking for that the winery had sold out of. Yay.
I’m a huge fan of Cass Vineyards in Paso Robles and there were a few select wines from there. Love their Roussanne. Gotta say for the types of wines he carries the prices are pretty good and he has a good selection for such a small shop.
I really like and appreciate his expertise. A few places have wine you can taste but they don’t have the expert background as I find here. One of the local places in Riverside I frequent has a variety of wines where you can get a small meager pour but the bartenders really have no knowledge or very little knowledge of the wines. Here there is first hand knowledge of each and every wine. I actually learn from Chris’ knowledge and I’ll be back because I need to continue to explore his shop.
There are weekly tastings and from what I understand annual trips to France. This place is a terrific find and I’ll continue to be a regular.

Yes folks, Chris Kern’s Forgotten Grapes is as good as it gets! The knowledge that Chris and his staff have for wine is beyond amazing ~ and every time I have visited this store I leave with another treasure to try. The tasting bar, classes offered & gift items are really great too. Check it out ~ you’ll be glad you did.

I love this place! Chris is so knowledgeable, really knows his wines! You will get a chance to try wines your just not going to find at the ordinary wine shop. Stop in and see for yourself!