Ghirardelli Square – UnCorked! Wine Festival

Overpriced. Winerys only brought their cheapest wines which were out by 4 although event was supposed to go until 6. what a rip off.

I’m a wine lover. My mom came down from Oregon to visit me for Mother’s Day so i bought us tickets to here. I normally work Saturdays until 6pm but asked to work a half day so we could be here by 2:30. There were maybe 10 or 12 wineries at most & they were all packed up & gone by 4:30pm. The event was supposed to go until 6 with the last pours being at 5:30. I’m glad I didn’t buy VIP tickets because I would have felt even more ripped off than I do now, but I feel sorry for those people that did. I give it 2 stars for the few good vendors that were there, otherwise the event itself would be 1 star. I will not be going back again and that really bums me out. The event was worth maybe 10 bucks, for a few wine tastes & donation to help SF bay. I’d be surprised if they came back next year with the way this turned out.

I am probably going to get hung for this but the truth is the truth.
The peanut butter sundae was not all that. I go there for the total package and this sundae fell short of it. I am not a fan of vanilla ice cream but even my sundae didn’t have much ice cream to begin with.
If you must go, order you ice cream to go because if you order it to stay, you will wait over 30 minutes compared 8 minute wait to go. To go is the only way to go.

I would like to preface this review by admitting that I’m not much of a wine
connoisseur (more like a wine kinda-​sewer!); most of my experience with wine comes from cooking, and not actually consuming. So, when we were invited to the Uncorked! Wine Festival (UWF) by my wife’s cousin to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday I was not particularly ecstatic. However, I always like to keep an open mind and maybe –just maybe– I’ll learn a thing, or two. Plus, the UWF website stated there would be a Beer Garden, and that I’m definitely into!
Parking– Fairly typical horrible San Francisco parking situation; you might get lucky and actually find some street parking, but odds are you’ll end up getting fleeced (like we did) at one of the surrounding parking garages. I won’t even say how much we ended up paying, because it’s obscene and Unilocal is a family site. 1*
Price– The basic General Admission for unlimited tastings was $ 55/​person with additional packages available for those with trust funds. Apparently, there was a Groupon for ½-​off, but the ship had already sailed on that one. 2*
Check-​in Process– I only bring this up because I noticed several reviews mentioning how horrible it was, and our experience was the complete opposite. We walked up to the ticket booth; wife handed over our e-​ticket on her phone; we showed our IDs; and we received our arm bands and tasting goblets. The whole thing took less than a minute – very efficient! 5*
Amenities– There were a few food trucks; a huge row of port-​o-​potties (a must for these types of events); a few ATMs scattered throughout and a stage with bands playing on it. 3.5*
Vendors– Plenty of wineries were present (some I’ve heard of and others I hadn’t) and there were a few miscellaneous non-​wine booths (i.e., jewelry, caramels, wine glasses, etc.) as well. My personal favorite was Ghirardelli Chocolates was there handing out samples – and I may have gotten more than my fair share. 3*
Spirits– While there was plenty of wine to be sampled, I didn’t see hide nor hair of this purported «Beer Garden» that the UWF website had promoted. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. Fail. 1.5*
Ambiance– This was easily the best part of the UWF. Who could ask for a better venue than beautiful and historic Ghirardelli Square? The UWF is also adjacent to Aquatic Park that provides you with majestic views of the SF Bay, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hyde Street Pier. The UWF is also just a short walk away from Fisherman’s Wharf; I’d highly recommend going there after you’re done with the tasting and eat there instead of those over-​priced food trucks. 5*
Crowd– Pretty mellow crowd that slowly built up as the afternoon wore on. We arrived right when the event opened at 1 p.m., and there was no line at any of the booths; by the time we left there was a a 5 – 10 minute wait to get your drink on. Surprisingly there also wasn’t a whole lot of drunken hijinx that you’d expect at this sort of thing, but we did leave after just a few hours. I’m sure there was plenty of shenanigans afoot later. 3*
I tasted a lot of wine that day –and there were a few OK ones– but I’d say a preponderance of what I sampled fell squarely into the «Meh» category. My wife and I wondered if the wineries even brought their best stuff, or if they just schlepped in cases of mediocrity; I would think you’d bring your «A» game to such an event, but maybe it was – who knows? Overall, my disappointment in the no Beer Garden, the high price tag, and the uninspired tastings are what led to the 2-​star review. Again, to be fair, I’m not into wine so take my review for what it’s worth.

I went to this event last year and did not have the nicest things to say about it. I did not plan on attending again, but when presented with the opportunity to attend and experience some changes made, I took advantage.
The event was much better this year. The line flowed smoothly, the staff was nice, the wineries were diverse and the pours were fine. The whole event just seemed to flow better. The improvements made were definitely noticed. I would go back

Unlike the other reviewers when I arrived there was no line at will call.
I was disappointed in the wine tastings — they barely poured anything! The selection was nice but you weren’t able to buy anything and many of the small wineries didn’t offer to take an order of anything less than a case which was disappointing.
Overall though with a deal from groupon or living social it can be a nice way to spend a Saturday by the water as you sip some wine.

Had a blast! Great food stands set up conveniently all around to help us from getting wasted off all the wineries that were there. There was a long line to get in for sure but diddnt really mind waiting a few minutes for each one of the wineries. We really liked the music in the background too. We were a little cautious from reading past reviews saying there wasn’t enough wine but we found that not to be the case, totally enough for all (though we did leave around 4:30 so cant account for after that. The pours were pretty generous).
Dropping one star due to not finding any wines we enjoyed– the wineries all seemed legit but we were not the biggest fans of the selection; only found 2 wines we actually ended up contacting winery to purchase. But the event as a whole we really enjoyed– especially the fact that it was right there by the beach and we could go for a little walk while enjoying our lunch.
Next time please ask that the wines be available to purchase on hand possibly?
Will we return next year…

Things were much more organized this year making for a much more enjoyable time. It’s hard to go wrong with a liquid afternoon overlooking the Bay.

I love wine tasting and was expecting to taste a plethora of wines but got more then I bargained for! I was able to not only taste wine, but beer, champagne and unique appetizers! I expected to be amongst great company, have a few drinks and enjoiy the enviornment of being in the city and I got exactly that. Couldn’t have asked for a better day or better company! Definitely would go back next year!

Worst wine event i have ever been to. and i’ve been to many. I love wine events like this in general. But… Poor quality wineries (never heard of most, the one or two i’ve heard of…). 90 minutes to get in, wasting 90 minutes of the event. Ended up not mattering because i left after an hour anyway due to all the issues, because the lines at every winery table for 10 – 20 deep, no time to even enjoy the sip, talk to the winemaker, etc. food was scarce, and again lines galore, about 30 minute wait for that. This was not for the wine tasting crowd, it was put on groupon to maximize money for whoever put it on.
Keep in mind this was an epically beautiful, very warm day near the bay, which should put people in the best mood possible for this event. and the reviews are still attrocious. that says it all.
The people who gave it 5 stars lucked into the only way to get in fast, which was will call. everybody else who printed tickets at home (should be faster right?) got stuck in the 90 minute line. As for no lines at winery tables, i’m not sure what event they were at, but it was apparently not the same event that every other reviewer i see here was at. I’m guessing the good reviews are from ghirardelli staff or whoever the promoter was that put this on. I especially love that the good reviews mention liking things like Yorkville Sweet Malbec, $ 8 Barefoot Moscato Spumante, and white sangria from cost plus. Enough said.
Needs major changes, it is a shame, but just avoid this as there are 1000 other wine related events in the city to attend instead. Pinot Days, Rhone Ranger events, the «real» Uncorked events throughout the city, tempranillo tasting, winemaker dinners, etc.

Echoing the other negative reviews regarding the line, the wait, the poor quality of the wines being poured, and the horrible organization of the tasting. This was the third and definitely LAST time we’re attending this event. I think they could’ve at least started making a dent in the line early and make sure the wineries just not pour until 1p (the scheduled start of the event). I could’ve used the time to get a feel for what wineries were there.
We finally got to start tasting around 1:30 after waiting in line for 40 minutes. I don’t think they kept track of how many tickets they sold because you had to wait in long lines to get a pour at all of the booths. Most wineries were out of stock and closing up by 4:30.
I know I’m being a brat here but that really, really stupid wine that apparently freaking Train bought called ‘Save Me San Francisco’ was awful just like their music.

This event was the worst wine tasting event I have ever been to. I wanted to treat my husband for his birthday, so I went all out and bought VIP tickets for $ 80 each. That gave us access to the very exclusive «VIP LOUNGE» which was basically a porch with a decent view and one… yes ONE wine booth. Oh and some cheese. Don’t forget your sample of cheese. And a bunch of places to sit, which half were actually the patio of private residencies (And no signs telling us we weren’t allowed to sit there). So we stood around and felt sorry for the people who actually lived there, who constantly had to shoo away VIP people from their private balcony. Awkward.
When we had tried all of the wine in the VIP section (which took about half an hour), we wanted to use the restroom. There was only one freaken restroom for the entire event, and there was a line of women wrapped all the way around a building. I eventually had to use a public restroom a few blocks away. So much for feeling VIP status.
We got a free chico bag out of it, which was stuffed with a bunch of useless crap like a granola bar (which there were free samples of in a booth anyway) and a wine bottle cover made of bubble wrap. wtf?
The VIP tickets were the biggest waste of money. The only plus is there was no line at the one wine booth. Honestly there is also no line when I pour wine at home, and it also costs $ 80 less. And it’s more fun. If you are thinking about going to this even, please don’t. You will be disappointed.

Traveled From Auburn with my Mom to Oakland, Took the Ferry over to SF walked a LOT but was so worth it!!! Had a nice walk from pier 41 to Ghirardelli Square walked right up to the WILL CALL line and was greeted with our wine glass and a map and was on our way within minutes. There was a long line, but I think people were confused or just not paying attention to the signs! LOL … the wine venues were great lines were short or none at all. VIP was nice. Got to relax drink some great wine enjoy some food and got some cool stuff in our Swag Bag! GREAT job with this fundraiser for SAVE THE BAY! Cheers to the awesome event coordinator and their staff at GS ! We will definitely be back next year!!!

Have been to many wine events and this is the only event that was completely, utterly disappointing.
1. 1 hr waiting in line for «will call». Of course EVERYONE was considered «will call» status. It didn’t matter if you bought your ticket at full price or through a discount venue (Groupon). Everyone was stuck in the same horrendous line. Unorganized and insufficient staff to handle the volume of people. From reading unhappy reviews from prior years it seems Uncorked has done zippo to improve this over the last few years.
2. Wineries represented were in my opinion mediocre to poor quality. Flat, watery, and boring were the flavors being poured.
Next year, will save my $ 45 and buy myself 2 cases of 2 buck chuck instead since the quality was on par with what was being poured.
No thanks to Uncorked events!

2012 Uncorked Wine Festival in Ghiradelli Square SF
This is a fun event, but there are some draw backs.
Positives: A fun way to discover wines from many different regions in California (as well as other areas) all in one place. A relaxed environment that is well put together and fairly easy to get to. It is also a wonderful way to spend an afternoon outside in the San Francisco sun. There was good food to buy and a nice lawn to sit on and hang out. There is also a fantastic view of the bay from Ghiradelli square!
Negatives: To get here you have to take Bart and a bus, but it was fun to get around that way. I would NOT recommend driving here. The event was 1−6pm and we arrived fairly early around 1:30pm. The line for will call was insanely long, but moved very quickly and we only waited about 10−15min to get checked in. When we did get checked in I was shocked to discover that they didn’t have any map! How can I be sure I try every winery without having to pay attention? I’m drinking wine and socializing, so no, I don’t want to have to pay that much attention. Getting here early is key because around 4pm all of the red wine was gone and most of the whites. Towards the end around 5 some people also tend to get a little tipsy and forget their manners — cutting in line and such. Not a huge deal, but if you get stressed in crowds, then maybe this isn’t a good event for you. Ghiridelli square isn’t very big, so it gets pretty cramped.
While the food I had was absolutely great (I had a nan wrap with chicken tikka masala) there isn’t much to choose from. In the square there was only the Indian tent and one other BBQ/​kabob tent. Luckily for my party we all really love Indian food.
To sum it up, it’s a fun event, but absolutely not worth the $ 50 you pay. The souvenir wine glass is pretty cheap looking and doesn’t even have the date on it. I’ve been to plenty of wine festivals, strolls, tastings, and wineries and most of them are better organized and have a better overall quality experience.

«What? Unlimited wine tasting? I’m in!!» was my first thought when I heard about annual Uncorked! festival.
WHEN:
Saturday, May 22^nd, 2010, 1−6pm
COST:
$ 50, but LivingSocial had a deal for $ 25 tickets. With a ticket, you get a Ghirardelli wine glass and a Locals Only discount card good at featured locations (good through the end of June 2010).
FESTIVAL:
*Wines — about 40 or so vendors spread across 2 blocks or so and around the plaza levels of Ghirardelli Square
*Chef demonstrations
*Kara’s Cupcake truck
*Food booths — shaved ice, chicken, corn, stir fried noodles
*Local vendors — Cheese bread, Banana bread (YUM!), SlowJams jams (strawberry and strawberry lavender), Olive oil (extra virgin, lemon, and balsamic)
*SmartWater stands — bottles were free for all attendees who showed their green bracelets
*Verizon demo stand which included a free charging station for cell phones
*Performance stage with live music
«Wine samples» was correct — each time I requested a sample, a mere 2 ounces or so was poured in my glass. With the exception of Santa Barbara’s Chardonnay (which I LOVED), I was disappointed in selection and the taste of the wines. Even though the festival was not over until 6pm, by 4:30 — 5:00pm, many vendors were out of wine. Tip: Get there early if you want to maximize your samplings.
Wines are not available for purchase from the vendors at the festival, but are available to be purchased from Cellar 360 at Ghirardelli Square. Tip for attendees: You get 10% off at Cellar 360 by showing your Locals Only discount card.

The 2010 Wine Festival was held on Saturday, May 22^nd in Ghiradelli square. Tickets were $ 50 but we were able to snag a great deal from Groupon for half off! From 1−6pm we enjoyed all the wine our palates could handle from over 50 vendors. The event was well organized and there was a smartwater stand to keep us well hydrated during our rounds. There were a lot of people but it wasn’t overly crowded. Spectators are welcome to come and roam at no charge.
Tips:
*Go early! Wine does run out around 4pm and all that’s left are cabs and zins
*There’s one food stand for those of you who come on an empty stomach

05.22.10
Take me, add a wine glass, plus great company, scatter some wine tasting booths, equals an incredibly fun Saturday afternoon.
About forty booze booths in all, including a few beer tastings. And a live band. And Kara’s Cupcakes. And food, I guess.
Thanks to LivingSocial, we all had $ 25 tickets. Buy three get one free, so we all went for less than $ 20. And trust, we all drank our money’s worth :)
Must purchase:
Yorkville Sweet Malbec and $ 8 Barefoot Moscato Spumante!

Let’s get DRUNK the CLASSY way…
Well, this was our initial plan when my friends and I attended the 5^th Annual Uncorked! Wine Festival this past weekend, but sadly it did NOT happen.
TIME/​DATE:
Saturday, May 22^nd from 1 PM-​6 PM
LOCATION:
Ghirardelli Square (2^nd level) and on Beach Street btw Hyde and Larkin Streets.
PARKING:
Garage in Ghirardelli Square (entrance on Larkin) or 4 hour street parking near Aquatic Park which was about brisk 5 min walk.
COST:
*$ 50 General Admission, however, my friends and I were lucky enough to get out tix for $ 25 on
.
We printed out the voucher and got out tix at the will-​call booth. We were each given a wine glass, a green bracelet, and a $ 10 voucher card to use towards restaurants and stores in the area which expires in June 2010.
*Add’l $ 5 for a Wine Seminars
*Add’l $ 20 for Luxury Wine Tasting
VENDORS:
*WINES:
Approximately 25 – 30 vendors; the majority were unfamiliar to me and seemed unseasoned: Arrowood Vineyards, Barefoot Wine, Benovia Winery, Berryessa Gap Vineyards, Eden Canyon, Étude, Ketcham, Frey Sheldon, Mayacamas Vineyards, etc.
Although the well-​known wineries like Alexander Valley, Beringer, Château St. Jean were listed on the pamphlet, we did not see any of them there.
Each vendor offered two red wines: Cab and Pinor Noir and one white: Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.
The wines were not available to purchase on-​site; however some were available to purchase at 360 Cellars on the 2^nd level of Ghirardelli Square and was 20% for that day only.
TASTE (1 once pours):
With the exception of Santa Barbara’s Wine Company’s Chardonnay, all of the wines were EECK (*ahem* Charles Shaw)! All of the reds did not go down smoothly and left my friends and I with a puckered face upon the first sip. Most of the whites were citrusy as opposed to fruity. And, some tasted like water.
Needless to say, the wines were NOT purchase worthy. We didn’t even finish our 1-​ounce pours for most vendors which says a lot…
*FOOD (add’l cost):
–BBQ (chicken, corn, and noodles)
–La Cocina: cheese corn bread and banana walnut bread
–Sharky’s Shaved Ice
–Hot Dog Cart
*FREE SAMPLES:
–We Olive — Free samples of their Olive oil (lemon, balsamic, and asian)
–Jams: Strawberry and Strawberry Lavender
SET-​UP:
Each winery/​food vendor had 1 corner of the square booth. There was no designated line for any of the booths which was very inefficient, so people crowded around and/​or cut in line at the corners.
There was about 6 – 7 round tables near the will-​call booth where you sit, eat, drink, and chill.
CROWD:
Snooty yuppies and the-​like. A lot of people acted as if the booth was their own private wine tasting and stood there holding up the line by asking for multiple samples, swigging and swishing, and just standing there for 5 minutes at a time.
It was my fist time at the Uncorked! Wine Festival which was a nice experience, but I doubt I’ll be back again next year b/​c all of the wines tasted cheap and I got no where near a slight buzz.

This is my first wine tasting /​festival, and I had a really nice time. At $ 50, it was a bit pricey, but we tried to make the most of it. The magic of the blue wrist band allowed unlimited tastings of everything. We discovered that we just might start liking white wine, but that could be because of the warm weather. I didn’t sample any wines I would consider buying, which you couldn’t do anyway.
There was some food, which I should have taken advantage of, and would not have been a bit buzzed so early. It was not very crowded, and everybody seemed to have a good time. There was plenty of water on hand too, which was important. I just wish it was easier getting a cab.