Sherman Cellars

This place is adorable. Small and intimate, it’s great for a date or a small get together with friends.
Kevin was our «winetender» for the night. He was absolutely wonderful and had an abundance of knowledge for each wine that we sampled.
I would recommend Red Light to any wine taster in the Bay.

Seriously such a great find! The wine selection is amazing, and everyone there is so helpful. I was looking for a fun little place to drink some wine on a Friday night, and I think I’ve found my new spot in San Jose. The atmosphere is really casual and friendly, yet vibe-​y and intimate. I’ll definitely be back!

Great wine, great host.
I came in with my girlfriend for wine tasting and chocolate. Our host, Kevin, was awesome at explaining the fine points of wine tasting to a pair of newbies and his chocolate choices were pretty good too. It was a fun experience, definitely customer friendly.

Was looking for a place to grab a glass of wine as many places were closed in the odd afternoon hours downtown. It’s very small and intimate, but a bit disappointed with the wine tasting. The reds and whites we were not feeling, but thank goodness for the Unilocal Check In offer of a bogo. The employee working there was really nice and thorough with his descriptions though!

My sister and I had a wonderful time here last night! We’d gotten the deal with Groupon for makeovers at Lipstick and Bullets, followed by wine and chocolate. I loved the atmosphere here, it felt more like a coffee shop. Intimate and relaxed, it was a really great venue,
When we walked in, it looked full. I’d called to make an appointment the day before, but as far as I know no one returned my call. It was all good though because Kevin (I believe that was his name, I have a terrible memory), was very welcoming and immediately offered us a choice of the little bar or he’d move his computer off the table near the window. We opted for the table near the window and he got everything set up very quickly.
He was very complimentary of our hair, which was considerate because he knew we’d just gotten makeovers. I appreciated it very much and thought that it was very nice and thoughtful.
We got started right away. The tasting, for just $ 15, includes five wines! I thought it would just be like two or three, but Kevin even threw in an extra wine for us to taste. He was very knowledgeable, and also very good at knowing exactly when to bring a new wine. There was absolutely no waiting between tastings, it was all timed perfectly at a fantastic pace. Because I’m not a big wine person, I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy myself as much as I did, but it had a very welcoming vibe and it was just the right speed for my sister and I because we aren’t big club or bar people. It felt sophisticated but laid back. Kevin was also very easy to talk to, you didn’t feel pressured or unsure how to act, he immediately made us feel at ease.
I really liked all the wines but two, the two reds before the dessert wine. However, as I mentioned, I’m not a wine person at all. I’m sure many people will love the reds that I didn’t care for. The other nice thing is that the wine isn’t crazy expensive. We got a bottle for $ 24 I think, so you can easily try some wine and bring some home for a special occasion without breaking the bank.
Towards the end, Kevin’s girlfriend Jen (again, my memory fails me, apologies if the name is wrong) came over to introduce herself and compliment us on our hair, makeup, and clothes. Again, it was very sweet and she seemed like a very genuine person. We really enjoyed chatting with her because she was really outgoing and friendly.
It was a really awesome time, I would definitely go back again and will recommend to all my friends!

This place has Good FREE membership with great deals and Access to parties. Good selection of affordable wines and the staff as phenomenal!

Great place for a tasting. will definitely go back. Wife and I enjoyed our visit. Great wines.

Came here for a friend’s birthday and had an AMAZING time! Wine and chocolate? Awesome combo! Definitely worth a visit!
Location: downtown San Jose. Yes, I know it sounds like a random place to go wine tasting BUT it’s a lively area and a cool place to go walk around, people watch, and maybe grab a bite when you’re done with the wine.
Service: ok so I was the first of my group to get there. The guy there gave me some wine to make my wait more enjoyable. When everyone got there and the tasting got into full swing, the guy explaining the pairings to us was very friendly and knowledgable about all the wines. He even answered all our questions about the different wines. Oh, and he also gave us extra chocolate :)
Basically you should go here. They also have a groupon so it’s an experience you gotta check out.

Came here Thursday evening to try a tasting and chocolate pairing. The place is pretty small but nice little setting the place could seat at least 10 to 12 people at a time. We started off with a sparkling wine, that’s when I decided that I wanted to see if I could switch and just do and all red tasting Kelvin our sommelier had no problem at all doing this for me, think I tried 6 tasting and out of the tasting the one a personally like was the Syrah and the Pinot noir. Did not get a chance to try the cabinet cause they where out of the cab that was kind of a disappointment cause I’m mainly a cabinet drinker. You can buy glass it by the glass here I don’t know if that on a walk in bases but it it reasonable priced I’m going to give this place another try in the future service was great here and I would really like to try their cabinet.

If I could give this place more stars I would! We purchased a groupon and got More than what we bargained for!
Our server (I forget his name, but he had long hair that was tied in a pony tail) definitely took care of us. He was very knowledgable about the wine and pairings. In addition, he was able to let us taste more than the set wine menu.
I can’t express how appreciative we are of our experience was at this venue. We will for sure come back!

Came here yesterday with a group of 9 to celebrate a friend’s bday and had the BEST time!
The wines were not my favorite, but the ambiance and the people working there were outstanding. When we arrived there we had the whole place to ourselves and got just the right amount of attention where we didn’t feel rushed to taste the wines and leave nor did we feel forgotten when other groups/​couples came to taste the wines.
Overall: great place; MUST GO!
p. s. TRY THEIR CHOCOLATE!

Simply put, I will be coming back to Sherman Cellars.
I came here with three of my friends on Sunday, March 15, 2015. I came with very low expectations especially the fact that people consider me as a «wine snob.» I said, «What the heck?» especially when it’s so close to my home.
I didn’t realize that the experience would overall be amazing. I absolutely enjoy the wine tasting and chocolate pairing. Their wines are from Creekview Vineyards in San Martin — not a bad area to get grapes from. However, I didn’t realize a chocolate would go so well with their Private Cuvee Sparkling Wine! I knew dark chocolate went good with red wine … but a sparkling wine … whoa! I think what really helped with the experience was the environment and the time you got to «enjoy yourself» in the place. Of course, I want to give a shout out to Kevin Holbrook, the tasting room manager, who was very helpful, friendly, and considerate. Kevin went out of his way to get to know you and also share a few good stories.
I was enthusiastic for two of their wines I tasted — their Cuvee and Mourvedre. Highly recommended for a delicious taste. Although there were only two wines I wasn’t fan of, the others were not bad.

We got the Groupon deal for Wine Tasting and Chocolate pairing, and made a reservation for 4pm on a Saturday. We were running late, and called ahead to let them know we should be there around 4:15 or 4:20, which they were totally fine with.
Kevin was awesome, we had such a great experience tasting and hanging out there. For a while it was just us two and Kevin, and we were able to turn the music up and try a few more wines with a discounted package. Great experience, highly recommend getting the Groupon, or just walking in for a tasting.

We visited Sherman Cellars this weekend while killing some time between films at the Cinequest film festival. Amazing wine, awesome staff, and we had an incredible time. We were bummed to leave when it was time for our next film to start because we were having such a wonderful time. (Turns out our show was sold out so we turned around and went straight back to Sherman Cellars for a few more glasses!) I’ll definitely be back soon.
Try the cocoa desert wine. It’s incredible.

I can here initially for the wine and chocolate pairing. They did a fantastic job with the pairing, and it is a great way to spend an hour. After the tasting we bought several bottles of wine. Their Syrah and Red Zinfandel are phenomenal. I may go back to do the wine/​chocolate pairing again, but I am definitely going back to get the wine.
The wine is a little on the pricey side, but it is definitely worth it. Creekview Vineyards produces some very smooth and unique wines.

Bought a Groupon for wine and chocolate pairing and had a great time! Kevin was amazing and full of knowledge. It was a perfect thing to do on a first date!
Tell Kevin, Duane and Diane said HI. (Cowboy)

Came in with a $ 25 Groupon for wine and chocolate tasting for two, which also included $ 25 towards purchase of wine.
The intimate setting, big enough for just three small groups, was great for mingling with our fellow tasters. And what fun people can be, especially when tipsy!
The owner, Larry, was knowledgeable and had some great chocolate to wine pairings for us to try. We had four varieties of Brix chocolate, and the following wines: sparkling, raspberry sparkling, a Bordeaux blend (not on the list), Syrah, Cabernet, Zinfandel (both aerated and non-​aerated), Trilogy, and Tawny Port (my favorite). They were generous with their pours and selection, and gave us a few more packets of chocolate when we’d run out.
The lady working here was super fun to chat with and offered to pour more of anything we wanted to try. We bought two bottles of wine (raspberry sparkling and Tawny), but I was surprised that she charged us for bottled water (a comment posted here by the owner says that water is supposed to be free) and for a full glass of wine. My wife and I had each asked for ¹⁄₃ of a glass of Tawny, thinking the lady was just being nice for offering to pour us more.
We did feel a little nickle-​and-​dimed, but the otherwise generous pours made up for it. We had a good time and wouldn’t mind coming back, though the Groupon price has now gone up.
One final note: they validate San Jose City parking!

Don’t WASTE your time. Who turns away someone on their birthday? The older gentleman working here was rude and unwilling to accommodate a small group of three in his oh so busy day.
Located in downtown San Jose and it seemed as though he didn’t want the ‘young’ ethnic crowd. Um. Relocate?

Walked in with a travelzoo deal and was promptly turned away for failing to have a reservation. I was bummed out but clearly my fault. As we were driving away, They called to tell us they had a cancellation and that we could have our chocolate/​wine tasting!
Despite having to turn us away the first time, the people at Sherman Cellars were very nice and the wine was fantastic. The raspberry cuvee was especially good as was the syrah. The Brix chocolate pairings were also pretty well-​done.
It’s definitely good to know there are places to taste wine around downtown SJ and if you’re in the area, you definitely should come taste some great wines.

Came here with a Unilocal deal. Quick note — the Unilocal deal doesn’t seem to indicate this unless I am blind or overlooking it, but apparently it is for a wine/​chocolate tasting, not straight up money value pay $ 25 to get $ 55 worth of credit.
It’s important to know this because I came on the first visit without that knowledge. They accommodated me anyway by giving me some credit on wine purchases made in the shop on my first visit. They made a note on my voucher and said I could come back with a companion to do the wine/​chocolate tasting at a later date, which I did.
Both times I have been, I have received friendly, cordial greetings and service. They do a good job of both informing you about the wines/​chocolate and chatting you up while you’re there. And of course, they have some good wines and good chocolate (go figure).
I think it is definitely worth popping in if you’re around downtown SJ and need to kill half an hour or so.