The Grapevine

We flew in from Philadelphia and wanted to go to Mission Cheese. When that wasn’t an option due to time constraints we decided to go here. Sadly, The Grapevine has closed — permanently. There is no longer floors, food, workers, etc. This was very sad to find out. However, Bertelli’s up the road was a delightful substitute.

This place is fun and the staff is great! they have a really good selection of wine

We came in 2012 and was very impressed with the service and atmosphere by the owner.
We came today to check out the remodel and grab a glass wine. There was about 3 people sitting at the bar and 2 open seat which we grabbed.
There was a busy atmosphere, the lady serving at the bar made eye contact with my husband, but didn’t acknowledge us. Not a hello or I’ll be with you shortly. Didn’t hand us a menu but rather ignored us and helped other people.
We got up and left after 8 minutes. 8 minutes is a long time to be ignored… I may not Unilocal a lot, but I’m definitely a foodie and frequent restaurants and wine bars and that was pretty rude. When you are working in the restaurant, wine, food industry customer service is key and that was severely lacking.
I will not be back again. On a side note — the remodel made the place cold and looks cheap and wasn’t impressed at all.

A friend and I wanted to kill time before our 9pm dinner reservation at The Table, so we walked into Grapevine at 8pm on Saturday. She had a bubbly flight, I had a glass of yummy Rose and we shared a brie/​fig plate. I really liked how quiet it was. We sat at the bar and it was a very welcoming environment. We even got chatty with two bartenders here. Kevin was so nice in serving us, what a gent! We didn’t catch the other bartender’s name but the nerdy conversation we had with both gents were too fun!

This was our first time here and we had a blast! The server was so nice. They had a great selection of wine and beer (including bubbly and cider). They also had a great menu of appetizers, but we did try anything since we were full from dinner. The place on the inside is very open, but a little chilly (ladies bring your sweaters). They have bar seating and window seating. There is also one table on their back patio, which they said they are upgrading. Outdoor seating is where we sat and it was perfect. There are only three tables outside. The place also has games, which makes it great for groups. We were very pleased with our wine flight (unique reds) and a glass of their «Valerie Cuvée.» We will definitely be back for another flight and some appetizers.

A great wine bar that has a bit of everything:
–extremely fun, friendly, and knowledgable staff.
–A TV for the sporting event.
— great selection of specialty craft beers on tap.
–an even bigger selection of beer by the bottle, as well as, cider!
–board games to play with friends.
–wine selection a plenty.
–patio seating under the soft glow of night time lighting.
–appetizer menu with some yummies.
…the list goes on and on… you should just go see for yourself!
I only wish they were opened for a couple more hours; I feel the same for most places on Lincoln Ave.

Casual ambiance with great tunes playing (assuming you like Sinatra and Etta… Which I love). Wine selection is good. The flights are inventive. Recently added beer to their menu. Happy hour on weekdays is short (3−5pm) so get there early! Sunday, happy hour all day!

So… Came in on a Saturday roughly around 5:00. Rainy outside and this place filled up fast.
Pros:
* location, location and location.
* bartender was friendly (long hair in pony tail)
* they sell wine.
* you are the only wine bar in the Willow Glenn strip of shops there. So you have customers regardless.
* like the idea of a house wine.
Cons:
* ordered the truffle popcorn, so oily and wet, overdid the butter sauce and it took a while to be served the app.
* wine list prices for «by the glass“were Very high! Chardonnay averaged $ 10 – 13?! Bring it back people… Red wines were high in price as well. Doesn’t make sense.
*Layout– doesn’t make sense, walls were bare, acoustics were loud and wasted space on a live band. Saw people coming in and no space for them to be seated. Utilize space where you have wine for sale and no one was shopping in that area anyway.
* service was slow. Had to have boyfriend go to the bar to be served a second round while we sat at a table and clearly saw people getting table service.
Overall it doesn’t make sense. It only gets packed as it’s the only wine bar in that area… So, will not be back. But good to know!

My experience here was not that bad, but it turned terrible in the end. The Server who’s name was Sandra should not be working as a server. When we asked her if it was possible to split the bill she said sure came back with our cards and threw them on the table. I’ve never had anyone ever throw a card in any situation ever. We would have been happy to figure out the bill ourselves if it was that huge of a problem. Due to that experience I vowed to never come to this place again even though I live a block away and love good wine.

THIS PLACE IS WHY I TURNED 21. Biologists, be quiet.
I tried a mixed wine flight, the sauvignon blanc was by far my favorite; I got another full glass after.
There was a winemaker there also, but sadly he left before I was able to try some.
Each thing I got on the menu was delicious.
mixed cheese and meats — there was a good variety, some soft, some aged, some. odd
gouda and ham grillers — they were delicious but nothing out of the ordinary
hot tomato and cheese dip — my favorite aside from the wine itself. It was warm and easy to spread. Th goat cheese wasn’t too overpowering.
Our server was attentive.
Parking is hard to find.

A gem in willow glen! This is perfect for a classy date night with friends or a significant other. There are live music nights and trivia nights occasionally. The waitresses are so friendly and always suggest something if you are unsure. It’s pretty reasonably priced for a flight of cheeses with a French roll and you can add meats too for a few dollars more. They give you more bread if you ask for more. My favorite snack is the mushroom flatbread! I have to get it every time.

Amazing little place, great food, and better wine!
I love coming here on date nights or even a girls night out.
Last week my girlfriends and I came here for a little night cap and some girl chat. It was busy, but we were able to get a table. We all ordered the mixed flight, which came with whites, reds and a rosé. We also ordered a goat cheese and roasted tomato dip, which was amazing! And for our ‘dinner’ we ordered the two kinds of flat breads that were offered. One was a pineapple and prosciutto flat bread, and the other was some sort of cheese and mushroom! They were both amazing, I prefer the mushroom one over the other, but personal opinion.
Amazing service, affordable wine flights and great food pairings.

I came here on a Saturday solely to buy some cheese for a wine/​cheese party I was hosting. The Grapevine is such a charming place in a «hidden gem» neighborhood. The Grapevine could definitely use some more wait staff, as I did wait for a little bit while everyone at the bar got their drinks. However, once Valerie was free, she was really attentive! I got to try each of the cheeses she recommended, and she was even helped me make some labels for the cheeses. My friends loved the selections, and I’ll certainly be back for more next time I host an event. For those looking for a true cheese shop though, The Grapevine isn’t it. It’s a wine bar first and foremost, with a small area of cheeses.

I met up with a friend here to catch up. We sat in the front «patio» so we had a view of Lincoln Ave. Our waiter was friendly; sometimes I did feel a little abandoned by him though. The house red was good, and our waiter approved of this particular red since he told us offhand that some of the other house reds chosen haven’t been nearly as good (I appreciated his honesty). I didn’t really want to pay $ 13 for a glass of red that might be good (you can buy bottles for that price. sheesh). I kind of wish I had ordered something a bit «hardier» because I was still hungry when we left.
We ordered:
— Basket of Bread
— Glass of the House Red
— Lemonade (Italian)
— Grilled Cheese Sliders (6) — One had brie and apple and I don’t remember what the other one was; they were both delicious, but small.

Ok I know people change and this space changes and that is a good thing right?
The wine is amazing the cheese is amazing the air is amazing…
Let’s get one thing straight having someone walk in, sit down and not greeted just tells me you are a snob or you are overworked or you don’t care.
Guess what I thought …
The staff is full of popular people and that is great community supporter but what about new clients or do you not need any more? Maybe you should have a membership there and a doorman because I really was disappointed and insulted.
I won’t be back

My husband and I received a gift certificate from the Grapevine back when we lived in Willow Glen. However, having two kids under 3 was rough, so we never got around going. Well, since then we’ve moved away and our kids are older and we finally had a date night away. We spent the day trying to use up all the gift cards we have. Wow! I am so sad we didn’t use this sooner! I’ve wasted years of my life not knowing about the Grapevine!
Wine selection is great and reasonably priced, and appetizers and food is perfect. We stopped off here before eating at the Table and it was an EXCELLENT choice. There was great live music and an upbeat atmosphere. Sure beats a bar! We’ll be back for sure; I just wish we still lived within walking distance!

Came here for a fundraiser event and really enjoyed their wine. It’s a cute little wine and cheese bar, and if I lived closer I’m sure I would frequent it often. I might come check it out next time that I am near San Jose, but I thought that their staff was friendly, the wine was good, and I have yet to try the cheese but something tells me it is probably delicious. :)
Not a huge fan of some of the crowd this place attracts, but I think that the wine-​o crowd can be hit or miss.

I’m not really into wine, so what would compel me to stop and sip some at this kind of place? Well, first of all, I love going to new places, especially when it comes to food. The appetizer plate looked good from the window, and it was nice and quiet at that time, so why not? Anyways, I changed my mind about the wine and asked the lady there who was the bartender and the server to recommend a good sweet white wine. She was nice and poured me a taste of Mascot to see if I liked it enough to pay for it first.
She then poured me a little bit of hard apple cider which I liked too after I asked her about the cider. I’ve never had hard cider before today. So I got both. Don’t worry, it wasn’t enough to get me buzzed, especially with all the food and water that I had! As for the appetizers that I got, it was some mixed plate with marinated artichokes, olives, cheese, salami, prosciutto, crisp bread, and grapes. I liked the salami, the cheese, and the grapes, but everything else was just OK. That was $ 8.00. I also got a small order of the grilled sliders for $ 5.00. I got three of them that came with cheese and one piece of salami in it. That was OK. For such a small amount of food, it was surprisingly filling.
Anyways, the service was attentive. The same woman came by to fill my water glass three or four times. It got a little more crowded and louder past 5p.m. And today is Tuesday. I didn’t pay that much attention to the price of what I ordered, so when I got the bill, I noticed that one of my drinks cost $ 14! The other was reasonable at $ 7.00. They also have beer and champagne here. There is seating in the back, but there are only three tables out there. Watch out for the rubber «step» if you use the restroom there. I like this place, but I won’t be coming back there for the food next time or that $ 14 drink. My bill plus the tip came out to be $ 42.00!

I love that we have a great little spot like the Grapevine in Downtown Willow Glen. The service is good, and their knowledge of the wines is excellent. And their food? Delicious! Not that I wouldn’t think it would be, but I would have thought their sole focus would have been on the wines alone. The small plates were so tasty that we had originally ordered a couple and a dessert… and then we went back and ordered another couple of appetizers because they were so tasty. Pretty much a dessert sandwich.
Oh, and the nights where they have live music is great. Hootenany is a fun group that gets people up and dancing in the small space. Seating can be limited on weekends and live music nights, so arrive early.

Walked into this nice, unassuming wine bar in Downtown Willow Glen. May take a while for them to attend to you, but once they do, it’s non-​stop warm, friendly service.
My server was lovely, welcoming me to the bar and explaining that they were undergoing some renovations. I decided to go with a glass of their house red (basically a «surprise me» selection of red/​white/​bubbly that changes every day) and a 5-​cheese plate.
Prior to pouring my wine, she showed me the bottle and allowed me a taste, giving me a little bit of background on the label. The lady who served my cheese plate took the time to describe each cheese for me. Cheese plate was simple, with a good selection of hard, semi-​soft, and soft cheeses. Presentation wasn’t too fancy, but the featured cuts of cheese were scrumptious. Staff checked in every once in a while but were not too cloying.
Very reasonable prices and they allow you to purchase a bottle at retail and drink it in-​store for a minimal stem fee.
At the end of the night, I was overcharged by a few dollars (they charged me the double-​serving price for a single-​serving cheese plate) but decided it wasn’t worth the hassle to correct it. I still left a 40% tip on the bill because they caught me on a happy cow day. Now if it was a mad cow day…

Oh my! I love you guys! I’ve heard you’re going through some ABC troubles, but that doesn’t seem to be slowing business down, and I had the most lovely time. Also can’t wait to see how much space you add after the construction and upgrades. It’s only been a few days since my last visit, but I’m already itching to go back! You’re definitely worth the drive~
Fellow Unilocalers, if you haven’t been here, YOU MUST GO. It is so incredibly delicious, with a great ambiance and a fantastic selection of wines.
** Grilled cheese sliders and tomato soup. Vegan soup! I’ve never had vegan tomato soup before and this has seriously sold me. Turns out you don’t need cream to thicken a soup. I actually got two cups of this, it was THAT great.
** Brie and fig sauce. HOLY MOTHER. Absolutely a tastebud revelation. The Head Chef Justin is a friggin genius. This dish is an explosion of awesome. Again, I turned into a little fattie and ordered a second one of these. Yup, I indulged myself, and it felt AMAZING.
My only qualm would be that as it started to pick up, service got a bit hit or miss and we felt ignored at times. Since we were doing a tasting of whites and reds (excellent deal btw and definitely recommended), we were expecting a bit more service and attentiveness with the pours. But the Head Chef was extremely personable and even recommended to us a wine (which we gladly purchased), as well as took the time later to ring us up. I hear that tips are pooled here, but I do think some staff should pick it up a notch.
Anyway, already scheduling my next date with the Grapevine! My tastebuds are having brie withdrawals. I miss it so much! i_​_​i