Get a taste of the vineyard — without driving to Napa
Posted by Mary on Aug 17, 2010
Not everyone has time during their California vacation to visit Wine Country. From San Francisco, the Napa and Sonoma regions are a full day’s trip when you factor in traffic, crowds, and a little extra time to sober up before getting back on the road.
But it’s hard not to think about wine while you’re here — it’s everywhere! There are about 650 wineries in Napa and Sonoma alone, and almost 3,000 across California — that’s a whopping 40 percent of all the wine makers in the entire U.S.
If you’ve got vino on the mind, but can’t (or don’t want to) fit Napa into your itinerary, you can still get a taste of our famous wine regions.
For guests at our San Francisco hostels, there are urban tasting rooms and wine bars serving both local and worldwide selections. If you’re staying at one of our other Northern California hostels, you’ll find tasting rooms, small vineyards, and even pockets of lesser known wine regions, most within 30 minutes of your front door.
San Francisco Tasting Rooms
Check out this map we created to see the location of each wine tasting room and wine bar listed, and their proximity to each of our three San Francisco hostels.
Cellar 360
Ghirardelli Square (900 North Point Street)
$10 for 5 tastes / $20 for reserve wine tasting
Located in Ghirardelli Square, Cellar 360 sells and samples wines from local regions and around the world. They also regularly schedule special tastings, classes, and events — see their calendar here.
Wattle Creek
Ghirardelli Square (900 North Point Street)
$10 for 5 tastes
Also in Ghirardelli Square, Wattle Creek Winery’s San Francisco tasting room samples wine from their Sonoma vineyard.
SF Winery Collective
485 Jefferson Street
$15 - $25 for 5 tastes
The Winery Collective brings vintages from small and boutique California wineries together under one roof.
Wines of California Wine Bar
Pier 39, 1st floor
$10 - $16.50 for 3 tastes
There are lots of touristy drinking and dining options at Pier 39, but this is among the most local of them, letting tasters try a variety of California wines.
Press Club
20 Yerba Buena Lane
$4 - $6 per taste
This downtown tasting room offers "the intimacy, the expertise and the award-winning wines of six of Northern California’s most prestigious vineyards." Those wineries and vineyards include Chateau Montelena, Fritz, Miner Family, Hanna, Mount Eden, and Saintsbury. They also serve appetizer pairings.
San Francisco Wine Bars
If you’re looking for more than a taste (or if you’d like to pair a little nightlife with that glass of bubbly), head to one of San Francisco’s many wine bars. A hot trend with the locals, new wine bars are springing up all over. These are considered some of the best:
Heart
1270 Valencia Street
Enjoy this Mission hot spot’s wine for the grape juice that it is — gulp it from a mason jar, make friends at the communal tables, and groove to the hip hop and blues in the background.
The Hidden Vine
620 Post Street
At this posh Zagat-rated spot, "an enthusiastic, unpretentious staff pours 30 (wines) by the glass… It’s just the place for a charcuterie or cheese platter and quiet conversation."
Bacchus Wine Bar
1954 Hyde Street
This is a tiny wine and sake bar — think narrow space with one counter — but it’s loaded with atmosphere. And wine, of course.
Hotel Biron
45 Rose Street
Hidden behind Zuni Cafe, this is one of San Francisco’s best date locations. There are lots of nooks and crannies where you can sip wine with your mate — or your mates.
Amelie
1745 Polk Street
Our intern Mary likes Amelie for the "hot French waiters." Enough said.
Bar Bambino
2931 16th Street
One of the San Francisco Chronicle’s top 100 restaurants, this Italian cafe and wine bar has wine bottle chandeliers — and serves wines you won’t find anywhere else in town.
Near HI-Marin Headlands
Bacchus and Venus Wine Bar and Gallery
769 Bridgeway, Sausalito
$10 - $28 for 4 tastes
Bringing California Wine Country to downtown Sausalito, sample local vintages and learn about them too.
Wellington’s
300 Turney Street, Sausalito
A London-style wine bar right on the waterfront, they also serve locally made hummus and other small plates.
Near HI-Point Reyes
Point Reyes Winery
12700 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station
$5 for 5 tastes
Sample some of the 15 wines made at this family-run winery, which overlooks Point Reyes National Seashore.
Near HI-Point Montara Lighthouse
La Nebbia Winery
12341 San Mateo Road, Half Moon Bay
$8 for 8 tastes / add $2 for 1 port taste
Just two miles outside downtown Half Moon Bay, taste La Nebbia wine any day of the week year-round, or come by for one of their Sunday Wine and Music events, held twice monthly, May - September.
Near HI-Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Region
This region boasts more than 75 vineyards and wineries, many less than an hour’s drive from the hostel. The closest to the lighthouse are Bonny Doon, Beauregard, Hallcrest, and La Nebbia.
Near HI-Sacramento
The town of Clarksburg is about a 20-minute drive south of the Sacramento Hostel. The surrounding region features 10 vineyards and wineries, including Bogle, Carvalho, Sutter Home, and Dancing Coyote.
Old Sugar Mill
35265 Willow Avenue, Clarksburg
Free tastings
This renovated sugar mill now hosts tasting rooms for six wineries — most being from the Clarksburg region — including Todd Taylor, Three, Solomon, Heringer Estates, Clarksburg Wine Company, and Carvalho. Best of all, most tastings are free!