Off the Vine

My first tasting at Off the Vine last night was terrific! I'm the girl who loves red over white, but chooses by bottle label rather than anything that a true wine expert would consider important. I admitted that, and Todd--one of the owners--was kind enough to walk me through the basics. He gave me a great crash course in color, legs, swirling and sniffing, but didn't make me feel like a noob for not knowing those basics to begin with.

I love the welcoming vibe of the store, the hand written descriptions on the wall and the fact that they feature one wine each month that benefits a charity. Their selection is good and their pricing is as well, with a good mix of bargain bottles and higher end choices. They have a wine club, a weekly newsletter and frequent events.

It's not the most convenient place for me to get to, but I'll make the trip more frequently because of the warm yet knowledgeable staff  and friendly owners. Can't wait to see what else they have in store.

The tasting events hosted off-site are one of the big bonuses of Off the Vine.  We attended a tasting that we'd read about in the Pitch, and even though we'd never been to the store, the owner greeted us personally and discussed the wines with us.  The free event turned us on to their retail location.  

Petite and cozy, the store is hidden in south OP and was charming.  The staff was friendly and ever-helpful with recommendations.  The prices are of course above those found in typical liquor stores, but the added help and hand-selected nature of the wines ensures that you are provided with a wine that has been approved by wine experts of the store.