Farmstead Cheeses and Wines

I have encountered some rude service here.
Lucky for me I am not sitting down to a dinner here, otherwise the the 5 star rating would be quite the contrary. I can stomach a little attitude if it means delicious accessible formage. In an in-​an-​out transaction. With that said. This review isn’t for the service, it’s for the queso, queijo, cheese, whatever your preference, it’s a fantastic assortment.

Great selection of wine and cheese with exceptionally knowledgable staff who give great suggestions and have steered me into some great wine … Love the cheese selection as well.
They have wine clubs you can join which will introduce you to some great varietals … I joined the classic club which requires one to purchase two bottles a month (pre-​selected) and give feedback to staff if you’d like but not necessary.
Highly recommended !

I’m allergic to brewer’s yeast, and the guy who works here knew of about a dozen wines that don’t contain added brewer’s yeast off the top of his head. Need I say more?

I am appalled that no one else has single handedly picked out Rod as being an exceptional employee that provides wonderful customer service! Every single time he has assisted me and suggested a cheese («what cheese would be great for a ground sirloin burger?») it has been SPOT ON. He is very helpful and has a way about him that isn’t condescending. In fact, I only really ever come in if Rod is working. It’s an ongoing joke with my boyfriend, «is your favorite cheese guy there?»
One time I went in and Rod was not there. It was some other lack luster guy who’s name I can’t even remember because he was neither very kind nor helpful. All I remember is it was a Monday and Tuesday night, and said person disclosed to me he bounces from working at this location and the one in Oakland. As a matter of fact, he assisted a lady before me when it was apparent I was next. The person who he was finishing up with actually gave me an OMG did he really just do that face. I wanted to boycott this place for a while after that incident.
But lesson learned: if you ever see a bald guy with glasses who has a bit of an accent, that’s Rod. He’s awesome and will help you with anything you need.

Stopped by to check out their selection and for being a little small they carry a lot of good stuff. Wine selection is excellent and they have a variety of cheeses that are impressive.
The people there help with your preferences and tastes and are fairly knowledgable. They carry local and international cheeses which I appreciate. The best part is that they take your name down and track what your favorites are so that they can better help you next time. Great idea!
Easy parking and there are other shops inside to check out. Def coming back!

Sooo, I’m such a wineo, so finding wine that is actually good, and reasonable to drink on a day to day basis. I can get both wines like those, and expensive wines for special occasions there. They will also let you sample the cheeses before you buy them. Sometimes they even sample the wine. One day they were sampling roses for one dollar! Great place!

I have never once gotten a bottle of wine from this place that I didn’t love. And lately, they seem to have a better selection under $ 15 where in the past I used to expect to spend $ 20/​bottle. Only an occasional splurge at that price, but these days (with wider price points) it no longer feels like a splurge, just a worthwhile treat.
Amazing cheeses and nuts as well. The staff is friendly and *incredibly* knowledgeable. The good life starts here!

My go to place to get cheese. It used to be that I’d have to go into Oakland to shop for good European cheese, but since this place opened I can do it 2 minutes from my home. Couldn’t be happier. Their selection of cheese is pretty good from soft French cheese to aged cheddar to various blues. Of course it can’t beat the Cheese Board, but no one around here can. Check ‘em out if you haven’t :)

This is my secret cheese heaven. The selection isn’t huge, but it’s very thoughtful. I tend to go here for my Burrata and some nice blues, but I don’t think you can go wrong with anything they have. If you aren’t trying to match something specific, be sure to ask about things to pair with your cheese. Definitely a must visit if you are in Alameda.

I’m not sure why I’ve waited so long to write a review, but I happened to be in the area and stopped in, because I am a bit of a cheese nerd — I read books on them, learn their histories, and of course look for different ones where ever I go!
Jeff has a great selection, as well as wines to go with them and either he or one of his staff will be glad to make some pairing suggestions for your next get together. These people know their stuff!

The people are incredibly helpful and will give you a sample of a cheese you’re interested in but not sure about.
The selection of cheeses is a-​ma-​zing.
Can’t comment on the wines, because I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I know they’re very helpful about that too.

The yummiest cheese and wine selection on the island. The staff is super knowledgable and friendly. They even keep track of things you have bought in the past. If I could go here every day, I would. That’s a reasonable diet, right? Just wine and cheese? I thought so.

This place is fantastic! I was only here for the wine unfortunately. I was treated to the knowledgeable helpful staff who seem genuinely interested in helping with suggestions. I spent way more money on more bottles than I intended and was not disappointed at all.

If you like a wine shop that has employees who roll their eyes when you ask for suggestions or simply ignore you while having a heady conversation amongst themselves about tannins that you couldn’t possibly understand, then DO NOT shop here!
These folks are truly helpful, informed and, perhaps most importantly, down to earth. I’ve gotten recommendations from the people here for fancy, cheftastic, multi-​course meals as well as weekend bbqs and have never, ever heard a sarcastic tone or been misdirected once. Everything they have suggested has been terrific and spot on!
And the cheese? Don’t get me started.
Okay, get me started… I’ll keep it quick: Cave-​aged gruyère, burrata and pretty much any other delicious soft, hard, young or aged cheese you might desire. Plus, they let me geek out one afternoon and take photos while they cracked open a giant wheel of Parmesan. Thanks for not judging my nerdiness, fellas!
Plus, you gotta love a wine shop that has a $ 15 or less area as good as this one is. Oh, and the staff here will gladly give you tasting notes on any of them.
Now, if I could just find a place in town that sells great salumi, I might never have to leave the island again…

It’s fun to go for a wine tasting and talk with Jeff, who is very knowledgeable — and passionate! — about wine. If you like to be frugal, the under-​$ 15 selection out in front is a reliable source of great, low-​cost bottles. The cheese selection is also wonderful.

This place keeps amazing me with incredibly knowledgable staff and top notch service. I reenlisted (?) in the bargain wine club and have been experimenting with cheeses more recently. Matt and Andy were incredibly helpful in introducing me to a Brillat-​Savarin, which is basically like eating mounds of buttery goodness, and they’re both basically wine encyclopedias.
Can’t recommend this place enough– would not go anywhere else in Alameda for retail wine.

My fiancé and I love cheese. We had just finished grocery shopping at the Alameda Natural Grocery and thought we would check out the offerings at Farmstead Cheese and Wines. There was an amazing variety of cheese — some were kind of pricey. We ended up purchasing a wedge of cheese that is delicious! We didn’t purchase any wine, but we were pleasantly surprised that they sold half bottles — since I don’t drink and my fiancé does — we won’t have to waste a whole bottle of wine when we buy wine for dinner.

Every time I need advice on wine they amazing at asking what I am serving, how well the people know wine and cheese and then perfectly paring wines for me.
The marketplace overall is a GREAT place to shop.

I always find myself picking up something new to enjoy when I’m in the Alameda Marketplace. Great little cheese and wine shop. They have a nice range of cheese on hand.
I recently hosted a cheese tasting for work and the staff helped me pick out a nice selection of cheese and wine. They were patient and let me sample as I went along. Needless to say the tasting was a hit.

Went to Farmstead Cheeses & Wine — had no coupon, but I love cheese. Wine I can do without. It’s in the Alameda Marketplace same place as Feel Good Bakery & Alameda Natural Grocery.
I asked for recommendation on cheese with my Feel Good Bakery bread. He let me try:
Quebec Cheddar $ 18/​lb — I liked it.
Brillat Savarin $ 25/​lb — very creamy, like butter. Yummy.
Things I got:
Quebec Cheddar 0.29 lb — $ 5.22 — I liked it.
Brillat Savarin 0.19lb — $ 4.75 — very creamy, like butter. Yummy.
Chestnut honey from Italy $ 12.50 — Skip this unless you like bitter, stinky honey.
Vosges Black Salt Caramel — this is NEW $ 8.50 — Yum!
My total $ 30.97. Credit cards taken. I forgot to buy the 2 burrata I saw there. $ 3.50/ea — a small round ball.
Low cost wine tasting every Saturday from 2:30−5. Haven’t tried — saw on Unilocal.
Bathroom: outside their shop, down the hallway. Separate men/women’s.
Marketplace hrs:
M-​Sat 8 – 8
Sun 8 – 7

Got an invite for some foodage @ Susan C.‘s Casa, and since I’ve been shopping manically for the Black and White Ball, had no time to cook.
Fortunately, Mr. DP was in the hizzouse and as usual, going to treat us to a multi-​course meal. My humble contribution to this get together was dessert… So naturally I hit Farmstead for a some triple crème brie to complement the organic apricots.
I spied several tubs of what I *thought* were cocoa dusted hazelnuts, but was informed that they were in fact «chocolate covered CORN NUTS». The proffered sample was not turned away and the first thing that burst out of my mouth was, «Oh, my gawd!»
The perfectly unexpected accompaniment to your next get together is chocolaty, light and crisp and salty. Sure: they haven’t managed to work bacon into the mix yet, but it’s totally forgivable and Kim D. approved.
BELIEVE.