R Wine Cellar Urban Winery

Nice place, the owner seemed very pleased to see me. I was interested in something red, slightly bold and sweet so I tried the Erie Red 2012 (coincidentally the same year and color as my truck). After just one sample I knew I found exactly what I was looking for. Should be the perfect compliment to pizza tonight.

The staff was incredibly friendly and offered us a sample of the wine we were privately discussing. Delicious and affordable! Strongly recommend the dry riesling and will be back to try others.

Out of all the local wineries I have tried this is by far my favorite. I like many before me love the Glühwein. So much so that it’s Christmas gifts for friend and relatives. About 18 bottles total. I would drink this year round every day if I could. Do I have to give Christmas gifts? The Fiona Peach Chardonnay is also great. It taste like a juicy peach that’s been soaked in Chardonnay. I just love it. They also have lots of other options but I would try the 2 I mentioned first. I promise you won’t regret it. I think it’s time to go open a bottle. Cheers.

As a business, if you want to attract me as a repeat customer, you need to do two things, and do them well: (1) Provide a high-​quality product; (2) Provide outstanding customer service. Many businesses provide a quality product, but relatively few businesses provide excellent customer service, so customer service in large part drives my repeat purchasing decisions. R Wine Cellar provided me with sterling customer service in a way that few other places have – or would. Read on for details.
Having visited the other winery in the Strip District earlier this week, I decided to stop by yesterday to sample R’s wines, since they had more of a variety and are more reasonably priced. I was particularly interested in the Gluhweins, since this is a very unique wine that few other wineries in the area produce, and appeals to my palate, esp. at this time of year. The folks at R provided me with samples of several other of their wines, including the Lake Erie red and white, and the unoaked chardonnay, in addition to the gluhweins. While I enjoyed the other wines, I was immediately drawn to the two varieties of gluhwein: the white (Mosel-​style, Margaret), and the red. I very much enjoyed them both, but decided on a bottle of the Margaret white, since I was looking for a wine to bring home for my family to enjoy at Thanksgiving, and I thought its more subtle flavor would make for a good after-​dinner drink. The owner was very friendly and explained the origin of the grapes, and the other woman working there also seemed quite knowledgeable about the wines, as well. I walked out the door satisfied with my purchase and looking forward to consuming the wine.
Now, here’s where the stellar customer service really comes into play. After partaking of some tacos and hot chocolate next door, I got on my bike to peddle home to Oakland, as I’ve done pretty much every time I’ve visited the Strip. After having cycled less than 5 blocks, tragedy struck: the wine bottle slipped through the bottom of the seemingly sturdy paper bag provided and shattered into a million pieces, spilling its contents all over the sidewalk of Liberty Ave. Although I’ve often feared this happening, since I’ve cycled home with fragile items before, this is the first time that it’s ever happened – and it didn’t even happen when I went over a particularly rough section – just the middle of the sidewalk! After stopping, dazed and confused for a moment, I picked up the top of the bottle – the only part mostly intact – and decided to revisit the winery, to show the owner what had happened. When I showed it to him and told him what had happened, he provided me with another full bottle, free of charge! I would have paid for another one, but his generosity turned my upset into elation. After securing a plastic bag to cover the paper one and debating whether to wait up to an hour to catch the elusive 54C, after testing the integrity of the plastic bag, I mounted my bike again and cycled home to Oakland, this time with wine bottle intact.
The owner’s kindness in replacing my broken bottle of wine was an example of customer service that went above and beyond the call of duty. To pay it forward, I brought the wine to a gathering that I attended last night to share with some friends, and told them its story. They were all impressed, both by the quality of the wine and by the owner’s generosity. I will return next weekend to pick up another bottle to bring home to share with my family, as originally intended, and I will no doubt be back before Christmas to get some of the red gluhwein, as well. Thank you, R Wine Cellar, for providing me with truly outstanding customer service, as well as a great and unique product – you have earned my highest regard and my repeat business!

I really like the wines offered at R Wine Cellar. The owner is nice and knowledgeable about all the wines at his shop. He makes the wine he carries and has special names for the wines relating to his family members, which gives the wine a personal touch! He offered me about 6 samples, which I believe is the limit for wine tasting at this shop. My dad and I purchased the Glühwein wine and the Margaret Apple, Spice, and Everything Nice (Mosel style Gluhwein) — both were $ 17.95. Both were tasted at a warm temperature, very unique and great for the fall and winter months! The Glühwein wine tasted like a spiced cider… very good, flavorful and different from other wines I’ve tried! The store front is small but warm and welcoming! You definitely should give this winery a shot! You will not be disappointed and at least can sample the product at no cost so you can form your own opinion on the product!

Quality wines! We really enjoy the reds and especially the Gluhwein. It’s extremely authentic and tastes just like the wine in Germany. The owners are extremely friendly and they have a great location in the strip district. It’s a must see in the Strip and you can get a discount if you buy in bulk! Love this urban winery.

Super nice couple who have turned a dream into reality. Nice selection. Would love to be able to sit and have some glasses, but they opted not to offer that :(
Stop in while shopping the Strip and get a bottle for dinner!

Stopped in here after walking around the Strip District. Our friends were a big fan of the mulling spice wine/​Christmas in a cup — so they wanted to grab a few bottles. It’s called Glühwein, and is served warm. It really is Christmas in a cup, cloves, cinnamon — sweet, and a bit spicy. I am more of a dry wine person, also a California wine snob — but some of the wines here were decent. They offer little samples of their wines in plastic containers. The white wines still were too sweet for my liking, but our friends and family were big fans of the Chardonnay.
The owner was very friendly and gave us some background on the most popular wines. Again, its worth a shot to come in and try the local flavors.

I’ve never been a fan of wine. I just don’t have a taste for it. This place was so cute and family owned. The first bottle we bought was named for the youngest girl in the family, Fiona Chardonnay. It was sweet with peach undertones. Amazing! I was so pleasantly surprised.
The second bottle we bought was the Glühwein. It’s served warm and it is Christmas in a glass. It tastes a little like spiced apple wine. I don’t know if that’s a thing but that’s how I have to describe it. Definitely recommend stopping here the next time you’re in the strip district.

Are you a wine lover. Wine taster. Wine drinker. Oenophilia.
Some very interesting varieties of wines. Stop by taste a few, take a couple of bottles home with you. The range is from dry to sweet. The Fiona Chardonnay has hints of peach and apricot and fruitier and a little on the sweet side. Very interesting wine. the unoaked chardonnay was very nice with hints of pear. The American Cabernet is a little acidic but would go well with a steak. The grapes for the wines come from California, or Pennsylvania or Chile.
For those that like Gluhwien during the holidays, there is a nice spicy wine to warm you toes.
Stop by and enjoy!

If you’ve ever been to The Strip District on a Saturday you know the world of wonders and happiness that awaits every patron. The smells, variety, mashing of cultures, foods, drinks… they make even the most stoic person dance and spin like Templeton from Charlotte’s Web after the fair. The newest addition to this sensory mosaic is a little place in the heart of The Strip on Smallman called «R Wine Cellar».
I was walking with friends to Peace, Love and Little Donuts this weekend, when i saw the sign for R Wine. Like Maverick in Top Gun I banked, peeling off from my group, going rogue to see what this place had to offer.
The inside was nice– small, but clean. And this is clearly a family operation. They have a small, but varied variety of wines they offer, and they really know their stuff. All of it is made on site, and patrons of an appropriate age can sample any and all of them. I tried all the whites and two reds (they are small samples, ok? I was driving. It wasn’t an issue). They ranged from dry to sweet, and while I don’t possess the professional palate of some, I thought they were quite good.
The other great thing, is that they are VERY reasonably priced. I tasted a sweeter one, and realized my girlfriend would love it. When I looked at the price of $ 12 I said «I cannot pass this up.» The owner took time to talk with me, and told me all about the wines, where they get the grapes, what each one is like… It was amazing! I like to be sparing with 5-​star reviews, but these people were so friendly and welcoming that they made it feel like we could all get dinner together one day.
I highly recommend this place.
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THE WINES
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These are the wines we have tried so far. All of them have been good.
Fiona Chardonnay–
This is a light sweet wine. Actually, this is quite possibly the sweetest wine I’ve ever tasted. I prefer dry wines, but even I had to admit to how tasty this was. See, it wasn’t sweet like someone had dumped a bunch of sugar in it, it was sweet like crisp juice. Like a refreshing glass of amazing fruit juice. Not heavy at all, or pucker-​worthy. My girlfriend (being a fan of sweet wines) says this is her new favorite– hands down. Also, we are baffled that this is a 12% ABV wine, when it tastes like the platonic ideal of grape juice.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Another 12% selection. This was surprising (in a very good way). I was debating getting the merlot, but instead opted for the cabernet, remembering that when I tasted them the cab surprised me. It is a lot lighter than one might expect from this kind of a red. It is crisp and tasty, going down very easily. This is a great one to pair with a summer meal, in my opinion, since it doesn’t sit heavy. I loved it.
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Further reviewing to come: As we drink the wines from this place, I’ll do my best to add reviews on here about each one. This won’t be a wine connoisseur’s palate speaking… just someone who likes some vino… but I’ll do what I can!