Grape Times

Ok for a new place I was expecting more. nice digs. Nice bar but wine list limited. And not all wines out of Livermore. Are great. Food appetizers needs work cheese plate weak. Small sample of apples and cheeses. Salad plate please. I should have ate at home then went for a glass of wine some where else!

CLOSED —
We wanted to thank all of our friends, customers and the City of Pleasanton for supporting Grape Times Wine Bar and Bistro. We sadly have had our last call at Grape Times… it’s been a great run. We will miss all of you and sincerely appreciate your support.
If you have any questions, please direct them to
.
March 11, 2013

My husband and I came to see our friend’s band play here. There was a party going on so it was very loud and hard to hear the music. We sat at the bar and the server was attentive to getting our drinks promptly.
The food was the worst part of the experience. We had 3 different tapas to share. The chicken skewers were bland and the sauce tasted like watered down peanut butter. The bruschetta was supposed to come with mozzarella and tomato but came with shrimp and tomato. The shrimp was a bit frozen and the taste was once again bland as there was nothing but cold shrimp and bits of tomato and crispy bread. They should add garlic olive oil so it isn’t so dry. The caprese salad with prosciutto and melon was actually the only plate we enjoyed.
The wines are still limited. If you are going to call yourself a wine bar you need to extend your wine list.

I have read all of the reviews on this place and at some point or another I agree with each of them, both for the strengths and the cons. I have been there 4 or 5 times since they opened about a year ago.
I would note that Doug and Donna appear to be working hard to make Grape Times better each time we’ve been there, from the personnel, the ambience, food, etc. They do seem to care a lot about making Grape Times really good. They fill a niche that Wine Steward neglected to fill for a long time for whatever reason.
I’ve enjoyed each visit more than the last overall. I think the place needs more consistent traffic probably to help push them to the next level for larger wine selections, more premium wine options, and better overall value.
They deserve our business and a chance to thrive. They are much better than many other classy hang out spots in Pleasanton and we have so few anyway.
If when you visit something doesn’t quite jive for you, by all means point it out. Doug and Donna are friendly and care.

This place is in a great location next to the meadowlark dairy. Karaōke and live music on some nights, awesome wine selections – they have wine flights which are great! And excellent tapas-​style food – their flatbread pizza and cheese boards are delicious. I highly recommend stopping by for a light meal and wine next time you’re in the area. They also have a great outdoor patio that looks over to wayside park.

I have now visited this place four times.
Pros:
Service was wonderful. Our server was friendly, helpful on wine selections, and attentive.
Food was good. I would like to see a bigger selection but overall my meals were always perfect.
Parking. Plenty of free parking
Ambiance. Nice warm setting, comfortable
Cons
I wish there was a larger selection of wines. It is a wine bar so I would expect more selections from light, heavy, dessert, etc.
All in all, it is a nice place to hang out with a small group of friends.

Grape Times is a tiny little place in downtown Pleasanton. I went to Grape Times with my colleagues for happy hour. The whole place was empty and the service was outstanding. They have an awesome menu, especially catered to sharing in large groups.
The owner even came by and gave us a free tasting of wine. They have such a friendly atmosphere here.
Overall, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I left very impressed. Give them a try!

Pros:
— Local Sunol/​Pleasanton/​Livermore Valley wines
— Friendly folks
— Nice seating at the bar
— Great front patio to people watch
— Tucked away behind Main St, but still prime area downtown
Cons:
— Very limited wine list
— Odd space with disparate tables that makes for weird ambiance indoors
I’d return with girlfriends to enjoy a nice evening on the patio sampling some local wines after a long workday. If you’re looking for a huge wine selection, this place is definitely not for you.

I’m a bit on the fence about Grape Times at the moment. My husband and I will return to check it out again in the future.
The good — selection of wines by the glass. The selection we quite diverse, which we were pleased to see.
The mediocre — food. We had been at an art reception and wanted small bites. The pepperoni pizza was just ok and the second small plate was forgettable. We did see the cheese plate when it was delivered to another table. That looked like a better choice.
The space and atmosphere was very nice and relaxing, hence we will give it another try.

My wife and I were here on the evening of 2÷18÷12 and had a mixed reaction. The whole idea of the place is really good, but I would tend to agree with some of the negative posts about ambience. The room is cavernous and there are too many hard surfaces. It became very noisy as the room filled up and the band started to play. At that point it was no longer possible for us to have a normal conversation. It might be a good idea to introduce some additional sound absorbing materials into the space. That said, this is probably a great place for a larger group where a higher noise-​level is expected. It just doesn’t work for relaxing and having a more intimate conversation.
The appetizers were good but the portions seemed small for the price paid. In fairness, this is a wine bar and not a restaurant… but still. We had a fruit and cheese platter and then a meat and cheese platter .
My wife ordered a 3-​glass white flight and I ordered a glass of Ruby Hill Grapeful White. We immediately noticed that each glass of her flight had the about the same amount of wine as was in my single glass. And the price of the flight was only a couple of dollars more than my single glass. So our conclusion was that buying a bottle is clearly the best deal, which is always the case, followed by the flight. I do not advise getting anything by the glass. If you do, I suggest you ask for a measuring cup to make sure you get your full 5 ounces. I was hoping to have tried some other single glasses of local wines, but the pour size gave me pause. So we went ahead and bought a bottle of Grapeful White.
On the upside, we do know that the owners read and act on Unilocal reviews. During our visit, we noticed changes that had been made based on earlier reviews. The staff was very attentive, courteous, knowledgable and friendly.
We took away 1 star each for the pour size and the noise level. Even at that, we did visit them again after a concert for a glass of wine at the bar. As expected, it was very noise, but we were prepared for it. When the weather warms up, we will probably give them another try and check out their newly opened front patio. They are in a great location near the Firehouse Arts Theater and we’d really like to see them succeed.

Amazing place just off of Main Street with outdoor seating which is a plus for sunny and warm days in Pleasanton. Also, great for people-​watching across the way as there is a grassy field (Lions Wayside Park).
Went on a Monday evening when it was karaōke night and had a great time. Ordered the following:
— Tuna salad boat with Pineapple and Mango: this was delicious and a nice twist to provide both the salty and sweet combination.
— Mini beef Wellington with Caramelized Onions: definitely order these as you won’t be disappointed. Seems like a staple.
— Coconut prawns
There’s an area where you can totally lounge by the fireplace. Bring a close group of friends and catch-​up over an evening of wine, beer or even port or champagne. Great vibe. Will definitely be back! Thanks to Doug for showing wonderful hospitality!

I was so excited for this place to open and so disappointed with the results.
The ambiance is non-​existing (Actually looks the the combination of funeral parlor meets wanna be wine bar in Ikea — confused … we were!). Anyway, the wine list is TINY and there are very very very few good wines (Isn’t this supposed to be a wine bar?). The food is tasty but the portions are VERY small and they are OVER PRICE!!! Lunch for two (Without wine) came to just under $ 50 and we had to go to another restaurant to get something to eat because we were still hungry!!!
I have actually been three times … each time it was the same. :(

Truly truly disappointed!
I didn’t have too much expectation given some of the reviews but even with low expectation this place disappointed.
First I walked in and was told to sit whoever I want after couple of minutes… Then I spend at least 10 minutes just to get someone to give me the menu and water…
Then I had to asked for another glass of water because the water glass had a lip stick mark… Clearly dirty glasses!!!
The food took forever and everything tasted like frozen dinner.
We ordered the crab cake, chicken skewer and shrimp …
Nothing tasted gourmet…
And also the waitress forgot about my friends Arnold Palmer and only when we reminded her she came back to tell us they don’t have lemonade… Ugggh … I am crossing this place off my list forever!!!

What can I say I had the absolute pleasure of working here for a time and now I get to be a regular!
The menu:
mini beef wellingtons~ absolutly delicous and by far one of my favorite things on the menu. There is just something about these little fancy hot pockets that mkes me want to order double orders.
shrimp and tomato bruschetta~ baby shrimp and tomatoes together = two of my favorite foods plus the seasoning is light and not overwhelming so it is a crisp fresh little snack.
shrimp bisque~ this soup is fabulous. I have to have it every time I go in. Warm and not too heavy its absolutly wonderful.
Cheese and anipasto plates~ I love anything that I can snack on adn the fac that these two plates allow people dirnking differnt wines to enjoy something htat pairs with what they are drinking always makes me happy. Plus I am a cheese fanatic.
Crab cakes~ one of the things I love about a good crab cake is when the outside has a nice crust and the inside melts apart. Definatly the crab cakes here fit that. Plus the red pepper aioli that comes with it can go on everything and i mean everything.
Wines~ So I have to defend the concept of the place. Its a tribute to local wines and small vinters. That being said If I want to drink a french pinot or an itallian barbera I’ll go somewhere that I can find that. When I want a local livermore wine I am going to come to grape times. It saves me the drive off into the livermore valley. Plus I love live local buy local places, I really am a suporter of local small businesses. The variety of wines here I am sure will grow but so far everything I have had the chance to taste has been pleasing to some part of my pallate. Ruby hill peacock patch zin is a yummy fruity zin, and the cuda ridge cab franc has the wonderful finish I expect from a good cab franc. The naumann tres rosa cali is one of the best blend I have had to date and for those of you looking for a dinner party red that pleases those looking for bold cabs and those who drink white and stick to the merlots when drinking reds this wine is for you. I am kinda bummed it is a limited wine and won’t be around much longer. I also enjoy the fact that flights are not limited. As much as I love side by side comparisons of the same varietal, sometimes I want to try different things, so I know as the wine menu changes I’ll be doing flights to give everythign a taste.
Staff~ LOVE them. Doug and Donna are wonderful hands on owners that you can sit down and have conversations with and they are extremly quick to solve any dissapointment by customers. The guys in the kitchen work their butts off and to date I have never eaten anything they made for me that didn’t make my hunger pangs dissapear in a happy flutter.
Noise~ ok yes it is a bit noisey but its a small establishment and when its full, well… its full so its louder and that I get. During the days I’ve had perfect lunch dates though during the quiet times.
I can’t wait for the changes that are coming and once again I am so happy I get to be one of the regulars on the other side of the bar now.

Limited wines — would like more variety instead of offering one red/​one white from the same winery. Nice touch including beer on the menu for those not into wine. Very nice décor and is in a perfect location with view of park where music is played on Friday nights. Has potential to be a locals place.
Will go back in couple of months to update this review.
¾/​12

My husband and I tried this new wine bar last night. It was very loud, which was OK… but then the 1 item we ordered (a cheese plate– easy, no?) took a good 30 min+ to arrive…
We were on our 2^nd glass of wine before it finally came. The staff was apologetic, but it was really ridiculous.
I like that all the wines are local– the selection could be expanded a bit.

We have been a few times.
After tasting here, we love the idea of only Livermore/​Sunol Wines. When tasting in wine country, you tend to hit up wineries you know or are club members with. So maybe you visit a new one once in a while, but that doesn’t always happen.
Maybe it would be nice to have maybe a unique wine out of the region featured, but all wine bars do that … we like that Grape Times is different and catering to our local wine region!
HERE, if you are a local you will likely try something and will want to soon visit the winery this business has featured. That has happened with us.
We enjoyed the crab cakes, chicken skewers w peanut sauce … the cheese plate is good too.
Doug the owner is so kind! We hope we continue to go here and get the great service he offers.
We love the location and the atmosphere.
I want to see this business stay!
One tip/​advice another Unilocaler mentioned for the business: A label on the glasses or a tasting sheet/​number system might be helpful in remembering what we are tasting and in which order. We have managed to remember it each time without incidence, but it is something to consider as we have had to make it a point to remember it when being served.
Other than that, its a GRAPE TIME! ;-)

Quick and to the point…
I will be back — they do need some work however — so want to give them 5 stars!
Staff — very friendly (however the gal could use an edu on wine — you really shouldn’t work there unless you know a little something about all the wine)! She also made no apology for not knowing a thing about the products she was pushing! I dont think you have to like chard, cab, etc but if you work there at least try to look like you care and learn about the wine so you can educate your guests who are paying for it… obvious I would think. She is very nice — but needs to represent the product better.
Flights — Why not add little tags to the bottom of every glass? Both times we went the server forgot which wine was which! Tagging them would make the presentation more flawless and helpful — So many options too — such a simple fix and could be done in a very classy way!
Food: Only tried dessert — was ice cold cake (kept in fridge) — major turn-​off (not fresh) — food is so important to this experience — I would make sure its presented well, fresh and complimentary.
Wine: Good but way too limited i — they need to beef up the selection (what gives)?
Seating: The bar was nice– I was not impressed w/​seating around the room (except for the couch). The tables looked sooooo cheap — the chairs like something out of a bad wedding and the awful table cloths — oy vey — please upgrade!
I think you have so much potential — but you really need to address the above to stand apart from the rest! I will be back — and hope to update w/​a better review — PTown needs a place like this!

One could not wish to have a better… cozier. warm and friendly place to relax. meet friends and enjoy a great selection of wine and great food. The owners are wonderful. and this place is just so great to hang out at… location is fantastic… My wife and I are so happy we found Grape Times… you will be happy you took time to stop by.

This little house next door to Meadowlark Dairy has sat vacant for about 3 years; I am so glad something finally opened up. This cozy wine bar has tables, a huge comfy sofa, and fireplace. They are really nice people and made us feel welcomed. They answered our questions about wines and told us the order best to drink our flights. I was a bit disappointed that they are sticking to strictly local wines, as I wanted to know if they might serve from St. Francis, one of my favorites. However, the two reds and champagne I drank were quite delightful (though not as delightful as the bottle of St. Francis we later drank around the corner, after Grape Times was closing).
I am eager to go back and taste their food, as they have some yummy sounding items listed on the menu. Perhaps today I will go back!
Excellent ambiance and comfort for hanging around with friends, talking and tasting wines. I am excited to sit outside in summer and see what they create for outdoor enjoyment of the establishment!