The Reserve Wine Bar

I wish I could give them more stars!
The concept is amazing. You get a card. Put money on it. There are 2 rows and 1 round table of bottles of wine under glass with metal tube on top of each bottle with 3 buttons above the tube. Put your card in the slot, glass under tube, press the button for a small, medium or large pour. And TADA you’ve got WINE!
What could go wrong?
Many of the wine are empty
When the steak house is closed getting a clean wine class is not easy
On my last visit:
1 side of each row and the round table were out of order
Wine came out of the wrong spout
Card charged but wines didn’t pour
Paid $ 15 for a large pour and got a small (bottle ran out)
The gals at the steakhouse were great about all my issues but I had a dinner reservation to get to.
I’ll keep going back with my fingers crossed for a full selection and working machines and clean glasses!

This is a terrific concept that has undergone many changes through the years. I still like that you can try several different wines, but there were many issues with it. First, it was difficult to get a wine card (this is what you use to purchase this wine). We got a bit of a runaround. Secondly, they don’t stock the appropriate wine glass for each wine… just standard white wine glasses. Each time I go to try this they have less and less in stock. When it first opened, there were sparkling wines, ports, sherrys, and a much larger variety of wines. Additionally, there were cheese plates you could order to nibble on. I hate to harp on what used to be, but c’mon, if you are going to have a wine bar, do it all the way (not half-a$$ed like it is now). Give a manager ownership over this little spot of potential heaven.

Cool wine bar.

Concept okay, especially to taste a premium wine that otherwise way be out of reach price wise (for an entire bottle) and bar can’t easily keep in stock for wines by the glass.
No easy way to fix a failure, though. Tried one ounce tastes of two premium wines. Even though this system is not supposed to let this happen, I got the last of the bottle, and the wines had started to turn bad.
Pricey. Won’t try it again.

Coming from Davis, CA, my boyfriend, friend, and I all have tried this type of wine tasting before at the local wine bar that opened last year (Vini, in Davis). Used to the novelty of wine-​dispensing machines, we were therefore not too impressed with the selection and pricing of wine that we found at the Reserve.
We stopped by around 11:30pm while staying at GSR (they are actually open 24 hours now) and were slightly impressed by the number of somewhat crowded but pretty brown décor, chairs, and tables littering the area. We were a bit confused when we went to purchase the card at the café around the corner because we weren’t carded even though we were all under 30 and Asian (we look even younger than we are). I wonder if they would have gotten in trouble if we weren’t actually 21+.
The wine selection is pretty standard and priced by the ounce — they had a couple of «fancier» wines, which were priced accordingly. We were surprised that they marked up the prices by so much when we checked the prices of the wine online — some of the wines were marked up by almost a 100% increase, and there was no discount for purchasing a full glass versus a single tasting oz. Also, there were no details on purchasing bottles of wines we enjoyed (which is offered at other machine-​operated wine bars we’ve been to), and one of the reds we tried (forgot which one) tasted a tad close to the going-​bad-​vinegar-​stage.
Overall, I’ve experienced better elsewhere. The décor is comfortable and the ambiance surprisingly good, but I’d rather purchase a wine bottle at a better price and enjoy it elsewhere.

This place had wonderful décor and a truly broad international selection of wines.
You increase your wine knowledge by sitting 3 or 4 pino grigio’s grown and produced in the 4 corners of the earth next to one another to sniff and taste. If that’s not your choice then go and try a set of California Merlot and see which grower you prefer.
The enomatic machine works great, my only tip is to look carefully to see if there is enough wine in the bottle before you press ‘pour’
If there is no one on staff to help you, you can get a card at the diner right across the walkway at any time of day or night.

Duckhorn cabernet-​bouquet is slightly oakey with a hint of dark berries. Not too many tannins.
My next selection would be the Schulz cab blend-​more fruity and has a nice velvety texture.
I was not a fan of their selection of rieslings at all and the rest of the whites were not that much better off. I’m not sure if it’s the vintage or whether the wine had been oxidized, but there was a red that just smelled like cooked wine. I had fun going around picking and choosing different wines to taste, but just wish the wines itself actually tasted good.
They did have a good selection of California wines, but I’d much prefer to do the tasting at the actual winery to guarantee the quality of the wine. I’m not sure how long the bottles have been opened and whether the dispensing systems affects the quality of the wine.
I would recommend this place to those who just want to kill time.

3 stars on Unilocal means A-​OK. I think Reserve is A-​OK.
I had a Muscat and it fizzed like a fresh shot of urine. We could not figure out why it was so freakin’ bubbley.
I tried a few 1 ounce samples but could not quite get a handle on their prices. Mathematically, it did not always seem like such a great deal to get two ounces instead of two, one-​ounce pours, but maybe I am wrong… this is a good opportunity to try a few wines you haven’t tried before, but if you’re well-​acquainted with California wines, you might not be that impressed or happy. I had a good time because of the company I kept and my two ounces of fizzy (wrong!) Muscat.
Not to sound snotty.
But seriously.

Very cool place. I took some Friends from out of town here. They are big wine buffs and thought they might appreciate it. They did and loved it. I am not a wine person and have no clue what goes with what. But just to try different wines and feel the different tastes was great. My husband and I decided to go again since we still had some cash on the wine card. We took some other friends with us to try it out. The guy «Les» that works there recognized us and helped us pick our some wine and hooked us up with some free food. Cheeses, crackers, fruit, cold cuts. It was great. We had a great time with our friends and will defiantly come back for me.
My only complaint the seating isn’t very comfy! And it is right in the casino area, you can hear the lounge act on. The guy that was singing that night wasn’t very good. If they could only move it some place more quieter it would be a really cool place to hang out.

Cool Little Concept they started at the Grand Sierra Resort in the last year here. Been here a couple times now and it’s a nice little spot to sample some wines. Both times I have come, they had some wineries come out and give FREE Wine Tastings. This last time was «Valley of the Moon» winery. So they have some staff come out here and give wine tastings and cheese.
We started with the Free Tastings and then we ended up buying the «Reserve Card» afterwards, in which you put some money onto a Card and then you can stick it into a Wine «Vending Machine» to get tastings of various wines. I liken this concept to an «Adult Candy Store»
A fun place to check out whether you are extremely educated about wine or if you are an amateur wine drinker. Anyone can have fun here…

Like Emily S. said, the concept is very cool. There are about 50 wines you can try (1, 3 or 5 oz). The prices are very expensive for the wine’s they are. The cheapest 1 oz. sample is $ 1.07. Personally, I would prefere going to Vintage in Reno (same concept, better wine & prices… and you get free cheese while trying wine).

Wine lover’s dream come true! The whole system is slightly confusing and bit a la Space Odyssey 2001. At first I kept trying to shove my credit card in the slot like an idiot not knowing I had to purchase a wine card. First you walk around vending bar areas full of bottles until spot something that strikes your fancy. Then you swipe your card, stick your glass under the bottles spout and press the button for amount you want (The wine comes in 1, 3, and 5 oz. portions). I had some Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, and J. Lohr Shiraz. I can’t wait to try more! They even have Opus One; however 5 oz is like $ 65+. They have little log books so you can keep track of wines you tried and rate them. They had someone singing and playing the guitar while I was there and a wine tasting was going on as well. Fun. Really, truly, fun.

The concept of this wine tasting bar is interesting. You load up a card, grab a glass, and peruse the various wines. One ounce, or a couple, you’re card will be empty soon. The prices vary, of course.
I’d rather buy a bottle of wine and drag my husband back to the hotel room.

Ok, who doesn’t like the sound of the ability to try lots and lots of wine?
We stood at the host desk for seemingly forever and then waited to go through the how to’s etc.
The wine selection was not as exciting as we would have liked. It was also muy pricey. A 1 oz pour could cost the same as an entire bottle else where.
The concept is amazing, you get a cash card and select the wines you’d like and pour. Coming from Napa Valley where we wince at a 15.00 tasting price at Coppola and you get the glass… this was way over the edge, 4 of us went through $ 300. in no time.
We didn’t get complimentary cheese platters we paid for all of them.
So, It you;re from the east or center of the country this is great… It absolutely gives the opportunity to broaden your palate.
Californians and other western inhabitants may question the per ounce price on many of the wines being served. They will also wonder about the selection offered.

The best thing about staying at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino? Their wine tasting bar, aka Reserve.
First off, you purchase a card with however much you want on it. Then you peruse their wine selection and help yourself to an ounce or two or three. How do they charge? By the ounce of course! So, you can help yourself to an ounce of some high end stuff, and a few ounces of the cheap stuff too. Everything is self serve, which is great when you have no idea what you’re doing and you don’t like the sales pressure.
You stick your card into the designated slot, determine how many ounces you want of said wine, and out it comes in your wine glass! Easy as pie! Feel free to change your wine glasses for your reds, whites, desserts or ports. They offer over 80 kinds! There’s a list of all the wines they offer, the prices, and what each wine is made from and all the other details that any wine lover would appreciate. You also get a personal record book so you can keep track of your favorites.
Best bet — get a $ 25 card and you get a complimentary cheese platter! (You have to get this offer at the front registration desks though!) You can also purchase a cheese platter a la carte as well as the bottle of wine if you so desire. A cheese platter is a must so you can really appreciate the wines. Crackers, a few pieces of fruit, raisins and dried cranberries also come with this platter and help so much in appreciating the yummy wines.
The BF and I and a few friends had a grand time! We’re thinking of staying at the Grand Sierra again next month so we can enjoy this little indulgence again. And if you drink a little too much… just take the elevators up to your room! Haha!
My only complaint… they don’t open until 4 pm! We wished they opened a little earlier! =)