Whispering Vine Wine

Quite possibly the premier wine bar in Reno. Why? Well let me tell you.
First, let’s talk about the building. It’s long time Reno landmark that has housed a number of popular steakhouses. Currently, it’s configuration is a house of wine like none I’ve ever seen. It seems to go on forever… like a house from a children’s book, with secret rooms and places to discover amazing new adventures. Can you think of a more appropriate metaphor for a wine bar?
Each time I’ve headed in the direction of Whispering Vine it’s been much anticipation with a little tinge of trepidation. The anticipation is for the new discovery I probably will find, in either wine or spirits. The trepidation is that I just might not fit in with the crowd. All the times that I have been, it’s the suit coat and pantsuit crowd that are taking up the tables. Not my usual crowd, I’m just a jeans and short sleeve button down kinda guy. But the staff has always made me feel like I belong there. Maybe it’s because I sit at the bar, I don’t know. But it works.
This last Friday was Negroni Week and they were participating. $ 5 for each Negroni sold goes to a local Charity. Taking a spot at the bar with Ly S. we chatted with Dylan the bartender. He suggested a wine flight for Ly while he made me a killer «dealer’s choice» Negroni. Mezcal El Silencio, Woodford Reserve Rye and of course Campari. My wife chose the Pinot flight for around $ 10. We also got an order of escargot for $ 10 and an order of the fingerling potatoes for $ 10. Both were excellent, and it’s no surprise because Josh Berreman is in the kitchen now. Looking forward to the future menu offerings.
I live on the south side of town near their other location. But this still is my favorite wine bar in town. The combination of atmosphere, service and price are nearly a perfect storm of yes!

Thursday, 6:30pm; 2 people for a special event for Northern Nevada Hopes ‘Dining out for Life’
Ambiance: 5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Food and drink!: 5 stars
My husband and I picked this specific location because 100% of the proceeds go to the charity. I haven’t been here since it changed from Washoe Grill, but I appreciate them keepnig the atmosphere!
Server: Raff (I HOPE that is correct) was phenomenal! When we return, I will ask for him specifically. He is very attentive & SO sweet!
Food and drinks: We had the Shrimp flatbread & I was very impressed! Good flavor combinations. Prerequisite filghts of their wines were tasty as well! I got a glass of the Shepard blend as well, and it is so lovely!
We’ll be back!

Folks, this place absolutely CRUSHES it.
The atmosphere is spot on and the staff are absolutely impeccable. The selection of wines and well drinks /​mixed drinks is phenomenal and the view is to die for if lucky enough to sit on the south side of the venue. They serve a variety of appetizers that are sure to go well with whatever your drink of choice is and they’re outstanding!
Dylan, Sandy, Brittany, Mal, Andy, Kristen, Emily, Shannon, Brian, Kenny, Mel, Julie, Raff, Kevin, & Michael are all amazing and can’t begin to tell you how hard they work and what an outstanding job they do to make this place what it is.
The location is easy to find (it was the old Washoe Steakhouse /​Glory Hole Restaurant) just off West 4^th Street and couldn’t be easier to access. The selection of wines is first-​class and even has patio accommodations that fit the ambiance. Did I mention they can also host large parties in the Gathering Room in the back?
If you haven’t visited the new Whispering Vine on W. 4^th Street, now’s the time. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Easily a 5-​star establishment and the service is legendary.
Cheers!

A new HOT SPOT! Love the complete remodel and the atmosphere is incredible! Classy elegant wine bar with an awesome bar tender, Dylan was his name… Great guy, completes the service of this place, he makes some incredible drinks with having a fun energetic attitude behind the bar, funny and very good sense of humor!
I recommend this place, can’t tell you much on the food quality simply cause I did not try their food, go see Dylan for some great drinks and good service!

A fun, laid back place to get wine, drinks, and appetizers. Always great service too.
Yummy hummus and olives, and good martinis.
If you sit on the right side of the restaurant, you get a beautiful view of the mountains.

What happens when a former steakhouse is purchased by a purveyor of fine wine and spirits? In the case of Whispering Vine Wine, you combine a sizeable tapas menu with tasting flights of booze, then fill every available nook and cranny with bottles available for sale. Despite the upscale setting, I was far from being the most casually-​dressed patron. At least my shirt had a collar on it.
My group started with a small bowl of house-​marinated olives that included a variety of sizes and colors, ranging from the largest – with a mild flavor and soft texture – to some small green spheres that had a lot more bite ($ 3). A matching piece of earthenware was provided for discarding the pits.
Next came hummus with papadum, a mash-​up of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine ($ 5). The lentil cracker was perfectly crispy with more than enough flavor to stand on its own. Unfortunately, the hummus was underseasoned, seemingly devoid of tahini, and quite gritty in texture. I decided perhaps the chef purposely went for simple with the chickpea dip in order to highlight the excellent coriander, cumin and lentil flavors of the papadum.
Similarly, my wife’s grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup was almost-​but-​not-​quite great ($ 9). The soup was extremely good, bursting with the aroma and flavors of fresh tomato and just enough seasoning. But the sandwich of Irish cheddar, gouda, and caramelized onion – melted into rustic baguette slices – was very small and surprisingly bland. The result was a bit disappointing and perhaps overpriced.
A piping hot serving of lobster mac and cheese was probably everyone’s favorite dish of the evening ($ 13). The cheese sauce was very smooth and creamy, with just a hint of herbs allowing the lobster flavor to shine through. Paired with plenty of tender pasta, this is a dish I’d request as part of my last meal.
In contrast with the cheesy goodness, escargot with cognac and garlic was definitely our least favorite plate of the evening ($ 10). The gastropods arrived bubbling in a traditional six-​pocket crock, cooked to the proper mushroom-​like texture without being chewy. Sadly, the main flavor was of bitter-​almost-​burnt garlic, and if cognac had been part of the process it was doing its best to stay hidden.
A pair of braised bison short rib sliders with gorgonzola and slaw on pretzel buns brought things back into focus ($ 13). The shredded, lean meat was tender and plentiful, with the veg and cheese doing their part to bring it all together. Even the roll was above-​average, and receiving them pre-​cut into halves made it easy for our party of four to quickly make them disappear.
I love me some fungus, and the wild mushroom flatbread did not disappoint ($ 13). An eight-​inch oval of crispy, thin bread was covered in a sherry mascarpone cream with caramelized onion, arugula, and a mix of maitake and yellow foot mushrooms. Sliced into several wedges, it was essentially an extremely fancy pizza. I made sure to raise a pinky while gobbling it down.
Perhaps the best deal of the night was the New England lobster roll with fingerling potato chips ($ 13). The bun itself looked like a small loaf of bread, baked golden brown with a consistency akin to a classic dinner roll. The top was sliced open and stuffed with a generous portion of well-​executed lobster salad; flavors of dill and celery accenting the seafood just right. An oversized stack of warm, lightly-​salted chips had that particular flavor that tells you they came straight from the fryer. Delicious.
It was a Tuesday night and yet the place was packed, making it all the more impressive how fast, friendly and efficient the service was. We were in the bar area, but there is seating throughout the retail space, a side room for special events, and an outdoor patio for warmer months. Not to mention some of the best views of our biggest little city.

Great potential but I’m pretty disappointed with my overall experience today. I went in with my mother before catching a show downtown. First off the building is beautiful and has a cool vibe. There’s plenty of parking and it’s easy to find.
The restaurant is seat yourself which actually seems to be a bit of a nightmare. We waited for about 15 minutes before asking the bartender for menus. My mother selected a bottle of wine with no assistance and had to approach the bartender to open it. After another 10 minutes of the waitress blatantly ignoring us, we ordered our food through the bartender. The wait was longer than average but was delicious. I highly recommend the sliders. The waitress brought out our food and didn’t say a word to us. We then approached the bartender for water and the check.
The check came and was not itemized which I thought was bizarre. As I was looking over the check and comparing it with the prices on the menu, the waitress finally asked me if I wanted to order something– an hour and a half into my experience. Are you kidding?
The best part of this experience was Dylan the bartender. Clearly aware of how much the staff was lacking, he brought out a dessert on the house and took care of us even though it was clearly not his job. He is the only reason I’ll consider giving this restaurant another chance.
They need to hire more staff or hire waiters and waitresses that are actually paying attention. A huge disappointment for what we paid

Whispering Vines on 4^th is the newest of the brand. But closing at 9 on a Friday night. Sigh. Still in all it is a wonderful place for a glass of wine. or brandy or what ever lights your lights. Just not for that really last call.
The place has a great bar and great space. This is the old Washoe Grill. and the interior has been repositioned to accommodate a wonderful wine bar with a other libations. Plus a excellent collection of fine wines,
The fact is they have a very good full bar here and so as I said what ever lights your lights. go for it. A fire place with cozy tables, Rooms to roam around and lots of wine to check out. Plus did I mention. very helpful people.
I think this Whispering Vines would be an amazing space for a special event. However I’m not sure they are up to that. but maybe. So check that out. There are all these interesting wine rooms where I could be a bride floating through with a glass of champagne. or. Let your imagination flow, That is what the space invokes.
I do buy wine here. I had questions about wine. I got tastes. I got help. That’s why i like this place. Seriously, I wanted to try wine that was really supposed to be great. Long story short. FAIL on that wine. No one even tried to fake me. I so appreciated that.
Following that we spent some time pursuing what profiles I liked, and so this now was all about me, Seriously, when it’s all about what I love I can get really into it. Because I do not have to struggle and have knowledgeable people who suggest but not impose.
When I’m drinking wine I get hungry. Actually I get hungry when I drink anything, It’s sort of I hate to drink alone thing. Fortunately Whispering Vines on 4^th has some small plates worth pursuing if only because you need something to eat with your wine. But those we have sampled have been good. Check it out and ask them to stay open a little longer, at least on the week –end. until 10:00 pm.

Overall-3.5
Food-​4
Service– 2.5−3.5
This place really has some potential. Was very busy, wine prices are very good, retail level.
Fun, when you are a wine geek like me, to go and pick out your own wine, and selection is great.
Food was really good, small plates are unique. They are typical wine bar style. So if you have a big appetite this may just be a jumping off point before dinner.
Really enjoyed all of the apps and we got a lot.
My favorites were the steamed clams, the broth was exceptional– had a little zing to it.
The lobster roll is done in a traditional style with the buttered roll they use back east. Portion was nice for price.
The duck confit tacos, also a little spicy were delightful.
And the sliders on the pretzel rolls were a great share.
Only cons of the evening were their style of service, where all the staff waits on all the tables, was a ball dropper. No one seemed to know what the hell was going on. We were served the Mac n cheese with no utensils, and could not get anyone’s attention, so ended up eating it with our fingers. Then the wrong food was delivered to the table and since we were a larger party no one knew who’s tot was so it was eaten, only to discover later it we not ours. (I will take 50% of the blame on us for that one) but still the evening was filled with that style of service.
So I think this place is certainly worth checking out, and I will return.

Ambiance and Great Wine selection. Really enjoyed our bartender Dylan who mixed a variety of specialty drinks, food was awesome. Love the new location.

Saturday night crowd, packed but luckily we scored a table just being cleared. Attentive, friendly service. Interesting wine flights. Very tasty food (especially the duck tacos and shortrib sliders). Great wine finds on the shelf. Bought 3 bottles, two very uncommon varietals. We will be back.

Really liked this location. This was the first time I had been to this location since they opened it.
I have a much closer whispering vine in south Reno, but this location is much larger, and has food. The view from the bar is worth sitting and enjoying your beverage of choice. I came here on this particular visit because they were serving the Jefferson aged at sea which was very good.
I walked around before I sat at the at, there are several different places to sit and enjoy a glass of choosing. There is a patio and several other tables tucked throughout the place.
I intend on coming back to have an appetizer and trying more types of whiskey !

We have always loved Whispering Vines. Only place we buy wine and only place we go to enjoy a glass of wine. Tried 4^th St location soon after it opened and loved it. Great service from 2 employees that said they were retained from Washoe Steakhouse. Bravo Curtis for doing this.
Went back Saturday night to 4^th street location and was so very disappointed. The new bartender who said he came over from Peppermill was too busy with one client at the bar to give us any kind of service. For every sample of dozens of liquor he poured for this one group of guests, he drank one himself. I wonder if he was drunk and that is why he could care less about anyone else. Made the wrong drink for us twice and thought it was funny. Could not get his attention to order another glass of wine or cash out.
We are so faithful to Whispering Vines. We hope someone keeps an eye on this bartender so he does not harm your excellent reputation around Reno. He may be a train wreck waiting to happen.

Here for the Whiskey Hunt. Very lively, full bar. Found a seat at the bat and was served by Michael, the Spirits Director. He’s very knowledgeable and friendly, offered me some great info on the whiskey. Michael is a true conaseur of whiskey, and it shows in his knowledge and passion. I highly recommend a stop here if you’re interested in some fantastic Bourbon, and a great time.

Super cool place! I’d like to say I’ll miss Washoe Grill but I’d only been there twice and it was only okay. The conversion to Whispering Vines Wine Co. is quite the transformation!
I’m not sure if they have or offer a full menu but the app offerings are outside the norm. We went with the lobster Mac n cheese which was good. It wasn’t as amazing as it might have been; overly seasoned with maybe too much sage and it was cold at the center. We gave it a stir and that helped, but that just shouldn’t be.
The bar has an amazing stock of offerings! They also had several beers on tap, a few of which are local brews, and also as one would expect a generous supply of wine. This was like Total Wine with more, as in they have all the wine here and available for retail sale.
Staff was super friendly, hip, younger, and cool, fun to hang out with and chat. We will be back and as we do some more dining this will be a review that sees some updates.

Always a great location and very much was disappointed with Washoe Steakhouse over the years. Turned location into a cavernous wine cellar with wine throughout what used to be the restaurant.
The patio always has been great at this location no matter what the owner was and certainly is the highlight along with the bar and window seating.
Only quibble is that their menu for food is limited. It would be nice if they had a more expanded menu for dinner or on the weekends. Maybe that will be to come.

Whispering Vine deserves a shout out! The new location (the old Washoe/​Glory Hole building) is fabulous — views, unobtrusive yet attentive service, and reasonable prices on some delicious drinks and dishes. On this Friday afternoon, I met a friend at 4, and I am glad we got there early. We had our choice of seats — the heavy wood bar, replete with friendly bartender who advised us not to settle in the bar without looking around first. Hmmm, sit among the wines, choose one of the many tables near the windows, or sit on the patio? We chose one of the high tables near the window with the mountain views and ordered Tahoe Mules (a reasonable $ 8 each), which arrived in the requisite cooper mugs with just the right blend of ginger, lime and vodka. We had a tough time choosing, and ultimately settled on the shrimp flatbread (pesto!) and duck confit sliders (on corn tortillas!). Both were delicious and perfect for sharing. The rest of the menu — short rib sliders on pretzel rolls, lobster rolls, steamed clams and mussels, and tuna ahi poke, among others left me planning my return visit. This whispering vine will definitely grow well on me!

AMAZING!!! First time here and in love with this place! Thank you Unilocal for your assistance in finding this place!
Environment is cozy and welcoming. Staff is over the top friendly and very knowledgeable of products.
Wine and olives are delicious! Next time will definitely have to try some cocktails, they look incredible and are made with love.
Can’t wait to come back!

The new location IS THE BOMB!!! They have done an excellent job of converting the former Washoe into a place to come relax, enjoy some small plates, wine, and the outdoor patio.
When you walk through the front door you can go left to their extremely well stocked bar or right into what is like a wine cavern. Their wine selection is staggering and their prices on the bulk of their wines put Total Wine to shame. Brian (their wine buyer) selects wines from all over the world for the Reno community to enjoy. He does an excellent job of always introducing me to new wines (some where i’m not even familiar with the grape varietal or the region) to try and 99% of the time he is spot on.
The patio is a getaway that begs to have you sit and enjoy a glass of wine, beer, or alcoholic libation of your choosing. It can be a bit noisy, but the ambiance more than makes up for it. The service is quite good and they are more than willing to assist you choose an excellent wine to enhance your experience.
In speaking with Brian, they also have a room that can be used for larger parties (i believe he said up to 40). Do I see a Unilocal event here in the new year? (I think the answer is a resounding YES!!)

We enjoyed this new Whispering Vine on 4^th street.(old Washoe Grille site)
They have done a great job of remodeling the inside.
On this Friday evening the place was packed.
Curtis the owner knows what he is doing, one of the very Best wine shops in the Reno, Sparks area.
We enjoyed a white wine flight and a red itatian wine CHIANTI, and a cheese and salami plate, it was all very good.
Haley our server was very friendly and helpful!
The place is so perfect for wine tasting in a casual setting, and a lovely outdoor area.
Hope to return very soon.
Thank you Curtis, for making another great place to taste wines. Still hope someday you will come to Sparks.