Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

I just got off the phone with Carter and can tell you, having a wine merchant that can read your mind is as good as it gets. I live in Texas and among the many lovely idiosyncrasies of the Lone Star State is the one about people sending us booze. There’s all kinds of laws and prohibitions and rules so most places won’t even fool with it to start. In fact, entire states just can’t or won’t. If you filter on
for «ships to Texas», you get three hits.
Ferry Plaza however, not only ships to Texas, but if you buy 12, you get the 10% case discount. Which you should do anyway cause the only drag about having wine delivered to your door is you must be there to receive it, so it’s cheaper by the dozen in both dollars and cents, like pa“tience” for waiting around for the UPS person… If you only ordered 6, you’d have to do that twice as often. No, thank you.
Now, the reason I had the privilege to speak to Carter today was that one of the wines I’d ordered to round out my mixed dozen was actually sold out and rather than miss the one day a week «ship to Texas» special delivery window, he figured I probably really wanted the brut rose that I’d ordered 9 bottles of and didn’t really care about the rando other whites I’d chosen so round out the dozen, so he nixed the out of stock bottle, kept the discounts, and my birthday rose is on it’s way to me as we speak! Fabulous!
In addition to great customer service in a clutch, I really like their website. They have this handy trademarked Wine Profile tool that you can use to search for wines based on six characteristics: type, sweetness, intensity, body, wood, & farming. And the profiler explains what each characteristic is and the different levels in each. I found some of these align to my De Long’s Wine Grape Varietal Table, but some, like farming and wood, are unique to FPWM’s site. You could also look up wines you like on their site and see what the values are then do a search based on that (what would be cool is to do a backwards search from a wine you already like that has the same values, it would save a step, but not a big deal either way).
There are also many other ways to search and filter, and they have different categories, like «New Arrivals», «Wines Under $ 20», and «Merchants Picks» although I think I broke the website looking for still wines from Hungary… Plus they have a monthly wine club and events and a wine bar on site. FPWM is tops and eventually, I’ll have a happy, sad, or regular face in every square of my De Long’s with FPWM’s help!

One of my favorite things to do in San Fransisco! Love this place! They have great wine and a very unique selection. I love ordering their flights because they always feature some new and interesting wines. I like they they aren’t all high priced and allow you to fall in love with a new bottle that’s reasonably priced. They are very knowledgable about the wine selections and are super friendly. They also don’t mind if you bring in some food from outside whiles you sit and sip.
It’s a great atmosphere and great location. Each visit is always a different experience. Love love love!

Spent roughly one hundred dollars in this place and received one of the worst customer service experiences –ever! I’ve been in the wine and hospitality trade since living in Napa for 26 years and these «experts» need to get it together.
No. 1 — stood at the tasting bar waiting for some eye contact to happen with the gentleman behind the bar that was consumed with the perfect buffered wine glass. After several minutes he finally looked up and I asked him about how the tasting worked and he wasn’t helpful at all. I felt I was intruding on his buffering time. He’s got that classic «clueless look» down! I decided to purchase a glass of bubbles and a glass of chardonnay for my coworker and I that ended up costing $ 41.53 including tip for that matter!
No. 2 — while enjoying the wine we decided to look for the wines that we had at our luncheon which were amazing. The store is confusing with their signage and further more I stood with that classic «clueless look» and no one approached me to see if I needed any help. …and I clearly needed help. So I there I stood in the middle of the shop seeing at least 5 employees that were wearing logo zip vests, two were in a conversation near me in front of the refrigerated champagne selections, another talking with a friend. So I walked around and saw the white wine that we had a lunch — surprised to find it I was feeling better that I helped myself. I couldn’t figure out where the Spanish Reds were located so finally my coworker asked a employee if we could have some help. She said, «of course and that there were several employees that could help us» as she directed us to the Spanish Reds. I asked for a RIOJA and I guess I pronounced it slightly incorrectly and she immediately corrected my pronunciation in front of everyone — which made me feel even better about myself and added to my disappointment of this terrible customer service experience. Hello! you either want to move wine or you just want to walk around looking busy and act the part of a wine professional.
Here’s my suggestion, take a customer service class, move to wine country, like what you do, but don’t try to correct a interested customer about wine, it comes off as an insult (oh wait maybe you’re charging for that experience too).
So in closing I found the RIOJA (re-​o-​hah by the way)…$ 42, the Spanish White $ 28 — I asked if they offered a wine industry discount and they said no. Which is another disappointing policy, here’s why…“they” will want to go visit a winery one of these days somewhere and «they» will expect a wine industry discount (30%!) and «they» will get it. So you might want to think about changing your policy because people who work at a winery refer people to fine retail wine shops all the time!
here’s the clincher… I still bought wine!
What did this whole customer service disaster cost me? $ 117.76
In vino veritas!

Had a great time here people watching enjoying a meat and cheese platter, sipping wine. Very extensive wine selection, as you might imagine. Our server was helpful and we did not feel rushed or hurried. We did not go on a weekend though, so I can see how the weekend dynamics could change the more casual feel.

The Ferry Plaza is a great place to hang out with people who are visiting from out of town. My sister and I enjoyed strolling through the Ferry building and we came across the Wine Merchant. We peeked in to realize there was a wine bar! We enjoyed a few glasses of wine prior to having dinner at the Wharf. The establishment offers self seating, unless they have a full house and they form a line outside the bar. The waiter was knowledgeable about the wine, as he was able to offer suggestions based on wines we enjoyed in the past. I enjoyed a glass of the 2013 Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast, CA. It was crisp and had a light citric after taste. My sister enjoyed the 2014 Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Rose.

Are you waiting to catch the Ferry?
How about…
A) Have a glass of wine or bubbly at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
B) Snack on something light and tasty
C) People watch
D) All of the above
You can do all of above things at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. Trust me, its worth it and I promise it is not pricey. Kthanksbye!

Nice place to take a break from the ferry-​building bustle to have a drink/​snack.
I wish the a/​c was cranked on a little higher (we were sweating in the back corner of a particularly warm SF afternoon). The bottle of champagne and cheese plate was quite tasty, but we felt the server was trying to rush us right when we sat down. He never smiled and didn’t go beyond taking and dropping off our order (and receipt later on).
Don’t expect nice service, and expect to pay $$$ for some soft cheese and bread rolls. It’s a decent location to rest your feet from the ferry building madness.

Let’s say that I’m at the ferry building.
And I’m stocking up on bread, cheese, & chocolate.
I start to feel like maybe having a glass of wine.
Or maybe a flight???
It’s totally ok. It’s almost 5:00.
What do I do? I head to the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, natch.
Know why?
Because they actually encourage me to go ahead & nosh on my ACME bread, Cowgirl Creamery cheeses, & Recchiuti chocolates… right here in their shop.
Yes, I can bust out my recent purchases to pair w the wine I’m sipping & loving at this moment.
How accommodating is that?!
In case you haven’t been shopping in the market yet, don’t fret. They have their own small bites, along w a wine to go with every reason & season.
They do meat (boccalone) & cheese (cowgirl) platters, w acme bread, of course.
And if you’re the sort to join a wine club, you can do that here too.
Order wine off the menu, do a flight, or buy a bottle & drink it here. This is your party.
Service is upbeat & knowledgable, but if it’s rush hour, there’ll be a wait for things, & table cleanup can be slow.
Hang in there.
Sip your wine.
4 stars.

Had never been to this part of San Francisco was excited to walk around the Ferry Building Marketplace. I’m so sorry I came so late and missed most things, but was happy just to be able to wander around and enjoy some ocean views. Will DEFINITELY come back to get the full experience, but for now I’m happy to have been able to stop for a glass of wine and a nibble at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. We walked right in around 7:30 on a Wednesday night and sat just outside of the actual store at the high-​tops in the hallway. A gentleman came over immediately to welcome us and feel us out regarding what we were interested in (something bubbly, something refreshing, something light) so he could make exceptionally educated suggestions. I got a glass of the Vajra Moscato d’Asti ($ 11.25) and it was exactly what I wanted — I’m so glad the server steered me towards that one. If we hadn’t somewhere else to be, I would have loved to to have tried the Cuvée de Crayères as well!
We also ordered a snack, a harder cheese with a tomato tapenade which was tasty, but because it was diced so finely was nearly impossible to spread or scoop on a knife/​spoon in polite company.
I would definitely come out of my way to come here again the next time I’m San Francisco — if you love wine (not just consuming it, but the education of it and the exploration of it), this is a great spot to enjoy a glass at. I just popped on to their website and see they do regularly change their cheese boards (I’d really like a re-​do at that!), and offer a variety of wine events and wine tastings, too. Yay!

We were not able to get into the most famous oyster bar on the pier before heading to the airport so we went here for a bite to eat. The wine selection was extensive and we got a sample before ordering. The crab cakes were perfect with the wine that was recommended. The atmosphere was that of an urban wine bar mixed with cheese shop, glass and metal appointments, an energy in the room that was just right for a Sunday late afternoon, relaxed but trendy-​in a good way. Wine bottles all around that made us want to take home a mixed case, but alas we were flying. Would definitely go there again if in SF even though we seldom repeat in a town where we visit and we are exploring.

I like this place a lot. Been here twice and have had good experiences both times. The service is good, the wine is great, and the ambiance is nice. A bit pricey but it’s in the ferry building so that is to be expected. I passed on the food here because of the prices but it all sounded really good. I would totally come back for a glass (or two) of wine

Wine wine wine! If you love wine, and even if you DONT love wine this place has most of it all!
My friends wanted to try all the bars in the ferry — piers area for their trip and this was our first stop. We did not expect much, other than wine and wine, maybe cheese — but mostly wine.
Our waiter was awesome, super nice and friendly. His recommendations were on point! My friend does not like wine, so she was recommended this sparkling moscatio, which she fell in love with. Had two glasses!
Their list may be small and limited; however, if you want to know more about wine and grow into that community I suggest you start somewhere and if you’re in the SF area might as well start here! They know what they are talking about!
They also have meat and cheese dishes which you can have with your wine. The place is located inside the ferry building and so you can eat, drink and people watch to your extent!
They also have portable battery chargers for android and iphones! Super cool.
Great area, great services and good wine though it was limited.

Sat at the bar by myself on an afternoon of aimless wandering through the city, and had an amazing time. Lured in by a white cotes du Rhone by the glass listed on the menu outside, the bartender apologized that they had just changed the menu and had replaced it with a Macon chardonnay. Would I like that instead? Sure, a nice crisp white Burg sounded fine. Not what I was looking for, but it would do.
That’s when it started. Digging in to the menu, I realized I was in a by the glass wine geek’s paradise. A Coravined wine section? Yes, please. I finished the refreshing Macon and asked for a glass of the ’12 Didier Dagueneau Silex sauv blanc. Knowing full well it needed a moment to wake up, I sipped a tasty German riesling in the meantime. During my interlude, the bartender (Jason I think? Bad with names) found what was left of the white Rhone I was looking for initially and poured me a couple ounces. Nice touch, and much appreciated.
Hungry now, and wanting food to go with the Silex, I almost ordered the first cheese plate that struck me, but Jason steered me towards a massive hunk of Vermont goat cheese that paired perfectly with the incredibly intense, funky sauv blanc. And I’ll be damned if that wine wasn’t everything I wanted it to be. At $ 35 a glass, it’s certainly not a bargain, but totally worth it for a wine that I’ve been wanting to try but not drop the 120ish for a bottle. It was an hour and a half of sheer bliss. Thanks Wine Merchant!

So many wines and beers to choose from with delicous cheese and bread plates to pair with the drinks as a mid day snack. We walked in getting lucky with an empty table, it was pretty packed. I love cheese and beer. Yes, not cheese and wine. It works! Located inside the pier, will not be dissapointed.

I like this place. A little pricey for a beer but the craft selection (which is all they have) is awesome. I got the Ballast Point IPA… not to hoppy, really good. The setting was nice and there’s other artisan shops in the building from wines to cheeses, to salted pig parts… I think that’s the actual name of the place, lol. If you’re catching the ferry from San Francisco check this place out and I’m sure you can find something you love. Bring some dough though.

I had been here for drinks before, but not food so I owed it a review. Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant is located in, you guessed it, the Ferry Plaza building in SF. In addition to wines, WM also offers local beers, meat from Boccalone, cheese from Cowgirl, and bread from Acme: What a great way to enjoy all four vendors at one location!
We ordered the Boccalone salumi and Cowgirl cheese ($ 29.95). The charcuterie also came w/​Acme bread, olives, and peach chutney. First of all, the salumi was outstanding! The flavor of Chris Constantino’s craft salumi shined: 5 Stars. In addition, the creaminess of the cheese contrasted nicely against the salumi: 5 Stars. Acme didn’t disappoint either, and the bread was crusty on the outside, and chewy on the inside: 5 Stars. Lastly, the olives and chutney were also very good. The only downside was the plate needed more mustard, and I asked for no chutney, and replace w/​nuts: 4 Stars. To drink, she had a grenache from France ($ 10), while I had a schiava from Italy ($ 8.25). The grenache is a little heavier and it was exactly what she was looking for. The schiava is a lighter wine from a thin skinned, larger grape. It was perfect for me on a hot day: Both 4 Stars.
The ambiance is very nice. In addition to the retail store, there are a few seats at both sides of the bar, some high seats facing outward, and a few high seats along the main part of the Ferry building. The only downside was there wasn’t a smaller charcuterie plate: It was a lot of food for two people: 4 Stars. Regarding the service, there was room for improvement. The bartender was friendly, but he took a while to acknowledge us. In addition, our food came out after another couple that arrived well after us. Lastly, the bartender didn’t give her a place setting: 3 Stars for the bartender, 2 Stars for the kitchen.
I would have rated this place a 4, other than the fact that I met a Korean girl here. We had met the night before (Valentine’s Day), and promised each other that if we showed up here the next day, we would exchange numbers. Well we both showed, and I couldn’t have had a better time. So some times, the rating is not all about the food, ambiance or service. Whom you have a meal and glass of wine with is just as important — LMAO!!!

The Ferry Building on the Embarcadero is somewhat of a crossroads of the world and a little community unto itself at the same time. The hallways are always packed with locals, tourists, and weekly grocery shoppers seeking out some of the best independently owned boutiques in the city.
Most of the «stores» in the Ferry Building are walk-​up kiosks or nooks that are decorated in hopes of standing out from the crowd. The Wine Merchant is probably one of the biggest stores with countless wine bottles covering the walls, fine cheeses, and small tables in the center. If you’re lucky you can try to snag a table on the small patio for some of the best people watching in the city!
Somehow, on an extremely busy holiday weekend, our party of six got an open table in the back corner. We drooled over the menu before finally ordering a few beers, some glasses of wine, and a cheese platter with fresh baked baguette. Remember how the building is like a small community? The cheeses (one cow and one goat) came from Cowgirl Creamery and the baguette came from Acme Bread Co., both of which have stores down the hall!
If you’re looking to give your feet a rest and your liver a workout, the Wine Merchant is great! The wine and delicious cheeses cause you to basically forget that you’re trapped in the center of one of the busiest markets in San Francisco!

Took out of town friends here for a bite and a sip or three, and they loved it.
What’s not to like, the welcome is warm, the menu has lots of nice snacks, and the wines on offer are great, such selection.
We had wine flights and there were amazing, like a trip around the world, and paired with the cheese plates… superb!
Great place, come check it out.
Enjoy!

Looking for a nice wine to take for a first meeting w/​the Sis-​In-​Law & her husband, I knew I wanted something impressive but didn’t want to break the bank…
As the Mr & I were perusing the CA wines at Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant, there were a ton of labels I’d never heard of (but that’s nothing unusual for me)
Fortunately someone from the staff approached us & offered assistance & turned out the bottle I was holding wasn’t what he would have recommended…& have to say I trusted his judgement, after he randomly told us about this super Albarino they just got in & let us sample
It was *wunderbar* & we couldn’t resist getting a bottle — for us of course b/​c couldn’t get something for SIL without getting something for us as well! That would have been rude! :-)
SIL & her Mr will be enjoying a nice Chard & we’ll be enjoying another visit to Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant in the very near future

«We do it one time for the one time.»
In the words of my hubs, we randomly found ourselves here while exploring the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero.
It’s self-​seating once you come in, with the choice of sitting at tables or at the bar.
The menu is fairly simple, several wines, red wines, white wines, sweet wines, etc. There are different prices for the amount of wine you taste. They even have nonalcoholic drinks but you have to ask the server about it. On the back of the menu they have foods to pair with your wines. Meats, cheeses, bread, etc.
I love the sweet stuff, and moscato is one of my favorite kinds of wine. We got the Centorri Moscato ($ 6.95 for one 5oz glass). I really like this wine and how it’s kinda like sparkling cider. The alcohol is there but it isn’t too strong and it’s bubbly to the throat a bit.
We also got a small Italian meat platter ($ 8.95). This came with slices of salami and mild coppa with olives and mushrooms drizzled with a Italian dressing. I actually like how well this platter paired with the moscato. I like that combination of salty and sweet, and the Italian dressing really made the sweetness of the moscato pop.
Of course, wineries are always expensive, but this is a fun experience if you’re down to try a simple glass or two.

On a Friday afternoon, this place is brimming with locals eager to ease into the weekend with a classy bev. I’m impressed by how comfortable & real the bar feels, despite its location in the heart of the Ferry Building. Also, the prices are not grossly inflated for tourist wallets. $ 12 for a glass of bubbly works for me. Next time I miss the ferry, I’ll fret not and belly up to the bar for a quick glass.
Wines are offered by the 2 oz taste, 5 oz glass, half bottles, and full bottles. Buy a bottle in the shop and pay just $ 9 to drink it on-​site. Surprisingly, their beer selection is pretty monstrous too: 50+ bottles to choose from!