Swirl on Castro

Great place! My partner and I have been here many times over the years when we have been in the Castro. They have a good wine and spirits selection.
Our favorite part is actually the little wine bar at the back. You can get wine by the glass, bottle, or one of their white or red tastings. The staff is very friendly too which gives it a nice, friendly neighborhood vibe.

My husband and I stopped in here for the first time this past weekend. It’s been on my bookmarks for quite a while, but we just never seemed to make a point of popping in.
This little wine store made my day this past Sunday. Not only are the prices extremely reasonable, but the products they carry are the best. We were particularly impressed by their wine selection — while not extensive, they offer a selective offering of quality wines at a range of prices. You can definitely find a bottle under $ 40 that packs some bang for your buck.
The found the people working there to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We were trying to find something to bring with us to pair with our dinner at Flour & Water later that evening, and one of the gentlemen working there pointed out a range of bottles that would pair nicely.
Another nice touch — we noticed that one of the wines we were considering for our dinner later that evening was open in their tasting area. They were kind enough to pour a small sample to see if it was something we were interested in. Well, it was delicious, so we ended up going with that one.
We also were so excited to see wines we’ve «had our eye on» but have been extremely difficult to find. We walked out with a few bottles in hand, and a mental note to make this «the» place to go for future wine purchases. And also walked away with our eyes on a few particular suggestions they mentioned — next time (there will always be a next time for these wine-o’s!!) :)

What a great spot… small gem right on Castro street that if you walk by too fast you think it’s just like any other small wine shop. It’s not. The wines they carry are fun and interesting and not the run-​of-​the mill stuff. They carry wines that they themselves find interesting and intriguing, and can talk to you about the details of them. But my favorite part is the wine tasting options – yes, they have wine tastings and little tables in the back where you can enjoy them. You can do flights or choose glasses, and the guy that was there when we’ve always been there (KC) truly is knowledgeable but not an air of arrogance or snootyness at all.
I love how they have their wines arranged in «boldness» or by «splurge»…a new way of arranging wines, but also helpful to the wine novice as well I’m sure. If you keep an eye out they have some really good finds for great prices as well. We will continue to go back when we find ourselves in that area of SF.

It’s probably good I live a 15 minute walk from this wine shop and tasting room, or I’d spend way too many evenings here chatting with Leslie, Max and their amazing patrons. Fantastic selection, but even better recommendations. They really want to help you find what you love. I’m nervous to give a five star review, as I want to keep it not crowded, but it’s just not fair to the rest of you to keep such a mellow, knowledgable wine spot to myself. Also, if you have a small, mellow dog, they won’t bat an eye if you bring it along for your wine tasting.

LOVE this place!
Fantastic service, good selection of wines by the glass. Friday night had a good crowd/​scene.
Great selection of wines for purchase. The folks who work there really know their wines and know how to make good recommendations.

Celebrated birthday there — staff knowledgeable and helpful. Wine was great. No complaints.

EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT! They have a great selection of high end wines… not the grocery store shelf swill. Max is super helpful and very knowledgeable about the wines. Tell him what you like and he’s certain to have a recommendation. They have a quaint little tasting area that holds about 12 – 15 people. They also have an amazing selection of small batch liquors… unique and great for gifting.

My favourite wine bar in SF. The staff is super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The clientele is fun and entertaining. Can highly recommend it, come here often with my boyfriend and we always have a good time.

Everything a great wine spot should be; inviting, comfortable space, solid selection and great service.
We sat at the little wine bar in the back on a Friday evening and enjoyed some bubbly and a glass of Syrah. Both were delicious. And, we spoke to two of the gentlemen that were running the store as well as another patron or two.
Awesome prices, delicious wine and overall great vibe!
I watched a passerby come in and ask about a good bottle for dinner. The shop manager patiently went through all of the possible options, price points, etc with the woman without once rushing her. What great karma!
Oh, side note; Outside of wine, they have some great liquor options too.

Great wine and Great wine suggestions!

Max is tha maaaan! I had so much fun coming here with my friend Ashleigh P. and her cousin! We had a blast sippin’ on delicious wines from Max’s collection and talking about life. Yes… I talk about life a lot but man… so much happens in this world! Anyway, the reason why I give it 5 stars is because Max treated us like family. I LOVE great customer service and he was very knowledgeable about his wines. He poured our glasses and cheered us to some good times!
It is also a wine shop so you can purchase the bottles and some accessories. I wish they would open the patio to the customers but business regulations exist in life. Also, it’s best to enjoy the ambiance that Max has created indoors because you may just end up with mosquito bites.
Can’t wait to come again!

I always love coming here. I have probably been here 20 times in the last 6 months, in fact I will most likely be there on Sunday. It’s almost like an obligatory beginning to a night of shenanigans. The staff is friendly and hey, I don’t mind being ogled a bit. They have a decent wine list and I am never disappointed to find something good to drink,
Thanks boys!

My boyfriend and I stopped in to ask whether Bailey’s contains gluten. Instead of being annoyed that we didn’t just Google it ourselves, Max was courteous and helpful– looking up the answer for us on the spot. Sadly Bailey’s is not gluten free, but Max suggested a very tasty alternative.
Great, knowledgable service! Thanks!

Didn’t realize this was even here until I walked in on my way to another wine shop around the corner, but glad I did.
Friendly service and a good (if a bit small) selection of interesting, well-​priced wines. Found a nice Gruner Veltliner and a Sancerre at less than $ 15 per bottle. Similar to Safeway, they also offer a 10% off six bottles deal.
First wine is good and assuming the second one doesn’t bomb, I’ll definitely be back here.

Lots of great local tips on restaurants and wines. Very friendly guys pouring our flights. I’ll go back! (Thanks for the great tip on the oyster place across the street– I got there 3 minutes after they opened and it was already packed! Got the last 2 seats in the place!)

This is a really nice little wine bar, much like my favorite of these combo store-​and-​drink type locales back in New York.
Up front is the purchasing, with lots of wines and some liquors for you to choose from; you can find pretty much something from all over North California here along with some imports as well. Knowledgable staff will help you pick out exactly what you’re looking for.
Price-​wise it’s competitive with the rest of the neighborhood.
But the back is where the party’s at* because there are a few tables where you can buy a glass of wine and sit and chat with friends. Or, on a Friday night, get drunk with friends and raise a ruckus**.
Patient staff, cozy backroom and it’s perfectly fine to bring in some snacks (i.e., the requisite cheese and crackers) but I imagine they’d probably be a little upset if you brought in some Burger King.***
* — insert appropriate mullet joke here.
** — but not too much of a ruckus as to make things too difficult for the people working there.
*** — no one would have a problem with Popeye’s because, come on, Popeye’s is awesome.

Swirl was great. Came here for a friend’s bday… we created our own napa experience. by picking spots to wine taste.
This place is cute. Not super big but they have couple tables to sit at.
The staff is super sweet and attentive.
The really tall white guy that works there, is def not gay… he ended up giving my friend his number. pretty slick if i will say.
Aside from that… cute spot. Great selection of wines and liquor. I would come here again.

SUCH A FUN LOCALS PLACE!!! Really a fun time. Great owner. Max is a blast as well. Good pours and selection. Great people. Customizable flights. Much better deal than BLUSH.

I love this place — everyone that works there is knowledgable, approachable and gives excellent service — Jerry the owner has hired an excellent staff. Josh, Tim, Stanley, and the others do such a great job — I love going by there and having a glass or 3 before heading out to dinner.
The wines and spirits there are unique — and most of the time not offerered anywhere else in the city. And the wines by the glass are affordable and I swear, there is not a dud in the bunch!
Great Job Guys!

Okay, who drank all my wine?!?
So, I’m all out of wine at home. What’s a girl to do now?
((Enter Swirl on Castro.))
Swirl. What a captivating name. My gf & I had some time to kill before our massage appointment @Always Tan Skin & Body. We saw the cute little wine bar/​shop and decided to come in for a quick look see.
It’s a cute & cozy little spot located in the Castro, nestled between trendy restaurants, bars, & other miscellaneous shops.
They have a nice assortment of whites, reds, dessert wines, sake, & other spirits/​liquor. They even served Absinthe– something I’ve never tried but always heard so much about. The nice fella behind the counter explained its acquired black licorice taste and 140 proof in alcohol content. Woah. That’s pretty strong.
The back area holds a wine bar which offers tastings that average about $ 3 per taste. Nice.
Bottom line: Cute little wine bar/​shop that has lots to offer, not to mention friendly & personable staff.
Tip: Exclusive wine tastings go down every other Thursday.