Brandon Wines

The wine selection is poor at best, for a wine bar. I mean: they have 10 different types of beers (!!!), and only 6 whites; 3 of which are chardonnays. I definitely would not recommend this place for a person that doesn’t want to taste the bulk chardonnays that you can get anywhere!

Their happy hour sign screams «happy hour» and $ 3 beers. Once i asked the waitress whether it was happy hr on Sat afternoon, she confirmed all beers were $ 3 each. It was bottles of shocktop with no orange in it or even presented in a glass. For $ 3, i thought, whatever. later, we get presented with a $ 24 check for 4 beers. When asked why, she says «happy hour starts at 5:30». Never came by to ask how we were doing, had to go to her table where she was smoking with her dog to ask for anything. We were the only customers for 3 hours by the way. There is probably a reason why!

What kind of place charges a CORK FEE FOR WINE THEY SELL/​SERVE TO YOU?! We sat outside and ordered a bottle of wine and we’re told that there was a $ 5 cork fee! The owner has more of an accosting attitude and could be much nicer. Avoid at all costs… they would probably charge a $ 5 fee for avoiding the place.

I like the place. Wine bar in downtown Sunnyvale. Very small; maybe 20×20 feet.
Been in business 9y. For older crowd who is looking for somewhere quiet.
Good place to work on laptop. Beats working in a coffee shop.
Owner tries to make it look like her house, very comfortable chairs; candles at night.
In business for that long because of the regulars. This style doesn’t appeal to everyone.
Very personable owner.

Brandon’s. Oh, how I wanted to like this place. My friend and I went to the Sunnyvale Tree Lighting and wanted to escape the cold evening while waiting for Santa to arrive. But this holiday experience was less than twinkling. An A Frame invited us to try some wine, champagne or beer during the tree lighting. Heck yeah! Window seating and the tree is smack dab out the front door! Freeze suckers, we are headed indoors.
Then the record screeches and skips.
We walk in and are immediately punched in the face with the smell of cigarettes. I mean it was like a flashback of what places must have smelled like in the 1950s. The décor is, what I assume, «Shabby Chic» but without the chic. It’s a small place with sooo much potential but lacks in ambiance, good odor and warmth. Wines line the wall and all have orange price stickers on them. The place looked like something Robert Irvine would walk into a start using a sledge hammer while yelling at the top of his lungs. The window looking out onto Main Street has a large Heineken neon sign that distracts you from the Norman Rockwell moment happening outside. It’s a holiday night so you would expect to walk in and hear Holiday songs but are quickly stunned to hear bad Michael Buble followed by La Boux and other techno music. Really? The TV is playing an old black and white movie that has Fred Astaire… must be a holiday movie… nope…missed that opportunity too. The movie has been looping so long the disc (or maybe a VHS. who knows) starts to skip. Not that the aloof owner would notice.
We receive the menu and what to my wondering eyes should appear? The most EXPENSIVE glasses of wine I have seen outside of, well, anywhere! And wines I have never heard of before. Ok, we are here. We are cold. We’ll order. We also get some nosh to satisfy us. Salami from Costco and cheese from Trader Joe’s and Keebler Club Crackers. Yes, Keebler. Now, I will say the cheeses were very nice and served with the owners homemade bread. Honestly, she should sell the bread as that was the most amazing part of the experience. Sincerely, the best bread I have ever enjoyed.
The wine was («meh» at best) and not worth $ 12.95 a glass. The food was good but I can serve that kind of product at home.
My friend and I then start really dissecting the place. Fake plants. Poor décor. Could use some warmth. Paint an accent wall. Take the price tags off the no name bottles. This is a wine bar not a liquor store. Add some holiday décor to the window to warm up the place. The green and red Heineken sign is not holiday décor. Get rid of the bad music. Seriously. Tell me about the wines I have ordered. Act like you know what you are peddling. Invest in the nicotine patch or smoke in the alley or the local dive bar down the way. Wines are to be enjoyed in a soothing atmosphere. Not some mish mosh.
I honestly want to help this owner but after reading other experiences on Unilocal it is obvious this owner is unaware of the short comings of this business. So much potential. So many missed opportunities. Sunnyvale does not have much and every business needs to excel. This looks like something that was a hobby gone awry and no real care or attention is given. Maybe a write off? I will say, flat out, it was certainly NOT a $ 75 holiday experience. Paul and Harvey looks like a step up from this joint. And that is saying something. (No knock on P&H, it’s a dive bar but it does have better ambiance than this establishment!)
Final Summary of Helpful Tips to Owner:
1. Cleanliness doesn’t a thing.
2. A lick of paint goes a long way. (Heck, a gallon of paint costs as much as your glasses of wine)
3. f it’s the holidays… play some carols, put Bing and Danny on the TV, be bright, be merry.
4. Stop smoking in the back.
5. Bake that homemade bread all day long.
6. Upgrade your crackers.
7. Lower the price of the wine per glass for goodness sake.
8. Interact with the customer: It’s a small space.
9. Be neighborly.
10. Get rid of the weird mechanical bird that makes chirping noises when motion is detected.
And why the heck is it named Bradon’s!!!
I really had a lot of hope going here. It just became a laugh for us… until we got the bill.

I came here on a Saturday night with my friends originally planning to get in Pure right across the street. The club didn’t allow us entry until 10PM so we all decided to get a bit of alcohol before the party started. While looking around the bars nearby, some guy in very casual attire walked up to us and asked us if we wanted some wine. I wasn’t sure if he actually worked at the wine bar or was just being strange with a group of girls. But we decided to sit down and each ordered an overpriced glass of Chardonnay. I’m not much of a wine person so it would have been pretty hard to gulp it down without a bowl of saltine crackers. Luckily the waiter was nice enough to offer us more crackers. Brandon’s was a pretty decent wine bar, but I definitely wouldn’t come back here next time because it’s such a ripoff. You’re better off purchasing alcohol at the Target or 7 – 11 nearby.

I agree with Richard below. The place was empty which is always a bad sign. The guy behind the bar seemed to think that a good wine is judged on how heavy the bottle it comes is was! He charged me over $ 17.00 for a glass of Zinfandel which was mediocre at best! The wine selection was very poor. Our friend requested a wine from the tasting list that they did not have available. The shelves were not well stocked. I cannot understand how they can be in business when there are so many good restaurants on the street all with better wine lists! In my humble opinion it is a place to avoid in the future.

Worst. Wine bar. Ever.
I can’t understand how this place stays in business in the middle of a thriving one-​block downtown scene. On a Saturday night, this place was empty. Why? The worst wine list EVER. Hideously overpriced, underqualified Zinfandels (seriously — $ 16.95 for a glass of Zin that no one has ever heard of? No tasting menu. Just a crappy list of crappy wines by the glass. A cab, a Merlot, two Zins and a red blend that he was out of and could not find. Poor selection of wines on the wall, looking like he hadn’t refreshed his collection since he’d opened! Disorganized, dirty and not worth visiting. Terrible place in every way possible, including crappy music and mindless stuff on the TV. He must have inherited money, because I otherwise cannot see how he can stay open, amidst stiff competition. Give this place a miss and tell your friends.

In short: Subpar
Dark, dirty and over-​priced; Brandon’s could use a make-​over. The place would kill at hour hour if there were more than one person staffing the joint, there was a lower-​priced wine selection, and if the seating was not so odd. I love dives, but this was no dive due to price.

This place isn’t bad. It’s a bit of a whole in the wall with three tables and maybe four seats at the counter.
Their wine selection is decent and the prices are a tad high. However, I did appreciate that it was quiet and intimate. The décor needs work. The two who were working that night (quite possibly, the woman is the owner) was kind and attentive.
If you’re in Downtown Sunnyvale and are interested in a glass of a wine in a quiet establishment, I suggest this place.

I hate to give one star to anyone, I really do. First off, neither me nor my friend could find a wine we actually wanted to order. We try the sparkling rose «featured» and it was sparking white zin. Okay… let’s try something else. How ’bout the Riesling Sparking (seriously, this is how bad the selection is… I was settling for sparkling riesling) — It was Asti spimanti (you can’t make this _​_​t up! My friend gets a Sauv Blanc… harmless right? It was warm and had white flecks floating in it! The décor (if you could call it that) was trying to be shabby chic I think. But it was just Beat! Oh and I forgot the best part — we were served some of those Keebler Club crackers in a bar glass with napkins from the grocery store — you know, the kind with the blue flowers printed on them — like 100 per pack for $.50 — sawwweeeet! Classy!!! Lastly, my Asti was $ 13.00/glass — ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!

When I walk into this wine bar I was automatically turned off by a big dog sitting on some lady’s lap at the bar. Don’t get me wrong I do not dislike dogs by any means. It’s just that I prefer to enjoy a nice glass of wine without having to worry about someone’s dog shaking its fur (I don’t care how clean your dog is.) dust/​dirt are going to fly everywhere, and I can just picture them flying into my glass. Gross! Leave the dog outside next time. Not so quickly to judge, we ordered a bottle of wine and opt for a table away from the bar. The dark mahogany table was dirty. I wipe the surface of the table and was disgusted at how black it was with dirt and grimes! This is a no-​no for me. I expect more from this place especially with the $$ they charge for their wine. I don’t think I will not be back to this joint.

This place could easily be so much better. We sat at one of the barren outside tables, which I feared might fall. The lady was nice and very attentive. We each purchased a glass of the most expensive red offering, which was the only wine unknown to us. The wine was tasty enough but the wine glasses had huge rims that will keep me from ever returning. As new residents, we wanted to love this place…

Nice little Wine bar in downtown Sunnyvale. It’s a good people watching spot, since it’s on a busy street. The owner was nice and seated us right away outside upon arrival. My fiancé and I ordered the house special, which was a mundane Merlot.
We were disappointed about the food menu. We ask for cheese, which was advertised, but they did not have anymore. We then ask for crackers which was also on the menu and they didn’t have it.
Overall, the experience was pleasant because of the outdoor seating and hospitality. They need to improve their food menu and deliver on it.

I first spotted this place quite a while ago, and have always wanted to try it. Once we stopped by around dinner time to find it inexplicably closed during business hours, making it hard to try it.
I finally went with a friend, and it was empty except for on person chatting with what I assume is the owner. The place smelled like cigarette smoke, which is as big a no-​no as potpourri or scented candles, but more disgusting. I thought it would be rude to just walk out, so we bellied up to the bar. Big mistake. The wines were overpriced and uninteresting. I don’t recall seeing any flights like you would usually see in a wine bar. The kitchen area was unkempt, with mostly-​empty wine glasses just sitting there. The wine glasses themselves looked like they were picked up at a garage sale — all mismatched and not what you’d typically serve wine in.
Once served, we were pretty much ignored as the two women chatted. …and then they went outside for a cigarette. Whatever airflow there was in the place just drew the smoke in the door, making the experience that much worse. We finished our wine and waited and waited, finally having to go outside and retrieve her in order to pay our bill.
Uninteresting wines, poor service, unkempt (the chandelier hasn’t been dusted in years, from the looks of it), and worst of all, smoky. Not what I look for in a wine tasting experience. I’m amazed this place stays in business. I won’t be going back.

I really like this place. If I ever happen to be in Sunnyvale after dinner, this is where I would go for some good wine and conversations.
The place is small and has charming trinkets and things everywhere. The server/​owner was very pleasant and attentive. Wine selection was good. $ 6.50 for their special of the day.
This place would be ideal to wind down after a long day at work. Not really a place to meet people as this place seats about 10, tops.
Come with friends or for a casual date place.

This is one of those quaint little neighborhood spots. Very small with just a few seats inside, but more room on the sidewalk patio outside. There was a REALLY good blues player inside which is what made us really take note of the place. The one-​woman-​show made the wait for service a bit longer than I’m sure most people would care for. But when you’re just there for some good conversation time with friends, it’s not a big deal.
Wine selection was varied enough to satisfy most tastes. It was obvious that there were popular selection because quite a few were sold out, or not available as a whole bottle selection. We asked for a good alternate recommendation and were very pleased with the choice. Now what goes great with wine? A cheese, cracker or bread, and fruit plate would be most peoples answer. Here is where the opportunity for improvement lies.
I ordered the larger of the two selections on the menu – diner plate size I was told. And indeed there was a nice size plate brought to the table. But what was presented on the plate was the puzzling part. There was the usual suspects – a wedge of Brie, cubed selections of Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, a small herbed wheel of Goat Cheese and a nice mound of crumbled Gorgonzola. Sprinkled though-​out were fresh blueberries, mini grapes and mini cherry tomatoes; they were all appropriate accompaniments. Except for the crackers. The crackers were the small thumbnail sized snack variety. How am I suppose to enjoy the Goat Cheese or Brie on a tiny, tiny snack cracker. The bread was missing so after a while I had to ask for that. A short wait later we were presented a plate of sliced halved hamburger buns. Seriously? Hamburger buns?
My point to all this would be to reference that old saying of «If you can’t do it right, don’t do it at all.» The owner was more than pleasant and accommodating, but I would have given I higher rating if she would have been more forthright and said that they were out of this menu item rather than try to make due with what was (or really wasn’t) available.

As I type this, 2 of the other 3 reviews are from 2 years ago, so let’s bring it up to date a bit.
First of all, Susan, the owner of this establishment, is a very very very nice person and while she is pleasant to talk to, don’t think she’s not if you’re already having your own private conversation off in the corner. She’s friendly with other business owners on the street so you can often catch her across the street at Fibbar Magees or Via Sol, among other places.
I myself am not a big wine fan, more into the beer. In fact, that’s why I’m not giving that 5^th star, because I’m a total beer snob! But aside from that, it is a wine-​oriented establishment with a few different kinds of beers and some eats so that’s the only fault there. You’re having some wine…
The wine selection to me seems fine. Remember, I’m a beer drinker, so when I have tasted some wines, Susan has made some thoughtful suggestions that have been spot on. Why, just today at the Farmer’s Market, we grabbed a crêpe and wandered over to Susan’s place where she let us grab a table to eat our find. That lead to two glasses of a nice white wine that she suggested and it went with the food splendidly. We finished off with some pretzels and people-​watching and a little conversation with Susan here and there between the passers by.
Bottom line, Brandon Wines is a cute little shop with a nice, friendly owner and if you’re in Sunnyvale you won’t do badly to stop in and take a taste. Oh, by the way, Susan is more than happy to have you bring something from one of the other restaurants on the street (or wherever), sit yourself down and try some wine with whatever you have. She also has corkage arrangements with many of the places on the street. Go check it out, tell her Dan sent you…

Funny that I give it a 3, as that has me splitting the votes of the other 2 reviews here thus far. When you think wine bars these days, you think of polished and trendy. Yet this is an eclectic little place that reminds you of visiting your aunt in her living room. It’s quiet and super small: only a few stools at the bar. I was surprised to hear that it’s been open for 3 years, as I just noticed it this past year.
They don’t have too many wine selections but I found them to be more unique wineries that were represented. It was fun to try something different and I like how they change the selections often.
Since we were the only ones in the place, I expected a bit more friendly interaction and wine discussion with the owner, but that may have been cause we seemed wrapped up in our own conversations.
There are a few wine and wine-​related items for sale and they also serve some beer if you go with someone who’s not into wine. They also have a surprisingly sizable menu for a place this small: everything from cheese to burgers to pulled pork sandwiches. We were off to dinner so I didn’t try any of the items, though.
Downtown Sunnyvale doesn’t have too much to speak of but if you’re in the area, this is a place you can stop by for a mellow glass of wine in a non-​pretentious atmosphere. I’ve always been here in the afternoons so I’m not sure what it’s like at night.

The proprietress is a very nice woman but there needs to be some major changes here.
The wine selection is not very interesting, first of all… Full of stuff that you could find anywhere, and probably for a tad less money. I’d like to see more unique wines from a boutique style shop like this.
Secondly, she needs to quit smoking or something because she clearly cannot smell the overpowering potpourri scent that permeates the place. (I know she smokes because when we walked up she was out front smoking with a patron/​friend.) And this, coming from an ex-​smoker who doesn’t mind if you all smoke.
I love perfume, scented candles and all that jazz… but I *don’t* wear it to taste wine. It totally defeats the purpose.
When we were there the whole place reeked of headache inducing lavender/​floral stuff (possibly from the gift baskets she has for sale? I don’t know.) so when we ordered a flight to try I could never get past that. Unless that changes, I won’t be back.
She was nice, so I really want to like her and I give her an «A» for effort… but honestly I would go elsewhere unless I was stuck in Sunnyvale and late for a nearby dinner or something.
Good on her for filling a niche in Sunnyvale but please… at the very least ditch the potpourri.