WineStyles

We were sad to see this place go. We really enjoyed the wines we got from here. I hope someday to see its reincarnation in downtown WC.

Gayle and I stopped by last Sunday on the way back from the Walnut Creek Farmer’s Market. The groupings at WineStyles is clever and there is a nice selection of very good wine under $ 20. They also have a cool little gadget that chills your wine in minutes before you leave. We were pleased with our choices.
Yet there’s something about this place that did not resonate with me. I personally found the space to be a little dark and thought that this particular wine cellar motif was a bit too kitchy for me.
Most importantly, there was a noticeable lack of engagement that I usually find in wine shops like Farmstead, Vintage Berkeley, Solano Cellars, or Kermit Lynch. Most of the time when I enter a wine shop, staff are usually so enthused about their wares, that they easily suck you into an informative and fun conversation. And before you know it, you’ve bought more bottles than you intended and have pairing ideas for the next week’s worth of meals and/​or social events. Not today.
Although the person at the counter was friendly and answered questions as posed, it was a pretty standard pick and pay experience. In addition, their electronic payment system wouldn’t work. After several minutes of trial and error, I remembered that I had a check in my wallet (for the occasional times when the digital revolution derails). Otherwise, we would have either walked down to the nearest ATM or bought our wine somewhere else.
I’ll try to come back on a better day…

My husband and I found WineStyles while walking the dog (there is a pet shop next door). We check it out and thought it was a neat place. At first impression, I thought it might just be another average wine and wine accessory shop. But, after talking with the person in the store and seeing how they organized/​sold the products, I was pretty impressed.
Most importantly, all the wines are less than $ 20 (with the exception of the «if you insist» section). They group the wine by type, and use words like «crisp» and «mellow» and «rich» to label everything. When you’re just looking for a wine that fits your mood, it’s a really great way to shop. I also appreciate the free chilling. It’s nice to take a bottle home and have to cool enough to serve with dinner an hour later.
In the customer service area this place definitely gets an A! We are always greeted nicely, and even allow our dog to wait inside by the door. Often he becomes to life of the party for those tasting.
Speaking of tasting, I went to my first one last night and had a good time. Unfortunately, the one star I took away is due to this experience. While I had fun and enjoyed the wines I tried, I wished it was a bit more organized. Nobody really talked about the wines, so I was often left feeling unsure about what I was enjoying. I will say that for $ 10, I walked out with a pretty good buzz. A fun alternative for happy hour.

This store is fantastic! My boss, knowing that I am a big red wine drinker, got me a gift card to this place and I was so glad she did. The folks who run the store are very friendly and one of the guys working there is training to be a master sommelier (read: he knows wine a lot better than 99% of people you will meet). With my gift card I was able to pick up two very reasonably priced bottles of wine (a vin gris pinot and a pinot noir) for a little over $ 25. Most of their wines fall into this price range (with the exception of some «fancier» stuff in the back), and are arranged by character not type of grape, which makes looking through them very easy and enjoyable if you’re planning a nice dinner. They also have frequent if not daily wine tastings and with their knowledge of wines it’s a very fun experience.

Winestyles is focused on offering a good selection of wines for under $ 20 a bottle. They have a unique way of categorizing their wine: Crisp, Silky, Rich, Bubbly, Fruity, Mellow, Bold and Nectar. They have a pretty fun selection of wines and offerings you typically won’t find in your local grocery store or even big-​chain liquor stores. If you have never checked them out, it is certainly worth a shot! You never know what you will find, and it is a great place to go for a not-​too-​expensive bottle of juice for home or as a gift for friends and family. Cheers!