Doc’s Wine Shop

Great shop, reasonably priced. I appreciate the complimentary tasting with no commitment. Doc is fairly knowledgable as other reviewers have mentioned. Thank you for the pairing recommendations. Looking forward to my next purchases.

Darren is very knowledgable and engages customers at their level. Whether you’re a wine newbie or oenophile, he can describe the wine in a way that the customer can understand and appreciate.

Our company was celebrating and decided last minute to get Champagne. This facility is well located, and a diamond among the rough in Hayward. The interior is well designed, maintained and appropriately climate controlled. There is a romantic tasting counter in the rear that’s very inviting. Darren exudes professional strength softened by a welcoming comfort and industry intellect. His dog companion is well aware of his role in the business and clearly understands who is a threat and who isnt. His bark acts like a sonic test to the nature of any soul who enters. You’ll find he is clean, well mannered and well loved.
The Champagne itself was well priced and lived up to the experience Darren claimed. I trust his judgement.
~Heidi

Went looking for Italian wines and almost didn’t get my husband out of the shop. Lovely start with a taste of their pour of the day and a friendly welcome. Very impressed with the variety of Italian and French wines and some new and different California ones. Very knowledgeable and sharing with information on the wine and suggested pairings. This will become a regular for us. They post the wine they are tasting on Facebook… on to like them on Facebook!

We stopped in about a month ago, & we delighted by what we found! The selection is amazing & varied. Both Doc, & he is a real Doc as he knew about the very guy that is going to replace my knee, & his staff are very knowledgable & friendly. We picked up a Dry Rose, which we are big fans of, & a very tasty reasonable priced Zinfandel. We were delighted too by the days tasting. This is a very nice man, who really knows his wines. There was a delightful article about Hayward, Doc Wine Shop was featured in last weeks Sunday Chronicle. looking forward to the «Passeio do Vinho Wine Stroll, on July 18^th, wine tour & walk, which Doc will be participating. Wine, music, Portuguese Fad art & food. What not to like!

Everyone has that friend. You know, the one who is well travelled and knows way more about wine than you do. You feel somewhat inadequate but you don’t mind because your friend brings really good wines to your parties and helps you find good deals when you are looking to buy a bottle. If you don’t actually have that friend, you do now. The guy at Doc’s wine shop can tell you everything about the soil conditions of an unpronounceable region on the French-​German border. He tells you this while pouring a taste of one of his favorites of the day.
Bottom line, Doc’s Wine Shop brings a spark to this downtown district that’s on the rise. Definitely a good alternative to the standard fare in the grocery store wine aisle.

I saw this place as I was parking across the street and then went on Unilocal to see the rating it received. Seeing that is was a five star establishment, I walked across the busy Foothill Blvd. and B Street intersection. As I approached the door I seen that they were just minutes from closing so I rushed in.
As I walked in with my girlfriend, we were welcomed in by Darren and he came over to talk with us, never once mentioned that he was close to closing. In fact, he offered us a free tasting of wine! We took it. Lol
Darren offers this to all that walks in and is of drinking age. It is a preselected wine that is served throughout the day. What I liked most is that there is no pressure at all to buy anything. It is just good vibes all around.
From there, we walked over to the wines and talked about what we were there for. Although, the shop didn’t carry exactly what we were looking for, the suggestions and recommendations where very helpful. After, a few moments the gf and I decided on what we were gonna get.
At check out, the shop takes down some info so if you had forgotten what you picked up on your previous visit it is there. It is not a required part of checking out, but it is helpful for when you return. You will return. I definitely will be back soon!

I have no idea how I ended up here one night with my boyfriend. We were heading downtown Hayward to bar hop on a Friday night and happen to park across the street and I looked over and saw Docs! I been looking for a specific Moscato so my boyfriend suggested we check it out and see if it was carried. It wasn’t but since we were in there we looked around. Darren the owner was so welcoming and friendly. He asked if we wanted to do a wine tasting and even though I am not a wine person I gave it a tried. No obligations to buy if you come in for a wine tasting, but the prices are affordable. They have a nice selection and bottles ranging from different prices. I have no knowledge of wines I just drink it. My thing is wine is too tart for my palate so I always get the sweet stuff. Darren has a lot of knowledge and he recommended some sweeter wines for me. We bought a bottle and I cannot wait to try it. Come support a local shop than BEVMO lol. I hope I don’t become a wino!

This place is awesome!!! A friend and I were n the area, we stopped by here just to check it out. The owner was very knowledgable and personable.
He poured us two tasting (they give tasting everyday:):))))), the setting inside is very, cute puppy and inviting!!!
Overall, really nice place I will definitely be going back and we both bought a bottle!!!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Finally made a trip to this place! Awesome that downtown Hayward has a place like Doc’s!
Free daily tastings!
Darren is a certified sommelier — fantastic conversations, super knowledgeable.

I dropped in to get a bottle of wine that I can’t find at main grocery chains, and I was more than impressed. The space is inviting with a tasting bar at the back (it reminded me a bit of some of the wine shops in Sonoma). The owner was attentive and even offered me a tasting while I shopped. I couldn’t spend as much time there as I would have liked, but I intend to go back: the place warrants a return visit. Doc’s Wine Shop is filling a niche in the local (and even wider than local) market in its extensive selection, well-​curated wines (at a range of budgets), knowledge (the owner is a sommelier), and overall experience for the buyer. Definitely worth checking out, and not just for Hayward folks. We need to support this place!
(Suggestion: please carry a five-​year old aged Gouda!)

I could go in here and listen to there stories of each bottle for days ! Very good convo and better red wine L O V E!

The wine shop really revamps Hayward. I LOVE this place, I completely feel like I’m hanging out in Burlingame when I’m in here. The place is affordable and very classy. Darren is so knowledgeable about wine. You will not find many California wines here, he carries mostly European wines. Did you know that European wines have less sugar = less calories: o) yup i love that part. Darren has taught me so much about European wines and how to pair them and even how to pour them.
Darren pours different wines everyday, come in for a taste and check out this awesome place!

Luv this wine shop & Doc! You absolutely have to try the Belgium beer! Truly amazing !! Great addition to the neighborhood!

Went there for a fundraiser thing a friend was doing and it was really fun to taste the different things they were pouring and see what different people liked and tasted. I really liked the guy running the shop, he was super friendly and had a lot to say and teach about wine. Tasted a bottle of wine I know my wife will love and one I really really liked. He also has Belgian ales which I want to try sometime. Definitely will go back to have him help choose wine for a nice dinner instead of trying to figure it out myself walking up and down the aisle at the store. Prices seemed OK, but I’m not an expert here. Bought 5 bottles of wine.

Great affordable wine! Friendly customer service, free wine tasting and a great selection of European wines. Definitely will come back again!

My sisters and I noticed Doc’s Wine Shop while walking around B St. I didn’t know what to expect, but when we walked in, the owner and his uncle were really friendly. Both were knowledgable and gave great recommendations. From what I saw, they carry mostly European wines and beers (they have cheeses too).
Very affordable — most bottles were under $ 20. Worth the visit! Love that its local and so close. My family and I will definitely be back. :)

Another shop that revamps Hayward.
Strolled in with my boyfriend on a sunny day and had a great, personalized experience. Darren welcomed us in and closed the shop doors behind us to engage us in a customized visit. I admittedly still have a lot to learn about wine, so he had us try a few very different ones in between handfuls of almonds, and we all had a nice conversation for a while. We left with a red wine for our friend for her birthday and a white wine for ourselves.
What really struck me about this place was that there is something for everyone. He carries wines from ten dollars into the hundreds. We clearly weren’t going to splurge on expensive wines while we are still educating ourselves and figuring out what we like, and he wasn’t pushy at all. We walked out with two moderately priced wines, a better understanding of the product, and the enthusiasm to come back and try more!

Cute little shop in downtown Hayward and Darren definitely knows his wine.
He’s very helpful when it comes to choosing a specific wine for a special occasion. So far, bought 2 Ports and another red (merlot? boo picked it.) Ports were excellent and at a good price. He also sells a few cheeses (wish he had more… some smoked salmon/​salami would be good too!) He does carry a few import beers, which I wanna try soon.
BIG PLUS FOR FREE WINE SAMPLES :) I’ll be back when the wine stash in low

Doc’s Wine Shop brings to mind the phrase «what’s up doc?» or whatsup Darren?
definitely no quackery. Darren is a certified sommelier thru F.C.I.
he sells only what his palate likes. his philosophy is drinking what doesn’t sell. seem sober when i met him but quite talkative. (is this a sign?)
inventory includes selected belgium brews and european/​latin american wines. of varying price points.
pour: periguita, portugal 2009(13.34)
–complex red wine, more cab than merlot, definitely a blend
–argentine torrontes 2011,(11.03)
complex, fruitty, sweet, white grape wine
–thought this was a rediscovered varietal. nope, just another blend.
went for this instead of pricier german reisling
off the shelf:
–wines definitely mostly blends, not single varietals
–taste buds challenged by new taste parameters.
–wines here not for traditionalists, wine purists.
–hard to choose wines, doc can recomend same based on foods to be paired.
–not sure how pricing matches up with other distributors.
–pretty of parking in front.