Beltramo’s Wines & Spirits

Wine gets better with age, most of the time, if it’s a well crafted beverage to begin with. It’s not that young wines can’t be great, or that inexperienced drinkers can’t enjoy the fruits of the vine in their late teens and early 20s. Of course they can! If you’ve got $ 15 or $ 20 bucks to spare, you can afford to try great wine, no shiny, new Tesla or six-​figure income required.
But sometimes, even if you have the financial means to do so, finding rare wines of distinction isn’t always that easy. It takes time, patience, and trial-​and-​error work to tease out the nuances of your particular taste, to find those hidden gems, or to broaden the enological environment sufficiently wide to encompass less well known wines, maverick winemakers, and off-​the-​beaten-​path wine growing regions. To reach maturity, it is a lifetime process without predictable direction or foreseeable end.
So, too, with Beltramo’s. Apparently, it has improved with age, or else I have. Either way, it (if not me) deserves a five-​star upgrade for the subtle and sophisticated things this venerable, ivy-​covered wine and spirits store still has to offer.
Sure, there’s the expected good stuff here: single malt Scotch, small-​batch rye whiskey and bourbon, Wine Critic Approved selections from continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, the United States, and Canada. Craft beer in various shapes and sizes, and mead and sake and all the rest.
That’s the fruit-​forward, crowd pleasing stuff you’ll read about in wine magazines and blogs, the wineries with slick web sites and elaborate tasting rooms. But if you dig deeper, you’ll detect the floral and mineral notes that unfold with time, adding complexity to an already appealing package.
Limited production artisan wines from obscure AVAs in California (Lime Kiln Valley, Yorkville Highlands, Madera County, near Yosemite), or made in unlikely locations, like the East Bay urban wine ghettos of Oakland, Alameda, or Berkelely (like Broc Cellars).
European wines from the «other» locations, like Savoie, Burgenland, Val D’Aosta, Slovenia, Alto Adige.
Grape varietals like Mondeuse and Chignin-​Bergeron. Wines made naturally unfined, unfiltered from organically grown grapes. Syrah vineyards perched 2550 feet above sea level in Mendocino County (Halcon Alturas Syrah). Zinfandel from ancient vines planted in limestone-​rich soils in the Gabilan Mountains (Kenneth Volk Enz Vineyard Zinfandel).
And all of these things under $ 20 (the Savoie wines imported by Charles Neal, the Broc Cellars Love White), or under $ 30 (Halcon Syrah, Kenneth Volk Zin).
These are boutique wines, not Costco standbys. They aren’t even all that common in your above average suburban wine shop. And some of them aren’t available at K&L, either.
Sure, there’s more to Beltramo’s than obscure European regions and small-​batch Californian wines made in quantities of 500 cases or less that sell out every year.
Maybe this whole being-​in-​business for a really long time thing actually means something. Maybe it’s not marketing. Maybe it’s a sign of maturity. Proof that age sometimes does bring with it wisdom, and that family-​run, multi-​generational businesses have a kind of genetic-​cultural memory that can indeed be passed on and preserved for future generations.
Does this mean that I’ll stop frequenting Kermit Lynch, or visiting Broc Cellars in person, or cease planning trips to the Cienega Valley for more Cabernet Pfeffer from DeRose, or shipping wine in directly from outstanding places like Navarro Vineyards in the Anderson Valley?
Hardly. But it does mean that Beltramo’s is back in action for me as a wine destination. Somehow, for he past several years, I had managed to write it off as just another has-​been Menlo Park pitstop best avoided. A recent visit changed all that.
Where else in the area are you going to find a Bugey Mondeuse for $ 12.99, or a Kenneth Volk Zinfandel for 20% less than retail (wine club discount, basically)? Or discover a few unsold bottles of Broc Love White (Marsanne/​Roussanne blend) for under $ 20? Why not pick up that Calera Mount Harlan Viognier you’ve been meaning to taste this year? Spring for a bottle of Varner Portola Valley Chardonnay? Or a Jeff Runquist gold-​medal Barbera from Amador County that you’ve been curious about? The list could go on.
Beltramo’s: not your ordinary wines and spirits store. If this is what Menlo Park has to offer, then it’s a sign that there is hope yet for Silicon Valley remaining a place where real people can still shop and call home without the need to «big box» or «BevMo» their way into the world of fine wine. Cheers to that!

I’ve lived on the Peninsula my entire life and came here today for the first time. Can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on. Super helpful and friendly staff — don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations.
I can’t think of anywhere with a better selection. Prices seemed competitive as well. I’ll definitely be back.

First off I just want to say that the selection and prices at this place are fantastic. I typically buy lots of whiskey and beer and sometimes wine, and some of the places that say that they are premier importers don’t have half of the stuff that beltramo’s has.
Beltramo’s prices are fair. Some of the higher end whiskeys and wines other places would add an addition $ 20 to $ 40 to it, but at beltramo’s most of the time you will get the lowest price possible.
The staff most of them are nice and willing to help without making you feel stupid. However I am giving this a 3 star review due to an incident I had with one of the staffers: Dan.
I do not have any experience or knowledge of wines, but I was running errands and wanted to pick up a bottle of red wine for my wife. I asked one of the persons in the wine section that was stationed at a computer for help and he motioned over for Dan to help. I explained to him I don’t have any knowledge of wines and that I wanted to pick up a bottle of red wine and couldn’t remember the type. He retorted back saying he needed more parameters for him to help me. Then I asked him to see what he would recommend for people who don’t know much. He proceeds to point out several bottles, but his tone was definitely annoyed and pestered. I begin to pick up the feeling that he was waiting for me to stop asking him questions so I thanked him and told him if I had anymore questions I would let him know. As he walks away I over heard him mocking me to his coworker saying how stupid my question was.
I still bought the wine. I will still go back to Beltramo’s because other than this one off experience, the store is fantastic. It was just a bit off putting because they are known for their great staff.

Excellent wine and spirits selection. Beer selection needs work. Very polite and knowledgeable staff.

What a wonderful wine store. Staff is friendly and is always willing to help you fine a wine or suggest something new. Huge selection of wines and beers. Saturday wine tastings are fun. Grab a stool, sit and enjoy 8 tastings. I really appreciate how they lay out 8 glasses to sample from. We just did their «Spooky» tastings of 4 whites and 4 reds for $ 8, ridiculous price for 8 tastings. We had so much fun. Then, if you buy 6 bottles from their tasting you get 10% off the purchase price.

After a tip from a fellow beer enthusiast, I decided to check things out. There is so much variety, it can be a little overwhelming for someone like me who wants to try everything!!! Very nice staff who were just attentive enough. Next time I stop in, you may have send in a search party, as I am a master at taking the long way ’round!

This place is GREAT! the staff are the best, very knowledgeable and helpfull, but NOT snobs! love the place! a great
part of Menlo Park history too. but don’t let the neighborhood of the nice looking building scare you, THEY ARE CHEAPER THAN BEV MO!!!

Spectacular selection of spirits and unbeatable prices! What else is there to say? This is where I go for common and hard-​to-​find bourbons and Scotches, and even Glencairn glasses. They have much more in the store than they put up on their website, so make sure you visit the shop.

It has taken almost two years to write this review– I was a long time customer of Beltramo’s prior to the incident two summers ago. I like to support the local shops and tend to stay away from the large chains.
My employer used to spend thousands on liquor and wine for his house parties… as a thank you for hosting one of the parties, he purchased a $ 400 bottle of wine for me (along with many other bottles for his guests).
I was so excited to try it with a group of friends from Napa. Our dinner was hosted by a Vineyard Manager and a Tasting Room Manager. Guests included a Wine Broker, Somm, GM, and Restaurant Owner. I was the only person without a wine background. The moment we opened the bottle, everyone knew it was corked. These things happen… I’ll return the bottle– surely they will be understanding.
Long story short, Beltramo’s was less than gracious when I brought the full bottle back to the store a week later. They claimed they would test it in the back room for traces of TCA (something I later found out is only done properly with a $ 100k machine). They had no proof it was corked and didn’t seem to believe me. The buyer met with me and explained the CA laws forbidding returns (also not true– I’ve returned corked wine to wineries and shops). He also told me the distributor would laugh at him for returning the bottle for refund (1. not my problem and 2. All distributors deal with corked wine regularly).
When I told my wine professional friends about the incident, they were appalled. If I had known more about wine, I could have fought harder for the refund. It’s really too bad I was too naïve to know they were messing with me.
Sufficed to say, the thousands go elsewhere when we have parties these days…

to stock your bar or cellar, it’s hard to beat a trip up El Camino stopping at Beltramo’s then K&L!
Beltramo’s has the most amazing scotch selection I’ve seen outside of Scotland. and their bourbon section rivals anything I’ve seen in Kentucky. Plus a fantastic variety of cognac, armagnac, calvados, tequila, rums, etc. They also have all those hard to find liquors for mixing cocktails, a great gourmet food section, huge selection of bitters, and drink condiments like cherries, olives, etc. a great wine selection too and all the prices are fair. I love this place!

Full service, one stop shopping extravaganza! The selection of wine from over a dozen different countries is amazing. Not only do they carry rare and high end wine, they also have a vast selection of inexpensive wines that taste fantastic.
The liquor and beer floors are awesome. If you love scotch and bourbon, you’ll love this place. They even have a few barrels personal chosen by the staff and bottled specifically for the store. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable in suggesting new items based on previous preferences. Even better, they have beer and sprint tastings on alternating Friday’s. The beer tastings are usually $ 7 – 15 dollars for 6 – 9 beers and the spirits tastings are free and usually a selection of 3 spirits.
Great selection, staff and they even ship out of state! Hard not to love this family owned establishment that has been in business since the 1800’s.

Great wine store.
The equal of K&L.
Their beer and spirits selections are also very diverse.
Fantastic prices to boot.

Having been here a few times, I have to say this place might even be better than K&L! I know … blasphemy! …
But potential true, since apparently K&L also isn’t open on Easter Sundays … came here to grab some bottles for a bottle share and they had a very good selection of large format bottled beers that were already chilled. This was in addition to their excellent selection of non-​chilled bottled beers, they definitely had plenty of microbreweries in stock. They even have a clearance section with $ 1.49 beers some of which are really, really, good!
I also enjoy their regular wine and liquor selection, although this where they might fall a little short. I think K&L definitely has a better whiskey selection overall. Lol @ Eric B’s «if you can’t find it here you shouldn’t be drinking it anyway» … almost!

Good selection of products. Service, if needed, is in abundance. I come regularly for my selection and supply, even though it is a bit far.

TL: DR Great craft beer selection and tastings.
I come here almost every other week because I’m always curious about what’s new at Beltramo’s. The store is absolutely huge and if I don’t keep an eye on my watch I can spend hours just browsing the aisles back and forth contemplating my next purchase. I can usually find some good beers here most of the new Stone releases and lots of the Bruery. The staff is very helpful and they have a beer guy that is really knowledgeable and great at recommending bottles.
They have tastings every other week and it’s great to be able to try new beers. They have a couple of limited bottles that get restricted to 1~2 bottles per customer.
I’m not much of a wine person but an employee was able to help me find the perfect bottle for my dinner party which paired perfectly with our meal and everyone enjoyed.
I would definitely recommend taking a trip to Beltramo’s.

There has been numerous times I been looking for something special and I have always found it here.
Stopped in today and had a nice staff member help me find some IPA for my dad in Alaska, a pretty good selection and even some odd varieties such as lemoncello ipa.
They also have a good selection of bloody Mary mixes, tons of bitters, gift baskets, and good wine!
Love this place

Staff were so knowledgeable and friendly! I initially walked in wanting to buy a bottle of scotch whiskey for a friend for Christmas and I got some great advice and recommendations.
Then I started looking around their gourmet food section and holiday table spread. A very nice woman introduced me to all of their panettone selection — all imported from Italy and beautifully wrapped; would make great holiday gifts for foodies!
So I ended up walking out with a more traditional panettone, a container of Valrhona (French cocoa powder to make hot cocoa during the holidays), and a jar of Nocciolata hazelnut spread (like Nutella but even more delicious, if you can imagine that!). All on top of a bottle of Kilchoman.
Can’t wait to try all these European goodies! So glad I stopped by. What a gem!

The selection is overwhelming. Came in here to buy a birthday gift for my best friend. The sales associate was pretty helpful, suggesting a few of his favorites.
From a great collection of wine, craft beer, spirits, cigars and bar equipment — it was a difficult decision. I settled on a bottle of Johnny Drum private stock bourbon.

This is definitely the place to go if you want to find something interesting, special, rare, etc. The prices reflect the quality, they don’t specialize in two buck chuck but they have a variety of price points for all of their items. I called in yesterday, the 4^th because and afternoon of binge drinking needed moscow mules and ginger beer isn’t so easy to find. We called ahead and they had everything we needed at the counter. I also like coming here during the holidays because they have beautifully wrapped gift baskets and an array of other go-​to gifts.

If you want something, they’ve got it. The wine selection is huge. The spirits selection is huge. Everything about this place is huge.
When looking for spirits, if this place doesn’t have it, no one will. There are so many liqueurs, spirits, bitters, mixers and everything you need for a bar that it will make your head spin.