California Wine & Cheese

Was a nice little local place for wine tasting. Was a bit pricey for what you get but oh well, one can splurg once in a while. Unfotunatley, I drove by last night and looks like this place is closed permenantly. Hopefully someone else takes the space and opens something nice. Easy come, easy go. Cheers!

Great wine bar in Newport Beach! Awesome service and fabulous environment for having a couple glasses before heading to dinner. The staff is very knowledgable and the wine bar has an amazing selection of CA wines that aren’t sold anywhere else in SoCal. You can choose your own music too!

I wish I could give no stars! Shady, overpriced and ridiculous service. Highly doubt all they’re serving is wine behind doors because this place will not get more business from any one person more than a single visit. Corkage fees apply for opening your wine… in a wine bar! Cheese plates with two cheese square a few rolled pieces of meat, few almonds and little piece of chocolate…$ 25.
When I arrived owner and women sitting in chairs watching TV, no music, a moment to situate and not one other soul. He mentioned I was the second customer in 4 hours… I guess that’s why my $ 26 bottle of wine, corkage fee and sorry cheese plate costed & $ 67. Very shady character and poor service. Don’t go! And if u do I wouldn’t be surprised if you got caught in a raid for whatever this so called wine shop with minimal selection serves.

We used a «Groupon» that got us wine tasting for two and a petite cheese and cracker tray. I just like white wines and my wife just likes reds. None of the four wines that he poured me were very good and my wife had a similar experience with her reds. And the guy pouring (I’m guessing he was one of the owners) really liked to hear himself talk! He was originally from Ukraine, and he had the front door open to a busy PCH (they’re located about ½ mile from a hospital). So during the 45 minutes we were there, numerous ambulances would drive by with their sirens going full blast. And every time this happened, he would say «Jesus Christ» in a heavy accent! Now, we’re not religious people so it didn’t offend us, but we found it very unprofessional.

I work next to California Wine & Cheese and really wanted to find a good place for work happy hour. I visited last week with my co workers and we completely were swindled. A wine tasting for 3 and a small cheese plate (which really wasn’t anything to write home about) came to be $ 130. The wine tasting equated to about a single glass of wine. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. The owner belittled us about wine etiquette, and honestly the wine was just «ok».

Came here on burlesque night… And left immediately; not what we were looking for…

I bought a voucher for two for $ 39 on Travel Zoo. I thought the $ 120 value sounded great. However, this was in NO way a $ 120 deal — in fact, I wouldn’t say it was even a $ 39 deal. The pours were maybe an ounce each — if that. Four pours each and barely four ounces for $ 19.50 each. I don’t care for goat or brie cheese, those were the two cheeses served with crackers. Alec, the owner, was very knowledgeable about the wine and that was impressive. He took a little while to warm up to us but we were the only two in the room so he stayed and educated us about wine, as we are novices. He turned on the music and it was loud and not at all soothing. You might expect jazz to be paired with wine tasting. The location is right in front of PCH and the door to the place was open and on a Friday the rush hour traffic was loud. We each purchased a bottle of wine that we tasted for around $ 15 a piece. Not sure if parking would’ve been validated, that was $ 5. So, I don’t know how this «deal» was valued at $ 120. I wouldn’t go back — not enough bang for my buck.

What a gem in Newport Beach. Great wine selection and Alex is an awesome host. My lady and I had such a great time. Thank you Alex

Place felt a bit too unprofessional. The guy was answering phone calls, and texting throughout the tasting but he did apologize. This place has an elderly feel to it. Don’t ask the guy his ethnicity!

An over supply of anything typically means that you can get great quality at reasonable prices. Alex is a wine genius! He has a great selection of reasonably priced amazing wines. You should visit Alex and enjoy the great wine and cheese pairing that awaits you.

This place is amazing to true wine and cheese connoisseur. Great selection at a very reasonable price. Check it out for yourself you wont be disappointed.

Albert & Dad were super friendly and accommodating, poured wonderful wines for us on our groupon deal. They’ve been open for under a year and it looks like a promising venture– they’re philosophy is offering all CA wines at affordable prices. I like that :)
The pluses: great selection of wine for reasonable prices; generous pours (ab 2 – 3 oz); clean and modern décor; nice staff; free parking.
The could’ve been betters: the amount of cheese served was too small to share and enjoy (two tiny wedges of cheese with equally tiny sized crackers, weird. Looked like the kind you put in clam chowder. Awkward to spread cheese on those, we just scooped them instead); the full glasses of wine were almost as expensive as the full bottle. I think I was charged $ 12 for a full glass when the bottle cost about $ 23.
Ultimately it was my fault for not asking how much a glass of wine was, but I thought maybe they should have mentioned that buying a full bottle to enjoy there would have been MUCH more economical since their wines by the glass are pricey. The bf & I shared 3 glasses of wine and bought 3 bottles, so we weren’t trying to be cheap, clueless grouponers; just think they could’ve done a better job with that.
Nonetheless it was a pretty decent groupon experience and whenever I’m in the area, I will return!

I had time to kill before my visit to the salon next door and boy was I pleased! Right away, Albert greeted me and was very knowledgeable about all of the wine. He did an amazing job at choosing a wine that fit my pallet!
Always ask if there’s a happy hour!!!
I finished my appointment next door and came back after and enjoyed more wine and cheese. Albert definitely knows his cheese! We tried so many different cheeses not on their menu.
It was such an amazing experience and I will definitely become a regular!

I purchased a grouon for a tasting for two. I’m always weary of spending a lot of money at places that I’m not familiar with so this groupon offered a great value. I have never Unilocaled about a place before and we actually just returned home from our visit, and couldn’t wait to spread the awesome news about a newer business.
One of the owner’s, Albert, was the one tending to us and was extremely nice and knowledgeable. Even gave us a tasting or two that was off the «groupon» menu because he preferred a particular wine more. Aside from the groupon, the wine menu is very reasonably priced for what you get. There wasn’t a wine I disliked and Albert’s description of each wine’s notes were on point. Brie and Goat cheeses offered were very tasty. There is also a larger selection of cheese offered.
The décor is very tasteful and classy. It’s small but quaint. Perfect place for date night or a small friendly gathering. We will definitely be back!

We went here as a small group last week with a groupon. The owner was very friendly when taking the reservation and had no problem with the groupon, but the server was initially very annoyed with us for using groupons and was pretty verbal about it. He was grumpy throughout his service and did little to explain any of the wines to us (isn’t that part of the fun when you go wine tasting?). I could understand if the place was hopping but it was a quiet afternoon and we were pretty much the only people there.
Oh well — the cheese and crackers were good and the wine was even better. =)
Having a problem finding parking? Park around the corner in the garage — they will validate.

I would definitely come back to hear. My girlfriend and I got the groupon deal for a tasting for two to celebrate her birthday with a girl’s night out. Albert, one of the owners, was very friendly and accommodating and even provided some off the menu wines since it was her birthday. The cheese was delicious although the crackers seemed pretty cheap (although I’m not a wine expert or anything so I could be mistaken).
The pours were a very good size and the wines were delicious (again though, I’m no expert and relatively easy to please). We ordered a wine and cheese platter on top of the one they provide (since the other ones include prosciutto as well) and he brought it out with a birthday candle in one of the cheeses! My friend absolutely loved it.
Overall, the service was AMAZING (very friendly) and the products were to our liking :) definitely a good groupon deal and a definite recommend :)

I also purchased the Groupon for a tasting for two, because the guy I’m dating loves wine but hasn’t had the opportunity to go wine tasting yet. Being that wine was the first alcohol I acquired a taste for several years ago when I turned 21, I felt it was my duty and privilege to organize a formal introduction ;)
there were several things I liked:
The first being that the the pours were enough to share our tastings. I feel like sharing your tasting (especially if you go with only one other person) is important because it makes it a both an excellent conversation piece, and a unique bonding experience. Come on, I’m not gonna let someone I don’t already know really well, or I’m not interested in getting to know lots better, put their grubby hands on my glass and sip some my precious wine. It’s a very vulnerable experience. I can’t be expected to share something so special! ;)
The cheese we got was delicious! We both thought it paired well with the white wines we tried. I think it was a double cream cheese served in a brie fashion or something. I like both cream cheese and brie so I dove right in and was very pleased by the taste, texture, and how approachable it was (not being too overbearing).
The live music (a quartet I believe) was excellent. It was lively and interesting, but not overwhelming. However, we happened to be there on their grand reopening night, so I don’t know if it’s a regular thing for them to have live music.
Parking is free in the evenings. Woo!
And I could tell that the guy helping us, Albert, wanted to make our experience comfortable. There weren’t seats at the bar, so we sat at a table. Once the bar opened up though, he immediately came over and offered to help us move our things if we were interested in tasting there instead. We were obliged, and the bar had purse hooks! Win.
He also let us sit there for quite sometime as we had our 16, 2oz. pours. That Groupon rocked! I’m not a lightweight, but yeah, I had to pace myself a little. It was really nice that they didn’t push us out or act like we were on a time crunch. I love a great conversation over wine – yes occasionally I have ulterior motives. Don’t judge me.
–My thoughts on the experience on the whole? Sure, it was good. The ambiance wasn’t anything special. I did like that all the wines were from California, so it was a nice educational experience.
Being that we shared our pours, we did all of the «Warming Up» flight as well as the «Life’s Good» flight. I don’t normally care for Chardonnays but they had two on their lists that I personally enjoyed, and a couple of wines I hadn’t tried before, so definite kudos.
For the later pours Albert stopped explaining the character of the wines. I actually asked him when he missed it the second time, but being that the time after that he didn’t give us details, I decided we’d just figure it out ourselves. I suppose that’s why you do tastings? That brought my opinion down a little because the education is one of my favorite parts about going wine tasting, but otherwise, there wasn’t much to complain about. Some of the wines weren’t my favorite, but all were fun to try. There was lots of variety, so we had a lot of fun discussing notes we liked and wines we didn’t, and learned some new things too.
We had a good time. I wasn’t wow-​ed, but I’m not hatin’ either. I’d definitely go back if they did another Groupon.

I’ve been to quite a bit of wine tastings now, but never one that left me in such a bad mood.
I bought a groupon for my boyfriend and me after reading the great reviews here and calling them up to inquire about the logistics of the the voucher. They recommended that we make a reservation, so we did, but because of traffic delays, I called them to let them know that we’d be late.
When I got there, there was only 1 other lady there, who was about to leave. According to the other reviewers, a father-​son duo runs this place. The father was mostly in the back room, and the son was doing the pouring, etc. He didn’t even greet us when we walked in, and instead only focused on the other customer. We couldn’t quite figure out if we had parked in the right place, so when we inquired about that, he gave us a really flippant answer. We tried to clarify if they validated or if we should move the car somewhere else, and he treated us like we were stupid parasites– unworthy of his time and too dumb to be bothered with.
Then we got seated and looked at the menu. There are 4 cheese options, and I had some questions about them, but he refused to answer any of our questions, just pointing to the menu and saying, «It’s exactly what’s written.»
Added to that, the wine menu he gave us was very limited. I checked their website before buying the groupon, so I knew that they had more selection, but he claimed that the groupon was only for the «warming up» ($ 20 value) and «life is good» ($ 30) flights. The groupon voucher does not state that anywhere. I asked for a different flight (I like sweet wines) and he refused. Even though the sweet flight is only $ 20 value, he gave me some bullsh*t about how 95% of wine drinkers don’t like sweet so he doesn’t sell it as the groupon and how he would go out of business if he included the sweets as part of the voucher, etc., etc. He gave me such a hard time that at that point, I was ready to walk out and not use the voucher at all. I guess he noticed because he grudgingly relented and decided to give us the flight after all.
He was so rude the whole time that we were there. He basically didn’t talk to us at all, even when he was pouring the wines. He wouldn’t tell us what he was pouring next unless we asked, and when we tried to ask more about the wines, he shut us down and looked at us like we were asking dumb questions and didn’t deserve to be in his presence. Horrible customer service. Scratch that– no customer service.
He made our whole experience beyond crappy. The wines are meh– they’re probably better than your liquor store picks, but I’ve had much better at every other tasting I’ve been to (and I’ve been to quite a few).
Oh, and we ran out of crackers towards the end. When we asked for like 3 more, his response was, «Well, I’d have to charge you for extras.» Honestly mister, we’re like practically done with our cheese and we just want to finish it off so we don’t waste it. They were just stupid Costco crackers– it doesn’t hurt to take 3 more out.
I go to wine tastings to learn more about the wines. I go to wine bars to drink good wine and have some fun. This experience definitely was not any of this. It left me seething mad. I will be seeking a refund from groupon and I will never visit this awful place ever again.
Maybe it’s because we’re young and we look even younger? We had valid IDs. Was it because we’re Asian and he thinks maybe we’re stingy? He was the one that was nickel-​and-​diming us. Maybe he didn’t think we were «sophisticated» enough? Didn’t know enough about wines? I’ve never trouble with wineries looking down on me for not «knowing» enough. And for goodness sakes, wouldn’t that be why I’d go anyways? To learn more?
Regardless, we were paying customers– we deserved a waaaaayy better experience.

Wine Selection: Excellent Cheese platters: Perfect compliments to great wine
Service: 5 star
This is a new wine lounge in newport beach that I stopped by on my way home from work. I just saw it as I was driving by and decided to stop in for a glass of wine with my wife. The atmosphere is very classy and the service is excellent. The owner really knows his wines and made a great recommendation for a wine that we took home and enjoyed with a nice steak. The owner told me he would be opening the patio area for the summer so I cant wait for that, and live jazz music in the near future so cant beat that. I think we found a place we will be regulars at.
Highly recommended if you are into wine, cant beat the combination of service and style.

Sometimes, after copious amounts of wine and cheese, it is hard to actually review a Wine & Cheese shop. This space, conveniently located next to the Newport Pontoons office, is a great stop after you pontoon. Or, if that is not a word, after you ride a pontoon boat. Which is what me and group of pals did after watching holiday lights in Newport. Bottles were consumed on the boat, then we headed to CW&W for more bottles. And cheese. The guy working there was friendly but kept making bad wine recommendations. The place was empty, but friendly. We also ordered some cheese and crackers, and then more cheese and crackers. A hefty bill ensued and some subpar wine was consumed but all in all this is a very friendly and comfortable spot to imbibe in.