The Cork Room

One word AMAZING!!! A little hidden gem in the city and I am from LA… We happen to just pass the wine store and saw wine tasting bar… u go upstairs and the ambience is amazing… got the chance to talk with Sam the owner and saw his private selection room where he hostess the rich and famous in particular athletes. Carol is the best hostess she definitely knows the business off wine tasting plus complimentary crakers and cheese to go with your flight…

Classy. Sophisticated. Great selection. Good conversation thanks to Carol the «hot rod wine lady» my post is so old but on sure still relevant. Caught it hanging out in my drafts.

Listen — you can’t go here expecting to taste the most amazing wines of your life. If that is what you want go across/​down the street. This is something else.
This is for when you are out shopping, visiting or meeting up with someone and it is super crowded and packed everywhere else and you want a quiet chill place to sit down and have 3 decent glasses of wine. They are served to you by a super-​nice, sweet wine-​pourer who will talk w/​you as much or as little as you want. She will also give you a little plate of crackers (yuck unless you like lumps of gluten) and cheese and salami (yum). Her pouring skills are generous and skillful. :-) You leave happy and much calmer than when you arrived.
The end.

Don’t let the exterior and down stairs fool you as upstairs is great ambience (other than Star Trek TNG being on TV), great wine, knowledgable server, and great service. Nice little zone of wine sanity in douche bag /​Barbary Coast central. Would come back next time at Union Square.

Hmmm.
Let’s do this…
My expectations.
Reality.
Got it?
Ok…so.we’re heading to a wine tasting room.
My expectations: Wine tasting rooms are kind of boring.
Reality: This one… marble statues overlooking a busy street in tourist town — can’t be that boring.
— — -
This wine tasting room is located by union square.
My expectations: Crackheads and then tourists. In that order.
Reality: Only one weirdo and tourists.
— — –
This wine tasting room is located above a liquor store.
My expectations: WTF?
Reality: WTF.
— — –
It’ll be a gimmick where second tier wines are sold at a markup to tourists.
My expectations: Two buck chuck relabeled as «SF Special» sold for $ 100.
Reality: While somewhat pricey for what you get, they do know their wines.
— — —
Ok enough of that back and forth nonsense…
I am torn on this place.
Actually I take that back — I am not.
Would I go back? No.
Should you at least maybe check it out? If you’re in the area… yes.
Bartender (are they bartenders or winetenders or something else that I don’t know that is making me look like a moron) was very sweet and really knew her wines.
They have tasting flights that have themes and she’ll help you decide. You can also buy wines there if you like them.
The «cheese platter» they give you is nothing more than a plate of Triscuts with some pre-​sliced Tillamook.
I think the people running this place have their hearts in the right place and want to give you a good spot to check out and explore wines… i just think they need to fine tune and work out some kinks.
There are far too many places in SF to go to get better tastings and wine.
I wanted to like this place more but alas, meh.
Oh, the chandelier in the middle of the tasting room is friggin’ amazing.
Premature.

Yesterday I met up with a friend at the Cork Room after seeing the reviews on Unilocal.It’s upstairs so don’t be fooled if you walk in and find yourself in a store. They are good about directing you with signage.
The upstairs doesn’t look exactly the way you expect a wine bar to look. For one thing there’s a TV in the corner, the music is a little… present, and the décor is modern. But, it was fine. We were the only people there so it was very quiet which we appreciated.
They only have flights of wine (no wines available by the glass) which I thought was odd. Flights are 3 wines each. It was pretty pricey with flights starting at $ 20 with most in the upper 20’s.
I ordered the soft, fruity flight which was 3 pinot noirs. I loved that our server put little tags on the glasses — that was so helpful! All of the bottles were over half empty and given how quiet it was I did wonder how long the wine had been sitting out. Two of my glasses had cork bits. I picked them out of one but I did send one glass back and the woman was very nice about it.
The woman helping us was so nice, at least one star of this is for her.

Checked this place out while walking by, it’s actually a great place to enjoy a glass of wine or two. Will be back for sure when in SF.

I stopped by the tasting room last night, without having read the reviews first. I made an excellent choice if I do say so myself.
Carol the Hot Rod Chick was Grrrreat! We talked forever and she shared some funny & serious stories… now I realize I had been drinking a red wine flight but it only enhanced the atmosphere and her great conversation. Carol can make anyone feel at home and that’s exactly what she did for me. I know I’m not the only one she has great convo with but she makes you feel like a friend and not a customer. The extra pour was a bonus and I even bought an overpriced bottle to share with my friend who’s coming out to visit tomorrow! I didn’t care though cause I’m on vacation and so far, Carol has been the highlight of it. You go Cheetah Girl ;-)
If she ever opened her own spot, the line would be out the door and around the corner… Thanks Again Carol!!!

Quiet. Classy setting. Not too much a lounge per se because I didn’t see any sofas or lazy-​boys, but they have quite a good selection of wines. The atmosphere was so so.
The tasting was pretty neat. You’d select a preset flight of 4 wines you want and sip, but drink from from right to left. Sorry you can’t mix and match wines from set 1 and wines from set 2 to make your own set because of the pricing. The cheapest set is $ 25, I think and goes up from there. Compliment that with a few types of cheeses.
The place is upstairs above a convenience store… so go in toward the back and up the stairs.
BTW, if you’re a wine drinker like me, aka not much of one, ask the server, she seems to be very knowledgeable about her wines.

I’m walking up Powell from the BART station and I see this sign for a wine shop with a tasting room upstairs; I decided to hit it up later if I had time. After window shopping around the area, I decided to head over to this wine bar… and I’m so glad I did!
The place was quiet and chill with a few tables and seats at the bar; I opted for the bar. They sell their wines in what they call flights: a set of 3 different wines to choose from the menu, ranging form white to reds to both, starting from $ 21 and up. Carol, aka: The Hot Rod Wine Chick, is the most coolest chick ever! I scored a couple of free pours on this white blend I really liked along with a small snack! Overall, I just had a great time there just drinking wine and having a pretty long chat with Carol about our lives — and guys xD *LOL* — our convo went on for a bit that over an hour had passed it was time for me to head out to meet a friend out in North Beach for a show. Good times…
Next time I’m in the city, I will definitely be back at The Cork Room! =D

This is one of my favorite spots in the city! It’s a hidden gem on the second level of a liquor/​gift shop (a nice one).
They sell their wines in flights of 3 with prices starting at $ 22 a flight, and have a great selection. After you finish, Carol will often give you a 4^th pour of your favorite. $ 22 for 4 glasses of different wines? That’s a pretty good deal in my book.
The space is really classy and usually pretty empty and quiet, so its a great place to grab drinks with friends. One of the reasons I always come back though is Carol, the HOT ROD WINE CHICK! If the Cork Room is open, she’ll be there to serve you wine and keep you company with her vast knowledge of wine and generally charming and amazing conversation.
Definitely check this place out if you’re in the Union Square area and just looking for a drink!

My boyfriend and I were walking around the Union Square area looking for somewhere to just do some casual wine tasting for the day and found this hidden gem! From the outside, it looks like just another wine store, but when you walk upstairs to the 2^nd floor the HOT ROD WINE CHICK is waiting for you glasses and all!
Let me just say, HOT ROD WINE CHICK (CAROL) really is HOTTT! And if you’re reading this Carol, I just want to thank you for showing me and my boyfriend SUCH a fun time at our first wine tasting adventure!
The décor is very modern and chic when you first walk up. Carol takes you through the process of how to go wine tasting, which was really great for us because we had no idea what we were doing. You get three tastings for about an average of $ 25 per flight (they can go up to $ 40) and at the end Carol pours a little bit more of your favorite one out of the three to try.
I had SUCH a good time with her because she is truly SUCH a great character. Sam, the owner, is also SUPER friendly too! The décor, environment, and wines are absolutely great here!
No doubt I recommend people to come here. The experience is so fun and I miss Carol already!

Best kept secret in the middle of all the Union Square craziness!
You MUST:
— Find this place
— Go upstairs
— Allow Carol to share with you her vast knowledge in wine
Such a nice ambience in here and I have no doubt that I will return soon… not just for for more wine tasting but to chat it up with Carol some more!

To our «Hot Rod Wine Chick»…
My husband Dan and I have been to several wine tastings and even to Napa and Temecula Vineyards and this was by far the best wine tasting we have experienced! The friendliest service with Carol and the owner was so personable and genuine. Dan and I had a blast at this wine tasting, it truly is a hidden treasure in the heart of Downtown San Fran. We will for sure visit again and have told all of our friends in the area to stop by for an amazing wine tasting experience at The Cork Room!

A hidden gem around Union Square that holds a wine tasting room on the second floor. This place has a variety of wines & champagnes that come in flights of 3 (~$ 21 per flight). It’s got a nice, clean environment inside that appears modern and well-​decorated.
When we went, we were the only ones there so we had great service. I wish they had some complimentary cheese or fruit, but we eventually found the cheese plate on the menu and ordered it ourselves (~$ 20, I believe – expensive). Another reviewer said they received cheese on the house, so it’s sort of disappointing.
Overall, it’s a great environment and definitely great for a date or atmosphere-​enhancing meeting.

Good concept and super nice staff. But the wine selection is just oaky at best — everything seems to come from second-​tier producers. When I was there, the sparkling wines were especially weak. The flight consisted of three cheap, mediocre California sparkling wines that you would find at any Safeway. The stemware is also pretty disappointing. For the prices they charge, I would expect Riedel quality stemware, not the cheap, bulky glasses they use.
Overall, the Cork Room is a fun experience for people that are not that serious about wine. But if you are a real wine lover, there are a half dozen much better wine bars within walking distance.

We came here around 9pm on a rainy Saturday night based on the glowing Unilocal reviews, but were a bit disappointed.
Yes, the tasting room is a gorgeous new spot, tasteful and inviting, directly above a tidy souvenir shop. Clearly, money was spent here on the décor, but the restroom is actually hidden behind an «employees only» sign downstairs in a storage area. At least it was clean… I was also hoping to see the owner’s wine room, but it was completely dark, with no lights on. There were a few tourists finishing up their tasting when we arrived, but we were soon the only people left in the room.
Our server was friendly, but seemed ready to go home, since they close at 10pm. She never pressured us to leave at all, though, and gave us an extra pour of our favorite wine before we left. We think this tasting room is mainly geared toward tourists, as the featured California wines are not too expensive, but they didn’t blow us away either. Good but not great… While I was there I did a little internet research on a few of the wines and realized that the Cork Room has some of them overpriced, though.
Maybe we’re just spoiled by some of the other tasting experiences we can have just a short drive away in wine country… Overall, this would be a good spot for someone who doesn’t have the time to go to Napa and is looking for a quiet place away from the tourist crowds to sample some decent California wine.

Great wines, nice options for tasting, and they don’t skimp on the pours. Our hostess was patient and helpful, explaining the wines, why they picked them and accommodating our tastes; but then giving us our space. The atmosphere was relaxing and modern with comfortable chairs and lots of space. Even the prices were reasonable (well, San Francisco reasonable, given that this is in the middle of tourist central).
Why not five stars? Who puts the climate controlled barrel room by the windows?! The wall with windows is blocked off as their cellar, if my internal orientation is right those windows would look right over Union Square!

Like everyone is saying, you will never know about this place unless you know someone who knows it. From Powell St, it looks like your regular wine store but what you don’t know is the 2^nd floor tasting room. Adjacent to the tasting room, you’ll see the owner’s jaw-​dropping «wine room». I don’t want to describe it here because I want you Unilocalers to go check it out!
Otherwise, the tastings aren’t free. You do get to pick a flight to taste from and as an added bonus, you get more of your favorite one at the end (or try a wine from a different flight). As for the store itself, they do have a decent selection of wines as well as cigars. Overall, good ambiance and the staff is really fun to chat with. Go check it out.

You would never expect it, walking into a souvenir shop, to find a wonderful wine tasting room up a couple of flights of steps. But sure enough, The Cork Room is exactly that.
My fiancée and I had spent the day wandering around Union Square and were in need of an afternoon drink. So we came across The Cork Room, thanks to Unilocal.Salim, the owner, started us out each with our own wine flight. The pours were extremely generous and then he served up some cheese and meat on the house while we sipped our wine. I just cannot say enough about Salim and how much he loved entertaining us, showing us around his new private tasting room that he is working on and sharing his knowledge of wine. He even gave us a free bottle of Cab as a gift for our engagement.
I truly hope people continue to find this place and make it successful. It is a hidden gem.