The Valley Wine Shack

Be very very careful driving in. I don’t know why they won’t paint an arrow but you enter on the right and exit on the left. Easy car accident on busy Napa St if you do it wrong.

Stopped by for a taste of «sparkling wine» this evening, as in my visit once before, the selection was delicious and the mood relaxing.
This is the place to go, not only to taste wines from all over the world but also to learn about wine. Low-​key, down-​to-​earth, this is also a good place to bring friends who want to experience the wine country of Northern California and get a good value for their time and money.

The Bottle Barn in Santa Rosa draws a good many bargain hunters but why go to a warehouse when you can go to a cool little house and find some real treasures. Windee is the name of the woman who is the artistic force behind the VWS. She has a wonderful palate and I have bought wines, unsipped, based on solely on her recommendation and I have never been disappointed. The place is an actual former house on Napa St. and the wines are broken down by country of origin and grouped in the individual rooms.
What is great is that while she has a wonderful handle on local wines, she balances the California inventory with a fabulous array of European wines. You will scratch your head upon seeing a Macedonian wine only to find yourself wiser for the experience. She has a very loyal following for good reason and if you are on her email list, you will receive the Monday special as well as the occasional mixed case special. The best feature is perhaps her legendary Wednesday night tasting from 6 – 8 for only a dollar.
She will feature five or six wines served in the bar area (former dining room). It will usually be hosted by the distributor rep or in some cases even the label marketing person or the winemaker. Sometimes the menu features wines from a certain country, a certain label, or a certain varietal. It is always fun and a very social event.
Her prices are phenomenal and she will prove time and time again that you can, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money for a very satisfying wine. This is where you go to stretch your palate as well as discover new and exciting wines at everyday prices. Windee is her own person and a character so don’t expect to be fawned over, that’s for tourtists. She is a serious wine fan.

What a joke. I guess the $ 1 Wed. night tastings that other Unilocalers have raved about only happen when the owner feels like it. My parents, sister and I walked half a mile from our hotel to the Wine Shack because we saw the $ 1 wine tasting A-​frame prominently displayed from the road. When we arrived, the woman at the front gruffly informed us that a wine tasting would not be happening tonight. Apparently, the four of us plus the two other women in the Wine Shack were not enough patrons to make the wine tasting cost-​effective enough for the owner’s liking. She said the tasting would cost her $ 130. We asked the woman why she put out the A-​frame if there wasn’t actually a tasting tonight, and she lazily replied that she forgot to take it down. She offered us absolutely no accommodations, no pleasantness, and no sympathy. She didn’t take down the A-​frame either. Such a disappointment.

Raise your glass to Wine Wednesdays (6 — 8 p.m.) where wine tastings will cost you a grand total of $ 1. That’s not a misprint. Walk inside, pay Windee (the proprietor) your buck, and waltz over to the tasting room. On a recent visit 100 pennies allowed me to sample 4 Willamette Valley (Oregon) Pinot Noirs, all from different winemakers and all from lots of fewer than 2,000 cases. The Wine Shack even had a «help-​yourself» tray of bread, cheese, and cured meats out to accompany the $ 1 tastings. This is an amazing deal.
Perhaps it was a bit odd to drive to Sonoma to sample Oregon wines but it’s not at all odd when you know that we arrived past 5 p.m., when most every winery is closed for the day. Knowing that there was still a place where sampling could be done was a special little secret. And the Valley Wine Shack is pretty special.
Wine & Spirits Magazine wrote the place up recently in their «Where the Pros Drink: Sonoma» story. The place is unusual because it not only features an amazing wine selection (60 varietals, 600+ bottles, most under $ 25) but you can purchase a bottle on-​site, have it opened at no additional cost, and drink it out on the front porch or up in the small lounge, where a baseball game might be airing. You can even bring food along to accompany your wine, making the whole thing sort of a reverse BYOB.
This arrangement also allows you to drink great wine for a fraction of what it’d run you at a restaurant.
The Valley Wine Shack sits inside an unassuming, free-​standing building with parking in the rear. There are several roomfuls of wine which isn’t apparent upon entry, so poke around a bit. Neither the front porch nor the upstairs lounge are grand or special, but with a good bottle of wine, the right company, some vittles, a deck of cards or a ball game, that won’t matter a bit.

My friends and family surprised me with a birthday party last night at Valley Wine Shack and I can not express how fantastic they were to us. They were so accommodating and made the night perfect. They have such a great selection of wines and it is a really cool, not stuffy atmosphere. I can’t wait to have another reason to have a party or just stop in for a glass of wine. I will definitely be recommending them to anyone who needs a great place for great wine!

Awesome place. Great selection of wine from all over the world. They also have $ 1 tasting nights on Wednesday that focuses on a specific wine region and also gives you a lesson in the nuances of the different regions of wine. There is also a seconf floor with a tv and couches where you can hang out with your friends, open up a bottle, and watch the game. Very fun place!

Only been here once (so far!) but I love it! Super friendly employees, great wine at awesome prices.
This is a place that can be easily missed because of the bland exterior, however once you get inside you will find a wonderful selection of wines, both local small batch as well as French, Spanish, Italian and more…
I can’t wait to check it out for tastings, but definitely not to be missed!

We LOVE the Valley Wine Shack!
A great local hot spot for wines both Local and International!
The shop has super cool Wednesday night tasting that are very informative too.
We love gatherings wines for our classes from the Valley Wine Shack!
Thank you for being present in Sonoma!

It amazes me that some people who live in the shire (Sonoma) are still not aware of this gem. Great selection of wines from all over the world (not just CA!) and at fair prices. The staff (all two of them) are as good as it gets. We have never discussed philosophy but I think theirs is the same as mine «wine should be consumed any day that ends in Y».

This place is a little gem amongst the other businesses on this side of the road, you’ll miss it if you’re not careful. They have some incredible deals on wines from all over the world. Wednesday nights from 6 to 8 for $ 1.00 you can taste all of the featured wines. it’s basically a glass of wine for a buck! They feature a different location each week, last night was the Loire Valley. great wines. If you like any you can purchase a bottle and sit in the lounge. comfy couch, nice chairs, tables and music. of your choice! The South African sparkling Brut Rose is amazing for $ 13.95. what a steal!
Tasting $ 1
Bottle of bubbles $ 13.95
Hanging with the crew in a hip lounge rocking out to Eminem while watching the Giants beat the A’s. PRICELESS.

This cute old house full of unique wine bargains just may become my favorite wine shop.
Laid out well, nice ambiance. Evening tastings held just about every night. Tasting fee = One Whole dollar. Yes = $ 1.
Whimsy and good humor galore.
Good quality wines from esoteric small labels for under $ 10 is a reality. They are for sale here.
Also have finer vintages at higher price levels for you wine snobs (oh I mean connoisseurs).
Go now. Buy wine. I want this place to have a long business life and be here for 30 more years.

The owner of this store puts out a sign by the side walk advertising $ 1 wine tasting on Wednesday. However when you arrive she sizes you up and decides if it is worth her while to open up some bottles for you. She quite frankly told us that we were not worth the $ 130 it cost her to conduct a wine tasting. I have never been treated so disrespectfully in my life by a business owner. I don’t foresee a happy future for this rude shop owner who needs some lessons in customer service. Why would you put out a sign advertising a service you had no intention of providing? I am suspicious that the positive reviews have been placed on Unilocal by her friends and not real customers.