Studio Vino

So sad to see Studio Vino go! It was truly something special in Tempe. Owners of other restaurants in town need to take a lesson from Kari. I wish her nothing but the best at Cellar 433. (
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This place is adorable. My boyfriend and I tried 6 different wines (3 being Studio Vino wines) and they were all delicious. My favorite was the Vino Pinot Noir. It is cute and cozy inside. the perfect place to go for a relaxing night! I would highly recommend this place!

ZERO STARS. Very disappointed. Bought a $ 36 Groupon to try Studio Vino and was looking forward to visiting. We went on a Saturday afternoon. Upon arriving, the owner said that she was with a large group and that we would have to come back another time because she was by herself. Really???
We told her that we had purchased a Groupon for Studio Vino and her response was that it clearly says reservations required. I responded by saying that I had looked up the website to make reservations (I had read the fine print) but there was no place on the website to make reservations like most Food and Drink establishments. The FAQs clearly stated that large parties or bottling parties needed a reservation however «…if you would like to visit Studio Vino without a reservation and sample wines made on site, you are more than welcome to do so!».
Apparently we were not welcome to do so. She said that we should try to come back another time because she had sold too many Groupons and could not keep up with all of them. Guess this is our fault???
Spend your money locally at places like Postino or The Winsor that excel at quality and service. Don’t waste your time here. Based on the reviews, we are not the only ones who feel this way about this place.

Two years ago, I walked into Studio Vino on a lark. I sat down and was greeted immediately by the owner Kari and the barkeep Caylan. I was made to feel welcome, and I had such an awesome time that I came back the next week. That night, Kari served myself and the lovely lady sitting to my left some great wines at great prices. We talked and laughed late into the night. That lovely lady who was on my left was Tricia and she is now my girlfriend. I love this place.

Hours on the door say 12noon– .well, who cares. We were there at noon on a Saturday to pick up our wine after MONTHS of it «not being ready». Talked to the owner, left messages, etc etc. It was finally ready and here we are!!! Doors locked. These people suck. They eventually agreed to drop off our wine for us at our house and they did. The End– finally

Sorry to say this because their wine is good but they have had bad customer service all 3 times I have been in. Strike 3 I probably won’t be back and I will not be referring people here anymore :/

I’d purchased a voucher from social living for a tasting for up to 4 people and thought it was a really great deal. On June 22, 2013, My boyfriend and I had a couple of friends to join us, As to be expected there were wines we liked and those we didn’t. The service was really great and we had a really great time. Our bad experience happened afterward. We prepurchased wines that we liked from the tasting that were shockingly, not in stock. We were given a time frame in which the wines would be ready (June 25^th for the Naughty Monkey and 2 weeks for the Chocolate Cherry Port) and were told we’d be notified as to when to pick up the wines, We were never notified by them, Ended up calling them (on the 12^th of July) and spoke to the owner who informed me that one of the wines had come in but had been sold accidentally, however the other 2 bottles that had been ordered were there. She assured me that the other bottle would be in the shop the following Tuesday when the distributor came. I told her that I would be in on Tuesday to pick up all 3 bottles. Tuesday comes and not only was the one particular bottle that was supposed to be in not there but the other 2 weren’t as well!
After a lengthy, very subdued, but nonethe less, upset conversation with the studio person, I was promised the wines would be available the very next day. The next day, July 17^th, I didn’t have very high hopes but went anyway and was greeted by the owner. She apologized again and again. She gave a free bottle for each of the 2 types that had been ordered which was great but we probably won’t go back, Found one of the wines elsewhere much cheaper…

I wouldn’t go back! Got a Groupon for a tasting– not worth it at ALL! $ 39 for 3 small swallows of wine, small app plate and some truffles– And taxes are not included in the groupon so we got a tab for that at the end of tasting which was an additional $ 8. The staff was not friendly at all and I felt rushed! Honestly don’t waste you time or money here!

On Friday, May 17^th my friend and I were in the Tempe area and wanted to check out a few wine bars. We came across Studio Vino through the Arizona Wine Magazine at Barnes and Nobel. We arrived there around 1 hour before closing. The atmosphere was great! About 35 minutes of being in the environment and tasting some wine, we were then introduced by the owner. She, along with her staff, provided such great personal service. It was a great evening and I would highly recommend this place based on our experience.

A few months ago I bought a Groupon for this place since I thought it was an extremely good deal. $ 39 for 6 wine tastings, 1 snack plate, and a chocolate dish, not to mention after trying the wine you get to take home a bottle of your favorite choice with a custom label with your names on it. My boyfriend and I came here this past Saturday for our date and we had an amazing time. The ambiance of the place was great and perfect for a date and the staff was extremely friendly.
It was my first time having a wine tasting venture so I would say it was a good first experience for me. One of our favorites was the Raspberry Pinot Noir which we ended up taking home with us. I think it’s a very good place for a date and I would definitely want to come back in the future. =)

My husband, friends, and I had a fun time here. We came for a tasting package that our friend had found on groupon. We were able to try many of their wines (8, I think) and to go with them were given crackers, cheeses, nuts, etc. Very fun. We loved their red dessert wine and bought a couple of bottles.
So awesome that you can make your own wine here. We didn’t do that, but saw in the back where other people’s wines were. Loved the live music, too.
Make a reservation if you can!

Their House-​Made wines are not great (if you’re an avid wine drinker), but when you go here for a «Wine Tasting» that’s what you’ll get. I would only consider drinking or purchasing their Fruit Blended wines, as this is what they do best… Something along the lines of a sangria.
The service is chaotic, and the Manager pays more attention to her regulars than other customers. Sadly, she also doesn’t have an ounce of professionalism from what I witnessed, and personally experienced. Succinctly, we had to tell her about broken glass on the floor, she asked someone to not cash a check until the next day because it might not clear, and was drinking on the job. Her co-​owner (brown haired woman), is MUCH more friendly and interested in fostering new business with potential customers.
I felt like Tabitha in the «Salon Take Over» show. Be an owner, step back and let other people run your business… sadly, you cannot.
I am not sure that this place will last long. It’s a shame, because the concept is great. Seems like a lot of the good reviews are from her friends. Help her out then, and give her some constructive criticism.

I have been here twice with my neighbors and husband. We first came for a tasting and winemaking evening and then returned six months later to bottle our wine.
The tasting was a fun experience because we got to try 10 different wines that were paired with lots of chocolates, nuts, and fruits from Trader Joe’s across the street. The wines were mostly ok. Our group agreed that the merlot was the best. We headed to the back of the restaurant and began the winemaking process. We added yeast and oak chips to grape concentrate, and then stirred it power tools.
As the months passed, we created a photoshopped image for our label which our neighbor sent to the owner. It took over 6 weeks to any information back from her. Even scheduling the bottle experience was a chore. She didn’t confirm until the day of, and even then there were still some hiccups with bottle availability. The bottling experience was fun but very short. The wine we made doesn’t taste all that great, but I guess you can’t have high expectations for something that is made in a jug.
I liked the novelty of making your own wine, but for the hassle and price (about $ 20 per bottle), it’s not an experience worth repeating.

I chose this place both because of convenience location wise and because of the Unilocal reviews. There are bad and good reviews on here, everyone has a different experience, but most of them were good and they definitely lived up to my expectations and then some. The owner Kari herself sat my friend and I and served us all night. She remembered us by name, joked with us and we even got into a discussion about cooking Spaetzle! Her daughter also works here, you can tell a lot of love goes into everything they do.
We started with a few flights to try some of their homemade wines and the cheese plate which was perfectly balanced with sweet, savory and pungent flavors, then once we settled on which wines were our favorites stayed until they closed. We weren’t rushed or ignored, when we came in the place was completely packed and we were offered a seat at a reserved table (the party wasn’t there yet) until a smaller table opened up. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I will definitely go again!

Great service, friendly, and nice ambience. Loved the Appetizer plate with cheese and crackers and fruit. Very tasty. Terrible wine unless you enjoy kook-​aid on your me was porch. Hey. I am not a wine snob but eh.

Great little wine bar. Huge selection of local wines. They are very helpful about their wines and will let you sample before you buy. Prices are great with glasses starting at $ 5 and up to the $ 11 range. Great atmosphere, quiet.

What a fun place! I used to work at the Bikram Yoga Studio next door and honestly never paid much attention to Studio Vino. Big mistake on my part. I finally came in here in December 2012 and have been coming back ever since.
Studio Vino has «neighborhood wine bar» written all over it. Friendly service, cozy atmosphere and an owner who remembers everyone’s names. I have sampled over 30 wines here and the list keeps changing, so there is always something new for me to try when I come in.
Have I mentioned that Studio Vino is also a winery? Yep, they make their own wine right on the premises. They serve that and wines from around AZ. Next on my agenda is taking advantage of Studio Vino’s «make your own wine» option. I can’t wait to come in for my birthday with a few friends, do a wine tasting and then head to the back room to make my own wine, complete with custom label and wine name. It will be the best self birthday present ever!
Let’s not forget the cheeseboard!!! The cheeseboard is amazing — delicious artisan cheese, crackers and other treats. The servers or the owner, Carrie, are happy to recommend wine that will pair well with the cheeses.
I have brought everyone in here — grandparents, boyfriend, girlfriends for a girls’ night out, etc. — and every person has enjoyed themselves.

Definitely love this place. I purchased an Amazon local deal a few weeks ago for a wine and cheese tasting for 4, and made a reservation for last night. I had never been here before, so I was surprised to find this little wine bar in a Fry’s shopping center. But once inside you completely forget that, as it is very intimate and modern.
Nick who was at the bar near the door told us to have a seat wherever we wanted so we grabbed a seat at one of the tables. He dropped off some waters and came back later and gave us a run down of the two flights we would be tasting that night, an shortly after brought out a platter with cheese, nuts, and some fruit. The four of us had a great time, and they are very serious about wine. My favorites were the viosignia (sp?), their house red (can’t remember the name), and their peach Chardonnay. We were there for about an hour and a half, so it’s bit of an experience, but Nick was great a not rushing/​disappearing and he was very knowledgable. After all was said and done we hung out for a bit and I decided to get a bottle of the peach Chardonnay because it is seriously amazing.
Nick told us a bit about their wine making that you can do yourself and their club membership, both of which I’d like to do in the future. This place is super reasonable and very impressive for a date or a night out with your friends. I’ll definitely be back.

Never thought that I will find a winery at a strip mall.
This place imports grape juices, crushed and filtered, from Oregon or California. They put them into 6-​gallon jars, put in other stuffs for wines, and wait several months for the contents to become wine.
If you want, they will provide the recipes. You can obviously bring your own.
At the end, you will bottle and label about 14 bottles to bring home.
For those who thought of brewing their own beers, they take away the mess and the uncertainties.
Unfortunately, I don’t particularly like their «house wines.»

I found out about Studio Vino while having a conversation about 30^th bday presents for friends with a coworker. Here’s how it went.
Coworker: My sister’s 30 birthday is coming up and we don’t know what to get her. Any ideas?
Me: As a matter of fact, I have a friend with a 30^th bday soon and here’s what I planned. It’s sort of a «welcome to your 30s» tool kit, complete with khaki Capri pants, a belt clip for your cell phone, a pair of crocs and maybe a gift cert for a sensible hair cut that says «I don’t need keep up with fashion because I’m 30 now and above all that.»
Coworker: Um… yeah.
To dissuade me from my hilarious present, she then sent me a link to Studio Vino, where you can custom label any of the bottles of wine for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, babies, weddings — whatever. So, you send them a picture of your parents, your sister, etc., come up with a name for your wine and maybe a tagline (I imagine «Just Keeps Getting Better With Age» is pretty popular). Then the owner designs a label using colors you request or she’ll do it all on her own. All (including the wine) for like $ 15! Wow, what a unique gift with a quick turnaround (in my case 24 hours) for less than $ 20
I made one for my mom for her bday. Since her dog is pretty special to her, I put his picture on the bottle, called the wine «Hair of the Dog» and made it «Draco’s Special Reserve.» Kari, the owner and the one who designs your labels, came up with a color scheme that complemented the image, and even made the «o» in «Draco» a paw print. Cu-​u-​u-​te. Mom LOVED it and the gift was the hit of the party. Here’s how it went down: I sent Kari my desired image and text via email Saturday at about 2p. She sent me three versions within an hour. I picked one and asked her to tweak the colors, she sent me the new version. I OK’d it and had the bottle in hand by 1p the next day.
That being said, custom labeling is not the crux of this business, but is merely a convenient off-​shoot of her very cool enterprise. At Studio Vino, you pay about $ 350 to make and bottle your very own case of wine. So, you choose a grape, spices, flowers, roots — whatever, mix it up, she barrels it at her studio for 75 days (or the allotted time). Then you come back in with up to six of your friends and have a bottling and label-​making party — complete with food and music of your choice. You can do a half case for a little less, I believe.
Pretty great, huh? Now go — be a bday hero and give the best present of all time!
p. s. i’m still giving the hilarious welcome to your 30s tool kit present — it will just now also include the «real» present of a kick ass bottle of wine!