Vinifera Wines and Ales

Vinifera is my neighborhood hook-up for the latest beer releases. It's a tiny place, tucked in the corner of the strip mall on the southeast side of the 6 & 101 intersection. About two-thirds of the ~750 square feet is dedicated to wine, although I rarely purchase wine here. The remaining space is mostly a large cooler with loads and loads of regional craft beer offerings.Living nearby, I drive past 10-15 times a week. Each and every time I debate whether I really have any more space in my beer fridge for something else. Call it a craft beer addiction if you will, but it's also fun to try different stuff.When I finally succumb to temptation, my usual approach is to stride in, nod to the proprietors (an older couple) or manager (a younger, very beer-savvy drinker), check out the new releases stacked on the left side of the counter, and then park myself in front of the coolers. There is always something new to consider, and I do rely on UnTappd to give me a sense of what may be worth trying.Pricing is a bit higher than what you'll find at the megastores, but selection is more interesting and the product is fresher. Vinifera gets regular shipments from Junkyard, Drekker, Brewing Projekt, Drastic Measures, Oliphant, and other premier microbrewers that you can't always find at your typical mom-and-pop liquor store. They do offer a wine club (nominal pre-pay in exchange for discounts) as well as punch cards for multi-pack beers (free multi-pack after 10 purchases). Every so often you can find discounts in the local adverts.Check 'em out when you're in the western burbs. They are only 5 minutes from the 494/394 interchange.

Gayle, my son, and I drove up to the Twin Cities today from Ames to visit family friends. And as good guests, we wanted to come with some good wine. I didn't agree with Gayle's iphone directions to their house, but drove in that direction anyway. That was a good thing, otherwise we wouldn't have seen the sign directing us to Vinifera Wines and Ales.Both Gayle and I were impressed with the wine selection, which we also found to be reasonably priced and extensive for the relatively small space. I also had a wide range of beer choices and ended up with a very tasty winter ale from Bell's. We also enjoyed the store dog, a shy brown retriever mix named Berkeley.

It's a tiny little place - like the size of a typical Subway restaurant. They have a fantastic selection of wine though. The racks are floor to ceiling with a much more extensive selection than some of the larger liquor stores in the area. The trade-off is that there is a smaller than usually selection of hard liquor, but hey that's ok with me. It bills itself as a wine store so you know what you're getting into.They also have a decent selection of craft beers and micro-brews. I was surprised to see some of my harder to find favorites in there. The prices were very reasonable and the service was top notch. The guy behind the counter was very happy to talk wine with me and knew his stuff.It's a great little place for wine and beer. Much better than the bigger stores in the area.

Outstanding store. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. Tell them your budget and taste and they'll help you choose a wine that's spot-on. No judging, no condescending if you're not a wine expert, just helpful and honest advice. Plus, they are happy to suggest interesting variations of what you're used to so you expand your wine horizons. Cheers to them.

Hands down my favorite family-owned wine shop this side of the Twin Cities. They have a tiny shop but it's PACKED with great varieties of wine and beer. Tons of local beer options, better than Haskell's even! The staff there are extremely knowledge about wines and beer. The husband and wife that own the place are very organized and knowledgeable as well. Every time I go in, I get great service, nice recommendations and their prices are on par with everyone else.

Online and on the door they say open til 6 on sundays but they're closed at 5:28. Wtf vinifera.

Absolutely the worst service ever tonight. I went there to get a few things for the weekend and I had a very unpleasant experience with the man who works at the counter who has brown curly hair. Every time we've been in this place he's just been rude but we just brushed him off because the older men that work the counter make up for his attitude but tonight was the last straw. I've never been treated so rudely by someone! Not only was he trying to prove me wrong about them overcharging my debit card 3x by accident but he had the audacity to start yelling at me and throwing slips at me. I was completely shocked!. I cancelled my membership and will never return unless he's gone! One bad apple is all it takes!

This little bottle shop has what you would expect from a place that aims to supply craft beer and delicious wines. Where it differs and distinguishes itself from the competetion is in its service.The knowledgeable, friendly staff is not pushy and understands value. They will listen to your tastes and past experiences and direct you to the best-tasting option. They will help you expand from your stand-bys and find awesome beers and wines that you would have missed otherwise. If you're in the area, be sure to drop in- you won't be disappointed!

Tucked away in strip-mall with a itsty-bitsy parking lot is this gem.I love this little store. They have wine from floor to ceiling. That places me squarely in heaven. Oh yeah, they've got ales too, if you're into that sort of thing. For me, it's all about the vino.There was a wine educator on site to guide me through my purchase, making recommendations based on types of wine that I mentioned that I liked and even encouraging me to try some new varietals. Maybe he works on commission. All I know is, he was very convincing.Everything is neatly laid out, making it easy to browse through the selections. I was surpised to see how many offerings they had considering the rather small size of the store.I've tried two of the four recommendations that I purchased, and so far the man has been spot on. Even with the white wine, which I normally am not overly fond of.This is my new go-to for all my fermented grape beverage needs.

The younger owner is always dismissive and rude. I would never buy there except for its location.