Vine 39 Bar at Whole Foods Market

My husband & I really enjoy this wine bar inside Whole Foods and it is a unique experience. Where else can you grocery shop and stop in for a nice glass (or a bottle) of wine and a snack. The bar staff is fairly knowledgable with recommendations for selecting a nice wine. However, the big turn off is seeing them eating behind the bar. Apparently, in addition to the wine bar, they also service the cheese counter and were constantly helping themselves to the goods. They don’t even try and hide the fact that they are eating in front of the shoppers. One employee was actually chewing while helping a customer which we found extremely unprofessional and unappetizing.

Caprese panini and a glass of cab. A great break from shopping. Great selection wines and beers.

(Drank 12÷11÷14 TH @ 6:30pm): Whole Foods has raised the bar with the addition of this new feature!
I invited a couple friends who joined me at the Tarzana location of the Vine 39 Bar At Whole Foods Market for an evening of «Dinner Conversations» presented by Netiya and a host of guest speakers. The event itself was to promote local growers and merchants, social issues, sustainability, and how you can possibly spread the word. In addition, a selection of appropriate appetizers and snacks were served as we listened and then mingled amongst everyone. An interesting location to host such an event but understoond the tie-​in quickly. Although I enjoyed the event, here’s the lowdown on the bar:
St. Bernardus ABT 12 On Tap ($ 6.99 ea.) — I treated a friend to a beer since he drove. If you knew me, I was always in search of trying something I’d never tried before especially when it came to any libations. So, this lovely brown stout-​like brew claimed my tastebuds after a sampling. With a slight body and chocolately taste, I thoroughly enjoyed yet babied it so it lasted for the entire event (I almost made it!). And, it went well with the acclimate weather of the evening.
Service — On this chilled eventful evening, there were two young and very friendly bartenders (female and male) who kindly offered samples to my friends and I of the beer on tap (six total) as well as provided some notes and recommendations
. Once we made our decision, the young man served our beers, rang up my order and concluded with a nice «thank you». FYI… there was no opportunity to tip on the receipt nor did I see a tip jar. Excellent service!
Parking (Free) — Part of an outdoor shopping center, there was plenty of exposed and underground parking. If necessary, I believed you were able to park on all the nearby streets, but always check any posted street signs.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — Located all the way towards the back right corner of the store where all the alcohol was located and butted-​up against the self-​serve salads and freshly-​prepared food items, it literally was like a displaced oval-​shaped island. There were several barstools at the bar as well as some along the outer edge of the area with a thin platform to place your drinks. But if you wanted to get more cozy, there was a row of inviting cushy sofas and tables
. Only electric lighting was available as several lamps hung from the ceiling
. There was one TV and no background music (unless you considered any announcements made on the overhead speaker)
.
Attire — Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops…if it weren’t for the acclimate weather.
Overall, the Tarzana location of Vines 39 Bar At Whole Foods Market was an eye-​opener, and I understood more locations (and competitors) were adding this new wrinkle to the grocery shopping experience. With very little knowledge of how this all worked, I saw some potential with this concept, but I thought of many recommendations I during my time here. As of yet, I certainly wouldn’t consider a grocery store as a destination to grab a drink nor would I promote the practice to shoppers to throw one back either before, during, and especially after their shopping. Of course, this might be a good alternative to a fast food restaurant where you purchased food there and settled in at the bar. A small selection of bottled beer and wine were also available; however, I’m not sure about liquor or mixed drinks. The prices seemed to be on par with what you’d expect at a bar, which in my opinion wasn’t a positive since you missed out on the «bar scene» experience (i.e. dancing, eye candy, games). With that being said, I felt the prices should’ve been dropped at least a buck or two. Not sure if they had any sort of happy hour. To be fair, I found very good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (total paid experience was around $ 15.00; no tip required). And, they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX! 4.0 STARS

Great for craft beer on draft, bottled beers, and wine by the glass. Great grilled cheesed sandwiches, other light bites or any prepared foods from Whole Foods Market. Stop by before shopping or just to hang out at the bar for a drink or snack.