Wine Tasting On the Bay

Had an amazing time. Very exclusive and personal attention. Staff made sure we were taken care of, explained the wine and cheese selection, walked around and interacted with everyone and overall just friendly!
I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting something different and to explore San Francisco from the water; different scene all together. I will definitely bring my clients to enjoy this experience!

Absolutely amazing time every time. I’ve brought international friends on this boat, clients, and any visitor. Melissa and Kevin own the boat and they are fun and great. Originally Rachel was helping serve and she was really wonderful. Everyone since has been a joy. Highly recommend if you’re around and want to show off the city or just enjoy the amazing view.
Wonderful time! Wonderful people! Highly recommend!!!

My girlfriends and I had such a wonderful time on this wine therapy tour. I was a little nervous because I normally get sea sick… surprisingly I was fine… it must of been the wine. Good selection of wines to taste from… I ended up purchasing a couple bottles to bring home. We will definitely come back the next time we are in town. This is a must do if you’re visiting San Francisco!

It was an amazing time. Great hosts, captain, etc. everyone was extremely friendly and genuine. We even saw a whale and dolphin, it was one of the best experiences I’ve had. Beautiful scenery too and good wine/​cheese can’t beat that.

Very friendly crew. Good value. Great experience. I would definitely do it again. The wine itself can be hit or miss, but you have a few chances to find something you like.

It was a remarkable and pleasant experience. The staff was very friendly and accommodating to everyone’s needs. Good wine and they provide snacks such as cheese and bread. The captain shared information about the landmarks we cruised such as Golden gate bridge, Alcatraz, and more. I will definitely be returning!!! The Glitter (Sparkling Chardonnay) was my favorite… Definitely left feeling happy!!!

This was so much fun! Kevin and Melissa and the whole crew made it so enjoyable. The wine was great and the views spectacular. The boat itself is so charming and you feel like you leave the hustle and bustle behind when you step aboard. We can’t wait to tell others and take our next trip around the bay.

This is a great experience!
Last year I purchased a «Living Social» deal and took my best friend for the bay cruise wine tasting. We had a blast! The crew is awesome.
Because we had such a fabulous time when it was time for my bestie to get married we thought this would be a great idea for a joint Bach/​lorette party.
It was! We did a private charter and had 18 of us. Amazing night!
Thank you all!

A Great Tour!!!
The crew were the nicest people. The boat will wait for you if you text them you’re going to be a few minutes late. They did wait for late comers and were extremely knowledgeable of the wine and SF. The Captain showed us great points of interest as we went past them. At first the music was a little dull but after the music was changed the party got started. We even took advantage of the center pole in the cabin to add to the fun (nothing dirty) and entertainment. I would definitely recommend this for a birthday or a girls night out. We had fun!!!

Executive summary: they left us stranded on Treasure Island
Absolutely ridiculous service.
Called them close to return departure from treasure island noting that we’d be a few minutes late… They noted that they were at the winery and for us to take our time… Assured us that they would not leave anyone behind.
Our party got to the pier only to find out the boat had left without us. Not only that, our hosts did not pick up their phones for over and hour and a half. We ended up spending out own money on a cab getting back to San Francisco. Their phone call? «Sorry we missed you. Hope you come back and visit again and we’ll give you a discount.»
My girlfriend and I are all for supporting local and family businesses but this is far too casually run of what can barely be called a hobby. Discouraged to think that a mere head count on the ship is too difficult for the crew to run through. Also, we were smart enough to include all phone numbers of every single party on our trip. No calls.
Wineries on treasure island were not bad but honestly wished that we drove. Thanks God there is a bridge attached to this island or we would have had to swim home.
As you can see I almost never review businesses as most are standard or up to expectations. The fact that this «company,» if you could call it, that drove me to spend my Saturday afternoon writing this should tell you how ridiculous my day has actually been.

This review is long overdue! I was planning a surprise birthday party for my husband in August. I knew I wanted us to go on a sunset cruise of the bay, but wasn’t sure which company to go with. Of course, being the true Unilocaler I am, I did my research. I found Wine Tasting On the Bay to have the choices I was looking for. They offered competitive ticket prices, wine/​beer tasting w/​appetizers served, and a good amount of time on the cruise. After emailing with the owner Melissa, I knew this was the cruise for my group.
Melissa was very accommodating being that we had a large birthday group. She allowed me to bring on extra food and cupcakes. Any questions I had she always responded promptly. The cruise was aboard a beautifully restored vessel, so don’t expect a Hornblower sized ship. Upon boarding, we were all pleasantly surprised as we were greeted with a glass of champagne to start our voyage.
Once you set off, the tastings begin. I was thrilled with the quality of wine they had, as I had low expectations of what might be available. My husband was also pleased with the variety of craft beer as well. In terms of appetizers, they offered nice cheeses and finger foods to nibble on.
The real treat was how beautiful it was on the Bay with the sun setting. Be forewarned that it is chilly on the water. Once you have a few glasses that all seems to fade away. My favorite part of the cruise was stopping at McCovey Cove, especially being that there was a Giants game going on. My only complaint is the smell of the bathroom which isn’t really their fault as it’s a marine toilet. All in all, the owners and the cruise far exceeded our expectations. We will definitely go on another cruise soon. Thanks Melissa & Kevin for everything you did for our group!

A nice outing on the bay on an intimate boat with wine. It’s hard to get much better than that! It’s also great to support local family run businesses. The cruise I went on was quite full and I would have loved to have time to talk about the wines with the folks pouring. But there was still plenty of space on the boat despite the high attendance for that particular cruise. Watching the evening set in and the Bay Lights on the Bay Bridge come up was pretty great.
The tastings are moderate in size, but you can also buy a bottle on board to either drink there or take with you. They will also re-​cork, bag, and let you take your unfinished bottle of wine with you in case you can’t finish during the tour. They also provide cheese, crackers, and some fruit, which I thought was a nice touch.

When it comes to wine and living social deals– there’s no doubt I’ll throw down the money if my bank account permits. But when you toss in a cruise on the bay with some wine?. I didn’t even think twice about staying within my financial lane.
I was a bit skeptic about how the day would turn out. Obviously, for me to be as nervous as I was, it’s clear that I didn’t check on Unilocal to see whether they received raving reviews or not. So my partner and I held our breaths and rolled with the punches.
The turnout was actually better than I thought. The weather that day was absolutely gorgeous, which made us feel like tourists all over again. snapping away with our camera phones like we’ve never seen San Francisco before. I actually don’t think we even said much to each other throughout the entire cruise ride to Treasure Island. I guess that’s how busy we were trying to capture that perfect snapshot of the city and the bay.
Anyway, we finally docked and were told we had 4 hours to get through three wine tastings. The flights were so generous. we didn’t even want to finish the last tasting!
We had some extra time before we had to head back on the boat, so we decided to check out the food truck event that was going on right next to The SF Winery (I’m not sure if this is a weekly thing). We tried out the Filipino food trunk, which I can’t really recall the name, but it made for a perfect drunk meal. And yes, I wasn’t kidding about the bartenders being generous with their wine. :)
If asked whether I would recommend this to any of my friends? Without a doubt. But only on a weekend with perfect weather.

Wow! This sounded super awesome! The bay, the water, the sun, and most importantly, the wine! The girls found a Living Social Deal and $ 30 later, we all got together for a fabulous girls day. I was very grateful because their port is next to the Sea Lions and we were way on the other side. We were 3 minutes late, but they held the boat for us. I was running for my life. Come to think of it, I would probably run more if there were a glass of wine waiting for me at my destination.
We then enter the boat and the lovely lady hands me my glass. We then meet with the rest of the group and exchange hellos. There was a nice place to stash my work computer (ugh.work on a Saturday…) but it was nice to be rewarded with this!
Then! We start our voyage! The captain was awesome and always had a smile on his face! The lady handling the tastings was a little stingy with the pours but, there was a great wine selection!
Here’s were it gets crazy! It sounds romantic and all… wine, the ocean, etc. but it was so rocky! Every time I got up to fill my glass, it was a debacle! I was tripping over people, almost fell onto the lap of some older gentleman, and most importantly, I almost dropped my wine! There was some wine and cheese but trying to cut the cheese and carry the crackers, all while balancing my wine glass with the turbulence = hot mess!
And not to have a moment of being the bitter single girl… but the highlight was watching all the couples struggle to find romance on this boat. Daaaamn… homegirl was looking seasick! I highly suggest Dramamine but I’m not sure how that’s gonna go down with the alcohol. I heard that the sunset and twilight cruises were much better because the water is more still. Note to self when I want to take a date…
Lastly, the price is $ 60. I’m happy I only paid $ 30 and I don’t think I would pay more. I would much rather go to a winery where there is less movement and more tastings :)

Overall, not a terrible experience but certainly only worth it if you have a Living Social (or similar) half-​off deal.
Three disappointments:
1. Since there is a picture of the golden gate bridge on their website, I presumed we would get close and see the sunset over the Pacific. No such luck… the boat circled around right in front of the Marina District and came back towards the Bay Bridge.
2. It was way too packed. It is a small boat and the number of people they allowed just wasn’t comfortable, particularly for those wanting to stay inside and sitting.
3. The wines were not that great and most (if not all) were blends. No single varietals. After the four tastings (plus the intro tasting), you’re given the option to buy a glass for $ 10. Those were certainly NOT $ 10 glasses of wine.
Now, if you happen to come across the half off deal and have nothing else planned (particularly for a nice date idea, although if it is your first or second date, I highly discourage mentioning the half-​off deal!), it isn’t that bad after all.

AMAZING! SO amazing! I was invited here for a close girlfriends bachelorette party and they let us put up decorations for a mardi gras theme! They were so friendly and it was absolutely amazing cruzing on the bay with them. They are wonderful hosts and I would recommend this to everyone! It such an experience to see the golden gate and bay bridges liket this. ESPECIALLY if you locally it is a must!

My husband and I had a wonderful time great wine and service. Crew members were attentive and professional. Only suggestion is appetizer plates would of been nice.

Highly, highly recommend. I’ve gone on the 1.5 hour wine tour around 4PM twice now. Once with my folks and once with my wife’s. Both times we’ve had a fantastic time. Kevin and Melissa are great people, friendly, accommodating, and clearly enjoying what they are doing. They will readily admit that it’s not really about fancy wine (although the wine is good for sure) but instead about the views and company. If you’re looking for a low key, fun night on the Bay with 15 – 20 other people, this is the way to go. See you again soon Kevin and Melissa!

The boat leaves promptly from Pier 39 at its scheduled time so it is important not to be late. It is a smaller boat that has minimal seating inside and room for standing on the deck. The boat circles around the bay for about an hour and you can catch some beautiful views of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz, AT&T Park, and downtown SF while sipping on some good wine! Kevin drives the boat while his wife, Melissa, pours the wine and they are both sweethearts. You get 4 tastes per person (not including your welcome glass) and they provide a small assortment of cheese, bread, and crackers.
I had a really good time with friends and the wine was actually pretty good. They have bottles for sale just in case you happen to love it that much. The particular bottle that I chose was $ 20/​$ 22. Wine tasting on the Bay is a great concept and such fun! I definitely recommend this activity for couples and groups of friends.

The owners, staff and crew made our special wedding day really special! All 34 out our guests raved about the experience! Beautiful views, great wine, great service, shipshape organization and quality.
Do yourself a favor and book this boat for a cruise, or just book a spot on one of their regular runs. It is one of the best ways to see the bay and taste some GREAT wines!