San Francisco’s Treasure Island is a short drive from downtown San Francisco via the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. It’s a fun excursion . . . especially if you enjoy wine tasting!
Experience uncrowded streets, lots of free parking, and fabulous wines with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay. Bring a picnic lunch and spend a fun day on the island!
Suggested Itinerary
Four of the wineries are located near each other with a view of the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge. Park your car and go wine tasting at all four. Bring a picnic. Dine outdoors, play bocce and sip wine; all while enjoying scenic bay views. Park in the lot at 448 Clipper Cove. Sottomarino, Sol Rouge, and Vie are located all in a row next to the bocce courts. Walk across the parking lot to visit the largest winery on the island, The Winery SF.
Half a mile away is Treasure Island Wines. This is a wine collective that pours wine from five different wineries all at one location. This was Treasure Island’s first winery. Wine is produced on the island using grapes from Mendocino, Sonoma, the Sierra Foothills, and California’s Central Coast. This is the place to sample wines from Baker Family Wines, Kohler & Frohling, Heartfelt Wines, Umbriaso, and Treasure Island Wines.
Fat Grape Winery is located in a former U.S. Navy prison less than a half mile away. Owner and winemaker, Patrick Bowen specializes in producing premier wines with no added sulfites. There is no charging for tasting his wines. As part of the redevelopment plans for Treasure Island, this historic building will be demolished in Summer 2018 to make room for new construction. After that, give them a telephone call to see where Fat Grape Winery has moved.
History of Treasure Island
Treasure Island is a man-made Island that finished construction in 1939 in time for the Golden Gate International Exposition. This “World Fair” closed in 1940. The 400 acre Island was built by sand and gravel dredged from the San Francisco Bay and the Sacramento River Delta.
During World War II the island became a naval station and was known as “The Gateway to the Pacific”. The naval base has since closed; though much of the remnants remain. The city and county of San Francisco is currently working to redevelop the island.
The Wineries on San Francisco’s Treasure Island
Fat Grape Winery
Address: 1080 Avenue M Building 670 (at 13th Street)
Telephone: (415) 613-8925
Call ahead to check their hours.
Fat Grape Winery is located in the old Navy Brig on San Francisco’s historic Treasure Island. Patrick Bowen specializes in producing premier wines with no added sulfites. There is no charge for wine tasting here!
Sol Rouge Winery
Address: Clipper Cove Way, Building 141
Telephone: (415) 756-2254
Open weekends noon – 5PM.
This is a friendly, fun place to stop and try their wines. Bring a picnic. There’s picnic tables just outside the door.
Sottomarino Winery
Address: 400 California Avenue, Building 2 Annex
Telephone: (415) 756-4200
Open daily noon – 5PM.
This tasting room is located in an old World War II submarine training facility. Enjoy both indoor and outdoor seating with great views of the Bay. The focus here is on Italian varietals. Delicious wines!
Treasure Island Wines
Address: 995 9th Street, Building 201
Telephone: (415) 394-9463
Open weekends 1PM – 5PM and weekdays 1PM – 3PM.
Treasure Island Wines was the first winery to open on Treasure Island. All phases of their wine production takes place on the island with grapes brought in from Mendocino, Sonoma, the Sierra Foothills, and California’s Central Coast.
Vie WineryAddress: Clipper Cove Way, Building 448
Telephone: (415) 756-1791
Open weekends noon – 5PM.
Great wine with a unique urban vibe. Very casual. Karen, the tasting room hostess, was knowledgable and friendly. The tasting fee is $15, but it’s waived if you purchase a bottle of wine.
The Winery San FranciscoAddress: 30 Avenue G
Telephone: (415) 735-8423
Open weekends noon – 5 PM.
The Winery San Francisco produces a variety of award winning wines. Our favorites were the Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Be sure to taste their popular sparkling wine, Glitter. This is a spacious wine tasting room that offers both indoor and outdoor seating. It’s dog friendly with great views of the San Francisco Bay. Plan a wedding or other private event at their venue on San Francisco’s Treasure Island.
#1 – Go Wine Tasting at World Class Wineries
#2 – Explore Art in the Valley
#3 – Soar Over the Valley in a Hot Air Balloon
#4 – Hike Through the Redwoods
#5 – Take a Cooking Class
#6 – Play a Round of Golf
#8 – Dine at a World Class Restaurant
#9 – Ride the Napa Wine Train
#10 – Get Married in the Napa Valley
Have fun. . . throw a wine tasting party! This step by step guide on how to plan a tasting will guarantee everyone has a fabulous time. You don’t need to be a wine expert. The idea is to relax with friends. Assign each person or couple to bring a bottle of wine. Have them cover the bottle with paper or foil for a blind tasting. Blind tastings add intrigue to the evening. Make the wine tasting a pot luck. Friends will be happy to provide an appetizer, entree, or dessert.
Number wines in the order you want to taste them. White wines should be tasted before red wines. Light wines go before heavy wines and dry wines before sweet wines. However, don’t stress over this. Everyone will be having fun and won’t even notice if the order isn’t perfect.
1.When tasting the first step is to take time to look at the vino, especially around the edges. Look for the color and the clarity. This is why clear glasses should be used for tasting.
2. Swirl the liquid in your glass. This is done to mix oxygen in, which will soften the tannins of young vino. It also opens up the flavors and aromas. The smells should be enjoyable to you.
