Livermore's Best-Kept Wine Secret
Downtown Livermore Β· Livermore Β· Wine Bar & Retail Shop Β· Visit Website β
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk Β· July 11, 2026
RagingWine reviewed First Street Wine Companyβs wine list and gave it The Wild Card β RagingWineβs Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists β
Wingman Metrics
Walking into First Street Wine Company feels less like entering a restaurant and more like walking into your most wine-obsessed friend's living room β if that friend happened to stock Silver Oak and Domaine Carneros. The list is compact at around 35 labels, but it's curated with intention, leaning hard into California and Livermore Valley pride without completely ignoring the wider world.
The backbone here is California β Caymus Napa Cab, Belle Glos Dairyman Pinot, Rombauer Chard, Daou Soul of a Lion β all crowd favorites done right. But there are a few smart detours: Pirouette's Walla Walla blend brings some Pacific Northwest credibility, and Sager & Verdier Sancerre keeps the Loire represented for anyone who needs their whites on the brighter end. Sparkling gets proper attention with both Schramsberg Brut RosΓ© and Piper-Heidsieck 1785 CuvΓ©e on the menu β not an afterthought. The gaps are real though: if you're hunting for Old World depth, Italian, Spanish, or RhΓ΄ne, you're going to leave wanting.
Seventeen by-the-glass options is genuinely impressive for a list this size β nearly half the cellar is open and pouring, which is exactly what a wine bar should be doing. Prices run $12 to $50 a glass, and the range covers sparkling, white, red, and rosΓ© without doubling up on boring defaults. The $15 Sancerre and $15 Belle Glos glass are the obvious stars of the pour lineup.
Sager & Verdier Sancerre 2024 β $15/glass
Sancerre at $15 a glass is a legitimate steal. Crisp, mineral-driven Loire Sauvignon Blanc at a price that makes you order a second pour without guilt β this is the kind of value that keeps regulars coming back.
Pirouette Blend Walla Walla Washington 2020
Everyone's ordering the Caymus and the Belle Glos β which means the Pirouette Walla Walla blend sits quietly on the list, underordered and underrated. It's a serious, structured red blend from one of Washington's most compelling appellations, and at $70 a bottle it competes favorably with bottles that cost twice as much.
Caymus Napa Cabernet
Caymus is fine. It's always fine. It's also available at roughly every restaurant with a wine list in America, and you're paying a premium here for a bottle you could grab at Costco. This is the safe call for people who don't really want to think about wine β but you're at a wine bar. Think about wine.
Schramsberg Brut RosΓ© + Cheese and Charcuterie Board
Sparkling wine and a well-built charcuterie board is one of those combinations that exists for a reason β the bubbles cut through the fat of cured meats, the acidity lifts the funk of aged cheese, and Schramsberg's Brut RosΓ© brings enough red fruit to bridge both sides of the board without overwhelming either.
π² The Bottom Line
First Street Wine Company is punching well above its weight for a small-town wine bar in the Tri-Valley β fair prices, knowledgeable staff, and a by-the-glass program that actually gives you something to explore. If you're passing through Livermore and need a reason to stop, this is it.
Downtown Livermore Β· Livermore Β· Italian, Seafood, Grill
Strizzi's isn't a wine destination, but it does right by its neighborhood with local Livermore pours at fair prices. Send your friend here if they want a solid Italian dinner with a decent glass β just point them toward the Cab Franc.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Livermore Β· Livermore Β· Mexican
Blue Agave Club is first and foremost a tequila destination, but the wine list earns its place by betting on local Livermore producers and sneaking in a wild card or two. If you're eating here and skipping the wine entirely, you're missing a cheap way to drink well in wine country.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Livermore / Airport Area Β· Livermore Β· Hotel Bar
If you are already staying here and do not feel like driving, the Caposaldo Prosecco or Mirabelle will get the job done without too much damage. But this is Livermore β there are actual wine destinations within ten minutes that make this lobby bar look like it is not even trying.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Livermore / Airport Area Β· Livermore Β· Hotel Restaurant
If you're staying at the hotel and can't make it out to an actual Livermore Valley winery, show up on Wine Wednesday, grab a half-price bottle, and keep your expectations calibrated accordingly. For anything resembling a real wine experience, get in the car.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Occasional
Acceptable
North Livermore / Airport Area Β· Livermore Β· Hotel Bistro
You're sitting in one of California's most storied wine valleys and drinking Australian grocery-store blends at hotel markup β that's the whole story. Grab a glass of Decoy if you must, then go find an actual Livermore Valley tasting room.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Livermore / I-580 Corridor Β· Livermore Β· Steakhouse / American
Cattlemens Livermore is exactly what it advertises β a solid steakhouse wine list that won't wow you but won't let you down either. Grab the Rodney Strong, order the ribeye, and leave the bottle hunting for somewhere else.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Fairlawn / Montrose Β· Akron Β· Wine Bar & Retail Shop
Regency is the kind of wine shop Akron deserves more of β small, specific, and clearly curated by someone with a point of view. It's not a destination list, but if you're in Fairlawn and want a proper glass of white Burgundy or a bottle of Ripasso to take home, this is exactly where you go.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
South Lubbock / 98th Street Β· Lubbock Β· Wine Bar & Retail Shop
The Wine Nest is the kind of place Lubbock didn't know it needed β a genuine small-production wine shop with real range and a Texas-first identity that doesn't feel provincial. If you care about what's happening in the Texas wine scene, this is a required stop.
Surprising Depth
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Knowledgeable & Friendly
Seasonal Rotation
Proper
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