Tofino Wines

Opened in April 2015, TOFINO WINES is a San Francisco retail wine shop and bar. Our well-edited selection of several hundred wines focuses on classic and emerging regions in California, France, Italy and Spain, including a broad range of Champagne and Sherry—two of our all-time favorite wines. TOFINO WINES offers a diverse array of wines by the glass that changes weekly, providing the opportunity for customers to taste interesting, lesser-known wines from emerging regions at the bar, before deciding on a retail purchase. TOFINO WINES also offers a selection of craft beer, hard cider and wine on tap, alongside a featured bottle list. Bottles purchased from the retail shop may be enjoyed in the bar area for a corkage fee of $10.

A menu of snacks includes a weekly changing selection of local and imported cheeses, cured meats and crostini.

Events: TOFINO WINES hosts fun, educational tastings and winemaker events on a weekly basis. With a large and highly adaptable physical space, TOFINO WINES also has the capacity for a wide range of private events, from tastings for 8 guests to larger receptions. A flexible floor plan allows for a variety of different configurations and options. Co-owner/Wine Director Mark Nevin provides his expertise to guide guests in choosing the perfect wines for their events.

Design: With the feel of a faraway railway station discovered somewhere in the south of Spain or north of France, TOFINO WINES is a dramatic, 2,500 sq. ft. space, with 20 ft. high ceilings and large picture windows that provide abundant natural light and street views. A comfortable, airy seating area features original 1920’s terra cotta tile floors, walnut tables and a bar overlooking Geary and Masonic streets. Exposed concrete columns and a polished concrete floor are offset by a hand-crafted marble bar and service counter, and custom-designed walnut shelving for wine retail. A former Begins Storage vault used to store the valuables of cross-country travelers has been enclosed in glass and serves as a room for reserve wine storage and private tastings. Vintage French railway station light fixtures hang in the space, and original1940’s bus rolls from Vancouver, B.C. adorn the walls.

TOFINO WINES is inspired by the wild, coastal town of Tofino on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, where co-owner Mark Nevin spent many summers as a teenager growing up in Vancouver, B.C., and where he and his wife/business partner April have traveled together several times. Tofino Inlet was discovered and named in 1792 by Spanish commanders, Galiano and Valdés, in honor of their Admiral, Vicente Tofiño de San Miguel y Wanderiales, who hailed from Cádiz, Spain (the center of Sherry production), and under whom the young explorers had learned cartography. They were among the first to circumnavigate Vancouver Island and map the coastline of British Columbia.