Nestled within the Tracy Pavilion lies one of the 209’s hidden gems at the forefront of specializing in “smaller production” wines with a great price.
Wine tasting can be as complex or as simple as you make it. When sampling, some people enjoy considering the many factors of various vintages such as the color, the aroma, the balance, the tannins, the finish, etc. Some folks prefer to keep it simple – “Does it taste good to me?” Either way is perfectly acceptable in the comfortable surroundings of Vino 100 in Tracy.
“Wine can be a very binary thing; either you like it or you don’t,” said Vino 100 owner Ron Dillon. “I recognize that individual tastes can be different so I won’t be pushy.”
Every week Vino 100 customers have the opportunity to try unique wines and decide for themselves what they like and don’t like. For the aficionado or novice, tasting notes are provided while sampling a variety of wines, ranging from whites to reds and light-bodied to full, intense wines.
Wine lovers will be taken aback the instant they enter Vino 100 with its floor-to-ceiling wine racks displaying over 100 labels. The selections are mostly from regions of California, but there are nods to Argentina, Chile, Italy and France. Café style tables and chairs are inside the establishment where a server will assist you and your companions, or for friendly conversation with others, customers can sit at the wine bar area.
Dillon and his wife Mykael have owned the combined store and tasting room since September 2013 after Dillon’s 25-year Silicon Valley high-tech career. Even while working in the computer industry Dillon still popped corks and poured wines on weekends part-time for a few years due to his love for the fruit of the vine.
“I was exposed to wines at a fairly early age when my mother, who was in the hotel industry, was choosing and selecting wines for various restaurants,” Dillon said. “I’ve also had several friends that were wine makers and owners of smaller production wineries.”
Dillon said by carrying smaller, lesser-known wineries, it offers patrons the chance to try something they’ve never tasted in the past or a winery they’ve never been to before. Wines on the tasting menu are rotated monthly and wines are also available by the glass.
Along with the various wines, Vino 100 also has an extensive selection of local craft beers.
“Man does not live by wine alone,” Dillon quipped. “With the craft beers it can be as exciting as the small production wines. I watch the same excitement from the beer lovers as I do the wine lovers.”
In addition to tastings, live entertainment is offered on the weekends along with a calendar packed with fun events including comedy nights, live music events, wine maker’s pourings, special flight nights, bingo nights and even the occasional karaoke night.
A wine club is offered at a monthly rate of $40 that provides members two bottles of wine from a selection of four varietals and to also purchase store wines at a discount. Members are invited to come to the store and try them, then decide which they want to take home.
“Instead of me selecting the shipment, members get the opportunity to come in and choose which are more suitable to their taste,” Dillon said. “Club wines are changed every month.”
Dillon said the monthly club wines are usually a coherent selection from the same winery or region from the tastings offered.
Vino 100
Tracy Pavilion
467 Naglee Road
Tracy, CA 95304
Store Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday: 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Phone: (209) 839-2200
