2025 has just begun and my heart aches as fires rage in LA. It is an ominous start to an undoubtedly challenging new year, but Oakland Yard has made me ever more certain that community is the way through even the most difficult times.

Community is a word that gets thrown around a lot and the imprecision can hollow out the meaning. But community is central to our lives, and when I think about what it means to us at Oakland Yard, I start with our customers. You come in day after day, not just to buy a bottle but often to bring stories or evidence of your latest culinary feats, the news of your lives, or to have a glass and a chat before you go. I also think about our team, each person who makes Oakland Yard not only a site of transaction but also connection. I think about the group of artists and craftspeople who have helped us mark so many occasions with our signature outdoor market party, celebrating the long summer days, the first warmth of spring, and our anniversary. I think about the other business owners and workers on the block– Oscar and Jake, guitar-man Johnny, Emma and Irene at States Coffee, the Marquee stylists and the Moran Brothers, Steve and the punks at 1-2-3-4 Go, Dax and his barbershop crew. I think of the winemakers, distributors, and delivery people dropping cases week after week. I also think of the other small business owners across Oakland and the East Bay who think about community like we do: interconnected circles of relationships who come together to give and receive support.

We all, in bigger and smaller ways, tend to this place– 420 40th Street, Temescal, Oakland, the Bay Area, California– and that connects us to each other. In this spirit, I’m excited to help launch the Third Space Collective, a nascent mutual aid effort to fortify community-rooted small business owners, and I invite you to support the participating businesses who exemplify these values.

In the weeks and months ahead, Oakland Yard will be here for you, come what may, and I will be hosting the winter series Welcome Wednesdays: soup, bread, wine, and welcome. Come be nourished, feel connected to the people you share this place with, and help tend to the spirit of our community.

But first, TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Wines of Southern France - Taste 3 reds from the Languedoc-Roussillon or 3 whites from Provence and the Rhône valley.
2023 Domaine de Roquefort Petit Salé de Villeneuve
2023 Anne Pichon Sauvage Vermentino
2022 Domaine la Cabotte Colline Côtes du Rhone Blanc
2023 Domaine Rimbert Chant de Marjolaine
2019 Les Clos Perdus Année Rouge
2020 Domaine de Majas Côtes Catalanes Rouge
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 1/11: OREGON WINE FLIGHTS -
Taste a white, a light ‘orange’ wine, and two reds from the Willamette, Bear Creek, and Applegate Valleys.
2023 Cameron Giuliano White Blend
2022 Kelley Fox Nerthus Skin-Macerated White
2023 Ayres Vineyard Ribbon Ridge Gamay
2022 Twill Cellars Syrah
Flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Yours,
Julia

“Daylight leaks in, and sluggishly I surface
from my own dreams into the common dream”

So begins Jorge-Luis Borges’ poem Waking Up, and my entry into the new year. Julia and I fled to the Capay Valley to ring in 2025 with a home-cooked meal among friends and a blazing bonfire ringed with local farmers beneath a dazzling canopy of stars. And we sang and danced at midnight to The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want, a tradition I picked up back in the nineties from a Vermont family who’d likely been featuring the track for decades. The spirit is apt and the lyrics are as dumbfounding as Auld Lang Syne. The song begins with a tender melody from the London Bach Choir with organ, perfect for hugs and kisses, then builds to a feverish revival pitch that can only be met with the ecstatic energy required to begin a new year. Now I think I’m ready. May 2025 bring you happy surprises and more love and happiness.

Oakland Yard will be CLOSED this Monday 1/6 and Tuesday 1/7 for inventory counting. We'll reopen Wednesday 1/8 from 11 to 9 with Julia’s Welcome Wednesday Soup Pop-Up from 5 to 8pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

But first, TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Slovenian whites and Portuguese reds
These two small European countries (the size of Massachusetts and Indiana, respectively) have been making excellent wine for millennia (more compelling than anything I’ve tasted from Massachusetts or Indiana) and we’re excited to share some of their distinctive viniferous styles.
2023 Črnko Jareninčan 1L
2018 Kabaj Ravan Friulano
2021 Guerila Vipavska Dolina Rebula
2023 Filipa Pato Dinamica Baga Tinto
2021 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Vinho Tinto
2021 Quinta das Arcas Herdade Penedo Gordo Tinto
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 1/4: HUNGARIAN WINE FLIGHTS: Sample a smoky, mineral, dry Tokaji, two refreshing new sillers (IYKYK), and a liter of fruity, light red from the land of waters.
2021 Samuel Tinon Birtok Dry Tokaji Furmint
2022 Heimann & Fiai Piros Siller
2023 Káli Kövek Karmazin
2023 Vaskapu Kastély Easy Red 1L
Flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Let’s share a cup o’ kindness yet,

Max

The first time I took my daughter out to learn to ride a bike was remarkable. A neighbor had put their kid's old bike on the curb to give away, and on a whim I loaded the bike and my 5 year older daughter in my CR-V and we drove to a parking lot in the Oakland hills for her first lesson. 

Minutes later, I was holding the bike steady with my hands on the front bar and the rear seat as she mounted the cycle. But as I began my orientation, she pushed the pedal forward and simply took off.  No lesson, no nothing. She just started riding. I couldn’t find any words, no cheer nor caution... just ridiculous squawks chasing after her in disbelief, reaching for my phone to record, then reconsidering after what I presumed would be an inevitable accident. She called from some distance: I can’t stop!... I don’t know how to turn this thing!... and then somehow she instinctively U-turned and cruised back down to me. She dismounted, looking just as surprised and frightened of her new ability as I was.  I think I’m gonna take a break now, she suggested with some relief.

I feel compelled to note that this episode was indeed a true surprise and highly unusual – I am by no means suggesting my daughter is advanced in any way, unless sass is something that can be ranked by any current national metric.

Now 7, she just got a new bigger bike for Christmas yesterday and the cycle (pun intended) continues, with her her little sister learning to ride this week. The little one is not so naturally athletic and will start the old-fashioned way with training wheels. I’ll let you know how it goes.


Thank you for joining the unpredictable ride that this little shop has been so far and for giving us the gift of another year. We love being a part of this beautiful community. Here's to another year together and to whatever the road ahead may yield. We look forward to riding together into the new year, whether with training wheels or wild, reckless joy.  


TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Austrian Gruner and Loire Reds
2023 Hiedler Loss Gruner Veltliner
2023 Nigl Freiheit Gruner Veltliner
2023 OTT Amberg Gruner Veltliner 
2022 Chateau St Marie Petite Marie Rouge
2022 Sebastian David Hurluburlu Cab Franc
2022 Les Athletes du Vin Chinon
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 12/28: CHAMPAGNE FLIGHTS!
Get ready to ring in the new year with sparking delights...
Tassin Champagne
Lelarge Pugeeout Tradition
Pierre Moncuit Coulmet
Flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Cheers,

Daniel

Once again, and seemingly so swiftly, we near the close of another year. This Saturday the Sun will align with the Southern Tropic and, with little time aloft, will trace a shallow arc to the ocean, dropping from view beside the great redwood of 40th and Webster Streets, and we will know we’ve reached the depth of winter. And once again, the shop is full of wine and chocolate, cheese and paté, tinned fish and mulled wine kits, beer, Port, Sequoia Sake gift boxes, and holiday cheer, bursting with goods to enliven your end of year festivities.

Drop in this week for a glass while you shop, or a relaxing flight with an old friend. We’ve enjoyed a steady stream of friendly faces this holiday season - regulars with visiting relatives, returning Oaklanders demonstrating their own nativity, dropping in for a bottle to share with family, and I’m looking forward to many more of these happy reunions as the year comes to a close. Thanks so much for all of your support! Oakland Yard will OPEN EARLY this Monday 12/23 from NOON to 9pm ... and OPEN this Tuesday, Christmas Eve from 11 to 6pm to satisfy your outstanding needs for gifts and wine!


But first, TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: White Burgundy and red Rhone blends
Taste elegant, mineral Chardonnay and earthy, spicy, Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault
2023 Domaine Côteaux des Margots Mâcon-Villages
2022 Domaine Perroud Chiras Bourgogne Blanc
2022 Yannick Cadiou Petit Chablis
2023 Domaine de Sulauze Cochon VdF Rouge
2019 Domaine d l’Agramante Ciaula Côtes-du-Rhône
2021 Domaine du Pourra Ma P’tite Pause Côtes-du-Rhône
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 12/21: WINTER SOLSTICE FLIGHTS - Wines of nature. Wines of change.
2021 Guerila Vipavska Dolina Rebula
2023 Charles Frey Bien dans sa Peau
2022 Desire Lines Winds of Change Syrah
2022 Domaine des Pothiers Eclipse Méthode Ancestrale Rosé
Flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Cheers,
Max

HOLIDAY HOURS:
OPEN Thursday-Monday regular hours til 9pm
MONDAY 12/23 OPEN EARLY - NOON To 9pm
TUESAY 12/24 Christmas Eve  - OPEN from 11 To 6pm 
* Closed Christmas Day *

Seven years ago this week, I wasn't thinking too much about the holidays. The shop had just turned one year old and my wife and I were expecting our first child at any moment. As much as I thought I had prepared, when the day came it ultimately wasn't too far from the chaotic scene from so many movies. The frantic phone call that "it was happening..." and the scramble that ensued (forever).

I can count on one hand the times we've closed shop early, unexpectedly or otherwise. But seven years ago, a handful of you were there and got the news with me in real time. I can still hear my clumsy announcement after I hung up from my wife's call. An excited gasp from the bar. A raised glass (and a few of you downing your glasses in record time). Some regulars and a few strangers gathering their coats, smiling, excited for me. A couple helping lock up shop. Pats on the shoulder at the door. A hug. All of us in the silly scene together. 

Wherever your head or heart is this month, however prepared or otherwise... whatever holiday happenings or high jinks might be in store, we'll be here for you. No rushing out unexpectedly - our doors are open everyday until 9pm and we're here to make this month a joyful one and simply fuss free. Our staff are here to help curate cases for parties and festivities and we've got seasonal gifts from special holiday 6 packs to mulling spice kits to sake box sets and everything in between.

And for those needing something extra special... the OAKLAND YARD Wine Club is a spectacular holiday gift (to yourself or a loved one:)... and one that will keep on giving! Each month, club members receive two outstanding wines for $48. Max writes dynamic and detailed tasting notes for each release as we move around the world tasting and exploring various regions and grape varieties. We are tasting wines from all over, all month, to choose selections specifically for this club - so these bottles rarely make it onto the shelves here. With each club installment we share why we love these wines and include background notes on the producer, grape varieties, winemaking techniques, regional history, tasting notes and occasional recipes or pairing suggestions - a mini personal wine class. Club members also enjoy 10% ALL in store purchases - along with 10% off ALL FLIGHTS and WINES BY THE GLASS, always! JOIN TODAY. Stop by the shop or give us a call at (510) 808- 5129. Or you can now sign up ONLINE!
  
Speaking of Glasses and Flights...
TONIGHT... Thursday Night Flights! SOUTHERN FRENCH WHITES & GREEK XINOMAVRO!:
2023 Domaine de Roquefort Petit Salé de Villeneuve
2023 Domaine de Brin Pierres Blanches Gaillac Blanc
2017 Laballe Les Sables Fauves Landes Blanc
2022 Vaeni Naoussa Xinomavro
2019 Vaeni Grande Reserve Xinomavro
2022 Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 12/14: ZINFANDEL Flights!Classic cool weather reds - fresh and lively local treasures...
2023 Camp Zinfandel
2022 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel
2022 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel
2016 Sky Vineyards Estate Zinfandel
Flights $20 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SUNDAY 12/15: Ed's Bread Pop Up from 1 to 4. Ed's Bread Pop Up returns with artisan breads including sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi - as well as sweet and savory pastries, scones, and cookies!

Cheers,

Daniel

Today, December 5th 2024, would have been Joan Didion’s ninetieth birthday. Didion’s writing helped form my conception of life in America, specifically the idiosyncrasies of California, and I think of her work often as I wander this land. Last week, I was enjoying a holiday Martini at the Thaddich Grill, a place Joan would have loved - or probably DID love - and one of several San Francisco centenarian dining establishments with which every bay area maven should familiarize themselves, and, not for the first time, I considered the restaurant’s history. This grand space, with its endless mahogany bar and well-shorn white-coated servers, originated when three Croatians - Budrovich, Gasparich, and Kosta - opened a coffee stand that served grilled fish on a pier in 1849, a time when the San Francisco bay came to the edge of Montgomery street, and California was not yet an American state! Just one year prior, in February of 1848, the United States wrested California from Mexico, and on December 5th 1848, President James K. Polk told congress gold had been discovered in California, setting off the California Gold rush. San Francisco went from a town of 1,000 people in 1848 to a city of 25,000 by 1850, when California became a member of the United States.

As I finished my cocktail, I considered that from 1920 until 1933 my drink was prohibited by the US government, by the will of the people, and no one was having Martinis at the Thaddich Grill for those fourteen years (the origin of the Martini is disputed, but they were certainly in circulation by 1920). Then I conjured thoughts of the festivities that must have engulfed the city following the 18th amendment’s repeal on December 5th, 1933, one year to the day before the birth of our dear, insightful bon vivant and national treasure, Joan Didion. How time flies!

The past is known, albeit strange, and the future uncertain, though sure to be even stranger. Let’s not forget how different things were around here so very recently, appreciate what we’ve got, and know that change will come. In this frame, Oakland Yard is a blink of an eye, but a beautiful blink and all the more reason to come celebrate life with wine and friends. This coming ‘Welcome Wednesday’ Julia will be serving up a hearty Tuscan Ribollita soup, full of beans, fresh veggies, and we’ve got wines by the glass from noon until nine every day.

But first, TONIGHT...a special THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHT with guest winemaker Terah Bajjalieh of TERAH WINE CO.:
2023 Verdejo
2023 Skin Fermented Falanghina
2022 Pinot Noir
2022 Barbera
Flights $20 from 5 to 8:30 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 12/7: WINTER REDS - We’ll pop a delicious MAGNUM of northern Rhone Syrah, along with three other rich, satisfying, full-bodied reds from Italy, Spain, and California, all fit for a holiday meal or just a chilly December evening.
2022 Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage 1.5 Liter
2021 Terra d'Aligi Tatone Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
2021 Juan Gil Monstrell
2022 Cary Q Hollis Mourvedre
Flights $18 from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Cheers,

Max

I share a lot of stories through these missives - but no stories today. As I've likely said in the past, some days are for story gathering, for memory collecting, Today's a good day for looking around and realizing our individual narratives have some pretty sweet chapters.

So let's keep eyes and hearts open to the tale unfolding, and to the characters within our stories that mean so much to us. You can tell us all about your holiday feasts and fun (or disasters) when we connect again. I'm sure I'll have some anecdotes for you too :)

Some quick news: We're OPEN TODAY from 10-2 and back to regular hours all weekend! Lion's Dance Cafe will be taking over Tacos Oscar through Monday - pick up next door and grab a table and some glasses here! Welcome Wednesdays will take a break next week, but will return for service Wednesday 12/11. We've got Terah Bajjalieh (TERAH WINE CO) pouring her wines at Oakland Yard next Thursday 12/5 from 5-9! And lastly... this Saturday - Flights this week, as always, from 2-6!

THANK YOU for choosing OAKLAND YARD. Your ongoing support means the world to us, and we are truly grateful to serve and be a part of this wonderful community. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

SATURDAY 11/30: Italian Flights...
2021 Ezio Poggio Caespes Timorasso Terre di Libarna
2022 Pacher Hof Kerner
2023 Foradori LEZER Teroldego
2021 Terra d'Aligi Tatone Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Cheers,
Daniel

A Generation X Sagittarian and a Chinese pig, I was born on a Sunday, 52 years, 11 months and 23 days ago, which means I’ll be working on my birthday, this Thursday. But I’m not mad about it. Thanksgiving at Oakland Yard is a short shift - 10am to 2pm - our traditional ‘Here’s your chance to grab that wine, Port, beer or cheese that makes the meal complete’ with locals all duded up and radiating holiday vibes, some enjoying an early afternoon aperitif, and maybe a little break in the wet weather, if we haven’t all floated off by then.

In anticipation of the much-needed rain, we’ve tucked a few new tables inside Oakland Yard for extra indoor seating, and we’ve got more exciting events planned for the coming weeks, including our continuing ‘Welcome Wednesday’ comfort food series, next week featuring Julia’s Japanese curry, which is amazingly delicious, and who wants to cook the night before Thanksgiving? Lion Dance Cafe will be popping up at Tacos Oscar on 11/28 through 12/2 from 5 to 9, and as always, you’re free to bring food from anywhere on the block into Oakland Yard for optimal pairing and immediate enjoyment. We’re also looking forward to tasting again with winemaker Terah Bajjalieh, who will be back at Oakland Yard pouring flights of her current releases on Thursday 12/5 from 5 to 8:30.

But first, TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: WINES for FEASTING - Our picks from around the world for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or just a cozy meal on a rainy weekday.
2022 United Cellars of Tekov Just Kids Muscat - Slovakia
2023 Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc - California
2022 Domaine du Chambet Chasselas - Switzerland
2023 Vina Maitia Aupa Pipeno Pais Carignan - Chile
2022 Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro - Greece
2023 Domaine Rimbert Chant de Marjolaine - France
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 11/23: BEAUJOLAIS FLIGHTS -
Gamay is delicious with just about anything, and a classic pairing for the Thanksgiving meal. Taste a range of styles from Nouveau to the Crus.
2024 Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais Nouveau
2021 Nicolas Boudeau Brouilly Garanches
2020 Georges Descombes Brouilly
2022 Julien Sunier Fleurie
Flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!


Cheers,
Max

There's a line in an Irish sitcom, where the predictably dim-witted sidekick peaks through a curtain to assess the size of a crowd gathering outside. "I'm no good at judging the size of crowds Ted, but I'd say there's about seventeen million of them out there...", he concludes.  

We're still feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for how many of you showed up for the community event this weekend. There was a line of 50 people outside before we even opened and things, happily, never slowed - the waves of kind faces continued to swell all afternoon. No doubt, the caliber and quality of the culinary forces that are Lion Dance Cafe and Daruma Kiosk drew many fans and followers here - along with the exceptional lineup of artists and artisans and the curated treasures filling the booths out back too. 

Beyond the delicious food and ever-flowing wines, beyond the hundreds of fresh Small Change oysters, and the amazing vibes DJ Chungtech brought... I believe that a profound strength of unity was felt by everyone on Saturday. It is such a privilege to gather together with such a dynamic collective, a small fraction of the many vibrant ventures vitalizing this town. In times like these, supporting small, diverse and marginalized businesses is a particular form of protest - and a sheer celebration of the diversity and power of our community.

As we reflected with staff here this week, there will be an ongoing need for real connection, for togetherness. An earnest need to simply gather. And we will be here for that, for you, for all, in the weeks and months and years ahead. A place of warmth and welcome for everyone.

In the spirit of gathering, Julia will be cooking and curating a weekly soup series called WELCOME WEDNESDAYS. Simply put: Soup, bread, wine, good humans. Maybe bring something that brings you happiness (a book, a poem, a candle, a cozy sweater) to pass along to someone else if you wish. But most importantly, bring your kind spirit and your capacity to welcome. WELCOME WEDNESDAYS begin next Wednesday 11/20, from 5-9pm.

But first TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights... French reds and whites
2022 Thevenet & Fils Les Clos Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir
2022 Château Sainte-Marie Petite Marie Cabernet Franc
2022 Combel la Serre Cahors Pur Fruit du Causse Malbec
2023 Prieuré de Saint-Céols Menetou-Salon Le Prieuré Blanc
2022 Domaine la Cabotte Colline Cotes du Rhone Blanc
2023 Les Producteurs Reunis When Life Gives You Oranges
Flight $15 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until close. 

SATURDAY 11/16: CALIFORNIA FLIGHTS
2023 Joyce Vineyards Mission Ranch Arroyo Seco Albarino
2023 Erggelet Brothers Contra Costa County Malvasia
2014 Domaine de la Terre Rouge Garrigue Sierra Foothills Red
2022 Ridge Vineyards Three Valleys Sonoma County Red 
Flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass from around the globe until 9pm. 

AND Ed's Bread Pop Up returns SATURDAY too!, with artisan breads including sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi - as well as sweet and savory pastries, scones, and cookies! ED'S BREAD POP UP from 1-4pm!


In solidarity,

Daniel

The sun continues to shine this week. Hummingbirds still feed on the flowering maple, and spiders lurk in the yucca blades, but our people are out of sorts. We are not surprised, but stunned, angry, uneasy, and sad. Platitudes regain their poignancy. One foot in front of the other; together arm in arm. I feel like I’ve been knocked off my horse and may have to carry on alongside for a few days before remounting. We may also need to change horses, but the destination remains the same.

Our little corner of Oakland is still a place of love and kindness, and for this, and so many other wonders in this strange and enormous world, I am grateful. Oakland Yard is not technically a production facility, but we make love and kindness here on 40th and Webster Street every day, and for the last eight years, we’ve welcomed you to come find some of that goodness, and carry it back out into your life to share with others. As long as you’re with us, we’re not going to stop. Come by Oakland Yard this week - crawling, walking, back on the horse - we’ll be circling the wagons with joy and celebrating our eight year anniversary with dancing and deliciousness.

But first, tonight....THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Spanish reds and whites
featuring new arrivals from Ribeira Sacra, Madrid, and Catalonia
2022 4 Monos Vinos de Madrid G10 Garnacha
2022 Guímaro Ribeira Sacra Tinto
2018 Viña Olartia Crianza Rioja
2022 Avinyo Petillant Vi d'Agulla
2023 Gulp Hablo Verdejo
2022 Nuria Renom Lil
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

THIS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9th from 12-5pm - Celebrate 8 years of OAKLAND YARD! 
With music by DJ Chungtech, food from Lion Dance Café, Small Change Oyster Bar, Daruma Kiosk, and Tacos Oscar.and local artisanal vendors including LADHA Jewelry, Pretty Penny Clothing, The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, Rise Above, San Maris Botanicx, Hope Bryson, and others... and we’ll be pouring the newly released BScene Skin-Fermented ‘Orange’ Malvasia made by Oakland Yard superstar Bibi Adams!!! Hope to see you there!


ONE LOVE,

Max

For anyone curious, I'll be a pirate tonight. My kids have been insisting on it, for reasons unknown. They told mom to be a "disco bat", we'll see how that turns out. Our little one is going to be a black cat and her sister a witch. I overheard the older one discussing costumes with her classmates at drop off yesterday, other kids sharing their visions and possibilities. "I'm gonna be a fart", one of the boys proclaimed.

But it's another night of trick-or-treating for many, some off to costume parties, or others hosting movie nights, eerie music and screams emanating from TVs all evening. The loudest scream I think I ever heard was one Halloween in 6th grade, trick-or-treating in my friend's neighborhood. We stopped in at what we thought was the home of another kid from school but had the wrong address. He said they'd have the lights off since they weren't passing out candy and that we should let ourselves in around back. But it wasn't the right home, and his elderly neighbor turned on the lights in her rear kitchen to discover us entering... her shriek scared us (for years) maybe more than we startled her. Even at our height, my friend's Jason Voorhees mask and accessories were probably alarming (though in hindsight it's possible she found my Michael Jackson getup equally frightening).


Whatever your plans are for tonight or for the weekend, we've got you covered - with loads of treats for your parties, movie nights, or cozy hangouts. No tricks here, Just unique (and some unusual), dynamic and delicious bottles to go - and flights and wines by the glass all night and all weekend. Stop in and stock up...or drop by and hang a while with us! Disco bats welcome.

Tonight....THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS!: Syrah & Sauvignon Blanc 
2022 Umathum Sauvignon Blanc
2023 Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II
2023 Bodkin The Victor's Spoils Sauvignon Blanc
2022 Domaine Sylvain Badel Si le Vin Syrah
2022 Domaine des Entrefaux Les Champs Fourné Crozes Hermitage
2021 SC Pannell Field Street Shiraz
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 10/2: Southeastern French Alpine wines from the Savoie & Isère
2022 Domaine Labbe Abymes
2020 Philippe Viallet Savoie Blanc
2022 Domaine de Ardoisieres Silice Mondeuse
2022 Finot Frères Persan
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9...
We'll be celebrating 8 years of OAKLAND YARD from 12-5pm. We'll have culinary delights from Lion Dance Café, Small Change Oyster Bar, Daruma Kiosk, and Tacos Oscar. Other unique finds and treasures from artists and artisans like LADHA Jewelry, Pretty Penny Clothing, The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, Rise Above, San Maris Botanicx, Hope Bryson, and others....Hope to see you there!

Fair winds,
Daniel

I can feel the anticipation quietly building, buzzing like a glassy-winged sharpshooter, frothing like a warm fermentation tank, poised as a Champagne cork without a cage. People are starting to talk about it. We’ve been waiting for this moment all year, and now there’s just a couple more weeks until the big event. That’s right, Oakland Yard is turning EIGHT!!! We’re surpassing seven years with no sign of an itch, still committed and deeply in love with Oakland and the wines of the world. Were we wedded, it would be our Bronze anniversary, and while winemaking dates all the way back to the Neolithic period, the first urban development and the advent of the written word were introduced during the Bronze Age. Where would we be without wine, cities, and words? Well, it’s hard to say, but we’d have to find something else to hang our hats on.

In light of human history, it is barely a moment, a blink of an eye, but for a small business in Oakland, eight years is a good long run, and thanks to you all, we’re just hitting our stride. We’re also in good company: Roses’ Taproom just down Telegraph is celebrating seven years open this Saturday the 26th, and Minimo in Jack London Square will be drinking to their nine years of wine sales next Saturday, November 2nd. And then it’s our turn...come gather with us on Saturday November 9th from 12 to 5pm, to celebrate 8 years of OAKLAND YARD. We'll have tasty bites from Lion Dance Café, Small Change Oyster Bar, Daruma Kiosk, and Tacos Oscar. Other unique finds and treasures from artists and artisans like LADHA Jewelry, Pretty Penny Clothing, The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, Rise Above, San Maris Botanicx, Hope Bryson, and others....Hope to see you there!

But first...TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - Spanish reds and whites from Galicia, Basque Country, Extremadura, Gran Canaria, and Montsant.
2022 Txomin Etxaniz Txakolina
2021 Carballal Cepas Viejas Albarino
2022 Bodegas Romero Prelvm Raposa Naranja
2022 Fronton de Oro Tinto
2023 Vendrell Sere Montsant
2021 Sindicat la Figuera Montsant Garnatxa Negra
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 10/26: SICILIAN WINE FLIGHTS featuring fresh releases from Arianna Occhipinti and a new vintage of ‘orange’ Catarratto from Dario Serrentino.
2023 Occhipinti SP68 Bianco
2023 Serrentino Fuso Cala Bianco Skin Fermented Catarratto
2022 Occhipinti SP68 Rosso
2022 Occhipinti Frappato
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


Cheers,
Max

About 10 years ago, when I was making wine and living in Guerneville, my wife and I were invited to a get together up in Anderson Valley, by a new co-worker of hers. We drove over an hour, up the steep curving hills of the Yorkville Highlands, and then up through perilous unmaintained roads winding from Boonville to a tiny remote cabin the host had occasional access to, for reasons never explained. There was a fence that needed opening at some point midway along the final stretch, one that my wife was (literally) shocked to discover was electric and active. Eventually we made it to the cabin where the host was alone and taking a nap. 

Years before, my friend and I were randomly invited to someone's birthday party in the hills of East Hollywood. I can't recall much about the evening, but I do remember trying to find a bathroom and discovering a small room off a dark hallway - a room that was devoted entirely to Corey Haim. Framed professional portraits of him covering the walls, photographs from all stages of his life. A small altar with candles. (I don't know why I don't talk about this discovery more often).

I could share many tales of strange invitations, and unusual situations I landed in - but I can also fill a book and chronicle countless surprises, happy memories, and indelible joys I experienced for simply saying OK I'll see you there... 

This autumn air implores us to gather and connect. And these months ahead will surely challenge our spirits and require community like never before. Come gather here, and celebrate with us, on Saturday November 9th from 12-5, to celebrate 8 years of OAKLAND YARD - and the great joy it has been to be part of this neighborhood and the East Bay community for the past eight years. We'll have culinary delights from Lion Dance Café, Small Change Oyster Bar, Daruma Kiosk, and Tacos Oscar. Other unique finds and treasures from artists and artisans like LADHA Jewelry, Pretty Penny Clothing, The Pland Queen, Pablo Cristi, Rise Above, and others. Outdoor beer and wine bar and DJ too! It's going to be epic, come join us! Don't sleep on it. Grab a loved one or three and say OK, we'll see you there...

But first...TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - Alpine whites and Austrian Reds
2021 LPhillipe Viallet Savoie Blanc
2022 Domaine du Chambet Chasselas
2019 Taschlerhof Kener
2021 KOLFOLK 'All Universe' Red
2022 Felix BLAU (Blaufrankish)
2020 Winzerin Birgit Wiederstein Ein Traum,
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 10/19: ITALIAN Flights AND EDS BREAD Pop Up returns ... artisan breads (full or half loaves sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi - as well as sweet and savory pastries, scones, and cookies...
2022 Sagona Primi Passi Bianco
2022 Allesandro Viola 'Note de Bianco' Terre Siciliane
2022 Castello di Verduno Basadone 
2022 La Stoppa Vino Rosso
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


See you soon,
Daniel

Jacquère, Pelaverga, Timorasso...we get excited by obscure grape varieties. At any given moment, the shelves at Oakland Yard contain a parade of unfamiliar grape names and unique flavors, and part of our mission is to bring these lesser known regions and grapes to your attention, and to your dinner table. Today’s wine drinker is iconoclastic, skeptical of tradition and the power it protects, eager to embrace the unconventional, and dubious that a wine will deliver pleasure commensurate with a higher cost. And generally, we’re right there with you.

But Daniel and I also have a great love of ‘classic’ styles, wines from well-established regions your grandparents may have enjoyed, like Rioja, Barolo, and Bordeaux, and sometimes it feels like we’re so busy looking for the new thing that we forget how really satisfying a tried-and-true, ‘traditional’ wine can be. There are reasons why, for hundreds of years, people have held French Burgundy in such high esteem. The wines can be incredibly complex and expressive, fruity, earthy, and mineral, with a pinpoint balance of sweetness and acidity. As I was reminded this week, drinking good Burgundy is a wonderfully specific experience. As the wine’s aromas and flavors change in the glass with air, each sip holds a new interest that makes you want to come back for another. Join us this Saturday while we set aside the rare varieties, the au courante vins de soif, orange wines, and pet-nats, and reach for the celebrated and dependable, though still somehow surprising, joys of Burgundy with flights of four delicious examples.

But first...TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - California whites and Italian Reds
2021 Loella Pinot Gris
2023 Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc
2022 Bannister Gittens Vineyard Dry Creek Valley Ribolla Gialla
2021 Fuso Cantine Polvanera Calx Primitivo
2021 Scarpa Barbera d’Asti Casa Scarpa
2021 Castello di Tassarolo Orsola Monferrato Rosso
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 10/12: Burgundy Flights - Taste two whites and two reds that show the elegance and complexity of wines from this renowned region.
2022 Domaine Grivot-Goisot Côtes d'Auxerre Bourgogne Blanc
2021 Domaine Robert-Denogent Macon-Villages
2021 Domaine Bader-Mimeur Bourgogne Rouge Dessous les Mues
2022 Domaine Berthaut-Gerbet Hautes Côtes de Nuits Rouge
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


Cheers,
Max

I rented a van yesterday to pick up a couple bookcases I found on Craigslist.  I called the local Uhaul to confirm what they had in stock, and the representative on the phone was barely 20 seconds into the process when his voice changed dramatically, and he asked me to hold. The line wasn't muted, so I could here hear what initially sounded like maybe a sneeze building. But an extended sniffling continued, along with what next sounded like panting, or even more so like sobbing. Some muffled, anguished communication was shared with another employee. Ah, god, no!... she replied from a nearby counter as the sobbing sounds continued. Damn, she continued, Everyone going through something this week... I heard her trail off. 

A minute later he was back on the line and re-engaged. Sorry for the wait, he said, like nothing happened. It felt intrusive to ask about his problems, but I checked in, clumsily: Is.. everything..OK??  I could hear him back at the keyboard. Oh yeah, All good. A mosquito flew up my nose - AGAIN - but I wasn't gonna let THIS one die up there... Will you be needing a van or a truck?


I sat down at my computer with the intention of thanking everyone for coming out to the amazing Urelio's Pizza event in the back lot Saturday. Or to tell you to SAVE THE DATE for our 8 Year Anniversary Party on November 9th! Or maybe just to let you know about our flights tonight, and about Peter Andrews of CULTURE WINE CO. pouring South African wines this Saturday! But now I'm thinking about the boxes of books that I need to unpack to fill these empty bookcases - and thinking about a lost mosquito who just may have survived the mucus membranes of a sensitive Uhaul service agent, perhaps only momentarily. 

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Italian Whites and Spanish Reds
2023 La Biancara Angiolino Maule Masieri Bianco
2023 Bruno Verdi Pinot Grigio
2023 Elvio Tintero Vino Bianco Secco
2019 Agricole Macatho 'Tinajacura' Cinsault/Carignan
2020 Maturana Negra San Francisco
2020 Clos de Luz "Massal 1945" Carmenere
Flights $15 from 5 to 9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY: Peter Andrews of CULTURE WINE CO. pouring South African Flights
2020 Luddite Saluez "le Saboteur" White Blend 
2022 Brookdale Estate 'Mason Road' Chenin Blanc
2021 Klein Amoskuil QVEVRI Red Blend
2021 Magna Carta Wine 'Mphumi' Indlu Shiraz
Flights $20 from 2 to 6 and wines by the glass from around the globe until 9pm!


Bless you,

Daniel

After a week of rest and relaxation, followed by a week of work and isolation, I’ve begun to make plans to reemerge. My partner and social director is traveling, and our home is as oddly still as those of our friends whose teenagers have just flown the coop. I forget how disorienting September can be, as we revisit our obligations and intentions after the lull of late summer. And I feel disconnected from my people. They’ve been in far-off places, then to a wedding somewhere, then bed-ridden, stricken by the newest edition of our perennial affliction, and now they’re out of sight, drafting austerity measures, knuckling down, and preparing to launch this year’s marble.

So I’m calling them up and calling them out, to a dinner here and a coffee there, to reconnect and examine life’s complexities together, with many eyes, the only way to rightly see. I’m thirsty for their observations and reservations, their stories, worries, and laughter, and tired of my own, as one grows tired of their go-to salad dressing. “What do you see when you turn out the light? I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.” I find some things in life too difficult to digest on one’s own, too tough to get my head around, or impossible to hold or even handle, without some trusted help. Lean on your friends; get out and see your people; invite them for a walk or a lunch or a tasting flight at Oakland Yard, the optimal place to collectively ruminate, address the problems of the world and appreciate its wonderment. In addition to our daily wines by the glass, we’ve got several events planned this week that are bound to be joyous and lively, including rosé tasting flights Saturday and Urelio’s Pizza this Sunday. Come on by and bring a friend!

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Spanish Reds and French Whites
2021 Linaje del Pago Rojo Carmin Listán Negro
2022 Casa Balaguer Tragolargo Monastrell 2022 Bodegas D Mateo La Mateo Rioja
2022 Domaine Labbé Abymes
2023 Hugues Beaulieu Picpoul de Pinet
2022 Domaine Fouet Saumur Blanc
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 9/28: 2023 ROSÉ from all over the world - Dry, still, pink wine from Austria, France, California, and Sicily!
2023 Felix Rosy Rosé
2023 Marc Plouzeau Château de la Bonnelière Rive Gauche Chinon Rosé
2023 Las Jaras Superbloom
2023 Scalunera Etna Rosato
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

AND ***THIS SUNDAY*** September 29th: The long-awaited return of URELIO'S PIZZA! We are thrilled to host Former Chez Panisse cook, Sam Cicarreli, brings his roving pizza oven to our lot for an afternoon of pizza and wine and other delights! Pizzas sold individually from Urelio's truck from 1-4 pm (or until sold out!). Wine and beer by the glass from us at our outdoor bar. Event will be in the back lot. All are welcome!


Cheers,
Max

Being a creature of habit, I used to park at the same intersection a few blocks from my daughter's kindergarten nearly every morning. While I enjoyed the leisurely walk with my little one to school, there was a long stretch of time where I enjoyed the walk back just as much. Because all along the way, stubborn sidewalk chalk messages remained, for many weeks and months after the school "Move-a-thon" fundraiser that saw kids zooming by and counting laps around the blocks.

The messaging was completely out of context so long after the event. And the words would have been absurd if not still received with such welcome, and perhaps, with some silent need on many mornings. Keep Going! one cement square would read. Then I'd come across DON"T STOP NOW! in rainbow colors a minute later. One could still make out Stay Hydrated! with a little bottle illustration. And further down just before my car, was the ever encouraging You GOT THIS! accompanied by a sweet, clunky thumbs up. Some days I'd notice other parents pausing before certain squares too, most avoiding the colorful marks and stepping around the text. Some heads seeming to be a little higher after passing. Some walking a little lighter.

Four years ago, in the midst of the pandemic and the presidential election cycle, Booker Riley quietly crafted his first batch of wines against extreme odds and circumstances. He brought into the shop during those tumultuous days, a red fizzy wine that had a simple illustration of a cartoon dinosaur wearing a small party hat, blowing a horn, enjoying the moment, even as a meteor in the distance was approaching. The back label simply read EVERYTHING IS OK. That wine disappeared from our shelves faster than any I can recall. The wines themselves reflect the messaging and their labels. They are playful, honest, defiant, hopeful. These limited bottles are made nearby in Richmond, CA, in a collective with Purity Wine and others who are committed to working with farmers of organic vineyards and making low-intervention, most often zero-zero wines. Come check out these wines and the current releases of Everything is Okay with us this Saturday from 2-6. AND Ed's Bread Pop Up returns SATURDAY too!, with artisan breads including sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi - as well as sweet and savory pastries, scones, and cookies!

But first, TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS...Spanish whites and Sicilian reds
2023 Fermi Bohigas Xarel-lo
NV Brincadeiro Naturalmente Turbio
2022 Gramona Gessami Blanco
2021 Due Terre Nivuru Terre Siciliane Rosso 
2022 Funaro Nero d'Avola
2022 Ayunta Nerello Mascalese
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 9/21 - Special Tasting with Wiley Rogers, pouring FLIGHTS of the current EVERYTHING IS OKAY lineup.
EVERYTHING IS OKAY Red Fizz
EVERYTHING IS OKAY Lite Red
EVERYTHING IS OKAY It’s Wine
EVERYTHING IS OKAY Amber Wine
Flights $18 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!


Stay hydrated. You got this.

Daniel

In Farmington, New York, where I’m from, July and August see highs in the eighties and nineties, but when September hits, temperatures drop precipitously, bottoming out in January and February when the mercury hovers between fifteen and thirty-five. I distinctly remember the odd feeling of stiffly freezing nose-hairs with each inhale as I waited for the schoolbus in winter. The change is predictable, but constant and extreme, and you can be sure these changes affect one’s life, including your mood, diet, and wardrobe, which ranges from flip flops to snow boots, and singlets to parkas.

“Do you miss the seasons?” New Englanders ask, but I never got the chance. After the first few years of not missing the freeze, I started to notice other seasons in Northern California. They are different - more subtle - and there are many more than four. Fall and winter together are the season of the reaching sun, when its lowered arc throws light more deeply into Oakland Yard, and we must keep watch that our bottles nearest the windows are properly shaded. December through March is elephant seal season in Point Reyes National Seashore, when we picnic on Drake’s beach alongside snorting, blubbery, four-thousand pound phocids. Tomato season in California goes from April to November, a length that never fails to amaze New Yorkers. Some California seasons are less predictable: fluctuations in nature and the Pacific Fishery Management Council together determine the salmon and crab season. And of course, there is the dreaded fire season, which grows longer and more formidable by the year. Currently, we are in the middle of wine grape harvest season, which can range from August to October, depending on winter, spring, and summer weather, as well as differences in climate and grape variety.

In celebration of this special time, we’ll be pouring California wine tasting flights all week at Oakland Yard, including this Saturday, when Cary Quintana will pour flights of her Cary Q Wines. With a low-intervention philosophy that also focuses on working with organic or sustainably farmed vineyards, Cary is all about capturing pure and vibrant varietal expressions. A minimalist at heart, and sensorily vigilant, her wines see native fermentations and a light hand in the cellar, and her aim is “to highlight a distinction between time, place, and the diversity of what our micro-climates offer in our beautiful part of the world.” Come meet Cary this Saturday and celebrate the season!

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: California reds and whites made with fruit from the Central Coast, Clements Hills, Lodi, Lake County, Mendocino, and Green Valley 2023 Monte Rio Sauvignon Blanc
2023 Terah Wine Co. Vermentino
2021 Phantômé Cellars Gruner Veltliner
2023 Las Jaras Glou Glou
2022 Tessier Day Dreaming Red
2021 Ultraviolet Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 9/14: CARY Q WINEMAKER TASTING - Special guest Cary Quintana pours flights of four of her small-production wines spanning the past three vintages.
2023 Vibes! Picpoul Blanc
2023 Crazy/Perfect Cinsault
2021 Cosmic Dance Grenache & Syrah
2022 Hollis Mourvedre
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


Cheers,

Max

My parents should have been suspicious of me saying goodnight and heading to my bedroom with zero resistance. I was around 8 and I'd seen the commercial for the made-for-TV horror drama promoted all week as a special that night. I knew there was no chance in hell they'd allow me to watch, so I had discreetly placed a small mirror beneath the small accent table in the opposite corner of the living room, angled just right, so that the TV picture could be viewed from down the hallway outside my bedroom. It was a simple, absurd machination that kind of worked, to a degree. I couldn't actually make out any of the graphic details, but straining to focus on the images in the dark and the tension of the distant music in the eerie hallway (along with the real fear of getting caught) was unsettling enough. Eventually my legs and my patience grew weary by the third commercial break and I retreated to bed. In the morning, relieved by daylight and chatter, I returned my sister's mirror before fixing myself a bowl Honey Nut Cheerios. All of them none the wiser, I think.

I'm writing you from Los Angeles, where I'll be for a spell, spending more time with my parents and family here. And this month I feel like a sad boy holding my little mirror, missing out on the real thing. While I'm still checking in daily with Max and the amazing staff there, the FOMO feelings are strong. Especially with the stellar lineup of events happening all this month. Along with our usual weekly flights and bar happenigns, we'll have Cary Quintana of CARY Q Wines here on Saturday 9/14. The follwiong week, Saturday September 21st, Wiley from EVERYTHING IS OK Wines will be here pouring a new lineup AND Ed's Bread Pop Up returns with artisan breads (full or half loaves sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi - as well as sweet and savory pastries, scones, and cookies... AND on Sunday Spetember 29th: we are thrilled to announce the long-awaited return of URELIO'S PIZZA! Former Chez Panisse cook, Sam Cicarreli, brings his roving pizza oven to our lot for an afternoon of pizza and wine and other delights! Pizzas sold individually from Urelio's truck from 1-5 pm (or until sold out!). Wine and beer by the glass from us at our outdoor bar. Event will be in the back lot. All are welcome! 

I'll be back up to hang with you all very soon... keep the space warm for me.

Cheers,

Daniel

ONE-TWO-THREE... All French Flights tonight and all weekend. New arrivals and staff favorites. Roll in! TONIGHT... THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Beaujolais and Alsace Riesling
2021 Ribeauville Riesling
2021 Kuentz Bas Riesling
2022 Domaine Wassler Riesling
2022 Petit Perou Tu m’tiens au jus Beaujolais Villages
2021 Nicolas Boudeau Brouilly Garanches
2022 Jean Paul Brun Terres Dorées l’Ancien Beaujolais Villages
Flights $15 from 5-9and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 9/7: New French whites from Burgundy and Gaillac & reds from the Savoie and Bordeaux
2022 Les Champs de Themis Bouzeron Les Clous Aligoté 
2023 Domaine de Brin Pierres Blanches Gaillac Blanc
2022 Domaine de Ardoisieres Silice Rouge Mondeuse
2022 Tire Pe Diem Bordeaux Rouge
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm