A girl I dated in high school gifted me a mug that said "These Are the Days". Turned out to be true in a way, as we broke up that weekend. I kept the mug, though I still struggle with the sentiment, living in the moment. I too often ruminate about where things are headed, with how things began and where or how they end up. With connections and pathways, plots and turns and coincidences and all that. I guess life in general and, frankly, what follows. When I was in second grade, a priest at my grade school asked me if I wanted to go to heaven. Years later, he told me that I had replied with suspicion: "Do you think it'll be any fun?"

For the shop's one year anniversary, I recalled our first newsletter last month, and how Max and I met. How was I to know I'd also meet my wife at that same little shop? Max and I and Julia and Glenny opened OAKLAND YARD in November 2016 and had our grand opening on December 10th. How was I to know that one year later (last Sunday) that Glenny and I would welcome Ellery June into this world on that same day?

Two schools in Southern California are separated by a fence. I was at soccer practice (over 20 years ago) on one side, on the other a young kid named Brendan was likely practicing his saxophone (or practicing smoking). How was I to know that many years later we'd meet and would end up working together in a wine cellar in western Sonoma? He went on to art school, and then on countless other paths, playing music in various indie and country bands, sound engineering for Nickelodeon and NPR, bartending, and eventually working in wineries in Sonoma and New Zealand. He can sometimes be spotted here at the shop, and he has likely filled some of your glasses at our weekly Thursday night tastings. But this SATURDAY, December 16th, he will be here pouring his wine, from his new label, Phantome Cellars. Joining him will be Brian Jessen, winemaker for Irene Wine Cellars, and Philip Cuadra of Highlawn Wine Co. 

These gentleman have been in too many cellars and vineyards to say they are just beginning. But we are thrilled to have these three rising stars all here together at OAKLAND YARD, showing what California wine can be: dynamic, expressive, and balanced.

None of us can see the future, but this Saturday you can taste it. Meet the Winemakers, SATURDAY from 3-6pm here at OAKLAND YARD! Four wines, $15. 

And TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! WHITE FLIGHT: French Rhone Whites // RED FLIGHT: California Reds. Flights of 3 wines, $12 from 4-8pm!

SUNDAY FLIGHT: Burgundy! Chablis / Macon-Villages / Bourgogne Rouge. Flights from 2-6pm.

I've been out for most of the week, with amazing support from the OAKLAND YARD team, and from the local wine community with good folks like Matt Gerloff of Kermit Lynch and Cory Gowan of Mission Wines generously giving their time and pouring their delicious wines earlier this week while I was out. But Im back - and hell, I''ve missed you. So get down and say hello! There's so much to raise glasses to these days. If nothing else... to the future.

See you soon,

Daniel