As I near my fiftieth year, I am struck by how quickly the world changes. When Oakland was founded, in 1852, it contained less than 100 inhabitants. We are now more than 440,000, with nearly as many Oaklanders as there are Wyomingites. I used to believe that whatever was happening had been going on for a very long time, but now I understand that almost all of this is quite new. When my grandparents were born, Arizona wasn’t yet a US state. This change in perspective gives me disquieting feelings of impermanence, and also a liberating sense of the limitless.

We opened Oakland Yard five years ago this November. In dog years, we’d be approaching middle age, but in shop years, we’re still a spring chicken, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in such a short time. We were voted Oakland Magazine’s people’s choice best wine bar AND best wine shop in March of 2020 - back when people used to go out - and having just passed through twenty other US states, and perusing many of their wine outlets, I’m relieved to be back in our beautifully appointed store, with the people who make me smile, and who know and love their wares, a selection more voluminous and varied than any I discovered in all my recent meanderings.

But we’re not planning on resting on our laurels at the tender age of five; we’re committed to continue bringing you exciting new wines, at great prices, in an ever-pleasing setting. So gather ye boosters while ye may, and help us ring in our fifth year in style. Thank you all - we couldn’t have done it without you, and we look forward to...well, to whatever is around the next corner, and to the twists and turns of the many years ahead.

Cheers,
Max