When I was twenty-two, I moved to Berkeley and landed a job bussing tables at Chez Panisse. I’d worked in several New York restaurants where the wine lists were nominal afterthoughts, tired roundups of the usual suspects consisting of comparable alternatives to a Cosmopolitan or Diet Coke, but nothing inspiring curiosity. So my wine education began in California, with a European bent. By 1996, I was wearing four hats: bartending and serving in the upstairs cafe, stocking the wine room, and bussing in the downstairs restaurant.

The restaurant bussing was my favorite, and one of the most satisfying and rewarding jobs I’ve had. The prefixed menu simplified service, and our nightly dance was choreographed to minimize mishaps and prevent entropy. There were only two waiters and two bussers, and while the host and servers were clearly in charge of the dining room, there was a sense of shared responsibility; we all knew where everyone was in their meal and anyone could fire a course to keep the diners on a timely path. No menu choices meant the servers were essentially amiable runners and wine stewards; they knew the source and preparation of the food, their timing was calibrated to the pace of the guest, and they knew the wine list backwards and forwards.

Once the dining room was set, the kitchen would present each course, one per cook, and we would taste the evening’s menu. The servers and the chef would then discuss wine pairings and usually come to agree on a complementary style or flavor profile for the meal. Then the guests would file in, and a wine consultation would ensue, yielding one or another of the suggested bottlings. For reasons I could never ascertain - designated driver, pregnancy, antibiotics, restraint - many diners did not empty their bottles, and we were often left, at the end of the night, with a half dozen well-aerated samples varying in price, producer, and vintage, but with stylistic similarities. These informal post-service tastings were invaluable opportunities to compare a ‘family’ of like wines - several Burgundies, or Barolos, or Merlots - to get a sense of the qualities they share and also how they differ.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to taste so many excellent wines in such knowledgeable company, and it is in this spirit that we resume tasting flights at Oakland Yard. As we did for many years, after a long hiatus, so shall we begin again TONIGHT from 5 to 9pm. TASTING FLIGHTS of ALL ITALIAN wines - red or white - and this SATURDAY from 2 to 6pm TASTING FLIGHTS of PINOT NOIR from around the world. We’re also pouring at least seven different wines by the glass every day of the week. Also, OAKLAND YARD turns 5 next month - and we're happily planning our 5 Year Anniversary Celebration - mark your calendars for Saturday, November 13th, from 12-5pm! We are now officially OPEN 7 days and HAPPY MONDAYS have returned! 10% off all wine - bottles and glasses - every Monday from 4-8pm.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights: ITALIAN reds and whites. Frappato, Brachetto, Barbera, Arneis, Kerner & Trebbiano. Flights $12 from 5-9 & wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 10/30: PINOT NOIR Flights: Four of our favorites from the US, France and Germany. $15 tasting flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

Come explore what we’ve got open and expand your wine mind.

Cheers,

Max