Ah June, here we are again, gingerly eying the summer with a longing, making plans we know may change. I’m looking forward to whatever happens, anticipating good times. There will be camping trips and barbecues, mountain hikes and beach hangs, long days and no school. This month, we focus on LGBTQ pride, and we are proud to be ourselves, and not just accept, but celebrate the differences that shape our vibrant culture. This season, nearly four hundred thousand salmon will swim along our coast, and we’ll catch and eat a good number of them. We’ll also enjoy apricots, cherries, corn, and the year’s first tomatoes, and a full ‘strawberry supermoon’ will shine this Tuesday, for June is the month for ripening berries. In the vineyards, fruit is forming on the fading flowers, and farmers are tilling rows, training vines, and thinning leaves, with a watchful eye on mildew and varmints, while, in the winery vintners are bottling, making room for the coming fruit, corking and labeling last year’s whites and rosés, as well as the rested reds from the previous year.

Here at the shop, we’ve got a ton of new wines and we’re happily anticipating the outdoor parties of the next few months. May this be the summer of street life in Oakland, of eating and laughing on stoops and porches, leaning out windows and shouting to friends, cocktails on the front lawn, and dancing on our sidewalks. This season, no hiding indoors or in backyards, let’s show each other how it’s done, and display for all the local verve and flair you always bring. We see you, and you are fabulous. Don’t stop. Turn it up. We’ve got a fresh lineup of new wines by the glass this week, and a slew of tables on the sunny side of 40th Street. Let’s meet at Oakland Yard, and take it from there!

With hope, pride and excitement,

Max

Please Note: Sunday 6/12 OAKLAND YARD will be closing early to join the Memorial Celebration of our friend, Jonno. We will be open 12-4 this Sunday. Thank you for your support and understanding.