At Oakland Yard, we’ve always made an effort to feature and promote products made by folks who are traditionally underrepresented in the wine industry, and this March - Women’s History Month in the USA - we’ll be bringing these efforts to the fore, with events and tastings focussing on women owned wineries and wines made by women. In my twenty years of professional wine buying, it has always been a challenge to gain access to wines made by women. In California, the percentage of women winemakers was only 10% in 2011, and just slightly higher at 14% by 2020, and the traditions and misconceptions of the industry in much of Europe still make it difficult for women to succeed in this still largely male dominated business.

I feel fortunate to have had many female mentors and colleagues in my wine education journey, and my understanding of the artistry, business, and enjoyment of wine would be incomplete without these teachers and voices. There are far too many to mention here, but I will take this opportunity to name a handful of women who have helped shape my conception of wine. In 2007, I was part of a team opening a restaurant in lower Manhattan, and the wine director was Lee Campbell, a Black woman sommelier who was already incredibly accomplished, and continues to do amazing work. Campbell instructed us with confidence and joy, and impressed upon me the importance of organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar. Michele Pravda, my boss at Smith & Vine, was a master-class in running a wine shop - from encyclopedic knowledge to customer service to business integrity - and her excitement about wine was extremely contagious. I return perennially to the work of women writers, scholars, and scientists, like MFK Fisher, Carole Meredith, Jancis Robinson, and Karen MacNeil, to continue my learning. And I give thanks to the many female importers - Becky Wasserman, Denyse Louis, Jenny Lefcourt, Camille Riviere, Roni Ginach, Erin Sylvester, and Nadia Dmytriw, to name just a few - who’ve forged relationships with producers, providing us access to so many of our favorite wines.

Returning to the bay area from New York in 2014, my first full-time wine job was at Bi-Rite Market in the Mission, where I had the pleasure of working with a mostly female wine department, including Liz Rubin, Claire Hill, Rachel Gepner, and Sarah Lewington. These women knew their wines, worked harder than most men I know, and helped anchor me in the unfamiliar SF wine world. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to welcome Liz Rubin, and her partner in wine, Pamela Busch, for a dyke/lesbian/non-binary/trans/queer wine bar pop up on Tuesday March 14th from 5pm-8pm at Oakland Yard. Liz and Pamela started the Somebody’s Sister Pop-Up series to create a safe space for other lesbian, gay, non-binary, trans, and queer people to come together and enjoy great natural wines. At the event, they’ll be pouring wines made by female winemakers, with a priority on spotlighting those from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the wine industry. Anyone is open to come, but everyone has to respect that this is a queer space. Stay tuned for details...

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: ITALIAN WHITES and CABERNET FRANCS
NV Tintero Bianco Secco
2020 Ercole Bianco Monferrato
2020 Flavia Alle Catarratto/Zibibbo
2020 Phantome Cabernet franc
2021 Bel Air Jour de Soif Bourgueil
2021 Sebastien David Hurluberlu
Red or White Flights $15 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 3/4 FLIGHTS:
WINES MADE by ITALIAN WOMEN
2021 La Ghibellina Mainin Gavi
2021 Gorgi Tondi Grillo
2021 Occhipinti SP68 Rosso
2019 Villa Sant Anna Chianti Colli Senesi
Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass from around the globe until 9pm

Cheers,
Max