At Oakland Yard, we collect wine from all over the world to provide pleasurable refreshment and ideal food pairings for our loyal east bay community. The story always begins with the vines - often planted and maintained by bygone generations - and requires sunlight, water, and a microscopic, unicellular fungus called yeast to finish the task. Once bottled, labeled, and packed, the wine is shipped to temperature controlled warehouses in places like Benicia, or American Canyon, where it rests quietly waiting to be called into service. The drivers who complete the transfer awake before dawn and brave the streets to disperse the goods, and they are as indispensable to our project as the winemakers, importers, and salespeople. Indeed, we see some of them several times a week and have developed valued relationships from these daily interactions. We used to assume the deliverymen didn’t pay much attention to our selections, but a few years back, Danny, one of our favorite drivers, since retired, came into the shop scratching his head. He had an Oakland Yard invoice for a case of Stella Rosa blackberry wine, and he said “Hey Max and Daniel, you didn’t order any Stella Rosa, did you? That doesn’t seem like you.” We chuckled and said, “You’re right Danny, thanks - that must be a mistake.”

If it’s the confected flavors of Stella Rosa you seek, you may find them at Walmart or BevMo, but we’re not opposed to combining fruit and wine for next-level refreshment, as long as the fruit is carefully sourced and organically farmed, and the wine is made simply and honestly, without chemicals and undue manipulation. These are key criteria for winemaker Samatha Sheehan’s line of Mommenpop aperitifs. Drunk as a spritzer with sparkling water, or used to spice up a Martini or gin & tonic, Mommenpop is a bittersweet, low-alcohol treat that screams summertime, and we’re flush with three flavors for the upcoming season. If you haven’t tried them - or if you have, and thirst for more - come by Oakland Yard this evening, where the charming and talented Jared Murray will mix Mommenpop tasting flights of Blood Orange, Seville Orange, and Ruby Grapefruit spritzes from 5 until 9pm.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights - MOMMENPOP APERITIF citrus spritz tasting with special guest Jared Murray. $15 flights of 3 flavors from 5 to 9pm, and wines by the glass until 9.

And this SATURDAY 5/27: CALIFORNIA TASTING FLIGHTS featuring:
2022 Haarmeyer SRV Chenin Blanc
2021 Fres.Co Sonoma Fumé Blanc
2022 Jolie-Laide Glou d’Etat Red Wine
2022 Camp North Coast Zinfandel
$18 flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass all day until 9pm

Cheers,
Max