When I pause to think, I have much to be thankful for, and lately, I’ve felt especially appreciative of my coworkers at Oakland Yard. Daniel and I have always felt lucky to have attracted such a motley crew of wine zealots, and it’s not a stretch to say our staff feels like family to us. I dearly love my wife and dog and business partners, but I rely on all of our staff members to keep Oakland Yard thriving, and they consistently deliver the support we need and practice their own versions of that genuine type of hospitality which feeds all our souls and hearts and stomachs.

Not only is our Oakland Yard staff reliable and thoughtful, they’re also well-informed and they get really excited about wine, which keeps me interested after all these years ;-) We know each others’ favorite bottles, know who among us enjoys a little volatile acidity in their reds, or who likes a little new oak, and we know who can’t abide by even a whiff of mouse on the finish. We don’t always agree but we have a good sense of where we’re all coming from, and when I select wines for the shop, I buy the wines we like to drink and sell, with all of us in mind.

Daniel and I have each had some difficult days in the last few years, times when it feels hard to show up right for the world, to carry on focused and smiling, but when I walk into Oakland Yard, I’m always met with warmth and understanding. Unless I’m opening the shop myself, in which case I may need to play the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack straight away. Thank you Claire, Erica, Bibi, Chris, Francis, Gabrielle, Natsumi, Sarah and Pablo for all that you do here !!!

Oakland Yard is CLOSING EARLY at 5:30 this Sunday 3/9 so that we may celebrate another year together at our annual staff party with food, music, laughter and wine.

TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Eastern European wines - Sample three reds or three whites from Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
2023 Edgar Brutler Sefu White 1L - ROMANIA
2021 Guerila Vipavska Dolina Rebula - SLOVENIA
2022 Piquentum Malvazija Istarska - CROATIA
2023 Edgar Brutler Sefu Red 1L - ROMANIA
2021 Zlatan Bilo Idro Plavac - CROATIA
2022 Skegro Krs Crni Blatina - BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 3/8: Rhône River Valley Flights - Taste four classic Rhône wines - two reds and two whites - made from Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre
2023 Domaine de la Graveirette Ju de Vie Blanc
2021 Domaine des Louis Crozes Hermitage Blanc
2023 Brunier Le Pigeoulet Vaucluse Rouge
2022 Domaine Sylvain Badel Si le Vin Syrah
Flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Gratefully,

Max