My daughter turns five next week. With her being born just a few weeks after the shop turned one, it's hard for me not to connect the milestones and have some sort of interwoven parental feelings about both.
I think of the infinite joy, the challenges and changes, and the bumps along the way. Some literal, like when she and her little sister, Simone, decided to play chicken and smashed into each other at full speed on their scooters. Or when a one year old Ellery completely face-planted and came up with her nose absurdly flattened. It’ll pop back out, some mom on the Internet said. She’ll be fine, reassured my sister-in-law, a nurse who has seen it all. They’re all cartilage, she says.
It takes a village, as she and many others say, and it’s true. True for little ones and also for big ones. For people and places and spaces too. It wasn’t my week to write last Thursday, so I missed the chance to say thank you for being that village - and for helping us grow such a beautiful thing at 420 40th St.. Thanks for supporting the growth of our shop. For letting it breathe and expand, watching it flourish, or endure and heal through those trying years. Some of you were here in its infancy, and have seen it bend and change. Some remember the old piano, and Justan Brown banging out blues and boogie-woogie. Others can recall the many food pop-ups, from Korean bites to handmade dumplings to spontaneous paella nights. Winemakers, oysters, folk singers, book launches, poetry readings. The expansion of the wine bar, the many markets and events in the back lot. All pliable. All cartilage.
And while there was some toddling in those early years, I’d like to think this space has a solid frame now, is steady and balanced, with some unyielding strengths. An integrity aligned with the quality of our wines. A staff dedicated to exceptional service. A commitment to our community. Some good bones beyond the beams.
I can't imagine OAKLAND YARD ever growing old. We can't thank you enough, all you friends and neighbors, all you aunties and uncles, for your custody and contributions to this growth. Thanks for taking such good care of our baby.
Cheers,
Daniel
It’s always such a peaceful morning, this one, with no traffic on 40th, and even the coffee shop shuttered. Whether you celebrate the sunrise on Alcatraz Island, or feast with family and friends, either way, it is a special day of rest, joy, nourishment, reflection, comfort, and love, unencumbered by gift giving or theology. I wish I could convey the excitement with which one customer’s six-year-old enumerated the dishes they had planned, rushing back on his scooter to shout the nearly forgotten main attraction: “and PUMPKIN PIE - you gotta have pumpkin pie!” he beamed from the threshold, before scooting off.
We’ve seen so many of our dearest friends and neighbors in the shop over the past week, along with a slew of kind strangers, including one who gave Daniel a refreshingly honest answer to his “How are you doing?” “Fair to middling,” he said, without hesitation, and Daniel took it from there. Thank you for choosing us for your holiday shopping; we appreciate your support, and while we can’t control how you enter, we do hope you leave the shop with a smile on your face.
I’ll be opening Oakland Yard today from 10 to 2 to facilitate your last-minute libations; I wouldn’t call it working really, just making sure everyone’s got what they want to make the day as special as it ought to be, before I lock up and join my local loved ones in revelry and thanks.
Gratefully,
Max
I’m still feeling so much gratitude and warmth from the past weekend. Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate six years with us! We were elated to see hundreds of friendly, familiar faces - and we are so grateful to still be connected to you all and to be part of such a vibrant community.
It was a special day, good folks, and good vibes- one of those wonderfully rare times where everything seemed to just fall into place. Granted, the day, the week - hell, the last year or two - have been a succession of pendulum swings. Tragedies and trials with occasional small triumphs. Little joys where we could find them. Luck where we could make it. The week just before the party was cold with lots of rain, and so everyone kept mentioning how lucky we were this weekend. Someone asked if we do this event every year, and we recalled darker days of the pandemic, and I thought about how lucky we are. Max wrote a newsletter last week about how much the neighborhood has changed in six years - businesses opening and closing - and I thought again about how lucky we were and are.
And I know the pendulum will swing, but I am holding on to this feeling this morning and I hope you are too. I hope the good feelings stay just a little longer. That you feel lucky too, or that good fortune finds you. That little joys await. And that maybe one morning when your stomach is growling you see that the café that you just passed is open and there’s no line and there’s a spot right out front and there’s money in the meter and a stranger smiles and your body doesn’t ache and oops you can’t find your wallet but that’s OK because a stray $20 bill is hiding in your pocket and the bread is fresh and the coffee is just the right temperature and a text comes through and an old friend was just thinking about you.
This week at OAKLAND YARD... lets keep the good vibes going. TONIGHT: A very special Thursday Night FLIGHTS with Portuguese stars, FILIPA PATO & WILLIAM WOUTERS, here at the bar pouring flights of new Filipa Pato delights! Passion for traditional indigenous grape varietals of Bairrada led Filipa Pato to start her own project in 2001. Utilizing biodynamic farming practices and minimal-intervention winemaking, Filipa and her husband, Belgian sommelier and restaurateur William Wouters, produce what they call “vinhos autênticos sem maquilagem” ("authentic wines without makeup"). Come meet the winemakers and taste these amazing wines with us TONIGHT from 5-8pm! Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until close!
SATURDAY: Trail Marker Wine Co at OAKLAND YARD! Winemakers Emily Virgil & Drew Huffine will be here pouring flights of their stellar wines from organically farmed vineyards in Lodi and Santa Cruz mountains. Drew and Em will be pouring their new Kerner and a fresh, chillable Zweigelt from Mokelumne Glen, and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from renowned vineyards in Santa Cruz Mountains. Flights $15 from 2-5pm and wines by the glass from around the globe until 9pm!
All love,
Daniel
Back when we signed our lease for Oakland Yard, I could still read small print without the help of glasses. Barry Obama was president, and my cousin Billy, a scientist at UCLA, was the only person in my family who knew what a coronavirus was. In those days, we sometimes canceled reservations, memberships, or plans, but not people, and the news was never fake, though often unpleasant or inaccurate. Cocaine was still relatively safe, and a California cannabis purchase required a medical card. Fidel Castro, George Michael, and Leonard Cohen were all still on this side of the dirt, Daniel and Glenny were childless, and Arlot was a wee pup, unknown to us, and new to the world.
During the fall of 2016, when we opened Oakland Yard, teen punks would crowd into 1-2-3-4 Go Records for weekly all-ages hardcore shows. Catherine and her crew of creative misfits served the neighborhood coffee at SubRosa, while Sam, MacKay, and their lovable pitbull, El Chapo, presided over Manifesto Bicycles. This was before Roses’ Taproom, Temescal Brewery, Tacos Oscar, and States Coffee x Bread, before the slow streets, before the tragic Ghost Ship fire.
Oakland has changed a lot in six years, and so have we all. Pandemics and politics have pushed us apart and pulled us closer together. It feels like an eternity, and it feels like only yesterday, and we are so very happy to still be serving the neighborhood, so thankful you have made us a part of your lives, and proud of the fun, supportive, and positive space we’ve worked together to build and maintain. It’s been a real joy to return to the shop after being away, to be so warmly welcomed by so many of you, and I look forward to celebrating all we’ve been through together, all we’re doing right now, and all we have to look forward to, at our 6th Anniversary Party and Artisan Market behind the shop THIS SATURDAY from 12 to 5.
But first...TONIGHT 11/10: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - French reds and Italian whites
2019 Dom & Terre Corps à Corps Corbieres
2020 Clusel Roch Les Traboules Gamay
2021 Domaine de l’Hortus Le Loup dans la Bergerie2020 Scarbolo Friulano
2020 Conte d'Attimis Casali Maniago Ribolla Gialla
2020 Cave des Onze Petite Arvine
$15 flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!
Cheers,
Max
Good morning. I hope everyone is managing the sugar crash this week. Halloween was pretty uneventful this year over here, but still fun, even on an odd Monday. My two year old, Simone, was a happy little pumpkin, stopping frequently to give hellos and warm hugs to her fellow jack-o’-lantern kin, while her sister mostly ran ahead and about, leaping from porches and down cement stairs, testing her unicorn wings and my patience.
But all in all a fun evening, lots of treats, and no tricks or unexpected frights. The only brief scare occurred in the early waking hour that day: a high-pitched shriek from the girls' room that woke me. My wife was already up, changing Simone, while her sister woke up to the affirmation that Halloween was indeed that day. "I’ve been waiting for this day, my whole life!", Ellery screamed, at age 4, at 6:28am.
And while I might not match her particular pitch of enthusiasm, there promises to be many days in the weeks ahead where I will wake with a similar fervor. And perhaps you will too. Tons of fun and festivities happening here, with more being added to the event calendar each week! Thanksgiving is just three weeks away now, we're getting ready for our big party in the back lot next Saturday, we've got guest winemakers (Filipa Pato, Carrusin, Trail Marker Wine Co!) joining us here this month, and a handful of other pop ups too (bouquets, pies, artisan jewelry)!
Details in our weekly letters, but check our website and Instagram too - and Max's chalk boards here at the shop!
Here's the ten day forecast below:
TONIGHT 11/3: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS -
Spanish whites and French reds
2021 Sete 7 Cepas Albarino
2020 Celler Frisach L'Abrunet Blanco
2018 Josep Masachs Ulls de Mel WHITE Xarel-lo
2021 Domaine Rimbert Cousin Oscar
2020 Les Athletes du Vin Pineau d'Aunis
2020 Chateau Massiac Sentinelle Minervois Rouge
$15 flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
THIS SATURDAY 11/5: 'NEW CALIFORNIA' Flights. Four delightful, low alcohol and balanced wines from some of California's best...
2021 Lieu Dit Melon
2021 Margins Clarksburg Chenin Blanc
2022 Las Jaras Slippers Nouveau
2019 B Kosuge The Shop Carneros Pinot Noir
Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!
WEDNESDAY. NOV 9th: Luca Garberoglio of CARUSSIN at OAKLAND YARD! All the way from San Marzano Oliveto (south of Asti in Piemonte), Luca joins us here on 40th St... pouring his natural, certified-organic, and biodynamically farmed wines. Come meet the man and taste some fresh and expressive wines. Ask him about his donkeys! Flights $15 from 5-8pm.
Saturday, NOVEMBER 12th, 12-5pm... our 6 Year Anniversary Celebration & Artisan Market is FREE! So spread the good word! There will be bubbles, music, oysters and other food, raffles, and prizes, and early holiday vibes, as well as a fantastic collection of artists, curators, builders, and culinary wizards... And lots and lots of wine! Tasty treats from XULO & OKKON! Vendors and artists include The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, C.A.Vintage Vintage, Caviar&Cigarettes, Farah Trading Co., Alex Steele, Johanna Sprague, Leopard Lodge, Flower & Forage, WestWind Succulents, Pleinware Ceramics, SHOPSAME, Blowhole and vintage clothing form Homebody Vintage, Andy Shines, and others! There will be an outdoor beer and wine garden in the back lot too! See you there (can't wait!:).
Cheers,
Daniel
OAKLAND YARD is OPEN today and all weekend (Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays until 9pm). O
Julia, little Arlot, and I have covered over two thousand miles since leaving New York last Thursday, and I’m really looking forward to being back in Oakland. The leaves in New England were startlingly beautiful, as was the Delaware River crossing Pennsylvania. We stopped for shawarma in Greensboro, jerked chicken in Montgomery, and gumbo in New Orleans. I haven’t seen a vegetable in four days that wasn’t battered and fried. We’re currently on our way to Pilón, a wine bar in El Paso run by our dear friend Nick Diamos, and I’ve never written while actually on the road, so forgive me if I get a little carsick.
Each trip across the country, I learn some new things: It can get down into the low thirties some October nights in Virginia and the Carolinas. Also, if you’re looking to aesthetically modify your face, you can now find a ‘medi-spa’ or ‘skin bar’ in pretty much every state in the union. It turns out, Texas still doesn’t go in for unisex bathrooms, and shows no signs of moving in this direction. And there is such a thing as an albino squirrel; either that or a severely frosted squirrel leaping from tree to Carolina tree at sunrise near Brevard.
Notwithstanding the novel exploits, I’ve missed our home, our shop, our neighborhood and community in Oakland. There are good tacos out there in the world, but there’s something special about the freshness and flavors at Tacos Oscar, and it’s damn near impossible to find bread anywhere in the Hudson Valley as good as our State’s just across 40th street. We did come across a few great wine shops in the twenty-three states we’ve passed through, but none that beats our little Oakland Yard. And most of all, I miss you - our people!!! If I don’t see you when I’m back in the shop next week (think Wednesday posting up at the bar with Natsumi) then I’ll definitely see you at our 6th Anniversary Party on Saturday 11/12 !!!
Saturday, NOVEMBER 12th, 12-5pm... our 6 Year Anniversary Celebration & Artisan Market is FREE! So spread the good word! There will be bubbles, music, oysters and other food, raffles, and prizes, and early holiday vibes, as well as a fantastic collection of artists, curators, builders, and culinary wizards... And lots and lots of wine! Tasty treats from XULO & OKKON! Vendors and artists include The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, C.A.Vintage Vintage, Caviar&Cigarettes, Farah Trading Co., Alex Steele, Johanna Sprague, Leopard Lodge, Flower & Forage, WestWind Succulents, Pleinware Ceramics, SHOPSAME, Blowhole and vintage clothing form Homebody Vintage, Andy Shines, and others! There will be an outdoor beer and wine garden in the back lot too!
But first...
TONIGHT 10/27: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS -
Spanish reds and Italian whites
2019 Juan Gil Silver label Monastrell
2020 Bodegas D. Mateo La Mateo Rioja
2020 Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros
2020 Gorgi Tondi Grillo
2020 Gregoletto Manzoni Bianco
2021 Bruno Verdi Pinot Grigio
$15 flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
THIS SATURDAY 10/29: Organically farmed French Flights
Compare and contrast two Muscadets and two Gamays.
2020 Domaine de la Fessardière Muscadet La Mer
2020 Domaine de la Pepiere Les Gras Moutons Muscadet 2020 Maison Angelot Bugey Gamay
2020 Vignobles Bulliat Moulin-a-Vent Roche Noir
Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm!
See you soon,
Max
I still don't know what to be for Halloween. Simone, age 2, wants to be a pumpkin. Ellery wants to be a unicorn. She also wants "a real unicorn" for her birthday, now several weeks away. I can't fathom what I would have received from my parents for my fifth birthday. My older siblings would often make a big show of giving me their old toys back then, maybe a used basketball or, in a grand gesture, wrap their bike up with an absurd amount of newspaper and scotch tape, like little clumsy Christos. The time spent unwrapping often surpassed the duration of ownership, as they would quickly reclaim their gift following some expected argument.
My mother mostly did the shopping and always came through with great gifts. One year she was under the weather and let my father shop for my birthday. Dad was more direct and asked me for a list. When the big evening came, I unwrapped the mound of presents and was floored to find that he got me nearly everything on my list. But the list was pure lunacy, the unbridled vision of a 9 year old, indulgent and ridiculous. A variety pack of Pringles canisters. A tub of Red Vines. Jumbo packages of E.L. Fudge sandwich cookies and double-stuffed Oreos. A karate belt. A switchblade comb. Lottery scratchers.
Mom gave him a look. I think that was the last time Dad was allowed to be in charge of that. But at the time I thought it was the best. I kept everything squirreled away under my bed and chomped away, eating like a king, beheading buttery Keebler elves at my will. Two days later I came home from school to find it all completely covered with crawling black ants, tiny little Christos in their own way too.
In less than one month, OAKLAND YARD turns 6!!! Far to much joy and excitement to keep under wraps. Please come and be a part of the celebration! Saturday NOVEMBER 12 from 12-5pm. We want all of our favorite people around us. There will be music and food and oysters and bubbles, raffles and prizes, and early holiday vibes. There will also be another fantastic collection of artists, curators, builders, and culinary delights... And lots and lots of wine! The 6 Year Anniversary Celebration and Artisan Market event is FREE! So spread the good word! Tasty treats from XULO & OKKON! Vendors and artists include The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, C.A. Vintage, Caviar&Cigarettes, Farah Trading Co., Alex Steele, Johanna Sprague, Leopard Lodge, Flower & Forage, WestWind Succulents, Pleinware Ceramics, Sam E., and vintage clothing form Homebody Vintage, Andy Shines, and others! There will be an outdoor beer and wine garden in the backlot too!
See you there!!!
But first...
TONIGHT 10/20: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! French whites and Italian reds
2020 Pepier Gras Moutins Muscadet
2020 Dom de la Verpaille Macon Village
2021 Domaine la Cabotte Colline Cotes du Rhone BLANC
2021 Agostino Pavia & Figli Grignolino
2020 Elvio Tintero Langhe Nebbiolo
2020 La Stoppa Trebbiolo Rosso
Flights $15 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 10/22: ORANGE WINE... Skin Contact whites from around the globe!
2021 Gulp Hablo ORANGE
2019 Bannister Skin Fermented Scheurebe
2021 Field Recordings SKINS
2020 Ocho Mtsvane Do You Believe?
Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Cheers,
Daniel
Omnia mutantur, nihil interit
Everything changes, nothing is destroyed - Ovid’s Metamorphosis, 8 AD
Wine changes as it rests in the glass. It might open up, revealing new complexity, or soften with exposure to oxygen. Given enough time, or too delicate a structure, it may completely fall apart.
Investigating winemaking traditions has taught me much history. I’ve learned that as early as 3600 BC, Santorini, the southernmost of the Cyclades Islands, was home to a thriving Minoan colony, until 1500 BC, when the entire island exploded in a violent volcanic eruption. Two hundred years later, after the dust settled, Santorini was resettled by the Phoenicians, followed by the Lacedaemonians of Sparta, then Byzantines, Venetians, and Turks. The island of Sicily’s indigenous Sicanians, Elymians and Sicels were vanquished by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Aghlabids, Fatimids, Kalbids, Normans, Aragonese and Spanish, before the island merged with the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
Alsace was German, then French, then German, and now French again, thanks to the Treaty of Versailles. And Royal families of Austria, Italy, and France danced around the Alps for centuries planting flags before arriving at the current state of apparent stability. Hungary, having been occupied by Urals, Ottomans and Habsburgs, became part of the Soviet bloc in 1945, and finally wiggled free and held its first democratic elections in 1990. Slovenia (home to Illyrians, Celts, Romans, Slovenes, and Avars) and Croatia (ruled by Romans, Franks and Byzantines) too fell under Soviet rule in the forties, as Yugoslavia, and became independent nations in 1991...and all the while, the people grew grapes and made wine, a product of the land whose name had changed, but had not been destroyed.
From 1913 until 1957, 420 40th Street - the site of Oakland Yard - was a railroad depot, the terminus of the Sacramento Northern line, where you could transfer to a train that crossed the Bay Bridge. Most recently, our space was home to the National Center for Science Education. We took over the vacant space in 2016. Who needs science when you’ve got wine? In one month, Oakland Yard will be six years old. So much has happened in the last six years! We’re planning an anniversary party - save the date - Saturday, NOVEMBER 12th! And this coming Saturday, we’ll focus our flights on the recently contested areas now known as Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. But first...
TONIGHT 10/13: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - ALSACE WHITES and CALIFORNIA REDS
Mann Sylvaner, Kuentz Bas Riesling, Les Vins Pirouettes Saveurs de Claude, Armitage Merlot, Ultraviolet Cabernet Sauvignon and Vignerons Pinot Noir.
$15 flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 10/15: TASTING FLIGHTS from the FORMER EASTERN BLOC:
Črnko Jareninčan, Sziegl Bábel, Tinon Birtok Furmint, and Piquentum Malvazija Istarska. $15 flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Cheers,
Max
I’ve always felt a distinct emotional pull with the seasonal shift into fall. I wrote about it last year and years before. A particular palpable something resonates inside me. "Autumn Leaves", or "Les Feuilles Mortes" (dead leaves, in French versions) has always been one of my most favorite songs, whether it be Nat King Cole, Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, or Cannonball Adderley. Strangely enough, the composer, French poet, Jacques Prévert, died the very day I was born.
My daughter, who will be five in a couple months, seems to share some of my melancholy – and may have even inherited my existential nature. She started asking about death recently and frequently inquires "Daddy, when will you die?", sometimes with something resembling concern but more often with the apathetic nonchalance of a Morrissey lyric. "I just hope you make it to Christmas", she said last week.
The sentiment is not far off, at least in the world of retail. Even at our little wine shop, we'll sometimes find ourselves just trying to make it to the end of the year, hanging on for the ride in the final few months. And so my maudlin autumn mood will be short-lived. Like some last bottles, falling from the shelves into good hands and homes, the last drops of some vintages and small labors of love to be enjoyed and shared - and perhaps, remembered fondly someday. And then a flurry of new wines and new faces will blow into the shop, breathing new life and bringing new warmth into the space. And though it's wild and unpredictable and maybe even a bit sad as things race to a close, it's ultimately what we at Oakland Yard are here for. What we live for.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights...
Crisp, mineral Austrian whites and earthy, delicious Italian reds. Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close.
2020 Zillinger Gruner Veltliner
2020 Weingut Stadt Krems Gruner Veltliner
2020 Kurt Angerer Gruner Veltliner Kies
2020 Marchesi di Gresy Monte Aribaldo Dolcetto d’Alba
2020 Ercole Barbera del Monferrato
2016 Al Cantara Muddichi dei Suli Nerello Mascalese
SATURDAY 10/8 : SPARKLING FLIGHTS at OAKLAND YARD... I'll be here this Saturday, subbing in for Ezra and joining Pablo, Erica, and Bibi - we'll be popping corks and pouring dry, delightful bubbly from around the globe. Sparkling Flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm!
Cheers,
Daniel
I’m writing this morning from the Hudson Valley, where the autumn chill is an unmistakable reminder of the season. Oakland, meanwhile, remains predictably balmy, with sunny skies and summery highs, but the change in light, and the presence of persimmons and parsnips, will tell you too what time it is. Vineyard workers in both California and New York are picking their last, late ripening varieties; winemakers are fermenting, pressing, and crossing fingers; and farmers across the country have a wary eye on the frost. We’re all looking forward; change is in the air.
At Oakland Yard, we’re preparing for the season by amassing new arrivals - so many this week - including Savagnin from the Jura, a breathtaking Gevrey-Chambertin, Listan Blanco from the Canary Islands, a Tuscan rosato pét nat, and the 2022 Pipeno Blanco from Louis-Antoine Luyt, to name just a few. Our Thursday Night Flights this week will include four new wines to the shop, and our Saturday tasting will debut another three. Come join us to sample some of the fresh juice, and remember, if it gets too hot on the sunny side of Fortieth Street this weekend, the air is always cool and refreshing inside Oakland Yard.
TONIGHT 9/29: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - LOIRE WHITES and CALIFORNIA REDS. Ezra, Claire and Pablo will feature Folle Blanche, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadet from France’s Loire Valley, as well as reds from Mendocino, Lodi, and Paso Robles. $15 flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 10/1: Importer GRÉGOIRE MONTOT at OAKLAND YARD - Everyone’s favorite soft spoken Savoyard pours flights of two whites and two reds from his superb selection, including a stunning white Burgundy and a vibrant Alpine Gamay. Here’s the lineup: Domaine Poiron-Dabin Muscadet / Domaine Charton-Vachet Montagny Blanc / Domaine d’Ici La La Noirettes Bugey Gamay / Twill Cellars Stormy Mountain Vineyard Washington State Syrah
Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Until next time,
Max
I returned last week from visiting my wife's family in upstate New York. We were 45 minutes in on the second leg of our journey home and the pilot was still navigating a desirable cruising altitude. I was managing my acute claustrophobia and dreading multiple trips to the tiny bathroom with my two and my four year old for multiple reasons. An announcement came on to alert us that the 'fasten seatbelt' sign would remain illuminated for a while as we were approaching "an unusual weather pattern that would unfortunately present moderate to severe turbulence". I didn't know the specific levels of their ranking system but severe sounded, well, severe.
Nervous chatter and deep breaths all about. My wife's eyes conveyed both fear and compassion. Similar looks were exchanged among partners and strangers in rows around us. Hands now on other hands or knees, white knuckles here and there. The peculiar thing was that after the initial fright and the palpable tension, 10 minutes became 30 and more, with only some minor intermittent bumps and drops. After nearly an hour the seatbelt sign was off. There was no announcement again beyond beverage service beginning. Strangers checked in with each other, bewildered. Is it still coming? Was that it? Is this it? And so the next couple hours were filled with a cautious optimism coupled with a collective relief - and for that time, no one seemed to mind the inadequate legroom, the baby crying, how poor the sound on their headphones, how long the wait for the toilet, how bland their sandwich. There was silent gratitude. Nods and smiles. Unusual politeness. A shared moment that lingered, a togetherness. A near life experience, at 35,000ft.
TONIGHT 9/22: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - Our gracious flight attendants, Pablo, Claire, and Ezra, will be pouring Italian Whites and French Reds. Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm! Pre-boarding can be arranged.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 9/24: TOM SWITZER at OAKLAND YARD. Industry veteran, man of myth... walking bear hug, Tom Switzer, will be pouring dynamic and delicious flights of French wines. Beverage service from 2-6. You are free to roam about.
Domaine Ligier Cremant du Jura Brut
2019 Gautheron Chablis Vieilles Vignes
2020 Clusel Roch Traboules Gamay
2020 Domaine Charleux Bourgogne Rouge
$15 flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
With open arms,
Daniel
When folks say ‘Piedmont’ in Oakland, they’re usually referring to the small city within a city, a short walk east of our 40th Street corridor. Incorporated in 1907, billed as ‘The City of Millionaires’ in the 1920’s, and once home to Clint Eastwood, Robert Strange McNamara, and Country Joe MacDonald, among others, this tony enclave is a fine place for a Sunday stroll, but holds little interest for oenophiles, aside from its undoubtedly numerous and well-stocked subterranean cellars. No vineyards, no wineries, just a lot of pretty houses and well maintained shrubbery.
When we say ‘Piedmont’ at Oakland Yard, it’s likely we’re talking about the most celebrated wine region in Italy. The birthplace of Nutella, renowned for its race cars and white truffles, once home to Celts, Romans, Goths, and Byzantines, and for a time under French control, Piemonte, as the Italians call it, has been an important viticultural area since as early as the sixth century BC. At the foot of the towering Alpine range, Piedmont is the source of Barolo and Barbaresco, two of many delicious wines made from the Nebbiolo grape, and also the origin of the popular varieties Barbera and Dolcetto, as well as many obscure and delicious grapes, like Ruchè, Grignolino, Freisa, Pelaverga, and Vespolina.
Importer Oliver McCrum has spent decades cultivating relationships with winemakers in Piedmont, Italy, and he now imports many of our favorite wines from the region. Please join us in welcoming Abby Vorce from Oliver McCrum Wines this Saturday to sample and celebrate the wines of Piedmont, Italy. But first...
TONIGHT 9/15: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - California Reds and French Whites. This evening, our most gracious flight attendants, Pablo, Claire, and Ezra, will feature reds from Sonoma and Solano Counties, and whites from Limoux, and the Loire and Rhone valleys. $15 Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9 too.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 9/17: ITALIAN TASTING FLIGHTS - four wines from PIEDMONT imported by OLIVER McCRUM WINES with special guest ABBY VORCE pouring flights.
2020 La Ghibellina Gavi di Gavi
2021 Prà Otto Soave Classico
2020 Castello di Verduno Basadone Pelaverga
2019 Oddero Barbera d’Alba
$15 flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Please also note that we have a special guest appearance this Wednesday the 21st by former Yardie, Crystal Chen, who has been across the country and back and surely has some extraordinary stories to share.
Salute,
Max
I was strolling and chatting with Max a few days ago, when two women walked passed us. There was opportune timing and an elevated volume that aligned just right and I caught the tail end of one of them ranting: "...I don't want to learn to fish, just gimme a fucking FISH!" was the exacerbated cry of one to the other, who gave an exaggerated nod of agreement.
Her emphatic dissent from the old proverb - Give a man a fish, feed him for a day - teach a man to fish fish, feed him for life. I'll never know the context for her particular complaint, nor if it was regarding a partner or parent or boss or bestie. Whatever the case may be, I hope she gets her fish.
As September slows to a stroll and students young and old return to classes, crushes, and old confidants for another annual adventure, I humbly invite any of you to keep up with your studies and explore the many regions of this wonderful world with us...
Join our OAKLAND YARD monthly wine club! You get the lesson and the fish. Each month, club members receive two outstanding wines for $42. We sometimes call it the 420 Club, 42 bucks, Zero bullshit (420 is our address). Max writes dynamic and detailed tasting notes for each release as we move around the world exploring various regions and grape varieties. This month it was wines of South Africa, last month wines of Friuli (Italy) and before that Languedoc (France). These are wines that we are especially excited about, sometimes from producers we adore, sometimes new releases, and very often rare finds. We are tasting all month to choose wines specifically for this club, so these bottles rarely make it onto the shelves here.
With each club installment we will share with you exactly why we love these wines, including notes on the producer, grape varieties, production information, regional history, tasting notes and often with recipes or pairing suggestions - a mini personal wine class. Club members also enjoy 10% all bottles to go - and 10% off all wines by the glass at the bar (and Tasting Flights, which have resumed on Thursday Nights and Saturdays! Online orders are always discounted too. Join today! Stop by the shop or give us a call at (510) 808- 5129. Or you can now sign up ONLINE!
Cheers,
Daniel
TONIGHT… THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS 9/8 - Your choice of three dry and delightful Sparkling wines or a flight of delicious Austrian Reds: Max is back!...and joining Ezra and Pablo, who will be pouring Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 9/10: TRANSPARENT WINE CO. at OAKLAND YARD!
Special guest ALEX FINBERG will be pouring four wines from his transparent portfolio:
Lebeau Batiste Champagne Brut Tradition
2019 Fief Noir Dis-Moi-Oui Chenin Blanc
2020 Gregoire Hoppenot Origines Gamay
2019 Fief Noir Cocagne Cabernet Franc
Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm
NEXT WEEK… 9/15: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - California Reds and French Whites. Our most gracious flight attendants, Pablo, Claire, and Ezra, will feature reds from Sonoma and Solano Counties, and whites from Limoux, and the Loire and Rhone valleys. $15 Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9 too.
9/17 SATURDAY AFTERNOON 9/17: ITALIAN TASTING FLIGHTS - four wines from PIEDMONT imported by OLIVER McCRUM WINES with special guest ABBY VORCE pouring flights.
2020 La Ghibellina Gavi di Gavi
2021 Prà Otto Soave Classico
2020 Castello di Verduno Basadone Pelaverga
2019 Oddero Barbera d’Alba
$15 flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
For most of us today, Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer, but the holiday originated in the late nineteenth century to observe, honor and recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. Working conditions were often quite poor during the industrial boom of the late 1800’s, and workers began coming together to demand shorter work days and better conditions. On Sept. 5, 1882, union leaders in New York City organized the first Labor Day parade, and tens of thousands of tradespeople and laborers took unpaid leave to march with their fellow workers, and enjoy picnics, dancing, and fireworks.
In the wine industry, as with most realms of business, we tend to overlook the folks who do much of the integral work. We celebrate the winemakers and sometimes the vineyard farmers, but we fail to recognize the many other hands that help put wine on our tables. This Labor Day, let’s remember to acknowledge and celebrate the earth movers, tractor technicians, vine planters, winter pruners, vineyard cooks, teachers, bookkeepers, bottlers, packagers, label artists, glass factory workers, longshoremen, stevedores, warehouse stockers, delivery drivers, salespeople, and many others, who, in the words of early American labor leader, Peter J McGuire, “from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."
This Saturday from 2 to 6pm - rescheduled from 8/20 to 9/3, so you’ll have time to realize that this may be the very best way to spend a final steamy summer Saturday afternoon - third-generation Oakland native, superb cocktail maven, and all-around good guy, Jared Murray, will serve flights of our favorite California citrus aperitifs from Mommenpop, including a sneak peak of the newest release: Mommenpop KUMQUAT! Winemaker Samantha Sheehan, of Poe Wines and Ultraviolet Wines, makes the base wine from Napa Valley grapes, then adds organic California citrus fruit, a bit of local grape brandy, and carefully selected spices and botanicals to create these mouthwatering natural beverages without added sugar, dyes, or artificial flavors. You can use them as unique cocktail ingredients, drink them straight over ice, mix them with sparkling wine, or add sparkling water and ice for a refreshing, low-alcohol spritzer.
TONIGHT 9/1: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - Domestic Whites and Spanish Reds: Your gracious hosts, Pablo, Erica, and Ezra, will pour Gruner Veltliner from Oregon, and a California Semillon and ‘Orange’ wine, as well as Mencia, Tempranillo, and Monastrell from Spain. $15 Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9 too.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 9/3: MOMMENPOP APERITIF FLIGHTS
Special guest JARED MURRAY pours flights of Mommenpop Grapefruit, Seville Orange and Blood Orange spritzes. $15 flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Many thanks to the diligent and conscientious staff of Oakland Yard, who’ve kept the shop running smoothly in my absence. I’ll be back to work next week, starting this LABOR DAY MONDAY, when we’ll be OPEN 12 to 5pm.
Gratefully,
Max
I wrote a couple months back about returning, contemplating cyclical natures one morning, and how some beings find their way back to their early homes. We've been missing Max at the shop as he and Julia too have traveled and traversed the wild and open road this month and returned to their early nests - and to the place that they were married, fifteen years ago on this very day. (Happy Anniversary, lovebirds!:)
And so again this morning I find myself commemorating many happy returns. About recommitting ourselves to what we value. We may visit and revisit the same coffee shop or restaurant or even the same vacation spot out of convenience or familiarity. But there are spaces and places and people we return to out of will and by measured choice - and with intention and with joy. We reserve blocks of time in our days, we put the names of friends and family on our calendars, and we book cabins many months ahead. For these unions and reunions that we manifest and that matter most.
As I think on all the small windows in our weeks, I appreciate the many things we do make time for - the people whom we all choose to reconnect with and the places we choose to return. I'm moved to see that folks from Brooklyn to Bakersfield and from Seattle to St. Augustine still open these weekly letters. And perhaps a few neighbors across the street from us might be swayed by the particular convenience, but we realize that many of you walk a dozen blocks and drive many miles to our little wine shop, this little nest on 40th St. We recognize that your return is one of will and choice and a commitment to us. We are committed to you too - and promise to do whatever it takes to remain worthy. We vow to do everything in our power to keep you happy. We do.
Here's to love and fidelity. To many happy returns.
Yours,
Daniel
(I promised myself I wouldn't cry..)
There are sounds that ground me in the world, familiar noises, like the insistent buzz of summer cicadas, the sudden onset of heavy rain, or the pitch of the tuning fork’s four hundred and forty vibrations per second. Some sounds signal stability, like the A above middle C, while others indicate potential, like the warm mwaah of an awakening computer, the whisper of a morning prayer, or the uncorking of a bottle of wine. One of the most exciting and inviting sounds to me is the solid crack of a cue striking a tightly racked triangle of billiard balls, like a block of ice hitting the floor, followed by the felt-muffled dispersal, and the blessed silence when none have fallen. The table is open; the choice is yours.
This week’s tasting schedule at Oakland Yard rings out like a hard, clean eightball break, with so many options, it quickens the heart to consider one’s next move. In addition to our wines by the glass, which are available every day, we’ve reinstated weekly Thursday flights, and this week we also have special guests behind the bar pouring featured libations on both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Chalk it up and strategize!
Tonight, we’re pouring tres blancos de Catalunya, y rossos di Toscana, Piemonte, e d’Abruzzo. Tomorrow, our good friend Matt Gerloff, who helped us unload the flatbed of steel that became the bones of Oakland Yard, and who just returned from France and Italy, will open wines from the Loire Valley, the Savoie, Piedmont, and the Veneto. And this Saturday, third-generation Oakland Native and unmatched mix-master, Jared Murray, will offer up three fruity flavors of our favorite California Aperitifs from Mommenpop.
TONIGHT 8/11: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS - Spanish Whites and Italian Reds: Avinyo Petillant, Celler Frisach L’Abrunet Garnacha Blanca, Ulls de Mel Xarel-lo, Ampeleia Un Litro, Scavino Azelia Nebbiolo, and Tatone Montepulciano. $15 Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until 9 too.
FRIDAY NIGHT 8/19: FRENCH & ITALIAN wines imported by KERMIT LYNCH
Special guest MATT GERLOFF pours flights of four wines - Cabernet Franc, Nebbiolo, Jacquere and Manzoni Bianco. Come witness Matt’s voluminous hair, prodigious knowledge, and generous spirit, while sampling some of Kermit’s finest! - $15 flights from 5-8pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 8/20: MOMMENPOP APERITIF FLIGHTS
Special guest JARED MURRAY pours flights of Mommenpop Grapefruit, Seville Orange and Blood Orange spritzes. $15 flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
Also, our friends across the street at SLANT VINTAGE are throwing a GRAND OPENING party this SATURDAY from 12-6pm with My Friend Fernando tortas! Now that sounds like a Saturday afternoon plan!
Choose your combo - or go ahead and run the table,
Max
I was driving home this week listening to an old playlist and a song by Amy Winehouse came on. I hadn't heard her music in a long while and was feeling it. When the song finished, my four year old in her car seat behind me concluded: "Dad, she sounded really sneaky...". I suppose she picked up on some of the chorus from "You Know I'm No Good", but I still appreciated her primary impression.
Last week a new employee, Natsumi, and I were discussing how people talk about wine, the impressions and verbiage that goes beyond "strawberry" or "grapefruit". Talking about the possibilities and limitations of language and how we ultimately try to find some agreement on a shared and understood vocabulary. We feel mostly ok talking in curious stretches about music or film. Pink Floyd might be described as sonic or atmospheric. One might say there is tension in some particular song, whether from Radiohead or Miles Davis. A certain band might succinctly be described as fun. And many folks will nod without much challenge. Someone might decide a film is "for them" after it being labelled simply scary or even jarring. Or, conversely, feel-good, funny, or perhaps action-packed!.
But all the adjectives and efforts can be a bit baffling with wine for some reason. How does one describe Carignan to another? Or Vermentino? What about the character of Sicilian wines - or those from the Canary Islands? Folks seem to want to hear more than: it is earthy or fruity or tannic. But we might be (rightfully) challenged going beyond that: What do you mean salty?! Or... Smoky? Spicy? Chewy? Honest? Pure? Rustic? Etc. We may describe wines with higher acidity as being bright or even refreshing. But then it can get somewhat interpretive. Can we say a wine is lively and be in accord? What about Playful? Vibrant? Joyful? We think so, but again, we recognize it's all a bit silly (or playful, I suppose;).
Ultimately, the best way to have some agreement realized (or challenged) is to have a shared experience. Exiting the same movie we can engage in more meaningful discourse. When a song is blasting and we are all out on the floor, moving or spinning or bouncing or flailing, we can quite clearly agree that the groove is catchy. Or infectious. Or simply, fun.
Here's to shared experiences. And opportunities abound at OAKAND YARD... In addition to our usual wines by the glass available everyday, weekly flights have returned and we have special guest winemakers and importers behind the bar pouring curated flights of their wines each weekend! It is action-packed here! TONIGHT 8/11: Thursday Night Flights... New French Whites and Reds from California Reds. Your choice. Flights from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until close.
FRIDAY 8/12 NIGHT: TERAH WINE CO. Special Tasting w/ Winemaker and rising star, Terah Bajjalieh, pouring a flight of her wines from 5-8pm! A sommelier and winemaker, Terah studied enology and viticulture in both Spain and France. She completed 13 harvests in five countries, including France, Australia, Argentina, Willamette Valley, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma and Napa. Come taste some delicious and dynamic wines from her current lineup - sustainable and organic offerings made with great care and minimal intervention … bright and balanced and, above all, very delicious.
SATURDAY 8/13: French Flights with special guest (and actual French person:) Paul Duroussay, pouring wines made by his friends and family in France - and other selections from his excellent Pierreclos Imports portfolio. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
See you there (with two thumbs up),
Daniel
There are human activities we’ve practiced for millennia, and others that are relatively new. For example, Facebook was started in 2004, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a town renamed in 1638 after a London university founded in the year 1209. Nearly three billion people now use this social media platform. Controlled fermentation began between 10000 and 6000 BC in what is now the Middle East, and almost every civilization since has included at least one fermented food in its culinary heritage.
Fermentation is the chemical transformation of organic substances into simpler compounds by enzymes produced by molds, yeasts, or bacteria, and it occurs without our intervention. Human-caused fermentation was first employed for the preservation of milk from camels, cattle, sheep, and goats; the dawn of cheese and yogurt. There is evidence of a fermented beverage made in China from rice, honey and fruit from 7000 BC, and people started making wine from grapes around 6000 BC in what is now the Republic of Georgia. One can imagine that weekly wine tasting flights, like those now at Oakland Yard, were in regular rotation shortly thereafter.
Ancient Egyptians first experimented with yeast in dough fermentation for leavening bread at least 6,000 years ago, and fermentation techniques developed there between 3,500 and 300 BC are still in use today. The Sumerians started making beer well before 2000 BC, and because they were the first to use a written language, there are many documents from Sumer related to brewing, including The Hymn to Ninkasi, a song of praise to the goddess of beer.
So, while posting on social media and surfing the web are rather novel activities for us, we have been writing, eating bread, and drinking beer and wine for a good long time, and after a two year hiatus from Oakland Yard’s weekly tasting flights, and two weeks without bread from States Coffee, we’re ready to get back to these these ancient practices with gusto. In addition to our newly reinstated Saturday afternoon tasting flights, this week, Oakland Yard will resume pouring THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS. And, after a well-deserved baker’s holiday, and just in time for tomato season, States Coffee x Bread across the street will again sell loaves from Fridays through Mondays, beginning tomorrow, Friday the 5th. We’re also very excited to have our good friend and gifted winemaker, Brendan Willard of Phantômé Cellars, pouring his current lineup this Saturday!
TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS – Italian Reds & French Whites. Flights $15 from 5-9pm and full menu of wines by the glass available too!
SATURDAY, August 6th: PHANTÔMÉ CELLARS tasting with winemaker Brendan Willard. Brendan pours flights of 4 California wines: reds, white and rosé - Flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass all day until close.
Cheers,
Max
RIP, Choco Taco.
You’ve probably seen the announcement on social media. If not, I'm sorry to break some hearts at this early hour, but after nearly 40 years the ice cream treat with one of the most amusing names is no more. Editors note: I initially wrote "one of the most catchy names..." but just stumbled on a Twitter poll suggesting 25% of the population pronounce(d) it with a long O! (CHOE-CO instead of CHAH-CO) so now my heart is the one broken at this early hour, by humankind, yet again).
What I found curious, and actually quite sweet (no pun intended), was how this news was shared across the various channels - with many tagging friends to alert them to this momentous loss. A central idea here is that, to some, this was their treat. In the same way some might say pistachio is their flavor, the Sidecar is their drink, or Total Eclipse of the Heart is their jam, etc. You get the idea.
We encounter this in the day to day as well. The meaningful connections kept alive, the inherent choice made daily, weekly. One will say "I went to my barber, my butcher...". Theirs. And so simple and so significant: the idea that we are someone's "my" brings immeasurable joy to us. We are proud and honored to be your wine shop. And we hope to continue serving you for years to come. To be a particular treat - or a daily delight.
And though some mourn the end of Choco Taco, take solace - for some discontinued things do return... We are elated to announce that Weekly FLIGHTS are back at OAKLAND YARD beginning this Saturday! We'll have curated flights and guest winemakers and importers pouring dynamic wines (and occasionally spinning records:) here at the bar in the weeks and months ahead.
This Saturday (7/30), Joe Manekin of Mission Wine Merchants & Manekin Wine Co. will be pouring a stellar selection of wines from France, Spain, and Argentina.
Four wines (2 whites and 2 reds):
2020 Athletes du Vin Pineau d'Aunis
2021 Passionate Wines Criolla Grande
2020 Tresbolillo Albariño
2020 Frisach Blanco
Flights Saturday, 7/30 from 2-6pm, $15. Wines available by the glass - tonight - and all weekend too!
See you there,
Daniel
Last year at this time, Julia and I embarked on an extravagant journey. Not so much wasteful, or profligate, but extravagant in the original sense, from the verb extravagari, Latin for extra ‘outside’ + vagari ‘wander’. We wandered outside our coastal comfort zone, eastward, through the vast and sparsely peopled land separating the great oceans, and we found it was indeed possible to reach our birthplace, three thousand miles away, without ever leaving the ground. With our tiny Chihuahua on the armrest between us, we witnessed the dramatic beauty of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, then the flat emptiness of the plains, gradually ceding farmland to the sprawling settlements of the northeast.
All along the way, we wondered, “what is this place and what has happened here?” and I used my phone to research the native people and local history of the land we traversed. The trip was fascinating, and we decided to do it again this year on a more northern route. In 1884, Charles Fletcher Lummis, a journalist and activist for Native American rights and historic preservation, walked from Cincinnati to Los Angeles in 143 days, noting “I was after neither time nor money, but life, in the truer, broader, sweeter sense, the exhilarant joy of living outside the sorry fences of society.” In recent years, motorists have completed the cross-country trip in less than twenty six hours, but at an average speed of 110 miles per hour, it’s difficult to see the fences, or lack thereof, so we plan to make it a leisurely seven day journey, staying with an old friend in Wyoming, and dear cousins in Michigan, on our way to the Empire State.
Our second annual trans-American extravaganza will begin on August 1st, and I’m tying up loose ends now: bottling vinegar, sampling wine club candidates, and planning in-store tastings beginning again next month. Last year at this time, the Oakland Yard tasting bar reopened after being shuttered for a year and a half, and Daniel and the gang resumed pouring glasses as Julia and I skipped town. This August, in our absence, they’ll be bringing back themed tasting flights and special guests behind the bar, and we’ve got stellar new team members, whom I know you’ll enjoy tasting with and getting to know. Keep an eye on our event calendar; Thursdays, weekends, and even Monday nights at Oakland Yard are about to get a lot more exciting. And do come by for a drink with me before I hit the open road.
Cheers,
Max