This morning, I selected twenty-four different light to medium-bodied, dry, organic reds to assemble a regular order I’ve been filling for dear friends every few months for several years. These folks live too far from Oakland Yard to come by the shop often, so they usually ask that I bring them a couple of cases of my picks in their favored style whenever we manage to visit. I think it’s sweet they trust me, and rarely give more direction than We liked this one. Maybe I always pick the perfect wines for them, or perhaps they’re just easy to please.

Americans make many, many decisions every day, and we believe choice is good; indeed, it is the basis of free will and, for some, the key to happiness. On most occasions, I too value my freedom to choose, but at times there is something unburdening about having limited choices. Games like chess, forms such as sonnets or sonatas, are defined by their structure, valued for their constraints and restrictions. In the realm of food and wine, a prix-fixe at a trusted restaurant is a pleasure, and a well considered wine pairing can illuminate a meal. Even the airplane menu, with its perennial meat-or-vegetable duality, makes choosing a little simpler during the course of what is almost certainly not a simple journey. Eating seasonally from the garden or market helps limit one’s choices, and a weekly CSA farm box means you rarely spend too much time deciding what to cook. In many parts of the world, they only drink the local wine. A traditional Basque Txakoli producer once asked, “Why do they want to buy our wine? Don’t they have their own?”

Whether it’s a signature cocktail or a local specialty, you must possess an open mind and broad taste to surrender to such fate, but less deliberation means more doing, in this case eating and drinking. Every week at Oakland Yard, we make some hard decisions about what to include in our tasting flights, so you don’t have to. We’ll provide some structure - a growing region or grape variety - so you’re not hanging out there all willy-nilly with too many choices, and if it’s a bottle or six or twelve you’re in for, we can help you pick those out as well.

TONIGHT...THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Sicilian whites & French Cabernet Franc
2022 Gorghi Tondi Grillo
2022 Masseria del Feudo Grillo
2021 Fuso Cala Bianco Terre Siciliane Skin Fermented Catarratto
2022 Domaine du Bel Air Jour de Soif Bourgueil
2021 Les Athlètes du Vin Chinon
2019 Domaine de Nerleux Saumur-Champigny
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 8/30: Spanish wine flights - Xarel-lo from the Penedes & Tempranillo from Rioja
2023 Vins El Cep ‘Ot De Vins El Cep Xarel-lo
2022 Clandestina Blanc Fugitiu Blanco
2019 Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja
2016 Lopez de Heredia Vina Cubillo Rioja
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Decisively and decidedly,

Max

My first wine harvest was in 2009. My friend and I were working at a local wine shop and eventually decided to give up our teaching jobs and give winemaking a go. Anyone who has worked a harvest will tell you there’s nothing like your first harvest, working harder than you’ve ever been pushed, and the satisfaction that comes with working with your hands and helping create something. In contrast to the magic of fermentation and the camaraderie of the cellar, many of us would also see the curtain pulled back and experience some disillusionment. Some friends might end up working for 'absentee winemakers' who would just send in work orders for their program, other interns could end up working for big operations, where pneumatic machines might do punch-downs and wines would end up in massive tanks five times the height of the building.

I was lucky to work for and alongside a winemaker named Byron Kosuge. Working hands-on at all times, with dozens of micro-lots, fermenting different varieties in single bins - all moving at different stages - each requiring individual care and attention. While I look back on our time and think of him as a teacher, he would more likely present himself as a student – always exploring opportunities to learn more, to experiment with different techniques and vessels like concrete eggs, There was never a single fermentation that he wasn’t there to experience daily, not a vineyard that he himself was not sampling daily to coordinate and call the pick - when he determined optimum balance of ripeness and acidity.

He's much too humble to be celebrated, so I won’t talk much more about him today. But I am grateful that there are local, independent winemakers like him, here in the bay area who are so dedicated in this way to their craft. Ever hands-on, never cutting corners. Still bringing immeasurable time, care, and integrity to their wines. Elevating Califonia wines and keeping the dream alive. We are blessed to have so many amazing small, local producers here on our shelves and at our bar, in person or being poured by the glass or in flights here. Thank you all to all who came out to meet Sabrina Tamayo and taste Ruby Blanca wines a couple weeks ago, and thank you to all who still support the exceptional, small local producers like Isa Wines, Terah Wine Co. Ram Cellars, B. Kosuge, Trail Marker Wine Co., Martha, Stoumen... too many to name, so many to explore and enjoy. Stop in this weekend and check out some new local favorites!

But first... TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights!
Pinot Noir from France, California & Oregon and German whites...
2022 Quentin Harel Pinot Noir
2023 Folk Machine Central Coast Pinot Noir
2022 Maison Noir OPP Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
2023 Von Winning Sauvignon Blanc II
2021 Kaiserstuhl Königschaffhausen Blanc de Noir
2022 Josef Rosch Riesling Kabinett Leiwen Klostergarten
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 8.24: Califirnia Flights...All new arrivals!!! 
2023 Orixe Sotelo Nebola White
2021 Edaphos by Ernest Petite Arvine 
2022 B Kosuge El Galpon Carneros Pinot Noir 
2021 Filomena Wine Co. St Laurent
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

P.S. While you're checking out next-level independent local winemakers here, also check out some of our new pantry items like local Olive Oil from Fat Gold and Like Family, local Tomales Bay Creamery and Cypress Grove cheeses, or new favorites salts and hand-crafted spice blends from Oaktown Spice Shop!


Cheers,

Daniel

In his newsletter a few weeks ago, Daniel compared Oakland Yard to a record shop, with an ever-changing assortment of delights, old and new, carefully curated for a variety of tastes. A good bookstore also shares many of these qualities. We all deal in standard formats with endless variation, and while digital technology has rendered concrete books and records unnecessary, many of us continue to read and listen to them. There used to be more record shops, bookstores, and wine merchants, before America fully embraced Amazon. Independent small retail businesses are now quaint - unusual and old-fashioned.

I enjoy being in a space surrounded by goods for sale, organized, displayed, and variously labeled, feeling the weight of an LP in my hand, or the textured cover of a newly printed hardcover, in the company of others who value these things too. A good retail shop has friendly and well informed clerks who, if you consult them often enough, will learn your tastes and help you find what you may not even know you were looking for. These specialists often have esoteric knowledge and may be quirky, sly, or humorous. I prefer friendly clerks to algorithms.

For these reasons, and many more, I was terribly sad to hear that on July 30th, our local East Bay Booksellers suffered a fire that completely destroyed their store on College Avenue. It makes me a little teary to consider the stacks of smoldering books where I often browsed so happily. Gilman Street Brewing has stepped up to host several of the bookstore’s upcoming scheduled events and a GoFundMe account has been established for donations. If you too love a good local bookstore, and value a vibrant small business community, please share some support with our friends at East Bay Booksellers!

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights: White wines from Oregon and Reds from Spain
2023 Breanne Day Vin de Days White
2023 Ovum Big Salt White
2021 Kelley Fox Nerthus Skin-Fermented White
2018 Viñedos del Jorco Las Cabañuelas Cebreros
2021 Linaje del Pago Rojo Carmin Tenerife Listan Negro 2018 Viña Olartia Crianza Rioja
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY POP UP - ED'S BREAD at OAKLAND YARD!!!
Ed's Breads will be offerings the following at this Saturday's pop-up:
Artisan breads (full/half loaf): sourdough wheat-rye, sourdough flaxseed-wheat, sourdough black sesame togarashi as well as sweet and savory pastries: ginger scone, savory turnover (mushroom|greens|goat cheese) and chocolate chip cookies! Roll up - you will be as excited as we were after we sampled these delights... Ed's Bread Pop Up Saturday August 17th from 1-4pm

Also this SATURDAY 8/17: Rosé Flights - Four more dry and delicious 2023 French pink wines
2023 Lelièvre Gris Pique-Nique Côtes de Toul Rosé
2023 Domaine Thomas-Labaille Sancerre Rosé
2023 Domaine Philippe Gilbert Menetou-Salon Rosé
2023 Château Pradeaux Bandol Rosé
Flights $20 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

See you in the shop,
Max

I've been moving this past week. With our two little ones we've accumulated a lot of odds and ends, from playhouses to bikes to giant stuffed sharks (and dear old "Ghostie"). The wear and tear is much worse too. I found myself painting over some "wall art", the result of one of them finding new use for mom's nail polish. When I think we've cleaned every wall, corner, sill, and baseboard, there’s always a little more.

The movers loaded a truck yesterday, and after I spent most the week annoyed with myself for having rented a far too large model, it turned out my imagined error was a blessing, as we would've been in a real jam with less room. There was just enough room for everything.

I get very attached to houses. To the stories the walls can tell. How gatherings within these spaces forge friendships. How past invitations become forever memories. In the now empty rooms I see the phantoms of my little ones tearing around, up to shenanigans, but I also see friends here and there, laughing like grown up children. When my mind is exhausted and my heart full, another happy memory enters, then another. Always room for more. 

Nearly on the other side of it now, the thing that strikes me most about moving is that for all the backbreaking work - the packing, coordinating, the cleaning, the loading... all these challenges are balanced by the kind work of others. Those who offered to help load, those who prepared meals for us the last couple nights so we didn’t have to cook or clean another plate. A neighbor who brought us ice cold beers one afternoon at just the right time. Friends who showed up in the early morning on moving day to bring fresh pastries and just brewed coffee, served in mugs from their home.

Just as my heart feels too full with sentiment, with memories, with gratitude - another small kindness is offered. And another. There’s just enough room for it.

THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Austrian reds and Portuguese whites
2022 Trapl Uni6
2019 Prieler Blaufränkisch 
NV Moric Hausmarke Rot
2022 Anselmo Mendes Contacto Alvarinho
2022 Filipa Pato Dinamica Vinho Branco
2021 Luis Seabra Xisto Ilimitado Douro Branco

SATURDAY 8/10: Alyssa Papiernik pours new Italian wines from FARM WINE IMPORTS
2023 Angiolino Maule Masieri Bianco 
2023 Saetti Rosso Viola Lambrusco
2022 Foradori Teroldego
2022 La Stoppa Trebbiolo 

Keep rolling,

Daniel

The pathways that lead one to work with wine are many and varied. You may be born a Rothschild, a Mondavi, or the anonymous babe of migrant pickers. Some are raised among the vines, while others trade city life for dirt rows and secateurs. One’s education can be ‘hands-on’ or theoretical, and may involve study and diplomas, but also hazing, scars, and chutzpah. Chilean winemaker Macarena del Río once rode her bicycle right up the path to Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion and requested a job, successfully!

Many of us, especially those trained in the fine arts, are ‘bitten by the wine bug’ while working in restaurants, where unskilled openings are plentiful and wine knowledge and appreciation is shared and cultivated. Engaged in the work of hospitality, we find the history and practice of winemaking both fascinating and closely tied to cultural heritage. Marked by the unmistakable fingerprints of humanity, wine tasting brings sensual pleasure and intellect together in an artful way, each bottle new, unique and changeable, yet part of a timeless tradition.

Winemaker Sabrina Tamayo and I started out in very different places, but our last couple of turns led to our meeting. Sabrina grew up in Miami and studied painting in Pennsylvania, where she learned to love wine through restaurant work. From Pennsylvania, Sabrina went to New York and began studying to become a sommelier. She then worked harvests in California at Ryme Cellars and Bedrock Wine Co. and in 2021 Sabrina joined the flagship Two Eighty Project apprenticeship program in partnership with Steve Matthiason and UC Davis and began working full time in the vineyards and winery with Les Lunes Wines. Superbly skilled and wonderfully good-natured, Sabrina takes pride in being one of only a few queer, Latinx, and female winemakers, and I’m delighted that our paths have crossed here in California, and will again this Saturday afternoon from 2 to 6, when Sabrina will pour tasting flights of her Ruby Blanca Wines new releases. Come join us and meet the winemaker!

But first...TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights - Loire Valley Whites and La Boutanche Liters
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne or Selection Massale’s stellar cartoon-festooned proprietary bottlings of natty, drinky-drinky, rouge-de-soif liters
2023 Domaine de la Pepiere La Pepie Muscadet
2022 Tardieux Gal Touraine Sageres Sauvignon Blanc
2022 Sebastien Brunet Vouvray Sec Arpent
2022 Martin Texier La Boutanche Cinsault
2023 Olivier Minot La Boutanche Gamay
2022 Broc Cellars La Boutanche Red
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 8/3: Winemaker Sabrina Tamayo pours Ruby Blanca Wines tasting flights
All new releases from organically farmed vineyards in Lodi, California
2023 Ruby Blanca Borden Ranch Albariño
2023 Ruby Blanca Clements Hills Nero D'Avola Rosato
2023 Ruby Blanca Clements Hills Skin Fermented Ribolla Gialla
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Max

For much of my life, I’d be the one charged to answer the red phone, at all hours of the night. Not referencing politics here, I’m talking about the emergency of friends or family members plagued by a melody they can't place, whether a catchy commercial jingle or some cheesy pop hit of yesteryear,. They’d have a couple bars ("Dah-dah-DAH-DAAAH-dum-duuum...or something like that?"), or the loosest lyric (“Something about a heart maybe??"). One of my superpowers is my ability to frequently tap into the musical universe and more often than not deliver the answer. "It’'s 'Don’t Go Breaking My Heart', by Elton John and Kiki Dee", I’d say, happy to give them and myself a good night's rest.

At our staff meeting recently, we were chatting about good vibes in the shop and music obviously came up. Francis said he sees folks frequently raising their phones towards a speaker, employing a song recognition app to identify a single from our playlist. 

I’ve always enjoyed playing DJ at shops and bars and wineries I’ve worked at, and I've loved working with so many people over the years who feel the same way – eager to provide an upbeat or fitting soundtrack for cellar work or for a stocking session, or now quite commonly here, dropping tunes for the evening crowd, seeing folks nodding to the beat or singing along, everyone enjoying wine and tacos and music together.

It struck me at our meeting, that in many ways, our wine selection is not so different than a great record store. Max, the seasoned DJ in this way - and staff here too - selecting fresh, new drops for your consideration and enjoyment. Each week, new artists joining some of our greatest hits among these walls. With our teenage fan club hearts, we are ever eager for the newest releases from our favorite producers, and excited to share these new hits with you, feeling fine about any being a one hit wonder or perhaps a future classic. Hopefully memorable either way. Maybe even worth calling a friend about.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Italian Whites and Reds...
2021 Pomodolce Diletto Derthona Timorasso
2022 Centopassi Giato Bianco
2022 Agnanum Bianco Sabbia Vulcanica Falanghina
2023 Agnanum Rosso Sabbia Vulcanica Piedirosso
2021 Cincinnato Nero Buono Polluce
2019 Terra d'Aligi Tatone Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close

SATURDAY 7/27: All New French Rosé! Delightful and dry, all fresh new arrivals. Every one a banger. Call a friend and boogie on down this Saturday from 2-6. 
2023 Clos du Tue-Boeuf Vin Rosé
2023 Plouzeau Rive Gauche Chinon Rosé
2023 Crochet Sancerre Rosé
2023 Collotte Marsannay Rosé
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Daniel

In a world made of stories, we are co-authors and main characters. Our days and lives play out alongside those of others, much like the days and lives of those who came before and those who will follow. At times, our engagement with events makes certain hours, weeks, or years feel pivotal to the action, the plot, our narrative arc. We are always building it, but we don’t know where it will take us. At my annual medical checkup this week, after touching on alcohol and exercise, my doctor asked: “How are you feeling mentally?” I let out a little chuckle, and said, “I think I’m pretty good.” “Yeah,” he said, “it’s a tricky question these days.”

Last week, at the Château of Angers in the Loire Valley, I saw what’s left of a Neolithic cairn with burial chambers built over four thousand years ago, and walked the grounds where, in the year 851, Viking leaders Ragnar Lodbrok and Bjorn Cote de Fer came after the French king Charles the Bald. I also viewed the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, an enormous, woolen wonder of medieval art commissioned by the Duke of Anjou in the late 14th century. Created at the height of the hundred years war and shortly following the Black Death, it relates the grim tale of the Book of Revelation, the final battle between good and evil, in a series of colorfully woven scenes. Pre-printing press, this elaborate rug was made to demonstrate the glory of the Duke and to illustrate the importance of faith to a broken populace. It seems to say, “Your choice: blessed beatitude or grotesque, eternal suffering.” Now, it also says, “We’ve been here before, or even somewhere worse,” and asks, “What have we learned?”

Well, for one, three hundred years later - from the French monk, Dom Pérignon - we learned to make sparkling wine by the Champagne method, with a second fermentation begun in the bottle. Prior to 1697, all vinous bubbles were made Methode Ancestrale, by capturing the CO2, a natural byproduct of fermentation. Also called Pétillant naturel, or Pet-Nat, methode ancestrale wines are bottled before they finish their primary fermentation and tend to have lower alcohol and sometimes a yeast-y, toastiness that complements their fruit flavors and acidity. What’s emerged as a ‘trend’ in small production sparkling wines is actually the origin of good bubbly. Come sample four fresh takes on this ancient style at our tasting bar this Saturday afternoon!

But first...TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights - Italian Nebbiolo and Rhone Valley whites
2022 Elvio Tintero Langhe Nebbiolo
2022 Cavalier Bartolomeo Enfant Langhe Rosso
2021 Serio e Battista Borgogno Nebbiolo d’Alba
2022 Domaine la Cabotte Colline Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc
2021 Cave Cluzel Roussanne
2021 Domaine de la Grande Colline Bibendum Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 7/20: Pétillant naturel AKA méthode ancestrale... A refreshing lineup of four dry, low-alcohol, organically farmed, sparkling Pét-nats from Croatia, Portugal, and France.
- Domaine Coteaux des Margots Vin Mousseux Aligoté Pétillant naturel
- Pomalo Debit Pétillant naturel
- Quinta da Raza Pet Nat Vinho Branca
- Lise et Bertrand Jousset Éxilé Rosé Pétillant
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

And please note *** We will be closing at 7pm this Monday 7/22 for a special event***

Hang in there,
Max

A man walks into a bar in Ireland. He orders three pints and carries them to a table and sips from each glass, alternating pints until all of them are empty. He returns a week later and does the same thing, ordering three pints and drinking from each glass until they're all gone. The next time he stops in, the bartender recognizes him and inquires as to why he doesn't just want one pint at a time. 

"It's sort of a family tradition" the man explains. "I have two brothers, and we live all over the globe and don't get to see each other very often. So we do this wherever we are, to feel like we're all together." The bartender smiles and nods in approval, pulling three pints for the man. This continues for several months as the man becomes a regular, the other town folk aware of his sentimental tradition.  

But one night, the man walks in and approaches the bar slowly. "Just two pints, please" the man says softly. A solemn quiet falls over the room. The bartender pulls the two pints and pushes them forward gently with his head bowed. "On the house..." he offers. "I'm so very sorry for your loss." 

Confused, the man pauses, then registers and says, "Oh no no no, we're all fine. I just gave up drinking."


Max and Julia are away for a few more days. They sent greetings from Montlouis a couple days ago. And while they are enjoying local glasses in the Loire Valley, I figured we could capture that sprit and do the same tonight ... and feel like we're all together. So stop in and enjoy three delightful wines from the Loire - we'll be pouring both red and white flights and raising glasses to loved ones near and distant. Come join us.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights... Red and White Flights from Loire valley
2023 Thomas Labaille L'Authentique Sancerre
2023 Reau & Jousset Pulpe FJC#!@N Muscadet
2022 Domaine Fouet Saumur Blanc
2021 Domaine Timothée Delalle La Burette Rouge
2019 Domaine de Nerleux Saumur Champigny Rouge
2022 Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme Le Telquel
Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 7/11: New California Flights! A delicious line up of four low alcohol, minimal intervention wines made locally and organically...
2023 Lieu Dit Melon
2022 Erggelet Brothers Malvasia Bianca (skin contact)
2023 Ram Cellars Forbidden Cats Merlot
2018 Purity Bay Laurel Mourvédre
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Daniel

Bonjour de la France et bonne fête de l'indépendance! I write this morning from Cheverny in the Loire Valley and send thanks to Daniel and our stalwart staff for making this possible. The weather here is mild, but I understand the East Bay is unseasonably warm, and I encourage you to take refuge this afternoon at Oakland Yard, which will be sixty-nine degrees and open until 6pm this evening, by which time it should be cool enough for y’all to comfortably resume Fourth of July festivities outdoors.

During our last trip to France, in August of 2008, Julia and I were driving through the Southwest and stopped for a mid-day refreshment at a small café in an ancient hilltop village near Cahors. It was a blazing hot afternoon, and Julia ordered a glass of white wine. Desiring acomprehensive regional sampling, I ordered a glass of rosé and also a glass of red. The wine was served in small tumblers, and all three came directly from the refrigerator, ice cold. Surprised at first, I quickly understood that a red at ‘room temperature’ would be as appealing as a glass of warm grape soup, and I happily polished off the refreshingly cold Malbec.

Last Monday, Julia and I were tasting wine with Alain Allier, a family friend and natural winemaker in the Languedoc village of Calvisson, and we shared our thoughts on trends in the industry. I told him our customers are drinking less rosé and more skin-macerated ‘orange’ wines, and that light-bodied, chillable reds were the most popular of all. Alain confirmed that the French are headed in the same direction, as we sampled his most popular wine - a thirst-quenching vin de soif with cinnamon spice and cranberry fruit - precisely the style we can’t get enough of back home. As it happens, this Saturday at Oakland Yard, Claire, Bibi, Francis and Sarah will be pouring flights of chilled reds, perfect for the season and très en vogue.

Oakland Yard will close early this evening, opening from 11am until 6pm. Je suis désolé, there will be no Thursday night flights this week.

SATURDAY 7/6: Chilled Red Flights - Taste four refreshingly cool, light reds from Croatia, Italy, France, and California
2022 Pomalo Plavina
2021 Due Terre Nivuru Nero d’Avola
2021 Domaine de la Patience Costières de Nîmes Rouge
2022 Ashanta Resist
Tasting flights $18 from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


À bientôt,

Max

I am of a generation that listened to the radio. That developed patience by suffering through commercials. As kids we'd even try calling the radio station, from our landline. On certain days, at certain times, we'd be encouraged to request our favorite song and if lucky our request would be honored and our names and neighborhood might be called out on the air. On other occasions we'd call in for contests, for free concert tickets or whatnot. I never won tickets, but one time I got a consolation prize and they mailed me a T-shirt. It was absurdly large so I gave it to a guy on my soccer team (it was too big for him too but I didn't say anything).

A few weeks ago, a woman came in to buy a bottle of sherry for a special mushroom soup she was making. Max first noticed her well-worn navy blue cotton shirt, with a contrasting yellow font that simply read: FREE SCHMIDT!. While that’s my last name, we'd learn that it wasn’t hers, nor that of anyone she knew. She explained it was a reference to a fictional character, and made as a promo for a friend's project many years ago. To my surprise, she would return later that same day with her washed and folded FREE SCHMIDT! T-shirt. Offered to me in recognition of the particular delight it brought me. She even shared some of the soup she made (it was delicious). And the shirt turned out to be a perfect fit.

I'm thinking about that shirt again this morning. And about random strangers, making connections, transferring delight. The kind of people who would literally give you the shirt off their back, as the saying goes. I think of how wonderful our community can be, how amazing our regulars, or even occasional guests, can be. Interactions that go far beyond the standard transactions of a wine shop. Receiving random emails of gratitude, or kind words of appreciation shared at the register. Holiday cards. Or fresh-baked cookies. Some bring their visiting friends or parents, when they are in town, to show them the shop. Their shop. My eyes swell with pride just thinking about it. 

This has always been and continues to be so much more than just a shop. To us certainly, and to you too, we hope. And if, in any way, we can better share this space, let us know. If there are things you'd like to see on the shelves, or learn more about, shoot us an email or stop in anytime. More sherry, perhaps? Or a favorite food pop up you'd love to see here? Give us a call! Our request lines are open and we are all ears. We're here for you til 9pm everyday now. And we'll continue to expand our program, and grow one way or another, hopefully always fitting just right.
 

TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Italian whites and California reds... 
2022 Donna Paolina Fiano di Avellino
2023 Pra Otto Soave Classico
2021 Vite Colte Roero Arneis
2022 Trail Marker Wine Co Blaufrankish
2020 Vignerons Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
2021 Beaver Creek 'Survivor' Petite Syrah
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 6/29: Wines of ALSACE
French Sparkling, white, and red from the northeast bordering Germany and Switzerland 
Hubert Meyer Cremant de Alsace Brut
2022 Domaine Wassler Riesling
2022 Domaine Mann 'Le Mouton Bleu' Sylvaner
2021 Domaine Roland Schmitt 'Plan B' Pinot Noir
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Daniel

I may have shared this memory with a few of you before. About the day I was forgotten. Growing up with six siblings, our little house was a bit of a zoo most the time, but us all getting ready for school in the morning was its own kind of crazy. Everyone tripping over each other in the early a.m., sharing one bathroom, trying to beat the clock, pulling clothes from drawers or hampers or from under beds, shoveling Cream of Wheat or Pop Tarts into our mouths with mom hollering her countdown - a one-woman assembly line stuffing Capri Suns and PB&Js into brown paper bags with our names written on each in her distinct cursive.

I've never been a morning person, and I probably deserved the daily nagging. Two minutes to leave and I'd still be dreaming, or digging out an old cardigan. Putting on my shoes at a snails pace. They'd often threaten to leave me behind, which they'd obviously never do - until the one day they did. I think I was in second grade at the time. I heard the door slam and the last pair of sneakers stomping off down the steps outside. But I could hear the van still warming up by the street and I knew they'd yell for me once again, annoyed at my procrastination. But then I heard the van reverse. And pull away. I was figured they'd see me running down the steps - and someone in the rear window would be shaking their head, alerting mom to stop. But as I ran barefoot down the steps and out to the the street, I realized it wasn't a joke. They were gone.

I was a mix of anger, desperation, and sadness. I had already dropped my shoes on the steps, so I threw my socks at the ghost of the van in some dramatic fit, wailing and flailing away. My anguish was short-lived. Mom U-turned a couple blocks away and was back up the hill a minute later. My older siblings annoyed to see me still sprawled out on the steps in practiced agony. My sister hopping out to collect my socks from the road. 


With all the craze around orange wines and chilled reds, and everyone clamoring around for the best summer sippers, poor little lovely rosé seems to have been forgotten in this particular moment in time. And no one is exactly sure why, but we're certainly still returning to these pleasant, pink, refreshing bottles here at the shop. Loading them into coolers and cars for parties and getaways or enjoying them on the steps outside our homes. Come back and reacquaint yourselves with rosé once again! Pull a U-turn. Give it another chance. We'll be pouring a selection of our favorite rosés and new releases this Saturday from 2-6! It's looking to be warm and sunny... so stop in and enjoy our cool A/C and a flight with us. We promise, these wines are worth chasing after. 

First, TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! All French lineup this evening, with dry Aligoté from Burgundy for the whites and Rhone reds for the other flight!
2022 Berthenet Bourgogne Aligoté Vielles Vignes
2022 Domaine Rollin Bourgogne Aligoté
2022 Domaine Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté
2022 Domaine La Damase Grenache
2018 Chateau Redortier Beaumes-des-Venise Rouge
2022 Domaine Jean Esprit Crozes-Hremitage
Flights $15 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until close!

SATURDAY 6/15: Rosé returns!... New spring and summer arrivals and staff favorites:
2023 Ameztoi Rubentis Txakoli Rosé
2023 Bisson Ciliegiolo Rosé
2023 Chateau Soucherie L'Astree Rosé de Loire
2022 Chateau Vannieres Bandol Rosé
Flights $18 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm


On my way,

Daniel

What a time to be alive! There’s a new moon in Gemini and anything is possible. The stellar Dioscuri, twin sons of Zeus and Leda, will lead you in new directions, but only if you trust your heart and allow the darkness to change your mind for the better. Consider this new moon your summer reset button, and leverage the power of the rising Sun. Speaking of the Sun, you may want to do some weeding after the week we’ve had, and know that those bananas you left out on the counter are now only fit for making bread. And do apply some extra sunscreen if you want to make it to the next new moon in Gemini. You probably know young people who are graduating from high school or university. Don’t think these dear little friends are trading domestic bliss for the horrors of reality, rather consider them caterpillars, on their way to becoming butterflies. You may feel the effects of Venus and Jupiter cavorting with the astral twins. Don't be alarmed by this foursome. The planet of romantic love holds influence over all of our social relationships, as well as our aesthetic style and appreciation of art and culture. Venus may prompt you to plan time with friends and family this weekend, to eat oysters, tacos, and takoyaki, to drink wine in the afternoon, to buy local arts and crafts, houseplants, and vintage clothing. If you are listening to the sweet nothings from the sky, love will lead you directly to Oakland Yard this Saturday. And if you’re feeling the intellectual pull of the largest body in our orbit, you’ll let Jupiter send you to Oakland Yard this evening where we’ll examine the various and immutable characteristics of two wine grape varieties: Gamay and Melon. Whatever you do, don’t look down. Look forward, spread those wings that just sprouted from your shoulders and belt it out with us: “Now, this is what I call LIVING!”

TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Gamay from Sonoma County, Beaujolais, and Bugey, and Melon de Bourgogne from the Loire and Santa Maria Valleys
2023 Lieu Dit Melon
2020 Domaine de la Fessardière La Mer Muscadet
2018 Les Bêtes Curieuses Clisson Muscadet 2023 Maison Angelot Bugey Gamay
2023 Breaking Bread Gamay
2022 Karim Vionnet Chiroubles
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

THIS SATURDAY JUNE 8th: OAKLAND YARD SUMMER PARTY & MARKET - 12 to 5pm
Featuring Takoyaki and Izakaya from Daruma Kiosk, Tacos Oscar serving brunch til 2, Oysters and raw bar from Casa de Kei and market delights and fantastic finds from LH Ceramics, The Plant Queen, Pablo Cristi, Rise Above, Homebody Vintage, fresh loaves and sweet treats from Eds Breads and wine & beer from Oakland Yard.

Prophetically and with love,

Max

I can't believe it's nearly June. My little one graduated from Kindergarten last week, so summer hours and summer adventures await. When I was her age, summer mostly meant running around our neighborhood, making mischief, reenacting scenes from The Goonies, looking for treasures or trouble in Mrs. Scarvacci's backyard. Sometimes venturing beyond mom's boundaries to Dan-the-Ice-Cream-man's Red Rooster truck for sweet treats. Some summers, dad would erect an aluminum above ground pool in the sand pit behind the house. Once that thrill wore off, we'd shove our sad eyes and puppydog pleas through the openings in the fence, begging Leif and Hilda, the elderly Norwegians next door, to let us crowd into their hot tub, doing our best to ruin their retirement. They were good sports. Leif would bring us cold drinks and if we were really lucky he'd let us pick some fruit jellies he kept in the kitchen freezer. He'd sometimes show me pictures of his granddaughter, asking me isn't she the prettiest girl in the whole world? I knew enough at age 6 to raise my eyebrows and nod in agreement, helping myself to another treat.

We've got all kinds of sunny day fun lined up, no need to beg or tell us we're beautiful. We’re looking forward to a summer of pop ups and parties and special events, along with the usual weekly flights! And OAKLAND YARD is now open until 9pm all week! We've got The Olioteca Pop Up this Sunday June 2nd with Like Family and Fat Gold bringing their amazing olive oils and small bites with flights and wines by the glass. Next Wednesday, June 5th Yuji returns... with Bento Boxes for another @ishikatanotabekata Pop Up! And Saturday June 8th we're throwing a PARTY in the backlot with DARUMA KIOSK serving Takoyaki and Izakaya, Tacos Oscar serving brunch next door, oysters from Shuckbuddy, and an amazing lineup of local vendors, artisans, and artists - all here on SATURDAY JUNE 8th!

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS:
French Whites & Italian Reds...
2023 Reau & Jousset Pulpe Fiction Muscadet
2021 Les Vins Pirouettes Michel Tutti Frutti
2022 Domaine Grivot-Goisot Côtes d'Auxerre Bourgogne Blanc
2022 Ampeleia Un Litro
2021 GD Vajra Dolcetto d’Alba
2018 Guerra Albano Refosco dal Peduncolo
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 6/1 SLOVAKIAN WHITES and SLOVENIAN REDS
2021 Marvla Tindo Próza   
2022 United Cellars of Tekov Just Kids Muscat  
2021 Black Lamb Eazy  Refošk
2016 Zaro Folo Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon 
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 6/2: The OLIOTECA! Olive Oil tasting and small bites from Like Family and Fat Gold. Flights $18 and Olioteca Tasting Menu for $16. OLIOTECA from 2-4 with flights until 6 and wines by the glass all day UNTIL NINE :)

Cheers,
Daniel

I sip warily from the cup of pride. The smuggest of the seven deadlies is not to be trifled with; it will poison friendships and is easily dissolved by misfortune. I have a modicum of self-confidence but try not to take too much pleasure or satisfaction in my supposed achievements or attributes. That said, Oakland Yard is not my own creation, but a collaboration I’ve helped initiate, and I am proud of the work we’re doing together as partners, employees, and customers, to maintain a safe and joyous space amid the chaos of our lives.

I felt it last week, with suspicion, when close friends, surveying the arcs of our various careers, suggested I’d achieved a major accomplishment in Oakland Yard - the welcoming feeling, the warmth, the good vibes - all qualities we’ve fostered together, I thought, with great pride. And it happened again this week, when tasting with a winemaker from Lebanon. It’s always fun to witness the reactions of overseas visitors unsure of what to expect from Oakland. We’ve tasted with winemakers from France, Hungary, Spain, and Italy in the last month, and when they enter our shop so full of sunlight, flowers, clean lines, and fantastic wines, they are sometimes so clearly and happily taken aback, that I too see our space with new eyes and a greater appreciation of what we do, and I allow myself a little pride.

Thanks to all of you who keep Oakland Yard uniquely vibrant and special! We’re looking forward to a summer of stellar tasting flights and special events, including a back lot PARTY and ARTISAN MARKET featuring oysters by Shuckbuddy,  DARUMA KIOSK serving Takoyaki and Izakaya, and an amazing lineup of local vendors, artisans, and artists - all here on SATURDAY JUNE 8th - and starting June 1st, we’ll be open until 9pm every night of the week!

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS:
Spanish whites and French reds - all organically farmed
2022 Monte Pio Raxeira Albariño
NV Brincadeiro Naturalmente Turbio
2021 Masia de la Roqua Blanco Ulivel-la Xarel-lo
2022 Remi Pouizin Vice Versa
2021 Benjamin Taillandier Laguzelle Minervois
2019 Domaine de Nerleux Saumur-Champigny Rouge
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 5/25: NEW CALIFORNIA reds and whites - all organically farmed
2023 Birdhorse Verdelho
2022 Subject to Change Chill Pill Chenin Blanc
2021 Jaimee Motley Argillet Mondeuse
2022 Bedrock Wine Co. California Syrah
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Proudly,
Max

As you read this, know that I am in a happy place. Every year at this time, my father and my five brothers and I all converge upon a string of alpine lakes in the Eastern Sierras. It is a special tradition for us. Anyone who does not attend is demoted to cousin status for a year. We arrive with a particular electricity and fall quickly into our ridiculous routines: recalling odd neighbors and quirky classmates, discussing lowbrow films and high drama exes, revealing secrets of early mischief and misfortunes previously unknown, and teasing each other mercilessly (the younger the brother the broader the target). 

We rise early and spend most of the day fishing the lakes and sometimes the connecting creeks. We fish and feast and laugh, we drink and sing silly songs, and we pass the hours in-between recalling and rediscovering memories from the treasure chests of youth. When we are not peppered along the shorelines, we squeeze aboard a rented boat, exploring the lakes and enjoying a spot that is collectively ours. This year, the gathering is a uniquely special one - with our one sister joining us, and so for a couple days, all of us siblings will be under the same roof again for the first time in about thirty years. 

Oakland Yard is a happy place too. I'll be thinking of you all, of our exceptional staff, of new faces and seasoned regulars, all under one roof there. I'm grateful for all of you who remain a part of the adventure and continue to explore with us. The joy continues tonight and in the days ahead. Max and staff are all smiles all week, serving up all kinds of delicious wine and are there to help with your weekend gatherings or getaways. We've got THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS TONIGHT! It will be all Italian themed this evening and a special lineup this Saturday of wines from Burgundy. Join us, and the family here.


TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Italian whites and reds
2022 Pra Soave Classico Otto
2022 Gorghi Tondi Grillo
2021 Mustilli Greco Sannio
2021 Marino Abate LAPA Nero d'Avola
2021 FUSO Cantine Polvanera CALX Primitivo
2020 Villa Sant Anna Chianti Colli Senesi
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 5/18: WINES OF BURGINDY
2022 Domaine Berthenet Aligote
2022 Domaine Oudin Chablis
2021 Domaine Rollin Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes de Beaune Rouge
2020 Domaine Bader-Mimeur Bourgogne Rouge Dessous les Mues
Tasting flights $20 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass all day until 9pm.

See you Sunday (hopefully with some trout:),

Daniel 

Humans have been making wine for over 9,000 years. Winewise, one might imagine, we’ve done it all, it’s all been done, nothing new under the sun. We’ve made wine from grapes that have been dried, or botrytised, picked green, or ripe, or frozen on the vine, pressed off the skins or macerated, co-fermented red and white varieties, aged in glass, wood, metal, and ceramic vessels. Traditional regional styles vary greatly, as do our tastes over time.

Before 1800, wine was often preserved by the addition of tree resin or and was most commonly diluted with water, as designated in an order placed by Thomas Jefferson in 1790: "...either red or white, which would be good for mixing with water.” And for the vast majority of winemaking history, we preferred sweet wines. Sources of sweetness were prized and few, and residual sugar helped preserve quality and flavor in the wine. Only in the past hundred years or so have we largely consumed wines in our current dry fashion. By the 1700’s, fortified Madeira, Port, and Sherry enjoyed international popularity, and throughout most of the 19th century Champagne was made in a sweet style.

In the last fifty years, Americans have variously clamored for Pinot Grigio, Soave, Chablis and Sancerre. Argentine Malbec, Australian Shiraz, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and South African Pinotage have each had their day, then receded back into the shadows. High-octane Cabernet and buttery Chardonnay overcame California for a time, and in 2004, the film Sideways put a cinematic stake through the heart of Merlot, from which it has yet to recover.

Nowadays, dry rosé is ceding ground to skin-fermented ‘orange’ wines and chilled light reds, and here at Oakland Yard, pet nat ‘farmer fizz’ outsells traditional Champagne, Prosecco and Cava. There is also a current fascination with ‘natural’ wine made with no chemicals, no additions (i.e. yeast or sulfur) and no subtractions (Filtration or fining), a style of ‘natty’ wine commonly called ‘zero-zero’. Happy to provide and explore what’s hot - and some of what’s not - we at Oakland Yard embrace all the styles and do our best to bring you the highest quality examples to choose from, and this Saturday we’ll pour modish flights of what’s hip and happening in the wide world of wine.

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS:
French Grenache blends and Austrian Grüner Veltliner
2019 Agramante Ciaula Côtes-du-Rhône
2021 Domaine de Majas Côtes Catalanes Rouge
2018 Château Redortier Beaumes de Venise Rouge
2022 Weingut Stix Grüner Veltliner
2021 Kurt Angerer Kies Grüner Veltliner
2022 Bernhard Ott Am Berg Grüner Veltliner
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 5/11: TRENDING STYLES - Pet Nat, orange wine, chilled red & zero zero
2022 Pomalo Debit Pet Nat
2021 Fuso Cala Bianco Terre Siciliane Skin Fermented Catarratto
2022 Groundwork Counoise
2021 Castello di Tassarolo Orsola Monferrato Rosso
Also... HELLA BREAD Bakery POP UP from 2-6! Roll in and score some savory and sweet treats from Jean-Luc! Hella bread Pop Up and Tasting flights both 2-6pm and wines by the glass all day until 9pm.

Cheers,
Max

It was during another morning rush last week, scrambling about, herding cats, trying to get the little ones ready for school. My youngest daughter, now four years old, was still not dressed, and standing in her room grinning at me with her arms held high. Come smell me! I'm spicy today!, she announced proudly. It took me longer than it should have to understand her meaning - and to register the smell and the situation - eventually discovering my Old Spice deodorant relocated and uncapped nearby. Before I could absorb the momentary annoyance/amusement, her older sister barged in, complaining about unfairness, how her sister got to use my deodorant and how the other always gets to do everything. I yield to the absurdity of it all and allow them both to smell like old men for a few minutes, before they eventually reconsider (and ask me to wash the smell away).

While I've never specifically envied another person's smell, I can relate to their micro "FOMO' feelings. I'm as guilty as anyone else scrolling though social media, seeing what others are enjoying or get to do. How I somehow just missed a band at the Fox theater, or some special menu at a favorite restaurant, a wine and oysters night perhaps, a book event, or a 'one night only' pop up... you get the idea. It's hard to keep up with it all and I suppose it's worth appreciating how lucky we are to be in a city with such unique and exciting things still happening all around. We're a small shop but I'm proud of our program here beyond the bottles... the various other dynamic pairings that happen here each month. Folks will likely roll in today asking about the Bento Box pop up (last night, sorry!) or about the slow-cooked, open fire goulash and Hungarian wine event (last week, sorry!). They'll ask when Daruma Kiosk is retuning or when the next back lot party will be (soon!), or if Tacos Oscar is doing brunch this weekend (it's every weekend, til 2pm now!). 

If you're reading these weekly notes, you're already in the loop. Social media is a lot, but if you 'do the gram' as some say, I also encourage you to follow us on IG for the most up-to-date details on special events, weekly tastings, and amazing Pop Ups here at the shop. We are also adding an events calendar to the website and will start highlighting squares in the weeks and months ahead. Stay tuned for the new Hella Bread Bakery Pop Up here on May 11th, for the return of Urelio's Pizza, for Oyster Pop ups, for guest Winemakers, for local Olive Oil tasting, for a Wine 101 class, and for the next Artisan Market! 

But first... TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: French Whites and Italian Reds!
2022 Valala Sauvignon Blanc
2020 2022 Grivot-Goisot Bourgogne Cotes d' Auxerre Blanc
2022 Domaine La cabptte Cotes du Rhone Blanc
2022 Tenuta La Pergola Il Goccetto
2022 Agricola Ampeleia 'Un Litro'
2021 Gricos 'Grifalco' Aglianico del Vulture
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 5/4: NEW CALIFORNIA FLIGHTS - A stellar lineup of four low alcohol, minimal intervention wines made locally
2021 Trail Marker Wine Co. Santa Cruz Chardonnay
2023 Field Recording SKINS (Orange Wine)
2023 Jolie Laide 'Glou D' Etat' Red Blend
2022 Erggelet Brothers Red Table Wine
Tasting Flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Daniel

One of the great joys of our work at Oakland Yard is learning about wine from unfamiliar regions. Just this week, in addition to the bottles we sampled from the US and western europe, we also tasted wine from Vermont, the Canary Islands, Turkey, and the Republic of Georgia. In the seven years since we opened the shop, our central and eastern european section has grown considerably, as has our appreciation for wines from Slovakia, Serbia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, and especially Hungary. We have come to love Hungarian wines; the flinty smoke of Furmint from volcanic soil, the earthy spice of a tart Kadarka, the fox-colored hue of a classic Szekszárd siller...formerly unknown pleasures discovered here at Oakland Yard.

Most of these delightful discoveries, and almost all of our limited but growing knowledge of Hungarian wines, are the result of years of tasting with Eric Danch, an importer whose infectious zeal has led countless buyers in the bay area to a greater appreciation of these unique wines. For many years, and against the wind, Eric has been sowing the seeds, and they’ve taken root and grown into a terrible thirst. An avid student and engaging teacher, with a deep love for Eastern European culture, Hungarian history, enology, geology, gastronomy...you name it, and Eric’s got a story or two, and answers to some nagging questions, like Why is necrotrophic fungi on my grapes sometimes a good thing? How deep is Lake Balaton? What’s the spirit of an Eastern Orthodox baptism? How high is your pirate tax? What does it mean when my Hungarian friends call my wine a fence-buster or a window-crawler? Were you really once part of a traveling circus and can you still ride a unicycle while juggling? Yes, Mr. Danch knows the answers to these and many other questions you wouldn’t even think to ask anyone else. He also knows how to make a meaty, spicy, Hungarian goulash to accompany your flights of Furmint, Olaszrizling, Kadarka, and Kékfrankos, so please join us TONIGHT with ERIC DANCH at Oakland Yard for Hungarian Thursday Night Flights with complementary goulash while supplies last.

TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: HUNGARIAN WINE with special guest importer ERIC DANCH of DANCH & GRANGER SELECTIONS
2021 Kali Kovek Rezeda Olaszrizling
2020 Kikelet Birtok Furmint
2022 Heimann & Fiai Kadarka
2021 Wetzer Kekfrankos
Tasting flights $18 from 5-9 with Eric’s bonus goulash from 6pm ‘til it’s all ate up and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 4/27: SPANISH WINE FLIGHTS - A stellar lineup of new Iberian acquisitions
2022 Desconcierto Albariño
2020 TEO Alicante Blanco Joven Viognier
2020 La Viña de la Merce Rioja Crianza
2021 Sindicat la Figuera Montsant Garnatxa Negra
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm


Egészségére and Salud !
Max

I was at an Easter brunch a couple weeks ago. The hosts, on top of preparing a massive feast of everything imaginable, had also organized a Cornhole tournament involving all adults and teenagers. There was an egg hunt and a decorating station. A TV remained on in the main room for those who wanted to step inside and check in on the NCAA tournament. The most thoughtful detail of all was the consideration for the smallest humans there, an assortment of all kinds of Play-Doh and other tactile things laid out in the front room for little ones to play with (my daughters, in this case - the younger who just turned four the day earlier).

There is a particular type of vision: a sensitivity, a uniquely aware heart and a generosity of spirit, that has the ability to consider others – perhaps all others - in such a way. We may be lucky to experience this with a great host - or a rare leader. We may be fortunate to have a parent, sibling, or friend with this quality. Maybe the most admirable quality there is. We talk about this a lot as a staff here, how we can try to see all and best be present, helpful, welcoming. And how we can hold awareness for what may be behind the quick question: a quiet anxiety, a humble joy, or hidden grief beneath our brief interaction.

I also think of Max and his noble quest in this regard too. Him tasting through hundreds of bottles each month, an endless cycle of curation... always with a consideration for everyone who may come through our doors, and their vast spectrum of tastes and interests. His patient and persistent efforts to find new wines that are vibrant, fresh and dynamic - and to maintain a selection of favorites that honor our integrity and represent the highest quality and value. Considering all. And making certain there is something for everyone and for every occasion. Wines that can be paired with a spring feast, or maybe just a game of cornhole in the backyard. Or, perhaps, just a quiet glass to enjoy while watching your little ones make Play-Doh turds.


Beyond our bottle selections, we will continue to do our best to offer some additional excitement for all. There will be more special events, guest winemakers, curated flights, and food Pop Ups coming your way in the weeks and months ahead! Including THIS SATURDAY 4/20: DARUMA KIOSK returns to OAKLAND YARD! Cal-Japanese inspired Takoyaki & Izakaya food from @darumakiosk! Food Pop Up from 1-6pm. Flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass all day until close!

But first...TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: French whites and Austrian reds
2021 Phillipe Viallet Savoie Blanc
2022 Domaine Tardieux Gal 'Les Sagéres' Sauvignon Blanc
2021 Domaine Huards 'Romo' Cour-Cheverny
2021 Felix BLAU Blaufrankish
2022 Johannes Trapl 'Uni6'
2020 Prieler Blaufrankish
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm

SATURDAY 4/20: LOIRE VALLEY Flights... Daruma Kiosk Food Pop Up from 1-6pm. Flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass all day until close!
2022 Sebastian Bruntet 'Aprent' Vouvray
2022 Domaine Raffaitin-Planchon Sancerre
2021 Domaine Timothée Delalle 'La Burette' Val de Loire Rouge
2022 Pierre Olivier Bonhomme 'Le Telquel' Rouge
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Daniel

‘Natural wine’ can be a polarizing topic. A slippery term surrounded by strong feelings, the distinction is defined differently depending on who’s talking. Yeast and sulfur are natural, but their addition divides some camps. Organic farming and minimal intervention are shared tenets, but canopy management, green harvesting, temperature control, crushing, and bottling do not happen ‘naturally’; there are times when the winemaker must intervene.

It is not difficult to make natural wine, but it’s very hard to make it balanced and delicious. The latter requires pristine fruit harvested at just the right time, a fastidiously clean facility, and careful attention at every step of the winemaking process. Natural winemakers tend to agree that the quality of the fruit is the most important element in making good wine - you can’t make good wine from bad grapes. Alas, not every winemaker is blessed with their own vineyard, so vintners the world over buy grapes from farmers they trust, and when they really want to ensure they’re sourcing optimal fruit, they get involved in the farming themselves.

Les Lunes and Populis are bay area wine labels started in 2014 by four UC Davis grads: Shaunt Oungoulian, Diego Roig, Sam Baron, and Martha Stoumen. Baron and Stoumen have since split off to form their own brands, but Roig and Oungoulian have continued their partnership, moving their production from Shaunt’s parents’ basement in Orinda to a proper winery in Richmond. Shaunt and Diego have worked with renowned organic grape farmers in California, like Larry Venturi, as well as highly esteemed European natural winemakers, including Julie Balany in Beaujolais, Giusto Occhipinti in Sicily, and Philippe Valette in Burgundy, and for many years now, they’ve been leasing and farming more than 8 hectares of vineyards in Sonoma and Napa and are committed to restoring and preserving these old, historic vineyards. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming winemaker, and farmer, Shaunt Oungoulian to Oakland Yard this Saturday for flights of his and Diego’s current releases.

But first...TONIGHT - THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Chilean reds and California whites
2022 Viña Maitia Aupa Pipeño Tinto
2022 Louis-Antoine Luyt Quenehuao Tinto Pais
2020 Maturana Negra San Francisco
2022 Monte Rio Cellars Sauvignon Blanc
2021 Phantômé Cellars Gruner Veltliner
2022 Subject to Change Chill Pill Chenin Blanc
Tasting flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm
And if you see my friend Daniel today, be sure to wish him a Happy Birthday.

SATURDAY 4/13: Special guest winemaker Shaunt Oungoulian from Populis and Les Lunes pours flights of red, white and rose.
2022 Populis White Wine
2023 Populis Rosé
2023 Populis Wabi Sabi
2022 Les Lunes North Coast Claret Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting flights $18 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm

Cheers,
Max