Sommelier’s Guide To Northern California - Details - Find. Eat. Drink.
Etheliya Hananova, Sommelier, Lawrence Restaurant, Montreal, QC, Quebec, Canada, Sommelier’s Guide To Northern California, California Wine Country, San Francisco, Oakland, Albany, Geyserville, Healdsburg, Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, Restaurants, Bars, Saloons, Cafes, Wine Bars, Cocktails, Bed & Breakfast, Where to eat, Where to drink, Where to shop, Stores, Where to stay, Wine, Cheese, Local, Trip, Vacation, Travel, Insider’s Guide, Winery, Wine Producer, Small Production, Natural, Sustainable, Organic, Bio-Dynamic
THE SLANTED DOOR
The cocktail program [overseen by bar manager Erik Adkins] highlights premium and local spirits, as well as homemade juices and seasonal ingredients.
Financial District
Modern Vietnamese
San Francisco, CA
Sierra Foothills, CA
Sonoma, CA
BARBACCO
220 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.955.1919 (make a reservation)
Next door to the higher-end Perbacco, the focus lies on creating an affordable, wider-ranging list featuring natural, organic and biodynamic European and West Coast wines. Their iPad wine list gives detailed information about the wines and the producers. Simple and beautifully prepared trattoria-style fare accompanies the 50 wines by the glass, kept at 5 different temperatures. There are often several labels from one producer, allowing the discovery of a winemaker’s full range, rather than just one example.
Financial District / Embarcadero
Italian
Eat | Restaurants - San Francisco, CA
Who
Etheliya Hananova is the sommelier at Lawrence Restaurant in Montreal.
Why
Take a tasting trip to Northern California using a sommelier’s favorite wineries, restaurants and food purveyors.
Sommelier’s Guide To Northern California
February 9, 2012
Photographs courtesy of Ridge Vineyards & The Slanted Door
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Drink | Coffee - San Francisco, CA
FOUR BARREL COFFEE
Spacious, industrial design with a DJ booth and an ultra-hip vibe. Focused baristas concentrate on making the perfect coffee at separate bars devoted to espresso-based drinks and made-to-order filter coffee.
Mission
Coffee
RITUAL COFFEE
Mission
1026 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
T: 415.641.1011
Bayview / In Flora Grubb Gardens
1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124
T: 415.694.6448
Hayes Valley / At Proxy
432b Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
T: 415.865.0989
Multiple Locations
Coffee
Substance over style. This is a no-frills, purist approach devoted to the craft of making serious coffee. Check out the Seasonal Espresso, which changes regularly, to ensure that the freshest, top-quality beans are used.
BI-RITE CREAMERY AND BAKESHOP
An insanely good small-batch artisanal ice cream shop, with everything made from Straus Family Creamery organic dairy products. The menu consists of ice cream, homemade soft-serve, sorbets and baked goods. There is also an interesting selection of products such as Luxardo Maraschino cherries and hand-crafted caramel sauces. This cute Mission shop is located just a few doors down and across the street from Bi-Rite Market, the creamery’s grocery counterpart.
Mission
Ice Cream / Baked Goods
Eat | Ice Cream & Bakeries - San Francisco, CA
TARTINE BAKERY
Mission / Bernal Heights
Bakery / Cafe
Baker Chad Robertson and pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt have created some of the most famous and delicious bread in America. Great breakfast, sandwiches, salads, and gorgeous pastries make the inevitable wait in line worthwhile.
Find | Wine - San Francisco, CA
ARLEQUIN WINES
One of the best-curated wine stores in San Francisco. Wine director Ian Becker has put together a beautiful collection comprised of great value wines, hidden gems, and not-too-commercial high-end labels in this Hayes Valley shop. Their focus is on small production, traditionally made and natural wines. The selection includes some of the best producers found in Europe, along with great examples of what California has to offer.
Hayes Valley
Wine Shop
BAR TARTINE
Nicolaus Balla has taken significant inspiration from his Hungarian heritage and has infused it with a bit of California. The flavors are intense, dramatic, unique, and beautifully accompanied by wines with character, such as the sherries of El Maestro Sierra.
Mission / Bernal Heights
Contemporary American
PERBACCO
230 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.955.0663 (make a reservation)
Financial District / Embarcadero
Italian
The wine list is centered on Northern Italy (especially Piedmont) to accompany the seasonal dishes of the region. Look for unexpected selections such as Veneto-based natural winemaker Angiolino Maule’s I Masieri.
LOCANDA
Recently opened by the owners of Pizzeria Delfina, the inspiration here is Roman cooking.
Mission
Italian / Cocktails
LOCANDA
There is an extensive selection of amari from all over Italy. As for the cocktails, simplicity and fresh ingredients are the dominant themes. Michael Sager, the head bartender and an alumnus of the U.K. bar Milk & Honey, creates cocktails based on what he finds at the market and rotates the selections regularly. Let him whip you up La Bella Confusione (Bartender’s Choice).
Mission
Italian / Cocktails
SLANTED DOOR
With huge windows overlooking the water, there is no place more picturesque to sit and have a drink. This high-end Vietnamese restaurant has been a staple dining destination in San Francisco for awhile now, so if dinner is booked with reservations, grab drinks and oysters at the bar. The wine list is skewed towards Vietnamese food-friendly whites (lots of Riesling), and the cocktail program highlights premium and local spirits, as well as homemade juices and seasonal ingredients.
Financial District
Modern Vietnamese
Drink | Cocktails - San Francisco, CA
BROWN SUGAR KITCHEN
This is traditional soul food infused with inspiration from chef/owner Tanya Holland’s impressive and varied cooking career. Eat the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Waffle with brown sugar butter and apple cider syrup.
West Oakland
Soul Food
Eat | Restaurants - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Find | Wine - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
SOLANO CELLARS
This wine shop was founded in the late seventies by Bill Easton of Domaine de la Terre Rouge in the Sierra Foothills. The selection includes producer-driven West Coast wines from California, Oregon and Washington, and European selections from importers such as Jose Pastor, Louis Dressner, Neal Rosenthal, and Kermit Lynch. The wine bar upstairs often holds winemaker events and tastings.
North Berkeley
Wine / Liquor Store
DONKEY AND GOAT
Jared and Tracy Brandt of Donkey & Goat produce several cuvées from varietals that include Syrah, Chardonnay, and Grenache Noir and Blanc. Their influences include Eric Texier (Jared worked with him in the Rhône Valley) and the Maule family in the Veneto. The wines are made naturally, with little or no sulfur, wild yeast fermentations, and foot crushing (partially performed by their young daughter, Isabelle). These are small-production California wines; the Improbable Chardonnay comes from ungrafted vines in the El Dorado Hills, striking a pleasing balance of minerality, acidity and fruit.
Berkeley
Wine Producer
Find | Wine Producers - San Francisco Bay Area, CA
DIAVOLA PIZZERIA & SALUMERIA
Serving simple and flavorful Italian food, a combination of good ingredients and solid execution keeps this place busy. The Burrata Antipasto dish with rapini is a must, as is the classic Pizza Margherita.
Geyserville
Italian / Pizza
SPOONBAR
219 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95488
T: 707 433-7222 (make a reservation)
Scott Beattie is a California cocktail authority, creating visually stunning and delicious drinks. The bar is overflowing with fresh, seasonal herbs, flowers and fruit, and there are several small bottles filled with various concoctions; it's like walking into someone's fantastic lab experiment. There is a great selection of spirits from around the world to complement the wide range of local spirits.
Healdsburg
Mediterranean / Cocktails
Find | Food Stores - Sonoma, CA
VELLA CHEESE COMPANY
The Vella family has been making cheese here since the 1930s. A small, unassuming storefront just off the main square, try the Dry Jack and the Mozzarella.
Sonoma
Cheeses
Eat & Drink | Restaurants / Wine Bars - Sonoma, CA
FIG CAFE AND WINE BAR
Chef Sondra Bernstein, of Estate and The Girl and the Fig on the plaza in Sonoma, has opened a café/ wine bar devoted to simple comfort food classics. Their small, well-chosen wine list is devoted mainly to Rhône varietals from California, as well as some European selections. The no-fee corkage is a big draw and keeps the place packed with locals, bottles in hand. All this makes for a warm atmosphere and a genuine neighborhood vibe.
Glen Ellen
French / Wine Bar
Drink | Bars - Sonoma, CA
THE JACK LONDON LODGE SALOON
Its claim to fame is having been one of the main locations where the movie “Bottle Shock” was filmed (based on renowned wine writer Steven Spurrier’s original Judgement of Paris tasting). It is really a local watering hole. On any given night, you’ll find winemakers and winery owners mingling with firefighters and local workers. Free popcorn, but try the burger, it’s delicious.
Glen Ellen
Bar
THE SWISS HOTEL
A cozy and rustic place for a drink. Try the “Glariffee,” their signature chilled Irish coffee drink.
Sonoma / The Plaza
Hotel Bar
ARNOT-ROBERTS
Tastings by appointment only, contact:
PO Box 1137, Healdsburg, CA 95448
T: 707.433.2400
Email: mail@arnotroberts.com
It’s a joint venture between Duncan Arnot Meyers and Nathan Roberts. High-quality grapes are picked at the perfect point of phenolic and sugar ripeness. This results in relatively low alcohol levels, and the wines possess a capacity for aging while remaining accessible in their youth. The winery has built its reputation on their Syrahs, which have a Northern Rhône-like quality, and their classic style of Cabernet Sauvignon. The unexpected wine in their lineup is a Trousseau made in minuscule quantities; a beautiful, spicy, and fresh expression of the grape.
Healdsburg
Wine Producer
Find | Wine Producers - SonOMA, CA
COTURRI WINERY & COTE DES CAILLOUX
Tastings by appointment only, contact:
6725 Enterprise Road, Glen Ellen, CA 95442
T: 866.268.8774
Here are two separate wineries, making wine from separate estates, but sharing facilities. Tony Coturri produces his Coturri wines and also wines under the label “Côte des Cailloux.” They’re made with Rhône varietals, grown on French winemaker Jacques Mathieu’s nearby family property. Many of the wines are ripe and full of character, without being conventional or industrial.
Sonoma
Wine Producer
LITTORAI VINEYARDS
Tastings by appointment only, contact:
120 Pleasant Hill Ave N, Suite 330, Sebastopol, CA 95472
T: 707.823.9586
Ted Lemon was the first American to hold the position of winemaker and vineyard manager of an estate in Burgundy (Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault). The influence shows through in his work at Littorai Vineyards. His Pinot Noir and Chardonnays possess a finesse and balance that aren’t always associated with a California style. There is a clear commitment to creating “terroir-driven” wines here.
Sonoma
Wine Producer
RIDGE VINEYARDS
An icon of California wine, with its vineyards first planted at the end of the 19th century, Ridge has been the benchmark for “pre-industrial” California wines, continuing to produce some of California’s best Cabernets (as well as Zinfandel and small quantities of Chardonnay). Paul Draper, the winemaker since 1969, has helped to secure Ridge’s place in California winemaking history with its unwaveringly classic style. The 1994 Monte Bello Cabernet is a fascinating example of an aged California Cabernet made in the old-school style.
Sonoma
Wine Producer
UNTI VINEYARDS
Tastings by appointment only, contact:
4202 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
T: 707.433.5590
They focus on Rhône and Italian varietals. The wines are polished, warm climate wines made from biodynamically grown grapes from vines on the estate; natural yeasts are used for the fermentations. The Unti rosé is fresh and lively, made with estate-grown Grenache Noir and Mourvedre; the rosé is vinified using the direct pressing technique in stainless steel vats.
Healdsburg
Wine Producer
Stay | Bed & Breakfasts - Sonoma, CA
BELTANE RANCH
Located on a thirty-acre ranch in the Sonoma Valley hills, there are just six rooms at the Beltane Ranch. The whole operation is a family affair. Breakfast is made with fresh eggs straight from the coop, olive oil pressed from the trees outside, and berries picked right in front of the B & B. The property is breathtaking at sunset, when the light hits the vineyards and olive trees. Coming back to this tranquil and gorgeous property after long days of vineyard touring is a balm for the body and spirit.
Glen Ellen
Inn / Bed & Breakfast
CLOS SARON
Tastings by appointment only, contact:
9269 Collins Hours Drive, Oregon House, CA 95962
T: 530.692.1080
Gideon Beinstock and his wife Saron are cultivating Pinot Noir on the vines surrounding their house, as well as sourcing Syrah and other varietals from leased vines. The vineyards are full of life, with geese, Bantam chickens and butterflies interspersed with “franc de pied” vines, (vines growing on their own rootstocks, because it is a phylloxera-free zone). There is an intriguing mixture of elements in these natural wines, bringing together the ripeness of California fruit with old-world restraint. The “Out of the Blue Cinsault” is a pretty, bright and fresh summer red; the Carte Blanche is a delicious blend of Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay.
Sierra Foothills
Wine Producer
Find | Wine Producers - Sierra Foothills, CA
