Sommelier Raj Parr | Recommendations - Find. Eat. Drink.
Sommelier Raj Parr, Rajat Parr, Winemaker, Wine Director, RN74, Mina Group, Michael Mina Restaurant Group, San Francisco, CA, California, Sandhi Wines, Santa Barbara, Wine Program, Recommendations, Wine Recs, Where to drink, Where to eat, Where to shop, Wine Shops, Wine Bars, Wine lists, Seattle, WA, Washington, Wines, Rhone, Loire, St. Joseph, California, French, German, Germany, Riesling, Jura
Selbach Riesling Kabinett Fish Label
German / Mosel
White Wine
The Selbach Riesling Kabinett (Fish Label) - that’s delicious.
St. Vincent Tavern and Wine Merchant
1270 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
T: 415.285.1200 (make a reservation)
Mission
New American / Wine Bar
David Lynch’s place and they have a tremendous beer program and of course wine. I like hanging out there, seeing him on the floor. He’s a good friend of mine. It’s a restaurant opened by a wine guy, so it has a different spirit. I try to go there as often as I can.
Recommendations
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
One Ferry Building, Shop 23, San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.391.9400
Embarcadero
Wine Shop
San Francisco, CA
Berkeley, CA
Seattle, WA
Find | Wine Shops - San Francisco, CA
In the ferry building, they have a good selection.
Arlequin Wine Merchant
Hayes Valley
Wine Shop
It’s like a San Francisco version of Chambers Street Wines. They are fantastic. You go there anytime and find Foillard on the shelf.
Who
Wine Director Raj Parr oversees the wine program at Michael Mina restaurant group and is part of a team producing Sandhi Wines.
Why
He’s been the wine director for all the Mina Group restaurants since 2003 and has more recently started producing wine in Santa Barbara. He’s known for his wine knowledge and passion for learning.
Wine Director Raj Parr | Recommendations
November 8, 2012
Michael Mina Restaurant Group & Sandhi Wines
Photographs courtesy of RN74 and Raj Parr
Books
- Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World's Top Wine Professionals [Buy It]
Recommended By
- Sommelier Richard Betts of Betts & Scholl, CC: Wine and Sombra Mezcal
- Sommelier Mark Bright of Saison and Vinyl in San Francisco, CA
Financial District
New American
Eat | Restaurants - San Francisco, CA
It’s a fine dining restaurant and they have a tremendous by the glass program because they have a long menu and a tasting menu. They do wine pairings and they have lots of good wines by the glass.
SoMa
American
Down in the Mission area with a focused and interesting wine list that works with the food.
Chez Panisse
Gourmet Ghetto
New American
Eat | Restaurants - Berkeley, CA
The wine list has interesting, inexpensive wines with some age. We had a De Villaine 2002 Mercurey Rouge the other day. Who saves and drinks a 10-year-old Mercurey? But it was great.
NOPA
Western Addition
New American
For late nights and after I work, I’ll head here. They have a great by the glass program. They are casual too. You can always count on them to have some delicious wines by the glass.
La Ciccia
Noe Valley
Italian / Sardinian
It’s a Sardinian restaurant that’s unreal. The chef’s Italian from Sardinia. I’ve taken Italians there who say “what the hell’s this!”
SPQR
Lower Pacific Heights
Italian
It’s an Italian restaurant and I’m a huge fan.
Slanted Door
1 Sausalito, San Francisco Ferry Building #3, San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.861.8032
Noe Valley
Italian / Sardinian
I’ve always enjoyed their wine list. It’s very focused and interesting.
Yuzuki
Mission
Japanese / Izakaya
An unbelievable Japanese Izakaya place. Wow, it’s a knockout and nobody knows about it. An amazing, authentic Japanese Izakaya.
ZUNI CAFE
Hayes Valley
New American / Mediterranean
On a Sunday, I love to go to Zuni for the Zuni Chicken. It’s great. They also have a small, but a great wine by the glass program.
East Village
Wine Bar
Eat | Restaurants - New york, NY
They have a very eclectic and unusual wine by the glass program. A lot of wines I don’t recognize, but that is their thing and they are good wines.
Madison Square Park
New American
They have a great wine by the glass program.
Drink | Wine Bars - New york, NY
Midtown West
American / Seafood
They have a great wine by the glass program and Aldo Sohm is a great sommelier.
Canlis
Seattle Center
American / Northwest
Eat | Restaurants - Seattle, WA
Of course, for their grand wine list. The chef there is awesome.
Cafe Juanita
9702 Northeast 120th Place, Kirkland, WA 98034
T: 425.823.1505 (make a reservation)
Kirkland
Italian
It’s been there for many, many years and they serve really great Italian food.
Spinasse
Capital Hill
Italian
Italian that’s really wonderful and very authentic.
Revel
Fremont
Asian Fusion
A great casual restaurant with Korean inspired food. It’s really fun.
The Walrus & The Carpenter
Ballard
New American / Seafood
Done miss that one in Seattle - it’s really fun. Have some shellfish and have some Muscadet. The seafood there is so fantastic.
Peter Liem’s Champagne Guide
Online
Wine / Champagne Resource
Find | Wine Websites
It’s the ultimate Champagne reference guide. I always refer to it.
Michael Madrigale | Bar Boulud & Boulud Sud
Bar Boulud
www.danielnyc.com/barboulud.html
1900 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
T: 212.595.0303 (make a reservation)
Boulud Sud
www.danielnyc.com/boulud_sud.html
20 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023
T: 212.595.1313 (make a reservation)
Upper West Side
French & Mediterranean
Find | Sommeliers
He reminds me of me ten years ago. He’s so hungry and wants to learn, wants to know more. That’s exciting.
Aldo Sohm | Le Bernardin
Midtown West
American / Seafood
He’s a great sommelier.
Eric Railsback | RN74
michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/rn74.php
301 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415.543.7474 (make a reservation)
SOMA
New American / New French
26 years old, just a rockstar. One of the best young sommeliers I’ve seen working around anywhere.
Cookbook / Cocktail Book
Find | Books
It’s just a wonderful book.
Drink | Wine - Germany
Leitz Riesling
German / Rheingau
White Wine
The Leitz Riesling at around $15 retail is really great too. They are just a great producer.
Loosen Reisling
German / Mosel
White Wine
Loosen made some really delicious 2010s.
It’s been a beautiful warm spring for us. I’ve been enjoying some really great German riesling. 2010 has been a great vintage.
Domaine de la Cadette Bourgogne Vézelay
France / Burgundy
White Wine
It’s delicious - really, really great.
Drink | Wine - France Burgundy
Dauvissat Chablis
Available from the following retailers
France / Burgundy / Chablis
White Wine
The straight Chablis from Dauvissat is unbelievable.
I also really loving the 2010 Chablis. It’s a great vintage for Chablis.
Domaine Louis Michel Chablis / Petit Chablis
France / Burgundy / Chablis
White Wine
It’s a great everyday wine and their Petit Chablis is good too.
Marcel Lapierre Morgon
France / Beaujolais / Morgon
Red Wine
A great bottle of Marcel Lapierre Morgon beaujolais is one of the best values in the wine world.
Drink | Wine - France - Beaujolais
Jacky Blot / Domaine de la Taille Aux Loups “Triple Zero”
France / Beaujolais / Morgon
Red Wine
It’s a sparkling Montlouis and it’s incredible - amazing. He also makes still Montlouis and Vouvray. He’s a really, really great producer.
Drink | Wine - France - Loire
Tissot
France / Jura
White & Red Wine
Another region I love is the Jura. Not necessarily the oxidative style, but someone like Tissot who’s making Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, Trousseau - lovely wines from the Jura. I’m not a big oxidative person.
Drink | Wine - France - Jura
Pierre Gonon St. Joseph
Available from the following retailers
France / Rhone / St. Joseph
Red Wine
I was looking at a few wines from St. Joseph the other day. They can be some of the most interesting and best value wines in the world. A small producer called Gonon in St. Joseph. It’s a knockout wine.
Drink | Wine - France - Rhone
2010 of the Northern Rhone and Cotes du Rhones French - it’s one of the most interesting and delicious vintages I’ve of simple syrah from the Northern Rhone. It’s pretty spectacular.
USA / California
White & Red Wine
A small producer making great wine.
Drink | Wine - USA - California
Jolie Laide Trousseau Gris
Available from the following retailers
USA / California
White Wine
A small producer who makes a wonderful Trousseau Gris.
USA / California / Napa
White & Red Wine
Steve Matthiasson is an amazing guy.
There’s a lot happening in California too - it’s an amazing time to be in California.
Drink | Wine - Italy - Etna
Benanti Pietramarina
Italy / Etna
Red Wine
One of the famous wines from Etna. They are unbelievable. It’s really, really special.
Pietradolce Archineri
Italy / Etna
Red Wine
It’s one of the wines I really liked. It’s a red and they also make a rose.
Another region that is exciting is Etna in Sicily. It’s a very exciting area for wine. We went there and the people are amazing. And the place is amazing, because there is ash everywhere.
Patrimonio Antoine Arena
France / Corsica
Rosé Wine
My favorite rosé is from Corsica called Antonio Arena.
Drink | Wine - France - Corsica
There are a lot of good rose producers from Corsica. It’s a totally untapped and unknown rose market.