San Francisco Downtown, April 2007

Vino Veritas
SF wine happenings

Once upon a time in San Francisco, cruising the produce section of the Marina Safeway and purposefully squeezing a few grapefruits was the preferred means of attracting a paramour. Nowadays, the well advised are more apt to pass up the green grocers in favor of a tasting tour of the ever-expanding roster of chic enotecas, wine mixers and viticulture classes proliferating throughout the City. Wine has always held a place of esteem on the collective palate of Northern California; but the current blush of oenophilic enthusiasm seems to rival any in decades past. Novel approaches to wine education and enjoyment are taking root in the fertile social soil of the city. The fervor seems most widespread amongst the young and eligible, but there is room at the proverbial  oak barrel for SF denizens of any vintage (aged over 21 years, of course).

To truly appreciate anything of complex beauty, a little knowledge is required. With an aim of spreading knowledge of the vine, aptly named sommelier Emily Wines presents a casual wine education series at Fifth Floor Restaurant (in the Hotel Palomar at 12 4th St.) the first Wednesday of every month. Attendees learn to get more out of each sip by participating in step-by-step tastings which entail detailed descriptions of the selections, insight into the region from which the harvest originated and astute pairing guidance. Upcoming courses cover seasonal developments. The April 4 class centers on pairing crisp white wines with Spring produce. Students will be treated to fiddlehead ferns, morel mushrooms, English peas, and other nods to the season with aromatic, crisp white wines to match. Other future sessions include samplings of digestifs, Italian wine and champagne.

Like art and music, the more you know about wine, the more likely you are to appreciate it beyond the simple pleasures of its flavors. That's the underlying philosophy of the wine tasting series offered at Cellar (685 Sutter, 415.441.5678) – although the venue is much better known for fostering flirtations than gratuitous questing for knowledge. Their wine tasting events, which also take place first Wednesdays of every month, instruct novice swillers in the art of tasting wine just like the pros and, perhaps even more poignantly, encourage guests to "create lasting friendships." Sipping soirees sometimes include copious amounts of chocolate, another known aphrodisiac. Visit www.cellarsf.com for details.

One of the longest running and most prolific purveyors of wine knowledge is Bruce Cass. The wine scholar leads spirited vino exploration in an information-packed, often-irreverent, style. The most popular course is the Fundamentals of Taste & Smell Weekend. A primer of the basics, the next three-session class begins in San Francisco on May 18 and serves as an introduction to such topics as grape varietals, wine-growing regions, vino-related culture and history, and etiquette. For details, visit www.brucecasswinelab.com.

As the very enlightened polymath Goethe said, "Knowing is not enough; we must apply!" Crushpad (1890 Bryant), a DIY winemaking outfit in Potrero Hill, takes that doctrine one step, or perhaps many squishy stomps, further. By bringing the craft to the City, augmenting it with education and support, and eliminating the tedious and time-consuming components of the process, they enable urbanites to partake of the transformative experience of producing their very own wine. Prospective vintners are first encouraged to contemplate a list of thirty questions about their potential product. Variables to consider, such as what type of container the wine should age in (barrel or tank), or which vineyard to select illuminate the methodology. The highly enriching journey through the thrills of wine creation doesn't come cheap. Cost varies depending upon vineyard with most barrels (about 24 cases) ranging from $4500 to $9,900 ($15 to $33/bottle). At the highest end of Custom Wine, Crushpad offers My Cult Cab,  which draws from distinguished vineyards and is priced at $14,900 per barrel ($50/bottle).

At first glance, the cost may seem prohibitive, but partnering or teaming up with other budget-conscious connoisseurs is an option. Seeking fulfillment from fermenting one's own grapes isn't limited to a narrowly affluent demographic, "The common thread through all of our customers is that they are wine enthusiasts," says Noah Dorrance, a rep for the company, "they are looking to have deeper experiences with wine. Buying wines based on the latest Wine Spectator scores isn't... a satisfying interaction. Making your own wine is." The formula is paying off. The company has doubled in revenue each of the three years they have been in business. Production is up from about 5,000 cases in their first year to 25,000 this year. An integral part of this success is the fact that the experience also isn't geographically limited. Clients may choose to "adopt" a barrel, thereby monitoring the progress of their chosen wine online and making important decisions with regards to the duration of the aging and design of the label once it is finally bottled. We have clients in 35 states and 6 countries," Dorrance confirms, "For most people, the idea that they can create luxury wine is exciting and surprising." The company was founded by a combination of wine industry veterans and technology industry refugees who yearned to liberate winemaking from the stereotype of the fifth generation Napa Valley family dynasty. So they have, in essence, brought the wine country to the urban jungle. "For so long wine production was limited to this select few," Dorrance expounds, "Moving the family to wine country and watching the sunset on your own vineyard is the new American dream...and wildly unattainable for most, but Crushpad provides the next best thing."

And the very next best thing for those of us with a less emphatic work ethic is a time honored tradition in this far-from-teetotaler town. Behold the bastion for casual connoisseurs, the wine bar. Though they're not, by any means, a new concept here, their popularity is unflagging as evidenced by the March opening of yet another new gem for local "grape nuts." What sets Amelie, (1754 Polk St., 292-6916) apart, aside from the loungey French bossa nova tunes playing in the background, is the singular passion of co-owners Samie Didda and Germain Michel, who have created a menu that is as nuanced as the extensive wine list. About 150 French and California wines are featured, twenty or so available by the glass, along with other non-standard libations such as newly fashionable Korean spirit soju, and Lillet cocktails. Open for a few short weeks, the space is already a-buzz with the potential to become a hipster hive. Whether the patrons will be educated consumers, personally experienced vintners, or simply incidental sippers, is entirely in their hands.

* * *