SF Local Blog: Wine & Spirits Stories, Events, Offers and more

December 27, 2023

Pecina: Traveling to Rioja

By Josh Shapiro

Drive south of Bilbao, Spain and you will eventually emerge from the green, lush hills of Basque country and descend into what looks at first like a desert.You have arrived...

December 24, 2023

Vilmart: A Grower Champagne that Bucks the Trend

By Josh Shapiro

Champagne Growers aren’t limited to any one style, and we love what Vilmart brings to the table (ideally your dining room table): a Grower Champagne that is rich and luxurious....

December 20, 2023

Ferrando: 2019 was Great in Carema Too

By Floribeth Kennedy

The 2019 vintage in Piemonte is on the minds of Nebbiolo maniacs around the world. Blessed with intensity and concentration, the wines of the top producers are bound for incredibly...

December 10, 2023

Montevertine: Non-Chianti Sangiovese Magic

By Floribeth Kennedy

Montevertine's wines do what only our very favorite Chiantis can: they are purely, deliciously Chianti, but also perfect expressions of their limestone-soiled Radda subzone. And their new release of the...

December 6, 2023

Nanclares: Salty, Simple Albarino

By Lee Madueno

Albariño is one of our favorite under-the-radar varieties. It’s minerally, versatile and terroir-transparent, and it’s still possible to find extraordinary examples of this grape from Galicia’s best winemakers for less than...

December 3, 2023

Blissful Blends from Château Ollieux Romanis

By Jeff Patten

Chateau Ollieux Romanis is a benchmark producer in Corbieres. The estate’s wine producing history dates back to the 18th century but it was very recently reunited after being split for...

November 29, 2023

Tissot Cremant de Jura: Sparkling, Mineral-Driven Pleasure

By Lee Madueno

Chez Tissot, the goal is to illustrate the region's unique terroir, and to that end, they vinify as many as 28 different cuvées, determined parcel by parcel according to the...

November 22, 2023

Envinate’s Albahra: A Gem from Spain’s Hottest Producer

By Lee Madueno

Envínate's story sounds like something out of a movie — four friends meet at university and band together to create gorgeous wines, respecting the local grapes and traditions of their...

November 19, 2023

Boutanche Gamay: The Ultimate in Drinkability

By Lee Madueno

The Boutanche is a Beaujolais that is very self-consciously Drinkable. The image of the pig on the label draining his glass perhaps gives it away.Francophones might also have guessed, as...

November 15, 2023

Jacquesson: Non-Vintage Greatness

By Josh Shapiro

The Grower Champagne movement isn't the only revolution that has shaken the region -- for the better -- in the last few decades. There is also Jacquesson.

Stylized image of Chateau Massereau Bordeaux Superieur Cuvee X 2019

November 12, 2023

Chateau Massereau: Great Bordeaux, But Nor for Parker

By Josh Shapiro

When we first met Jean-François Chaigneau we were quite pleased when he told us that he “hated” Robert Parker and that the last thing that he wanted in his wine...

November 8, 2023

Maitre de Chai: Golden-Age Style Californian Wines

By Lee Madueno

Marty Winters and Alex Pitts were both chefs. Very good chefs, having worked in some of California’s top kitchens including Cyrus, Quince, and the French Laundry. Since 2012, they’ve been...