At this time last year, Daniel and I had quit our jobs, Oakland Yard was a large, dusty, empty box, with no shelving, no permits, and no inventory, and my friend, Jens, had just arrived to help us make a wine shop out of a whole lot of nothing. This Jens (the J sounds like a Y) is a sculptor, and a builder, a master plasterer, and an accomplished metal worker. He is also a devoted friend, an excellent cook, and a wellspring of tremendous laughter. 

Jens flew to California with power tools and stayed in our home for a month, first itemizing our build-out budget, and helping us choose materials, then unpacking the truck he loaded in Red Hook, Brooklyn, full of wood and steel and more tools, and then working well into the night, day after day, with the mounting pressures of building and health inspections and a pre-Thanksgiving opening. 

Our store plans were drawn by Jens’ partner, Gita, one of my dearest and oldest friends. A skilled architect, gardener, and critical thinker, Gita was equally generous with her talents. The work they did would have cost us a small fortune, but we paid Jens in dinners at Burma Superstar, and beers at The Avenue, and gifted Gita a set of ceramic plates thrown by my father. They asked for no more, wanting only for us to have a beautiful space in which to work.

It’s been a year now, but I think fondly of Gita and Jens every single day, when I unlock the door, turn on the lights, and see again what they’ve made for us. Such acts of kindness shine brightly into the dark corners of our world as few things can, and as we at OAKLAND YARD have watched our friends and neighbors struggle with the fires up north, we’ve been thinking of ways we can help out. Profits from our California wine by the glass sales this last week, and the foreseeable weeks to come, are all going to fire aid, and Julia has organized, along with our fellow shops, Ordinaire and Vintage Berkeley, a fundraising tasting for this weekend.

This SATURDAY, October 21st, we’ll be pouring tasting flights from 12 to 6pm, and wines by the glass until 9pm, to raise money for the California fire relief efforts. Local winemakers have generously donated wine for the cause. We’ll be featuring delicious reds and whites from Wind Gap, Highlawn, Trail Marker, Waits-Mast, Thee & Thou, and Vinca Minor, and every penny will go to those in need.

And don’t forget, TONIGHT…

THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS!: French Whites and Spanish Reds, from 4 to 8pm

And this SUNDAY: Flights of all new Italian wines, white and red, from 2 to 6pm

Thanks for reading these. Max and I have been switching off every week or so, sharing stories for a year now. Just a month ago Max wrote about Sky Vineyards and in my last email I was reminiscing about my time in Sonoma, working in wine production before opening this shop. I have so many stories and memories up there. For brevity last time, I edited out a recollection of the first winemaker I worked for inviting me and two other harvest interns to join his family for a proper home-cooked meal after those first few back-breaking weeks. We gathered around the table and ate well and drank good wine and even coaxed him into playing some guitar for us, with his young son scurrying around in his pajamas, his daughter grinning at him in her high chair.

That kitchen table, that entire home in Santa Rosa, is now gone. As are countless others. Sky Vineyards fell victim to the fire too. This week has been surreal and devastating. A customer was in the other day lamenting that "our wells are dry". Talking about how we normally can get though the day-to-day until a personal or broader catastrophe hits home. Then we go to the well. But in this current political climate, the daily injustices, shootings, hurricanes, earthquakes... what is left in the well? 

We always wanted OAKLAND YARD to be more than just a shop. We hoped it could be a place for people to truly connect. A warm and welcoming space. A place of joy. We want these simple (and, maybe at times, silly) correspondences to be joyful too. We really do. It's just been a lot to deal with everything these days.

But there is light, always. It's been inspiring watching the waves of folks outside all week, dropping off water and clothing and respirators and blankets. Our neighbors at 1-2-3-4 Go! Records volunteered to be a drop off point for donations early on and we joined their efforts. Thanks to our neighbors, ten truckloads have been safely delivered to evacuation sites as of today. We will be coordinating with other East Bay shops for a Fire Relief Fundraiser tasting event next weekend (October 21st), stay tuned for details...

In the meantime, we will continue to be a place to gather and connect. A community well. We are now offering CA wines by the glass EVERYDAY, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to fire relief and bringing aid to all those displaced. Every glass helps. Drop in and drink up.

We also have THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS tonight, as always, White and Red Flights are all Italian lineups tonight. 
 

Special SATURDAY CIDER TASTING. This will be a fun and unusual offering and something not to be missed. Flights from 2-5pm.

SUNDAY FLIGHTS: PINOT NOIR from around the world. We'll be pouring Flights from 12-6pm. 

Know that we'll always be here for you. But right now you're needed here. To fill this well we call OAKLAND YARD. So stop in tonight or this weekend or when you can. Your neighbors need you.

See you soon, 

Daniel




ps. Additional ways to help:

https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief

http://www.napavalleycf.org/fire-donation-page/

nbcbayarea/howyoucanhelpwithnorthbayfirereliefefforts

http://www.sfgate.com/local/article/how-to-help-north-bay-fires-napa-santa-rosa-12264095.php

Between my college years, I worked at several restaurants on Fire Island, a car-less beach community thirty minutes by boat from the south shore of Long Island. I’d stay at my grandmother’s house on the island, swim in the ocean every day, shoot pool in the bars after work, and slowly reel in the spending money that would get me through the winter. I also learned a lot about how not to run a business.

I made friends with the other young people working on the island, a mix of Long Island jocks and frat-boys, Irish kids working in the states on Morrison Visas, and some rough and tumble Manhattan kids who’d figured the beach was the better place to be during summer, even if you had to work and play with all of these jokers. I gravitated toward the latter group and made good friends with Sauce, Dan, Derek and Daryl, city boys with considerable experience in food service, and an irrepressible sense that the world was their oyster, or at least their Clams Casino.

After two seasons bussing tables, Dan helped me get my first job as a waiter, at an outdated but quaint little hotel dining room, with clear views of the Great South Bay, and arguably some of the better food around. There were a handful of waterfront eateries in the town of Ocean Beach, and they were all pretty terrible. Ingredient quality was poor – frozen seafood shipped to an island surrounded by fishing boats – and questionable preparation and technique further worsened the situation.

The owner, and chef, was a raging - is the only word – alcoholic, a lascivious and blustery mustachioed despot, who took it upon himself to sexually harass any marginally attractive young man within earshot. He drank a vanilla-flavored Italian liqueur called Tuaca, wore cutoff jeans and Timberland boots without socks, and chain-smoked cigarettes as he worked the sautee station, with long ashes dangling precariously over every sauce, as plated food and spouted obscenities. Dan hated him so much that he’d throw away the restaurant silverware along with the food scraps as he bussed tables.

If you were not there to pick up the food when it was ready, you were soundly excoriated, but if you stood in the kitchen waiting for the food, the abuse was even worse, so I attached a small mirror to the doorframe between the bus station and the kitchen, and I would stand just outside the door with my eyes trained on the countertop in the tiny looking glass until the food popped into view, then I would snatch it and run.

What did I learn there? If you want to do something, do it right - with integrity and kindness, sow only good seeds and they will grow likewise around you. Life’s too short for bad vibes, or second-rate food cooked without love. We’re very excited to be partnering with Julya and Steve of Nokni Oakland for tomorrow’s pop up Korean food and wine pairing event, because they share these values – and their food is amazing! No smoke, no mirrors, just quality ingredients and a welcoming, positive attitude.

We’ve filled up the second round of tasting, but still have space available from 5 to 6:30. Come by the shop or give us a call to reserve a spot now, or buy tickets online at brownpapertickets.com and stay tuned for more Friday Night Bites coming soon to OAKLAND YARD.

But first, TONIGHT…

THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Spanish Reds or Austrian Gruners from 4 to 8pm!

And weekend tasting flights:

SATURDAY: Sparkling Wine from France, Spain and Italy. Bubbly Flights from 3-6pm!

SUNDAY: Wines of Alsace. Flights from 12-6

See you soon,

Max

I got a job teaching right out of college. Ten years later, a fully-grown kid, I found myself living with two friends in a cabin in western Sonoma, perched above the Russian River, near Hacienda Bridge in Forestville. We had decided that winemaking sounded fun. Like most firsts, that harvest was memorable. The work was initially back-breaking for a wimp like me who rarely worked with his hands beyond correcting essays. Now I was climbing racks and scrubbing bins and cleaning tanks and steaming barrels, nearly always filthy and wet from sweat and spray. Things got crazy when the grapes arrived by the truckload, as tanks rapidly filled and dropped and fermentations progressed at varying speeds. Managing the many lots was tricky but exciting. Most things came together. Some things went sideways. A Chardonnay barrel topped with Syrah. A broken press. One of the other interns fell off a tank and shattered the bones in her hand. Get this: her last name was Tank. And the the last name of the hand surgeon? SEVERT. What a world...

As I write this, many winemakers, enologists, cellar crews, and interns I know are in the thick of it. I miss being up there this time of year. I miss the magic and mayhem, and the strange isolation coupled with the curious camaraderie of it all. I also miss how incomparably refreshing a cold beer could be at the end of a long shift. Folks up there like to say "It takes a lot of good beer to make great wine". And it rings true. So we thought it would be fun (for old times' sake, I suppose) to drink some good beer this harvest. Come join us for a SPECIAL SATURDAY FLIGHT and BEER TASTING. The theme will be Sour and Salty. Two new Barrel Aged Sours and a crisp, refreshing Gose. Flights $10, from 2-5pm. 

SUNDAY TASTING: (THE LAST) ROSÉ ALL DAY! (for a while at least;). Come say a belated farewell to summer and send her off in style. All Pink Flights from 12-6pm and BTG specials!

And (first) TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS!!! Portuguese Whites and French Reds. Choose your own adventure from 4-8pm. Flights $12. Wines by the glass too!

I have too many harvest stories to tell here. But you should roll in for some wine and ask me about the barrel that exploded, or the tank that imploded. Or ask me about the curious characters one meets living in the woods. Ask me about my days as a raccoon trapper, or about the "smoked salmon". Ask about the underground dwarf wrestling league that some there refer to as The Little Opera. 

Let's laugh soon,

Daniel


p.s. Tickets still available for the Friday Night Bites: NOKNI at OAKLAND YARD on 10/6. Read more about it and purchase tickets here or ask us about it tonight!

As a child, I was often flown from New York’s Laguardia airport to Louisville, Kentucky, to spend time with my grandparents, Bonny and Bonnydaddy. On those occasions, they’d greet me with boundless joy and we’d marvel at the giant pegasus sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the Standiford Field airport on our way to baggage claim. This ritual started as soon as I was able to fly alone, which I think, back then, was around four or five. I spent many long weekends and school holidays at Bonny’s heels in the kitchen, helping her prepare Sunday Suppers. For anyone who has family from the south or has spent any time there, you may have some idea of what this looks like. At Bonny’s house, there would be no less than a brisket and a turkey, a dozen side dishes, homemade dinner rolls, and a variety of pies, cakes and cookies. For my grandmother and many of her guests, Sunday Supper was a spiritual act, a continuation of the morning’s church coffee hour, where my grandfather’s students, my grandmother’s mentees, and nearby friends and family would come together. My grandmother expressed love in many ways but the more bountiful the Sunday spread, the more dishes on the table, the longer folks would linger, telling stories and knitting their lives together. 

When we were planning Oakland Yard, I knew we wanted to create a place that would bring people together around food and wine and creativity. And while we’re not recreating Sunday supper, I am pleased to introduce Friday Night Bites: a pop-up we'll be curating in collaboration with chefs who love to build community as much as we do. I’m thrilled that our inaugural event is with Nokni, Steve Joo and Julya Shin’s homage to the diversity of Korean food through the bounty of Northern California’s farms, fishermen, and ranches. 

Join us October 6th for Friday Night Bites: Nokni at OAKLAND YARD, an evening of tasting flights and small bites. Tickets available here: http://oaklandyard.brownpapertickets.com

But first... TONIGHT (as always!) THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! Spanish Whites and Portuguese Reds. Come relax and explore with us. Flights $12, from 4-8pm.

SATURDAY FLIGHTS: Pinot Noir from Around the Globe! Flights from 2-5pm

SPARKLING SUNDAY: All Bubbly Flights from 2-6pm and by the glass specials all day.

See you soon!

At the close of a cool, grey August in Oakland, the late summer sun kicked into overdrive, heating San Francisco to a record high, and baking much of the California countryside. Grape growers and winemakers picked frantically to avoid spiking sugar levels, with fruit shriveling to raisins on the vine, while we city dwellers sought refuge - sipping, snacking, slowing our atoms - in the bay area’s uncommon, well air-conditioned hangout spots, like OAKLAND YARD.

In addition to the thirst-slaking sparkling, white and rosé wines we always pour at our tasting bar, we’ve been offering chilled reds during the recent heat wave; and, no surprise, but it turns out that Steve Matthiasson’s Tendu Red and Broc Cellars’ Love Red are really delicious served slightly cold, as are many of the lighter, brighter reds we drink the most, like Casa Comerci’s beguilingly beautiful Magliocco Canino ‘Rosina’, and Martincic’s tart, refreshing Slovenian Cvicek blend; they’re all the more delicious having surrendered some degrees.

The lower temperature brings out the fresh berry flavors, tightening and brightening the wine into a sharper focus…and it feels good to drink something cold.

This Saturday, September 16th, from 2 to 5pm, when it’s stiflingly hot outside (again) and perfectly cool in here (always), come join us for a tasting flight of chilled light red wines.

But first, tonight…

THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: German Whites or Cabernet Sauvignons. Flights 4-8pm, $12

And this Sunday, September 17th, beat the heat with rosé all day! Pink flights and glass specials from 12-6pm.
 

Cheers,

Max

This is a quick story about a kid named James. I never knew him too well to tell much longer tales, as he moved by second grade. But this is my first year of elementary, about a month into the school year I believe. It's early morning and I'm waiting at the tables outside for the bell to ring. That's when I notice James, talking to himself. Or more than that. He's having a conversation with someone who just wasn't there. It was confusing for me at the time. I asked the teacher about it and Sister Mary Remi explained to me that some children have "imaginary friends". I was little, of course, but could pick up on a tone of sympathy here. I understood the message: Pray for James.

The next part of the story I don't like telling, mostly because I'm a real asshole here. But the ending is inspiring, so bear with this little jerk.

It's a couple weeks later and we're all out playing and at some point we're in a bigger group and things get feisty. A boy named Kevin is making the rounds and teasing everyone, putting each kid down one by one. Kids can be cruel. When he gets to me he goes for an easy one, saying something about me not owning a comb (fair enough, I had a wild head of hair at the time). Some of the group laugh, including James, and so I redirect the ridicule his way.

"What are YOU laughing at? You have an imaginary friend"

Kids can be cruel.

James is suddenly animated, adamant. His eyes aglow... "No I don't!"

But then, a proud pause... a mic drop... and we are silenced:

"I have FOUR."



TONIGHT at OAKLAND YARD: Unusual Varieties Tasting. Unknown, misunderstood, under-appreciated. Unique and gloriously different. Singular sensations. THREE WHITES (Mtsvane, Debit, Ribolla Gialla) and THREE REDS (Xinomavro, Blaufrankish, Touriga Nacional). Six distinct, delicious, and delightful wines we are showcasing and celebrating tonight. THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS at OAKLAND YARD form 4-8pm. Bring a friend, or four. 

See you tonight,

Daniel


ALSO WEEKEND TASTINGS...

SATURDAY 9/9: LOIRE VALLEY WHITES. Mineral driven, focused and bright. All lively and electric. Come explore and enjoy from 2-6pm.

SUNDAY 9/10: ROSÉ ALL DAY! Relax and escape the heat. Refeshing A/C and chilled rosé from 12-6. All delightful and dry and all yours. By the glass specials too! Roll in to OAKLAND YARD this weekend!
 

This morning, as the sun slowly rises, I sit at my desk in Oakland wishing I were on top of Mount Veeder, where the first fruit for the 2017 vintage is being cut from the vines at Sky Vineyards. The land, on a remote peak of the Mayacamus Range between Napa and Sonoma, is home to the Olds and Apgar families, and countless wild animals, and it holds a special place in my heart; a place full of happy memories; a place right beside the old New York farmhouse where I grew up. 

Their address says Napa, but it is far from the valley floor, in about as many ways as you can imagine. 2,100 feet up a frightening, car-punishing one-lane road, Lore Olds and his daughter Skyla manage a dry-farmed fourteen-acre vineyard of Zinfandel and Syrah, and they produce some of the most delicious and age-worthy California wines I’ve ever tasted. The site is unique in many ways, a number of which make it the perfect place to grow wine grapes: iron-rich, red volcanic soil, no chemicals for miles around, and an elevation that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. Some winters, there is snow. 

The only electricity at Sky Vineyards is generated by a small solar panel, and there is no city water line. Rattlesnakes, bobcats, and black widows are all at home here, and, a few months ago, their closest neighbor, cousin Jesse, lost a goat to an enormous female mountain lion. The lovable and misanthropic seventy-one year old vigneron rarely leaves the mountain, and he and his girlfriend Amy, spend much the winter painstakingly hand-pruning every vine on the property. There’s not much else to do up there, but it’s still an impressive feat. I like to say it’s like making wine while camping, and I’m pretty sure no one else born in this century could pull it off so well. Lore’s been there for forty-five years, so he’s figured a few things out.

Lore’s two daughters have always helped with the work in the vineyard and winery, but in the last few years, Skyla, the younger, has set aside a successful career as a do-gooder lawyer to pick up the winemaking reins, and they now work together to maintain the most honest, hands-on, site-specific, vintage-reflective, and simply made wines in California.

Join us at OAKLAND YARD this SATURDAY, September 2nd, from 3 to 6pm, when the lovely and talented Skyla Olds takes break from the harvest to pour Sky Vineyards 2013 Zinfandel, 2011 Syrah & 2016 Rose - $15

But first, tonight… 
THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Italian Whites or Spanish Reds! Flights from 4-8pm, $12

And SUNDAY SPARKLING continues... Flights 2-6pm!

Finally... HOUTSKOOL Dumpling House will be at OAKLAND YARD this MONDAY from 3-6pm! Pairing Flights and glass specials all day too! Stay in the loop via Instagram!!!
 

The first week of college a young man in a well-worn navy Brooks Brothers sweater suggested that I join him and his roommate that evening for a cigar in the courtyard. I didn't smoke, but was intrigued. What 18 year old smokes cigars? Sometime after dinner I walked outside our dorm to meet them and discovered nearly two dozen freshman assembled in the dusk, some smoking but most of them failing to keep their cigars lit. The chairman of this gathering had offered the same welcome to the entire floor apparently. It was a grand and unusual gesture. We gathered in a clumsy circle and he held court, telling stories into the night. And we all listened, grinning, feeling like a part of something.

He seemed to be from another era, too old for young love and too much depth for his height. A charismatic Kerouac with an unhealthy hint of Hemingway, a rogue who would rob me of much of my formal education. We became fast friends. We occupied our time with absurd entertainment for our age: listening to the Marcels or Armstrong, playing dominoes and drinking lemonade, dressing in old men's suits and selling (giving away) goldfish to children downtown. Little ones would hobble up with a shy how much, mister? and he would beam: For you...nothing!  

This friend was also a great nuisance, often waking us all in the middle of the night, insisting the moon was ripe for adventure. Each time I'd almost think it a dream until I tasted the salt water on the air. Before I knew it we were lined up once again on the end of the pier, overlooking the Pacific. The wind in our hair and the stars above and all of us counting to three and plunging into the cold, glorious depths below. 
 
We'd drive back in silence, our teeth chattering. The car heater blasting and the windows cracked and howling. With nothing behind us, everything ahead of us. 


THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS $12, from 4-8pm
French Whites
2016 Metaireau 'Carte Noir' Muscadet
2016 Deux Moulins Loire Sauvignon Blanc
2016 Domaine de Nerloux Saumur Blanc
French Reds
2016 Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais Villages
2015 Francois Xavier Cotes du Rhone
2016 Vannieres Heritage Rouge

SATURDAY: DOMESTIC FLIGHTS 3-6pm, $12
2015 Dancing Crow Sauvignon Blanc (w/ Stefan Cartlidge)
2016 Broc Love Red
2015 Helmet Santa Barbara Red

SUNDAY FLIGHTS: ROSÉ ALL DAY! 12-6pm, Flights $12
2016 Trailmarker Eagle Point Ranch Rosé
2016 Fenouillet Cotes du Ventoux Rosé
2016 Vinum Rosé Paso Robles

Everything is ahead, this weekend and beyond. Come be a part of the adventure at OAKLAND YARD. Bring a friend. Bring a goldfish. Let's be close (but no cigars).

See you soon,

Daniel

 

In 1995, I was a 23 year-old cellist and a bartender at Chez Panisse. On my days off, I’d take BART through the hills to a bus, and then walk another twenty minutes, with my cello, to a housing development in Pleasant Valley, to study jazz with a violinist from the Turtle Island String Quartet. It was a long journey; cars would whiz by, and sometimes I would I pause to rest along the way and eat a snack in the baking sun between suburban driveways, apparently the only pedestrian in all of Pleasant Valley. 

That year, I also enrolled at the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music in San Raphael. My roommate, Chris, was a cook at Café Venezia and an accomplished guitarist, and he and I had been listening to Shakti, by John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain, and attempting to recreate the blustery eastern fusion in our Berkeley apartment. It was messy, and we knew it. We also knew the only school for Indian classical music in the US was just a bridge away, so we got in Chris’ van and headed to Marin.

Surprisingly, the beginning classes were taught by the septuagenarian Ali Akbar Khan himself, or Khan Sahib, as we all called him, the master. We removed our shoes before entering the school, we learned rhythmic tali patterns by clapping, and Hindustani solfege (Sa Re Ga in place of Do Re Mi), and we were instructed to never step over a musical instrument, as this would disrupt its connection with the heavens. Khan Sahib’s musical teaching was eye opening for me, but I was most impressed by the atmosphere of respect, love and kindness the school engendered. There were about thirty of us, cramped in the classroom, holding violins, sitars, sarods, cellos, and often a young man with a double bass, all listening and concentrating intently, in stocking feet. 

Indian classical music is not really about making music, but was designed as a pathway to divinity, a way out of the self, to a place of peace, love and understanding. At the end of each lesson, the most devoted students would form a line to pay their respect to Khan Sahib by kneeling and touching his feet, and after a few months of study, I took my place in line. When it was my turn, I touched Khan Sahib’s feet, and he looked down into my eyes and asked, “How is your father?” The question was both very kind and rather absurd, as I was sure Khan Sahib had never met my father, but I smiled and said, “He is well, thank you.” 

Khan Sahib passed away in 2009, but his lessons remain in the minds of so many of us. My father is still quite well, and I will be with him next week, celebrating his 77th birthday. I like to think OAKLAND YARD is not an end in itself - not really about wine at all - but rather a vehicle, a place for us to foster peace, kindness, respect, and love in a world that seems to require these values more than ever. Please help us.

Start tonight with THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Italian Reds or French Whites - 4 to 8pm – three wines for $12

This SATURDAY, August 19th – 2 to 5pm - $10 Methode Sauvage winemaker Chad Hindspours his 2016 Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc 

This SUNDAY, August 20th – 2 to 6pm – SPARKLING WINE TASTING - $15


- Max

As some of you know, I have a small army of siblings. Growing up, there was a consistent and somewhat fair "you snooze, you lose" acceptance in our house. 

One summer evening my brother and I were out playing Batman and Robin. I was around 6, Jeff 8. It wasn't terribly fun. Jeff was always Batman. But we got to wear capes, so life was good. The charade was mostly just running about in masks. I'd point at a tree or something and shout "there's one one of those no good...!" and Jeff would throw some boomerang we'd fashioned from glued popsicle sticks and I'd say "Nice SHOT, Batman!" And Jeff would say (in a calm, deep voice): "Thanks, Robin". I'd have to improvise if he'd miss the target "Aw, he's a wily one!..." and scramble to retrieve his weapon. You get the idea.

Ignoring my mom's hollering that day, we finally came in and the kitchen smelled so sweet. Fresh pineapples were chopped earlier, now all devoured. We were bummed. The family was watching a movie so we quietly pouted on the kitchen floor. Then Jeff spotted discarded strips of the hard skins in a paper bag. There still seemed to be so much yellow flesh exposed, we started licking and thought we'd struck gold. Still so sweet and sublime with everlasting flavor! So we kept licking away, giggling and snickering to ourselves (who needs those jerks!) as evening settled on Gotham. All was well until the screaming started.

Much like the way seeing one's ex can open a wound, pain really likes a visual. I looked up and there was blood in Jeff's mouth. That's when I felt the sting. I looked down at the pineapple I was licking and it too was covered in wild, bright crimson streaks. Our super powers were no match for the hidden barbs and the aggressive enzymes and acid. The pain was intense. Like a million paper cuts on our tongues, doused with lemon juice. The Joker had the last laugh once again.

Best to come when you're called, sometimes.

TONIGHT at OAKLAND YARD: Thursday Night Flights! Three German Whites and Three Austrian Reds. Wines so good you'll want to lick the inside of the bottles. Come help us take these bottles down this evening from 4-8PM ("Same bat-time, same bat-channel"). No jokers.

ALSO!!! We're sending out the signal. Announcing some stellar selections from two rising stars of the "New California" wine scene. Best to come when you're called sometimes...

SATURDAY 8/12 at OAKLAND YARD, we welcome HIGHLAWN Wine Company and winemaker, Philip Cuadra. Philip will be pouring his Albariño from Rorick Vineyard (Calaveras) and a Syrah from Halcon Vineyard (Yorkville Highlands). 

SATURDAY 8/19: METHODE SAUVAGE at OAKLAND YARD with winemaker, Chad Hinds. Chad will be showcasing the new vintage of his Vista Verde Chenin Blanc and Bates Ranch Cabernet Franc

Don't snooze and lose... trust me.

Cheers,

Daniel
 

Listen, my friends, to the tale of Phylloxera,
Loathed by gourmands, just as one might a pox, or a
Plague on grape vines and their life-giving roots,
The louse traveled from vineyard to vineyard on boots,
And laid waste to the world’s most valuable juice.

Indigenous bugs from the US of A,
They took steamboats to England - the Victorian way -
Invaded the mainland, to France and beyond,
The pale yellow, sap-sucking insects have gone
And destroyed the old vines, sparing nary a one. 

You have little hope, my dear plant, that is if you’re the
Specific sort we call Vitis Vinifera, 
Lest you’re planted in schist, or on slate or pure sand,
You’ll fall prey to the louse that has ravaged the land,
And you’ll bear no more fruit for the bottle again.

Beneath each prized vine, some did bury a toad,
For to suck the disease from its hidden abode,
But it wasn’t ‘til scientists Planchon and Riley
Revealed the American louse was behind the
Destruction and found a solution so wily.

They grafted their scions to roots from the States,
And made them resistant, but it was too late
To save most of the vineyards, so they’ve been re-sown,
With feet from America, but arms of their own,
These Frankenstein plants are the norm now in Beaune.

Come join on this Saturday from 2-5pm at OAKLAND YARD, when another scientist will save the day (or at least make it a lot more fun). Local winemaker and microbiologist, Kristie Tacey, will be pouring her 2016 Russian River Viognier (Catie's Corner Vineyard) and her 2015 El Dorado Grenache as OAKLAND YARD welcomes TESSIER WINERY to 420 40th St.

All over the world, the damned louse did the nasty,
Who started this mess? Some blame Count Haraszthy. 

This morning, as the sun slowly rises, I sit at my desk in Oakland wishing I were on top of Mount Veeder, where the first fruit for the 2017 vintage is being cut from the vines at Sky Vineyards. The land, on a remote peak of the Mayacamus Range between Napa and Sonoma, is home to the Olds and Apgar families, and countless wild animals, and it holds a special place in my heart; a place full of happy memories; a place right beside the old New York farmhouse where I grew up. 

Their address says Napa, but it is far from the valley floor, in about as many ways as you can imagine. 2,100 feet up a frightening, car-punishing one-lane road, Lore Olds and his daughter Skyla manage a dry-farmed fourteen-acre vineyard of Zinfandel and Syrah, and they produce some of the most delicious and age-worthy California wines I’ve ever tasted. The site is unique in many ways, a number of which make it the perfect place to grow wine grapes: iron-rich, red volcanic soil, no chemicals for miles around, and an elevation that allows the grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. Some winters, there is snow. 

The only electricity at Sky Vineyards is generated by a small solar panel, and there is no city water line. Rattlesnakes, bobcats, and black widows are all at home here, and, a few months ago, their closest neighbor, cousin Jesse, lost a goat to an enormous female mountain lion. The lovable and misanthropic seventy-one year old vigneron rarely leaves the mountain, and he and his girlfriend Amy, spend much the winter painstakingly hand-pruning every vine on the property. There’s not much else to do up there, but it’s still an impressive feat. I like to say it’s like making wine while camping, and I’m pretty sure no one else born in this century could pull it off so well. Lore’s been there for forty-five years, so he’s figured a few things out.

Lore’s two daughters have always helped with the work in the vineyard and winery, but in the last few years, Skyla, the younger, has set aside a successful career as a do-gooder lawyer to pick up the winemaking reins, and they now work together to maintain the most honest, hands-on, site-specific, vintage-reflective, and simply made wines in California.

Join us at OAKLAND YARD this SATURDAY, September 2nd, from 3 to 6pm, when the lovely and talented Skyla Olds takes break from the harvest to pour Sky Vineyards 2013 Zinfandel, 2011 Syrah & 2016 Rose - $15

But first, tonight… 
THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS: Italian Whites or Spanish Reds! Flights from 4-8pm, $12

And SUNDAY SPARKLING continues... Flights 2-6pm!

Finally... HOUTSKOOL Dumpling House will be at OAKLAND YARD this MONDAY from 2-5pm! Pairing Flights and glass specials all day too! Stay in the loop via Instagram!!!
 

I got married one year ago, but there's already another woman in my life. An older woman. A much older woman. She's around 90. Her name is Teruko. She appeared outside the shop a few months ago, looking for a mailbox that once existed on our block. She was frantic, afraid her utilities would be shut off. I drove her check to the post office on 41st and Montgomery and all was OK. 

The next day Teruko brought me and Max inari. With soy sauce in old pill containers. She told me to pick her up the following morning and to "bring muscles". That's kind of how it goes now. I take her to the KP Asian market for the big hauls, and sometimes to the pharmacy or Piedmont Grocery. She is often in pain, so sometimes I just get a list. These have hilarious notes in the margin. Rice (5lb, drop on floor see if OK), Potatoes (only small balls), Underwear (next size smaller)...

She is alpha in the supermarket, and knows exactly where everything is. She'll tell me to get the hot sauce under the chicken. I'll head for the sauces in Aisle 7 and won't find it with the other bottles. Because it's at the meat counter, down low, under the chicken. Teruko is always right. And very particular. She once spent over 10 minutes considering a package of Genmaicha ("Less heavy today..."). But she is also quick and quirky, often answering questions before I have a chance to answer: "You ever have cereal with water?" ("Have I ev-?") "IT"S NOT GOOD!".

Teruko has had a rough life by just about anyone's standards. But she's one of those invincible types. Fierce and warm. Her wits always about her. She's not dismissive about the many things she has endured. But she'd rather talk about how much kimchi she can eat in one sitting, or how lucky we are to get such a close parking spot. She talks about how lucky she is in many ways. And how good the barbecues at the park smell. How beautiful today is.


Tonight at OAKLAND YARD: Thursday Night Flights.
White Flight: Chardonnay (California/France/Oregon) 
Red Flight: Grenache/Garnacha (CA and Spain)

Teruko is right. It's a beautiful day.
Teruko is always right.

See you tonight,

Daniel


p.s. Saturday will be beautiful too. And we have Mitch Schroeder of CHAMBERS & CHAMBERS pouring French & Spanish Flights SUN 3-6! It promises to be an exciting lineup. Infinitely better than cereal and water. 

‘Do you have any orange wines?’ was not a question we heard when I started at Smith & Vine ten years ago, but now, at OAKLAND YARD, we get the request with frequency. The enquirer does not seek a wine made from oranges, rather they want a white wine made with ‘skin contact’, or maceration on its must - the seeds, skins and sometimes stems – a process normally reserved for red wine production, but traditional for whites in parts of northern Italy and eastern Europe.

Time on the skins leeches pigment, inducing in the juice a hazy amber glow, and so the wines are now commonly referred to as orange wines. For a long time, there were only a handful of expensive examples readily available, from Josko Gravner and Stanko Radikon in Friuli, Ales Kristancic’s Movia in Slovenia, Giampero Bea in Umbria, and La Stoppa in Emilia-Romagna, and to the uninitiated, most of these – especially the Friulians – are unfriendly, difficult wines, surely an acquired taste for most.

Whites made with skin contact tend to be fuller bodied in the mouth and more textural than their traditional free-run counterparts, with a chewy, astringent quality from the added tannin that makes them excellent food pairing wines. Nowadays, more of these wines are being brought into the US, the selection and price range has increased, and many American winemakers are experimenting with the style, raising exposure to a point where ‘orange’ has taken a place beside red, white, and rosé. 

Come taste three skin-fermented whites this SUNDAY from 2 to 6pm - $15

But first…TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! Whites from France and an all Cabernet Red Flight. 4 to 8pm - $12

And this SATURDAY: Special guest, Ben Stewart, from Bonhomie Wine Imports pours tasting flights from 2 to 5pm. 3 wines, $12
 

Orange you glad I didn’t say ‘banana wine’?

-Max
 

I'm not proud of this, but I spent nearly a year of my life as a dog. I was a fan of the early Scooby Doo cartoons, and there was a recurring bit that had Scooby sniffing around for various clues, often with the encouragement of a 'Scooby Snack". I loved scavenger hunts and searching for missing things- the slow burn of the search and the triumph of discovery. By age 6, my siblings would frequently employ my services when they needed help looking for things. I loved the attention, I suppose, and for a cookie or a Reese's I would search high and low, all the while pretending to be "Scooby", my muzzle plodding along floorboards and under rugs, nuzzling windowsills and wastebaskets. The game would proceed until one of us located whatever was missing and if I was successful, I would often get a second treat.

Here's where things got weird (yes, here's where). Eventually the novelty of my services waned. So I began actually taking and hiding things that belonged to my siblings. I'd pretend to sniff away and save the day... and the charade went on. The problem was that the older ones were on to my ruse almost immediately. That didn't matter all that much initially, but inevitably things went actually missing, and they'd assume I was the culprit. I'd frantically oblige to search- their patience tried, assuming I was prolonging the drama. It was ludicrous and awful. Cookies became old wheat thins. The discoveries were thankless and would only confirm their suspicion of a theft. And the most ridiculous fact was that even when it wasn't a game... I would still, absurdly and inexplicably, act the part. Sniffing away on all fours. Still wanting to be someone's best friend.

TONIGHT at OAKLAND YARD: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS // Unusual Varieties Tasting. Six odd and delightful wines. For all you scavenger hunters and treasure seekers, snooping around for an exciting new discovery, this tasting is for you. Come try Roditis, Mtsvane, and Orangetraube (all whites) or Zweigelt, Teran, and Trincaderia (Reds) There may be some sniffing involved, but that's completely your choice. You may even find one to be your new best friend. 

See you tonight,

Daniel

p.s. SATURDAY at OAKLAND YARD: Rachel Miers (Henry Wine Group) will be continuing the unusual and exciting theme, pouring Jacquere, Txakolina, Zweigelt and St. Laurent, and a natural style Zinfandel. Scooby Snacks galore too. Come join the fun! This SAT (7/1) from 2-5pm

SUNDAY FLIGHT: Rosé All Day! An all pink flight featuring four delightful new arrivals. SUN 7/2 from 12-6. Think pink and come relax with us.
 

When I was a child, one of the things I wanted most was to be famous. Despite an idyllic and nurturing upbringing (or perhaps as a result) I understood my insignificance early on, and this bred in me a wish to become well known for something, preferably something masterful, like exceptional athleticism or artistry. 

Popular culture backed my plan with a hit single by Bowie, a flashy TV series about an urban art school, and Warhol’s fifteen-minute guarantee. Before the dawn of the internet, the Guinness Book of World Records - that perennial opener of minds - provided us kids with many heretofore unimagined superlatives for which to strive, and quite a few others to avoid. One could plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel, or be struck by lightning seven times, and live to be known for it. 

As I grew older, I saw that I had no great skill that would put me heads and shoulders above the crowd, nor did I particularly enjoy the spotlight. Also, those who were famous didn’t appear any happier for it, so I abandoned my quest for fame and embraced anonymity. Now, I’m mostly known as the tall, quiet, bearded man at Oakland Yard, and I’m happy with my station: wine buyer, Daniel’s partner, Julia’s husband, Arlot’s keeper, and occasional writer of curious personal essays.

Yours,

Max

TONIGHT’S TASTING: Thursday Night Flights from 4 to 8pm! FRENCH WHITES  or SPANISH REDS – three wines - $12

SATURDAY at OAKLAND YARD from 3-6pm we welcome Cory Gowan of Mission Wine Merchants (Oakland, CA) who will be pouring an amazing and eclectic lineup from the Mission portfolio. Flights

SUNDAY FLIGHT: All SPARKLING FLIGHT. Bubbles from 12-6, with special BTG!

I love road trips. I spent many summers of my youth packed in a Dodge Ram van with my folks and my six siblings, exploring the country and camping when it was time to stop. We put the Thomas Guide to the test. We passed our time singing along to oldies stations, playing "I Spy", and staying alert for out-of-state plates and graphic roadkill. There would be the occasional lull of long stretches and often the lovely, odd quiet of dusk.

My spot was rear bench, center, flanked by two older brothers. Sleeping was tricky, but I developed the curious practice of sitting on the floor facing backward, resting my head on the seat. When awake and alert, the perspective from this bench afforded me something I wouldn't fully appreciate until adulthood: my father's eye in the rearview mirror.

At some point on these drives, there would be an absurd observation, mistaken or mangled song lyrics, a ridiculous radio commercial, or a grotesquely loud fart. We'd predictably go nuts and from my spot I could spy my dad's eye in the mirror, watching the creases deepen with laughter. The impressions left an impression. What struck me most was that after the laughter subsided, when mom was back to her paper and the older boys their books, and some their walkmans and others their game of slugbug... my father's eyes would still be smiling for many moments more, the creases softening at their infinite leisure. A light that wouldn't go out, holding some triumphant, unyielding cheer. A joy reluctant to leave.

TONIGHT at OAKLAND YARD: Thursday Night Flights! German Whites and Italian Reds. 3 Wines, your choice, all joy. Flights $12 from 4-8pm. 

SATURDAY FLIGHT: California LOVE from 2-5pm! Bright, zippy TENDU white, a gloriously dry and delightful Trailmarker Wine Co. Rosé and a savory Syrah from SKY Vineyards.  Come explore and adventure with us.

SUNDAY FLIGHT: ROSÉ ALL DAY! All French line up. New arrivals too. All dry, delightful, and delicious. Think PINK with us, from 12-6pm. You may be reluctant to leave. 


p.s. Happy Father's Day to all the good ones out there, past and present. And to all the big brothers or sisters who step up. To the single moms, the two moms, the two dads, the good neighbors, the sound sponsors, the coaches and counselors, the pastors and rabbis...

To all those who guide our vans. 

As we approach our six month anniversary here at OAKLAND YARD, I’d like to express our genuine gratitude to all of you who have helped us get to this point. Daniel and I have spent most of those months sniffing, sipping, spitting, and staring into our laptops; working all the time, knowing there is more work ahead, rarely taking the time to say: ‘this is what we love to do, and thank you for helping us make it happen.’

We have so much to be thankful for. We appreciate your kind words and smiles, your commitment to supporting small local businesses, your interest and openness toward wines you’ve never tried before, and your wacky hairdos. We like your well-behaved children, your tattoos, and your many dogs. Thank you for all of the good vibes, the crazy stories, the funky shoes, and for caring where your wine comes from and how it’s made. Thank you for all of that and more.

Saturdays and Sundays are the most fun for us at Oakland Yard because there are no wine deliveries, no sales calls, no emails, and far less spitting. I’m so tired of Daniel by the time Friday rolls around, I’m ready to chat with just about anyone else. No, but really, weekends we relax a little, and we invite you to share some laughs, to learn more about and enjoy the fascinating liquids we peddle here on 40th street. We’ve got fun tasting flights lined up for every Saturday and Sunday afternoon this month, and we look forward to seeing you and enjoying your company. 

This SATURDAY Sup! Street Food will be parked out front on our sidewalk, serving up several flavors of amazingly delicious summer rolls, which will go nicely with the Vinho Verde Rose, Torrontes, and Pinot Noir Flights we’ll be pouring! Come by for all that goodness from 2 to 5pm, and we’ll thank you in person. 

TONIGHT’S TASTING: Thursday Night Flights from 4 to 8pm – reds or whites - $12

Herencia Altes Garnatxa Blanca
MA’D Tokaji Dry Furmint
Domaine Gonon Macon-Bussieres

Matthiason Tendu Red
DeForville Barbera d’Alba
Petrognano Meme Chianti

We love you, no seriously, we do.

-Max

It's late as I write this. Or early, I suppose. I have trouble falling asleep. It's always been this way. I'll close my eyes and lie still but my thoughts run wild into the night, playing tag with every imaginable subject. To be clear, there is no intellectual merit here. These are absurd thoughts: What if I have an unrealized fencing talent? Why aren't there more options for sandwiches in this town? I should exercise more... Do animals have inside jokes too? It's probably too late for an NBA career. Who is Victoria? And what IS her secret? Someone should form a Bon Jovi cover band doing country versions of their hits. They could be called Living on a Prairie. Good one, Daniel. Hey, thanks, me. It's lame, I know.

Since we opened OAKLAND YARD six months ago, things have been a bit different. When I crawl into bed these days most of my thoughts now connect to the shop, to wine, to weddings and special events, to deliveries and weekly tastings. To you. I think about what this shop can be and what you'd like it to be. I think about what we could be doing better and about what you may be needing from your neighborhood wine shop. 

Please know that these weekly communications are two-way tracks. We're all ears. All eyes. All love. Send us an email or (better yet) come on in to the shop for a tasting flight or just to chat, anytime. Let us know what we can do for you and how we can help. Give us a call. Write us a haiku. Sleep well knowing OAKLAND YARD is here for you. 


TONIGHT at OAKLAND YARD: Thursday Night Flights!
Spanish Whites and California Reds – 4 to 8pm - $12

SATURDAY FLIGHT: PINOT NOIR
Dynamic expressions from around the globe! Flights $12

SUNDAY FLIGHT: Rosé all day!
Pouring new arrivals from 12-6pm. All Rosé flight, $12


Hope to see you there,

Daniel