I was supremely afraid of the dark as a child. My parents rarely went out, but on the occasions they left us in the charge of my older brothers - an evening of ghost stories or some horror show was likely on the menu. Sometimes they were the show. A favorite prank would be to have their friends terrorize the house, unbeknownst to us little ones. Window taps and front doors rattling. Did you hear that?? We'd be shaking, looking to them for reassurance that never came. Oh no... I think someone's OUT there! The suspense would build. One of the older ones would go to "investigate". Audible gagging sounds, maybe a Please! Noooo!... And that one would not return. Eventually the door would bust open with those in on the joke barreling in, cackling. Good one, guys. It's also worth mentioning that there was an actual serial killer loose and active in our neighborhood at the time.
Despite all this, on some inspiring summer nights, for no particular reason beyond one of us thinking on it long enough, someone would propose pitching a tent in the front yard for a camp out.
There was a camaraderie in constructing our little home for the night. An absurd spectacle for Leif and Hilda, the elderly Norwegians peering down from their balcony next door. A pathetic blue pup tent lazily erected, or (if enough of us were game) the gargantuan brown canvas monstrosity that would often break my father's back and spirit - always such a ridiculous but wonderful sight in our small yard, beckoning one to give it purpose. I didn't always make it through the night, sometimes surrendering to the wind or a stray opossum. But I can still recall the first time I woke under the bright canvas ceiling, triumphant. My brother unzipping the flap, socks heading out onto the wet grass, then returning from the house, his head poking through: Pancakes are ready!
SATURDAY June 22. Tents will be erected. Camaraderie abounds. An empty lot transformed, such wonderful sights. No opossums, no terror. Only joy at OAKLAND YARD. The Artisan Flea Market returns. Artists and makers, food and fun! Design. Dress. Decor. Delights. Mark your calendars and tell your friends, tell your brothers, tell an elderly Norwegian: Saturday, June 22nd, from 12-5pm. Vendors include Gold & Rust, Mind's Eye Vintage, Flower & Forage, Westwind Succulents, Charlotte Stone, Lucas Ahlstrand, Lauren Tedeschi Ceramics, Same E., Pablo Cristi. Tasty treats from Tacos Oscar and Nokni Oakland. Beverages from Steep Tea Co.! Outdoor Beer and Wine Garden all day and Tasting Flights from Phantome Cellars inside!
And lots of fun in the meantime of course... TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights!!! Italian Whites and French Reds. Your choice... flights just $12 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass as always!
SATURDAY 6/8: Special Guest and local legend, Cory Gowan, at OAKLAND YARD pouring a stellar selection from the Mission Wine Merchants and Paris Wine Co. portfolio. Flights 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 6/9: PINOT NOIR FLIGHTS. Domestic new arrival and staff favorites:
2017 Kelly Fox Ahurani Vineyard
2015 B.Kosuge 'The Shop'
2017 Lioco Mendocino Pinot Noir.
Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8!
Hope to see you soon,
Daniel
As we look forward to our third summer on Fortieth Street, we can’t help but note that some things here have stayed the same, while others continue to change. You can still drink your Subrosa coffee and window shop for toilets at Moran Supply across the street, while electric riffs ring out from Broken Guitars next door. Just like previous summers, our rosé section is overflowing with goodies, and the liters of Austrian Gruner are flying from the refrigerator. And the punk kids of 1-2-3-4 GO Records are keeping it real, ensuring there’s never a dull moment on the block, maintaining the edge. Again, I’ve got my tomato plants on the roof, and we’re planning an outdoor Artisan Flea market for June 22nd and a rocking Block Party in July.
Tacos Oscar has hit their stride, serving up fresh tacos and tortas Thursdays through Mondays from 5 to 10pm; any denizen will tell you - the seasonal veggie specials are never disappointing and often downright revelatory. We were sad to say goodbye to Manifesto Bicycles, but happy to welcome Jaime of Dandelion Post, with her stylish selection of goods from local, socially conscious, and independent designers. And our friends at Umami Mart have moved from Old Oakland to their new spot on Broadway, just around the corner from another great addition to the neighborhood, Bernal Cutlery, where you can get a sharp new tool, or have your own sharpened.
And of course, we’ve got the same old Daniel, Max, and Jessie here at Oakland Yard, but you’ll also notice a few new faces behind the bar and on the sales floor in the coming weeks, and we hope you’ll welcome Meredith, Anna and Monique with the same smiles, jokes, digs, laughter and kindness that you’ve reliably brought to the rest of us every day for the last two and a half years. Here’s to many more!
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights: Argentine reds and French whites. Malbec, Mission, Bonarda, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier & Melon de Bourgogne. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 6/1: PINOT NOIR ROSÉ Flights: All Dry and delicious, pink wines from France & Germany. $15 tasting flights from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 6/2: MARITIME Tasting Flights - Red, White, & Rosé - with special guest Megan Hughes, and WINE CLUB PICK UP PARTY. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max
I know I have some issues. I'd like to think most are benign or banal: a brain rattling aversion to styrofoam, a disdain for the squeakiness of green beans, a particular satisfaction cleaning lint traps, a suspicion of sneezing in odd numbers.
I'm not sure what this says about me, but I also have a curious proclivity to paint and repaint rooms and walls in every apartment I inhabit. Sometimes a color will stick - and then a new season, a new sofa, a new mood, and everything goes to hell. Over the years I've taken note of the bizarre color names. Most are painfully uninspired and uninspiring. Uncertain Grey. Anonymous Beige. Other get more psychological: Passive. Gateway Green (And you thought this was just recreational...). Some of the names are really out there, if not straight up creepy. Dead Salmon. Elephant's Breath. Mayonnaise. Lauren's Secret. Tony's Touch.
I was thinking about this the other week, painting walls in the new place and tasting through a couple dozen wines with Max later the same day. All these wines with odd names, or odd varieties. Some blends with unusual accents. Whites with skin contact. Reds with light extraction. It sounds so very obvious, but ultimately, you don't really know what's in the bottle until you pop and pour. Like choosing paint colors, you can't truly form an impression until the color is up on the wall and all around, enveloping you, mingling and reacting with everything else.
Thankfully tasting wines is far less time consuming and much more affordable than choosing the perfect color for your wall. Both exceptionally rewarding when they surprise and delight, when things mingle and react - and you smile and say that's the one.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! We're pouring Sauvignon Blanc from around the world for our white flights this evening and bold and balanced Spanish reds. Come taste and explore with us. See what clicks, what surprises and delights. Hopefully nothing will end up on the walls. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY: Rosé Flights. New pink arrivals from around the globe. All dry and delicious and all for you. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm
SUNDAY: Wines of LOIRE VALLEY. We are neither Passive nor do we keep any secrets about this being one of our most favorite wine regions. Come see (and taste!) why. Dry mineral Muscadet and other staff selections from Anjou and Saumur. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Please note HOLIDAY HOURS: Memorial Day Monday we will be OPEN from 12-6pm. Tasting bar will be open all day and (of course) BBQ, picnic and party provisions sold here, always.
See you soon,
Daniel
My friends will tell you I am a man of few words, that, despite these lines I hunt-and- peck bi-monthly, I’m an otherwise uncommunicative person. Preferring silence to chatter - my own included – I’m distrustful of language, so easily misconstrued and misused. I truly think it better to remain quiet and be thought a fool, than to speakand remove all doubt, and I’ve heard enough opinions and disgruntlements in my forty-seven years to keep mine to myself.
As I see it, the world is a single thing, but to engage with it, we need to divide it into parts. Here lies the inherent violence of language: with each word, we designate a split, and things become this and not that. None of this, of course, is true, but as a construct, albeit a necessary one, it is nothing to hang even your least favorite hat on. In an effort to be one with the world, I stay quiet and keep things whole.
Thelonious Monk was known for listening to conversations without participating, and after a long silence, usually exasperated, he’d serve up a single sentence that would negate the entire discussion, unravel all the logic and expose the folly. Needless to say, I want more Monks. My refuge is music and art, plants and animals; my dear little Arlot is a dog of no words.
Daniel is away the rest of the week, ice-fishing in the Sierras, so it’ll be like a silent retreat here at Oakland Yard, with just me, and maybe some Brian Eno. Drop in if you want to liven things up a little. Or bring along a monk and remain silent. We’ll besampling red wines from California and Portugal for this rainy weekend, and while my esteemed colleagues, Jessie and Meredith, are hardly what I would call yammerers, they’ll be happy to answer questions, make recommendations, andlisten to your stories, while I sneak around and quietly stock wine.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights: ITALIAN reds and whites. Nebbiolo, Ruché, Negroamaro, Arneis, Garganega & Favorita. Flights $12 from 5-9 & wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 5/18: CALIFORNIA REDS: A sampling of some of our favorite local treasures. $15 tasting flights of new arrivals and staff selections from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 5/19: PORTUGUESE REDS: Dry reds from Bairrada, the Douro Valley and the Alentejo. Flights $15 from 2-6 with wines by the glass until 8pm.
Enjoy the silence,
Max
My brothers may demote me to cousin for sharing some of this. But it's on my mind this morning. To quickly bring you up to speed: every year around this time we all meet up with my father in the Sierras to fish and tell stories and eat and drink well. I've mentioned this yearly ritual in the past. I depart on Wednesday.
The last couple years have particularly meaningful for many reasons. The year before the previous trip, I shared with my brothers - over the first round of whiskey- that I was going to be a father. Joining them this last year as an official dad, I was able to participate in conversations about family in a different way. The one thing that struck me, and perhaps I noted this years prior too, is that they all speak highly of their wives behind their backs. She's hilarious. She's so good at this or that. She's awesome. She's been working her ass off. She's the best...
Thinking on that recently - I'm proud to have these kind of people in my life. But it's also a pride I feel in the shop, and something I've payed more attention to here. Different folks coming in all the time, saying the nicest things behind others' backs... I have the best neighbor in the world... I love that cafe, everyone there is so damn nice... My coworkers are hilarious. The owner of that shop is a gem. My partner is amazing...
What is the opposite of talking shit? Well, OK, it's saying nice things to people's faces. But.. what of that roundabout, never known way? What do we call those kind words behind backs? I don't know if there is even a phrase for this, but it struck me as a really wonderful thing this morning. And I really don't know who reads these, but I just may have heard the most wonderful things about you.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. French Reds and German Riesling. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass as always! Come share some great wine and some kind words, or just sip silently and eavesdrop on joy.
SATURDAY (5/11): ROSÉ FLIGHTS. A study in pink. All new arrivals from around the globe. All dry and all delicious and all yours from 2-6pm. Wines by the glass too until 9pm.
SUNDAY (5/12): CALIFORNIA GOLD! A sampling of some of our favorite local treasures. New arrivals and staff selections from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
See you soon,
Daniel
I have always been fascinated by the degree to which we identify with our likes and dislikes. As though it interesting or useful information, we declare, “chocolate just doesn’t do it for me,” or “I’m a big lobster person,” which always makes me think of a sphinx-like crustacean, with legs and claws. Our friend Joao asks, “If you are not a big fan of something, are you then a small fan?” If so, I am but a small fan of raspberries, if a fan at all, and this confounds people. “How could you not like raspberries?” They ask. Well, they often have a ‘mealy’ texture, even fresh, the bitter seeds always get stuck in my teeth, and the flavor simply does not appeal to me as much as other berries, which I quite like. Perhaps I had too many in my youth.
My mother is a big raspberry person. With two long rows at the edge of the back garden, and stakes festooned with bars of Irish Spring soap to ward off grazing deer, she has proudly tended her favorite berries since I was small, making jams and jellies from these, and, thankfully, also from the wild blackberries all around the yard. So, when my mother read in the local newspaper that Cornell University’s berry breeding program – the oldest in the US – had developed a high yielding raspberry plant, called the Crimson Treasure, with delicious fruit twice the size of normal raspberries, her interest was piqued.
Letter writing is my mother’s preferred mode of communication, but perhaps sensing the urgency of the situation, she went straight to the phone and called the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and left a message asking how she could acquire this fine new plant. After a few days, she got a call back from the scientist who created the variety, Courtney Weber, who informed my mother that seeds or plants were sold in groups of 200 to 500, but if she just wanted a few, she’d be happy to cultivate them for her. A classic case of “ask and you shall receive” - straight from the source - my mother will be driving to Geneva, New York to pick up her Crimson Treasures in a few months. I look forward to tasting them, though, as the lobster people will tell you, “bigger is not always better.”
We seem to get a lot of dog people at Oakland Yard, but we also welcome cat people, and if you’re a rosé fan, be sure to come by this Saturday. Or if you’re a big French person, we’ve got you covered all weekend…
SATURDAY 5/4: All French Rosé Flights. All new arrivals, all dry and delightful, and all for you. Flights $15 from 2-5 and wines by the glass until 9pm
SUNDAY 5/5: French Flights with special guest (and actual French person) Paul Duroussay pouring wines made by his friends and family – One red, one white, and one wild card. Flights $15 from 2-5 and WINE CLUB PICKUP PARTY with a free flight for members and wines by the glass until 8pm.
But first…tonight! THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! All ITALIAN Reds and whites – three of each – new arrivals and old favorites - Flights $12 from 5-9pm.
Cheers,
Max
Are you guys new? We're asked this frequently. Time is relative and I'm still not certain how to answer. About two and a half years is how I respond these days and then they say something along the lines of Whoa, where have I been?
Years ago in Brooklyn, I remember stopping into a cozy and kitschy local haunt, nestled nearly on the shoulder of the BQE. Like the restaurant, or much of New York for that matter, our server emerged with a strange smile, somehow from another time. Quirky and gregarious. A kindly, nervous over-sharer. We knew much of his life story within 10 minutes of sitting down, some of it missed due to particular phrasings and his heavy accent. And his propensity to start (and often end) most sentences with "please". Please would you like some water please? He told us he was new, hired a week prior, and was pleased to be there. He was pleased about New York. He was pleased it was Wednesday. And he was pleased that we were there.
You may not believe me, but think I've only sent food back to the kitchen twice in my life. For the most part you can serve me a shoe and call it chicken and I'll accept my fate. But on this particular night I ordered the catch of the day and it was frozen inside. Ice crystals. When our server checked in to see if all was well I spoke up. He shook his head in silence for a brief moment, magnifying the gravity of the situation. He looked pained and disappointed. Please in all of my time here, this has never happened...
Said the man hired a week ago. Time is relative indeed. Two and a half years on, we still feel less 'new', I suppose. I'm not sure 'established' is the word - but certainly more part of this neighborhood and this city everyday. We're elated to grow with you and are all ears for suggestions and requests. Someone had hoped we'd expand our vermouth selections. A neighbor requested we extend our Thursday night hours. Another suggested we we have more tables for the tasting bar - done and done and done. With all this sunshine this past week, the two most frequent requests have been for the outdoor artisan flea markets to return - and to have more rosé tastings. More on the markets soon... but for now, we hear you and agree: let the pink party commence!
SATURDAY 4/27: All French Rosé Flights. New arrivals and staff favorites. All dry and delightful and all for you. Flights $15 from 2-5 and wines by the glass until 9pm
SUNDAY 4/28: Domestic Flights: Wines from California and Oregon, and New York. Two whites and 2 reds. Flights $15 from 2-5 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
And first.. THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! Red and white flights, just $12. This evening we'll be pouring crisp, dry and refreshing Gruner Veltliners for the whites and savory Sicilian Reds. Flights $12 from 5-9pm.
See you relatively soon,
Daniel
Three years ago, when we were first looking at retail spaces in north Oakland, we knew what kind of shop we wanted to open, but hadn’t agreed on a name. In the spirit of not spitting, I wanted to call the shop ‘Swallow’ but that didn’t go over with the rest of the gang. When we were considering a space in the Temescal Alley, our friend Stefan suggested ‘Back Alley Alcohol Solutions’. Also not a keeper.
We settled on ‘Oakland Yard’ after researching the neighborhood and finding that, for a good part of the previous century, it featured an enormous train station spanning our block, called the Oakland Shafter Yard. We would continue the history of the site, we thought, as a public place where all walks of life converge, and where connections are made.
The name was not already in use by another business - excepting a youth athletic club in Waterford, Michigan – so we registered our DBA and went to work on Oakland Yard. Since then, I’ve fielded only one call from a mother hoping to sign her son up for soccer camp; otherwise little confusion there. At least one sales representative has typed ‘Oakland Yard’ into their GPS and somehow wound up in the West Oakland train yard.
Daniel came across this headline right before Halloween last year: ‘People Find Severed Head In Oakland Yard, Take It To Police.’ I guess the assumed lowercase ‘y’ should have given us some comfort, but we were rather disconcerted, until we read on... ‘Police investigators on Monday were trying to determine whether a decaying human head found in an Oakland backyard belongs to a recently discovered headless corpse.’ Okay, still disconcerting, but at least not in our Oakland Yard.
My favorite shop name mix-up happened last year, when I answered the phone one afternoon: ‘Hello, Oakland Yard, this is Max’ and the fellow on the line said, ‘Yeah, is this the Yard Master?’ I thought about it, and smiled, unknowingly, ‘um, sure, I guess you could call me that.’ and he continued “I was driving number two-seven-four this morning on track five…’ and then I cut him off, ‘Oh no - I’m sorry - you’ve got the wrong Yard Master.’
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! FRENCH GAMAY OR SPANISH WHITES: Wines from Beaujolais, Cote Roannaise, Rioja & the Penedes - $12 tasting flights from 4 to 9pm.
SATURDAY 4/20: FRENCH SYRAH tasting flights – Perfect pairings for your Easter lamb: Syrah with Grenache & Syrah unblended, from the Rhone Valley, Provence & the Ardeche - $15 tasting - Flights from 2 to 6pm & wines by the glass until 9pm.
EASTER SUNDAY 4/21: LOIRE VALLEY tasting flights – whites & reds from the Touraine, Muscadet & Bourgueil – $15 tasting – Flights from 2 to 6 & wines by the glass until close*.
*Holiday Hours: Sunday 12-6pm
Cheers,
The Yard Master
Today is my birthday. Sitting here, thinking what to write about, it seems silly not to mention, I suppose.
I don’t have a ton of birthday stories. I recently chronicled a few memories when our shop turned 2 in November. But one emerging from the recesses this morning: I'm in my late 20s, returning home after an overnight on the coast. Three of us driving back that particular Sunday, my birthday, and I'm assuming we’ll surely get up to something that night in our neighborhood. But my friend gets a text on the way down - the owners of the wine shop where he works need him - and perhaps someone to help as well. He proposes I join him. Work? On my birthday? But then I'm thinking Oh, the old ‘get him out of the house for the evening, surprise party’ trick... and I agree to bar-back.
Cut to closing, "tomorrow's a busy day" my friends says, but he proposes a quick Manhattan at Colombo’s on the next block. Ah, yes - house party too obvious, everyone’s at the dive bar. Nice one guys. Mixing it up. We get to the bar and it's just he and I. Some conversation, one drink (maybe two), and he drops me home. OK, enough delay, here we go! Lights go on and there's no one home. No party. Nothing. Like much of my life that exists only in my head, it was equal parts disappointing and comical. I was no Columbo.
Funny thing though, looking back many years later on that night, it was actually a really great birthday. Helping a friend. Enjoying a quiet drink together. And, it turns out, he gave me a truly extraordinary gift too. My first shift at a wine shop. I started taking more of them there after that. I caught the bug, left my job and and took a harvest position in western Sonoma. The enthusiasm continued at a shop in New York where I met Max, and my wife. And now on my birthday, so many years later, here I am, writing you. I'll hit send, and can almost hear your voices, in unison: "Suprise!"
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Thank you for showing up, for being part of this party here at OAKLAND YARD. Thank you for your presence. Let the joy continue, tonight - we'll be pouring French Whites and Italian Reds. And we've extended our hours on Thursdays... Flights $12 from 5-9pm! Wines by the glass too as always!
SATURDAY: Rosé Flights. All new arrivals. Still and sparkling pink delights from around the globe. All dry and delicious. Flights from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9. It's also Record Store Day and the block will be hopping early on. Tacos Oscar will be open at 10am - stop in for brunch and bubbles here or stock up on party and picnic provisions and keep the party going.
SUNDAY: Wines of Burgundy. Four wines, Blanc and Rouge. Beguiling beauties from Bourgogne. We'll be pouring a stellar selection from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Thanks for all the love,
Daniel
I have long revered the primacy of the present moment, preaching the gospel of ‘Be Here Now’. Que Sera, Sera, I say; plans are for the foolish and lead only to disappointment. I am also not a follower by nature, but, I admit, there are times when a careful look around is not enough, when the wisdom of others and lessons of the past can come in handy.
My friend, Scotty, an astute observer, was travelling through Greece as a young man, and he spent an afternoon on the coast, watching fishermen do the timeless dance they’ve been doing since there were fish and men. He was relaxing at the end of a rocky jetty, watching, smiling, enjoying himself, when, one by one, each of the Greeks packed up their lines and nets and set off back toward shore.
The final fisherman turned to Scotty and said something in the local dialect, his finger pointed straight out to Sea. Scotty looked to the horizon and thought, ‘yes, the Sea is quite beautiful.’ The man pointed again, more insistently, and my friend made out a rise in the water in the distance, a wave which he then understood would overtake them, submerging the rocks on which they stood, and he hastily, and thankfully, followed the final fisherman to the beach.
The Greeks have been making wine for over 6,000 years and have learned a thing or two in that time. Come by this Sunday afternoon, club members pick up your April wine club bottles and everyone taste some new arrivals from the old masters.
Also, we’ve made some observations of our own and noticed that plenty of you want to hang out at Oakland Yard later than 8 on Thursdays, so we’re expanding our hours until 9pm Thursday nights, regardless of the tide tables.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! ITALIAN REDS and GERMAN WHITES: Grignolino, Gaglioppo, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Gutedel, and Riesling - $12 tasting flights from 4 to 9pm!!!
SATURDAY 4/6: PORTUGUESE tasting flights – Reds and whites from the Dao, Douro, Monção and Alentejo- $15 tasting - Flights from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 4/7: GREEK tasting flights & WINE CLUB PICK UP - New reds and whites from the Peloponnese, Macedonia, and Naoussa – $15 tasting (FREE for wine club members) Flights from 2 to 6 - and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max
I'm frequently asked how I got into wine, and how the shop came to be. Motivations are rarely singular, and so the answer involves a series of simple, seemingly solitary descisions and indecisions. Saying yes one night to bar backing a friend at a wine bar. Renting a cabin on the Russian River. Following a woman to New York...
I randomly rediscovered this email, written six years ago, nearly to the day. I believe it marks the very first mention of OAKLAND YARD, if only a dream then. A letter within a letter...
March 25, 2013
Max,
Man, I'm such a sissy- my eyes welled up like crazy when I saw you wrote me. An email from me was long overdue, I confess, especially as I've been thinking of you so often these last couple of months. I was promoted a short while back and am now Wells' vineyard assistant at Copain, so things are challenging for me and will be getting very busy soon. The learning curve has been steep and I'm just trying to keep my head above water, to be honest- but being out in the vineyards and on long, lovely and lonely drives in the 'deep end' of Anderson Valley has been special. I'm enjoying life out here in the country as I expected I would, but have absolutely no real friends here and at the year mark it's left me feeling a little empty, in all sincerity.
It's made me miss the shop, Brooklyn, and obviously people like you. I don't think I ever articulated to you how much I learned from you- about wine, music, life. Being out here without interesting people like you in my life makes me feel like the world is just standing still while I grow old (don't know if that makes sense). Anyway, some days I love it here- some days I just want to move back to start our own shop. Maybe I can convince you and Julia to move out here and we can open one in Oakland... We can dream and scheme more about this soon when you're out here. Hard to believe you'll be here in six weeks- I really can't express how exciting that news is to me right now.
Talk to you soon, my friend.
Daniel
OAKLAND YARD is still a dream to me. We hope for you, too. You are ultimately the hero in this little origin story. Showing up once again at the perfect moment, to make this a better place. We're so thrilled you found us in our little corner of the world and we're so glad to have found you. The magnetism of California and the Northern Coast is as strong as ever. And we'll be celebrating this all weekend: This SATURDAY (3/30) we welcome Drew Huffine and Emily Virgil of Trail Marker Wine Co - always one of the most fun and extraordinary tastings, and certainly one not to be missed. Aside from being a talented winemaker and one of the most gregarious humans, Drew was the first to suggest I take that random shift at our neighborhood wine bar, 15 years ago.
Crazy where life takes us sometimes. Let it take you here, for now at least. Come connect and explore with us. In addition to their new 2018 Rosé of Carignan, Drew and Em will pouring a mineral driven Chablis-like Chardonnay from Mendocino, a fresh and vibrant chillable Zweigelt from Lodi and an earthy and elegant Pinot Noir from Saveria Vineyard in Santa Cruz Mountains. Special Tasting this SATURDAY from 3-6 ($15) and wines by the glass all day until 9.
SUNDAY (3/31): California Crush continues...
Flights of 'New California' wines from 2-6pm. All dry, vibrant, low-alcohol, low intervention and less manipulation. Some hands off and some completely natural expressions. Flights are $15 from 2-6 and wines available by the glass until 9.
But first TONIGHT... Thursday Night Flights! The Battle of the ñ. This evening we'll be pouring Albariño from Portugal and Spain for our white flight, and the red flight will be Pipeños (Mission/Pais grape) from Chile. Flights $12 tonight from 4-8pm and wines by the glass as always.
See you soon,
Daniel
Red or white? The quaint dichotomy is a convenient way to categorize fermented grape drinks, but, like most binary reductions, the choice is - thankfully - not so simple. The fruit itself wears skin of a certain color, but different winemaking methods dictate various flavors and appearances. Blanc de noirs, a common Champagne style, is a white wine made from red grapes. Very few ‘red’ grape varieties have flesh with color, so the juice is pressed, the skins removed, and the wine is clear, or nearly so.
And if the grape is pink, or greyish, then what do we call the wine? The berries of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio and Trousseau Gris are a dark pink, almost reddish color, but pressed and vinified without skin contact, the wines are called ‘white’. in Italy’s northeastern province of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Pinot Grigio is macerated on the skins, as one would with red grapes, producing a style of light orange wine called Ramato, meaning auburn or copper colored. We have a sparkling Pinot Grigio from the Veneto right now with a dazzling crimson hue and a delicious balance of acid, tannin and fruit.
In the Republic of Georgia, it has long been the style to skin-macerate white wines, sometimes for many years, extracting colors from pink to brown to orange, along with tannins and other compounds found in the skins, adding structure and flavor complexity to the wine, and helping to preserve it without additives. The ‘orange wine’ style is as old as the hills, but it has been enjoying a newfound popularity as more of these wines are imported, and many of our American winemakers experiment with alternative methods of fermentation. We get a lot of requests, and we’re glad you’re curious. This Saturday, we’ll open several of these anomalies…and orange you glad I didn’t say ‘banana-wine’.
But first…Thursday Night Flights TONIGHT! 3 Italian Whites and 3 Spanish Reds. Flights $12 from 4-8 and wines by the glass.
SATURDAY 3/23: Skin Macerated ‘Orange’ White Wines
2016 Mocine Toscana Bianco ‘Alba’
2017 Salcheto Toscana Bianco ‘Obvius’
2016 Doqi Qvevri Mtsvane
SUNDAY 3/24: Wines of the Loire Valley
2017 Domaine de la Bregeonnette Folle Blanche
2016 Domaine des Aubuisieres Le Petit Clos Vouvray
2017 Les Athletes du Vin Grolleau
2015 Domaine de la Chevelerie Diptyque Bourgeuil
Weekend Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm
Cheers,
Max
One frozen February night, just outside Carroll park in Brooklyn, I kissed a woman (a friend, and co-worker at the time). The kiss wasn't coldly received, but there was trepidation. Who falls in love in the winter? she asked. I didn't have a good answer for that. And this wasn't just any winter. This was 2010. The winter of Snowmaggedon in the Northeast. And a strange time for me. And for a lot of folks there, perhaps. Everyone seemed a little reckless, a little confused. Frightened maybe. But excited too.
But as the song goes, you can never hold back Spring. The world dreams. The sun comes out. She and I would kiss again, and carry on with more levity and leisure and warmth in the months ahead. Years later there would be a marriage proposal at the same spot, just outside Carroll park in Brooklyn. And the Spring before that, a proposal to open a wine shop in Oakland with our friends.
In Spring everything feels possible. Something palpable in the air. This past week there was a beautiful buzz about, and we were happy to see lively crowds popping in and out, and wandering the sidewalk outside. Folks stopping in for bottles or for glasses, some feasting on tacos, others running into each other unexpectedly here, exchanging hellos and hugs. At some point in the late evening, noting that the whole neighborhood seemed livelier than ever - the block bustling and bumping- I asked a young woman at the register if there was anything unusual happening that night.
She dropped her wine into her bag and looked up, grinning, her eyes lit up.
Oooh, I hope so... she hollered on her way out, beaming.
This weekend we welcome Spring and wish winter adieu. But we won't be pouring rosé all day quite yet. This is still the East Bay, with some inevitably cool evenings ahead. So let's sip and sample some hearty and earthy reds one last time (for a little while at least). A special spotlight on SYRAH and MALBEC this weekend, eight wines ranging from savory and satisfying to bold and balanced. Classic as well as 'hands-off' and natural expressions of these varieties- with some unusual and surprising delights in the mix - Syrah from Morgon? Malbec from El Dorado? Anything is possible.
But first.. Thursday Night Flights TONIGHT! 3 White selections from South America and 3 Italian Reds. New Spring arrivals and new vintages - and a couple old favorites. Flights just $12 from 4-8 and wines by the glass.
SATURDAY (3/16): Syrah Spotlight...
2016 Domaine Chambeyron Cuvee Clara VDP
2017 Laurent Combier Crozes-Hermitage
2017 Piedrasassi Syrah (unsulfured)
2016 Domaine Petit Perou Desir Syrah
SUNDAY (3/17): MALBEC from around the globe...
2016 Cosse et Maisonneuve Solis Cahors
2016 Don Carlos Calathus Roble Malbec
2014 Hinojosa H Malbec
2017 Windchaser Malbec El Dorado County
Weekend Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until close.
See you soon,
Daniel
Oh, and a song for you.
I’d like to quote my favorite author ‘Rex’ from the esteemed manual, The Dangerous Book for Dogs, by Rex & Sparky when I say “owwww, ow, owwwww”.
If you haven’t yet read this genius piece of literature, I urge you to seek it out. For some strange reason my mom (she also ‘works’ at Oakland Yard) seems to find hilarity in all of the sweet golden nuggets of wisdom hidden throughout this mastery of writing. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t yet realize the joke's on her!
I started working at Oakland Yard several months ago and some of my duties include: cleaning up the bits of cheese and crackers off the floor, guarding the treat jar in the front of the shop, which I work hard each and every day to slowly empty, NOT peeing on the planters NOR the filing cabinet which as it turns out is a ‘no no’, entertaining all of the normal sized humans that everyone calls ‘children’ (they truly understand me) and finally... keeping my bed warm in case another dog wants to borrow it.
Back to the treats, this week we are featuring Banana and Peanut Butter biscuits from Trader Joes. By the way fellow pups, if you haven’t had a real banana covered in Peanut Butter you are truly missing out. At first I was skeptical but since each year I wake up with less and less teeth, I find them truly satisfying. The best thing about Peanut Butter is that when it gets stuck on the roof of your stinky mouth, you can lick your paws and keep tasting that wonderful nutty aroma with just enough sweetness from the banana to compliment the savory effect of the peanuts. I’ve truly learned a lot about flavors from the folks at Oakland Yard and I tend to agree with the ‘Natty’ crowd, the stinkier the better. My mom disagrees but I guess not everyone can get down with the flavor of lingering nutskin.
TONIGHT... Thursday Night Flights are on! My mom (they call her "Jessie", ha!), and Daniel and Max will be pouring a lineup of French whites and reds - and proceeds from tonight's tasting will help out some little folks who are closer to my size, the preschoolers at our local Duck's Nest school! Flights $15 tonight from 4-8pm.
SATURDAY (3/9) ... all New California wines! All dry, vibrant, low-alcohol and low intervention... 2014 Little Frances Semillon, 2018 Alfaro Family Vineyards Rosé, 2018 Gearhead Wines 'Simone' (chillable red!), and 2017 Piedrasasi Syrah. Flights are $15 from 2-6 and wines available by the glass until 9! I'll likely be tuckered out by 8 or so, but we'll see...
SUNDAY (3/10): French Gamay Tasting. Four wines ranging from fresh and easy-drinking to mineral and complex expressions of this delightful grape. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
OK, gotta go. My paws are killing me.
Ruff ruff and much love,
Turtle
If he hadn’t passed into another form in March of 1925, last Monday would have been Rudolf Steiner’s 158th birthday. We winos know Steiner as the father of Biodynamic farming, but he was also the founder of the Waldorf School, and a spiritualist who believed in reincarnation. A contemporary of Friedrich Nietzsche, Henry James, and Oscar Wilde, Steiner was born in what is now Croatia, then a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and gained early academic acclaim as a publisher, scientist, philosopher and critic.
At the request of a group of concerned vegetable farmers, Steiner delivered a series of lectures in June of 1924, in what is now Poland, in which he laid out the principles for a holistic, chemical-free, ecologically sustainable system of agriculture. These Biodynamic practices took planting and harvesting cues from cosmic motion, like moon phases, and incorporated the use of animal manure and natural botanical remedies made from nettles, oak bark, and dandelion.
There are now over 700 certified Biodynamic vineyards, covering over 25,000 acres, and while these techniques do not necessarily result in a tasty wine, they do ensure that the grapes are grown ‘naturally’ and sustainably, and I believe, as do many, that this engagement with, and respect for, the environment allows wines to speak of their place, to be wines of ‘terroir’. Happy Birthday, wherever you are, and thank you, Rudy, you wacky Austrian hippy, for getting us on the right track.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! FRENCH REDS OR WHITES: Wines from the Cévennes, the Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Alsace, & Gascony - $12 tasting flights from 4 to 8pm.
SATURDAY 3/2: CABERNET SAUVIGNON tasting flights – Sample Cabs from the Rhone Valley, the Languedoc, Bordeaux, and Mendocino - $15 tasting - Flights from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 3/3: ITALIAN RED TASTING FLIGHTS & WINE CLUB PICK UP - ALL NEW Etna Rosso, Schiava and Barbera – $15 tasting – FREE for wine club members - Flights from 2 to 6 - and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max
I can tell you a story about being caught in a snowstorm. With a van full of frightened middle school kids. But there might not be time for such detours. The short of this first chapter was that I was a public school teacher in my 20s, and at this juncture was part of a school-sponsored Science trip to the Grand Canyon. From Los Angeles. 500 miles, 80 kids, a 10 hour venture just getting there. The plan was to leave the school at 7am and arrive at the camp for orientation and early evening activities - we'd explore the rim of the canyon first thing in the morning.
But on the way there, climbing to higher elevations, some of the kids in my van started going wild. I was naive and hadn't considered that many on this trip had never seen snow, let alone held it. Being a pushover, I pulled over, to let them make snowballs. Just for a few minutes. OK, maybe long enough to build walls and have an all out snow fight with the kids in the other van who joined us. It was a bad decision. The sky turned menacing and we got back on the road but the storm was upon us. A white knuckled drive, eventually tailing an 18-wheeler to the nearest town. We ended up having to call the school and the parents and explain why the kids would be staying in a hotel an hour from the camp.
We joined the other groups at the learning center in the early a.m., only to find the canyon completely fogged in. We were told it would likely dissipate by late morning. Disappointed visitors and tourists meandered about as teachers brainstormed a plan for the group. I'm not sure how it started, but some of the kids (out of boredom or necessity) started building a snowman and others joined in, adding to the pack, until the figure grew to a remarkable size and height. Over the next hour the group tripled. Random kids from visiting families joined. The snowman had become a towering Poseidon. Fantastic sculptures were erected, and a wild whimsical snowscape was on full display. At some point, there was a commotion - and a wave of noise from the crowds as the depth and splendor of the canyon came suddenly into view. A silence.
Then the craziest thing. None of kids wanted to stop building, playing, creating. They collectively looked up and (maybe) smiled into the distance - and then just went back to their frolicking and creation. I remember my frustration: Will you not pleease walk up and look at the fucking Grand Canyon, kids! We had driven hours and stayed overnight for this. But they were in their own element. Almost defiant to the incomparable expanse and wonder of it all. And every damn last one of them just getting along, quiet and cooperative, united. How the hell could I admonish such joy? I finally surrendered to the serene lunacy of it all when tourists started gathering - a large crowd now - snapping photos of the kids' "installation" piece. With the damn Grand Canyon at their back.
I joined Kenton and DeAndre, who were trying to make snow crowns.
For the mermen!, they said. Obviously.
This Friday, February 22nd, the neighborhood unites. Come build something with us. ALL are WELCOME*. Come for the majesty of it all, or to roll in the snow. Be a part of something. That matters. Our friend, Shimeko, is fighting Cancer and the neighborhood is making crowns for the queen. Shimeko has been our neighbor at Marquee Salon since before we opened. She is a force. A creative light, a single mother, a creator and collaborator, a mystic, a musician, a searcher, a scholar, a bold and bright soul. From 7-9pm, Marquee Salon will be offering donation based cuts (bang and beard trims) next door, and there will be a Silent Auction with all kinds of Gift Certificates and goodies from artists, artisans, and local restaurants and businesses. There will be a PopUp with tasty delights from MKGold Bakery and we'll be pouring special glasses and flights all evening to raise funds to help a friend in need. Come be a part of something good. Something grand.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. French Whites and Italian Reds. Flights $12 and wines by the glass until 8pm. Joy will not be admonished. Come explore and connect with us.
SATURDAY 2.23 & SUNDAY 2.24: Pinot Noir Tasting Series. Dynamic expressions from around the globe. France (Alsace and Burgundy), California (Carneros and Santa Barbara), and selections from Oregon, Italy, and Chile. Eight wines over 2 days, All PINOT NOIR Tasting Flights from 2-6 both days this weekend. Wines by the glass too as always, until 9pm.
See you soon, friends.
Daniel
*If you cannot attend the event on Friday and would like to donate to a crowdfunding page for Shimeko: a link is provided here: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/help-shimeko-survive-cancer
The fast-driving, hard patter of heavy rain on our tasting bar skylight, relentless as an Art Blakey press roll, is a newly familiar sound here at Oakland Yard, as the wettest winter in recent memory roars through town, throwing wind and water like a proper monsoon. Never have I been so happy to live above the store, as I was yesterday morning while I ambled dryly downstairs. It hailed last week, so steady that it coated the cars and sidewalk with a white sheet of icy pebbles, and customers returning from work across the bay asked if it had just snowed. No, just hail and rain here, but there was real snow last week up at Sky Vineyards, in the nearby Mayacamas Range.
It sounds like it’s not over yet, but thank you for keeping us company through the storm so far. Despite the dreary weather, we had a surprisingly fun weekend of wine tasting, with the shop full of locals looking to get out of the house, but not too far from home; the place felt like someone’s large and lively living room for most of Saturday afternoon, with friends gathering for wine and snacks, small dogs and laughter. It would have been a sad scene had you not come, the skylight drumming to an empty room.
Come join us again this week; we’ll be here - rain or shine - pouring the good wine to all comers of age. Speaking of age, if you see Jessie behind the bar tomorrow, be sure to wish her a happy birthday. We love you, Jessie!!!
But don’t wait until tomorrow; TONIGHT we’ll have THREE Flights, with a special additionalValentine’s Day ROSÉ FLIGHTS in the mix - and gorgeous Flower & Forage BOUQUETS from Alyson Vitt for $15 (while supplies last), as well as delicious, locally made Dandelion CHOCOLATE, and of course WINE (both in good supply).
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! FRENCH WHITES, GERMAN REDS, or VALENTINE’S DAY ROSÉS: Picpoul, Aligote, Cotes Catalanes, Spatburgunder, Dornfelder, and Lemberger - $12 tasting flights from 4 to 8pm.
SATURDAY 2/16: SICILIAN TASTING FLIGHTS - Red, White & Bubbly from the enchanted island – $15 tasting -Flights from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 2/17: ORGANIC FRENCH TASTING FLIGHTS - Natty Red, White & Bubbly – $15 tasting - Flights from 2 to 6 - and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max
It happened at least three times. The first, as I recall, on a late night market run when I was out of coffee beans and milk for the morning. Driving along an otherwise sleepy strip of storefronts along Park Blvd. near the old Parkway theater, I spotted a couple folks out in front of a some new space, both laughing and sipping drinks. It seemed a new neighborhood bar had opened and I made a mental note to check it out. I make a lot of mental notes, by the way, and many don't end up in a mental drawer or mental file cabinet and are regrettably lost. So I forgot about that curiosity until passing in a shared Lyft one night after meeting a friend downtown, there was somebody out front again with glass in one hand, cigarette in the other. A third time- a young man outside the space once again, texting. I must have been driving awkwardly slow as he took notice and gave a friendly wave as I passed.
A guy entered the shop the other day, and with the sunlight behind him, initially only a silhouette. It may sound strange- but in that moment, just seeing the silhouette, his stance, his shuffle - I knew it to be the same guy as more than just his face came into focus. I asked if he lived near Park and he confirmed what I was clumsily piecing together at that moment. It was him all of the times I passed. Solitary or with company, chatting, smoking, texting - with a glass in hand. There was no bar, just someone stepping out of his apartment and enjoying the night air occasionally.
I told him how I had mistaken the spot for a new lounge, or gallery space. I even confessed to secretly hoping there was some sort of speakeasy or something of the sort above the record store.
He laughed. "A speakeasy? Ha, no no, nothing like that. Just me stepping out for a smoke. "
But then, a propitious pause, he lights up and says in earnest: "I mean, you're welcome to come up for a drink next time you're passing by. So, I guess... that's a sort of a speakeasy. Right?"
I love this town.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights at OAKLAND YARD. SPANISH Whites (Albarino, Rioja Blanco, and an unsulfured Xarel-lo) or ITALIAN Reds (Barbera, Gaglioppo, and Nebbiolo). Flights $12 from 4-8 and new wines by the glass.
SATURDAY 2/9: Cabernet Franc Tasting. An earthy and elegant Chinon (Joguet), an intensely mineral Saumur (Fosse-Séche), and a bolder domestic expression from Bennet Valley (Phantomé Cellars). Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines b the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 2/10: Wines of PROVENCE. Both classic and natural expressions from Southeastern France. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
See you soon,
Daniel
Oakland Yard has a number of Fairy Godmothers to whom we are forever indebted, friends and neighbors who’ve helped us over daunting hurdles and raised our spirits when we were down. Perhaps the most helpful and reliable of these beneficent Godmothers is our good friend, Matt Guidi. Philadelphian by birth, warm-hearted and curious-minded, Mr. Guidi has been our landlord’s right hand man for several years, and our go-to guy for any problem outside of our realms of expertise. In fact, compared with Matt’s practical knowledge, we have not realms, but little circles, rather small areas, of expertise.
Matt was there when we signed our lease agreement, he helped secure our zoning rights with the city, and he insisted on being present to help us navigate our first inspection from the Department of Health. So, when he told us last week that he’d taken a new job, we were crestfallen. Jake from Tacos Oscar looked positively lost when we discussed Guidi’s departure. Not only did Matt recently usher them through the gauntlet of city requirements, Jake said Guidi had gotten his knives sharpened last week and spent his lunch hour chopping onions with him for Oscar’s dinner service!
The more I thought about how much we were losing in Matt, the more I realized what we’ve gained and will never lose: nothing less than renewed faith in humanity, and a friend for life. Thank you Matt, erstwhile mayor of 40th street, heavyweight lifter of spirits, fixer of four-twenty. We wish you well in greener pastures and trust you’ll come see us from time to time. We will still call you when we have an intractable problem, or a particularly amusing story.
This week, come to Oakland Yard – where the air is tinged with excitement - and raise a glass to Matt Guidi and Fairy Godmothers everywhere. Matt is also a devoted father, so he rarely attends the weekend tastings, but you may find him here late this afternoon, kicking off our Thursday Night Flights with a smile and a kind word.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! FRENCH GAMAY or LOIRE VALLEY WHITES: Beaujolais, Bugey, Folle Blanche, Sauvignon Blanc & Muscadet - $12 tasting flights from 4 to 8pm.
SATURDAY 2/2: SPANISH tasting flights - Reds, White & Bubbly – Cava, Txakolina, Garnacha & Priorat $15 tasting -Flights from 2 to 6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 2/3: CALIFORNIA TASTING FLIGHTS & WINE CLUB PICK UP - Red, White & Rose – $15 tasting – FREE for wine club members - Flights from 2 to 6 - and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max
There is a billboard here in our neighborhood - maybe yours too - and it shows a man atop a ladder clearing away a pile of leaves from the edge of a rain gutter. Some creatives from Covered California are behind this one, and it mostly shies away from shock or much melodrama and, as such, it is not immediately clear on first glance that the ladder is falling back and away, though the man's extended hands and fingers (and his mouth agape) would suggest he has lost his grip.
I'm waiting to cross Broadway at the corner of 40th, just outside Clove & Hoof, and I notice this billboard for the first time. A dad and his child of maybe seven are a few feet from me, waiting too, and they are also looking up at it. The dad reads the giant text aloud, to his child or to himself or perhaps to no one in particular: Life can change in an instant. For a moment, I fix on the image and some adman somewhere gets his wings... I feel old and concerned and think about my back problems and odd health issues I've had in the past. That's when the kid speaks up.
Is he going to find some money hidden up there?
The dad and I smile at each other and there is levity. We feel excited about our week ahead. Invincible again. I step out first, crossing recklessly. Not looking any way but forward.
Maybe, the dad says, with a chuckle. Maybe...
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. Italian Whites and all Malbec for the Red Flights. Wines by the glass too! Flights $12 from 4-8pm. All levity and all love here. Leave your worries at the door. Throw your homework onto the fire. Come out and find the one you love.
SATURDAY 1/26: Wines of Piemonte. Arneis, Erbaluce, Barbera, Nebbiolo! All vibrant, dry and exceptionally food-friendly wines from Northern Italy. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY1/27 : Wines of Oregon! 2017 Bow & Arrow Melon, 2017 Kelly Fox Pinot Noir, 2017 Leah Jorgensen 'Tour Rain' Cab Franc/Gamay. These are three of my favorite wines in the store right now - come taste for yourselves and see why. Flights $15 from 2-6 and glasses until 8pm.
See you soon,
Daniel