It was an unusually sunny morning like this, clear skies and a curious calm about. I was 25 or so, teaching Middle School at the time. I was running a few minutes late to work, already picturing the students lined up outside the classroom door - me racing to the front, keys out, coffee balanced - the last kid inside just before the starting bell. But as I pulled up I discovered the lot nearly empty. It was a Monday, and Presidents Day or something of the sort was being observed and somehow I was completely unaware that school was closed. My immediate response was not joy, but mostly frustration at my idiocy. An embarrassment at how long it took me to put it together, recalling the quiet of the neighborhood earlier and the unusually light traffic heading over.

It would make for a lovely segue (for the purpose of this email) to tell you that after the realization of this magical extra free day I embarked on some Ferris Bueller like adventure. But the universe intervened. Or rather, a tiny woman in her 70s intervened. She volunteered at the church next door to our public school, and through broken English explained that she had to drop something off but now her car wouldn't start and how she needed to get to her husband and was rather frantic about it all. Before jumper cables were proposed, or even simple names exchanged, she opened my passenger door and just got in. OK then. She directed me through the neighborhood, a few miles north of the school to what I presumed to be her home. She asked me to wait in the car and scurried off inside. After nearly 10 minutes out front, I wondered what was going on. Was my good deed done? Was she wondering why I was still idling? (Waiting around for a tip? Or some fruitcake?). I had nearly decided to pull away when she emerged with a packed lunch and a Coke. Had to make food for the kids, she said. Am ready. Let's go.

Where are we going? I asked in further confusion. Airport! she said, pointing forward, eyes wound up. We're late! 


This Saturday is a leap day. An extra day. A bizarre, almost magical free day. Check your calendars, get the word out. Plan ahead. Hit the coast, the park. Cook an epic dinner. Meet a friend. Bring a bottle. Bring two. Or come drink with us. Bring a friend. Bring an old Filipino lady. Flights all weekend. Don't be late. 

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. All domestic Red and White Flights this evening.
Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until close.
White Flight
2018 Santa Barbara Winery Sauvignon Blanc
2018 Wait Cellars Russian River Chardonnay
2019 Loella Pinot Gris
Red Flight
2017 James Cabernet Sauvignon
2018 NIsse-Hygge Natural Red (Oregon)
2018 Folk Machine Pinot Noir

SATURDAY: Wines of Burgundy. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
2017 Chavy-Chouet Aligote Les Petits Poiriers
2017 Domaine Marc Cameron Bourgogne Blanc Tonnerre Sagara
2018 Thevenet & Fils Les Clos Bourgogne Rouge
2016 Confuron-Gindre Coteaux Bourguignons 

SUNDAY: Wines of Loire Valley. Flights $15 from 2-6 (closing at 7pm)
2018 Domaine Pepiere 'Le Pepie' Muscadet
2018 Domaine Les Hauts Noelles Gamay
2018 Baudry-Dutour Amaranthe Chinon Rouge

See you soon,

Daniel

*** PLEASE NOTE that we will be closing one hour early - at 7pm - on Sunday, March 1st, for Staff Appreciation Dinner. Thank you for your understanding!

I’m a firm believer in the value of timeless activities, which is to say, I find the deepest satisfaction, or sense of accomplishment, in projects that have perennially occupied humankind. If people haven’t been doing it for hundreds - or better yet, thousands - of years, then it’s probably not worth my while. The list is long, but most certainly includes giggling, dancing, reading, cooking, and gardening. Some uniquely human tasks are less appealing to me, like butchering animals and burying one’s dead, but they too give my life meaning in ways that cars and computers cannot.

This week, in the spirit of looking back, in order to better move forward, we’re featuring wines from a land of rich and ancient culture, wines grown on prized, primeval ground, and wines made right here, in the traditional manner, with hands and feet. Tonight, we’ll pour wines from Greece, where they’ve been producing the good stuff for about 6,500 years. Saturday, we’ll taste wine from vines grown on limestone and marlstone from the Jurassic period, an epoch named after the ​Jura​ because the region's limestone mountains are representative of the geological activity from 145 million to 200 million years ago.

And this Sunday afternoon, we’re delighted to welcome winemakers Kristie Tacey of Tessier Winery and Erin Pooley of Little Frances. Both have fancy degrees in wine science and many vintages under their belts, but they choose to let their wines express themselves, with minimal intervention and classic, time-tested methods.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! ALL GREEK​ Reds and Whites, including Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, Roditis, Xinomavro, and Agiorgitiko. ​Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 2/22: Wines of the Jura:​ Red, white and sparkling. Salty, smoky, uniquely mineral-driven wines from the French Alps. ​Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 2/23: Meet the Winemakers: Erin Pooley & Kristie Tacey at OAKLAND YARD.
Featuring four wines from two of our favorite California vintners. Erin will pour her Little Frances​ Semillon and Chenin Blanc, and Kristie, her ​Tessier​ Grenache and Dry Riesling. ​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.



Cheers,
 


Max

The first girl I ever "liked" was named Whitney. She was a member of a terrorizing trio dubbed ‘the kissy girls’. They would frequently chase me at recess, and two would try to grab my arms while the third would try and kiss my face. These were the mean streets of a Methodist preschool. Whitney participated in this weekly hazing, but would always stay behind to check if I was ok after the other two ran off laughing.

I've said in the past that the first girl I pursued was Selena Sullivan. That was second grade. But my first relationship, brief as it was, was in middle school. Her name was Ines. I can't recall how the relationship started or for how long we "went out" but I do know it ended shortly after Valentine's Day. There was, if not pressure, at least some expectations now on this day, of how best to express appropriate levels of affection. She gave me a Hallmark card that said I was 'out of this world' and had her mom purchase a small bottle of Brut cologne for me. "It's what my older brother uses", she said. Which is super weird thinking back on it. I, on the other hand, had saved up money over the winter break doing yard work for Ms. Pridmore, the choir director. I used it to buy earrings at a fancy looking store called Zales in the mall. I wrapped and presented them to my Valentine. She was mortified. Her ears weren't pierced. She said if I really cared about her I would have noticed. It was hard to argue with that logic at the time. 


TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. New love is right here waiting for you. All new and unusual varieties tasting this evening! Cabernet doesn't care enough. Pinot takes your for granted. Dynamic and unique varieties await your affection. Moschofilero, Gutedel, Xarel-lo! Trepat, Aglianico, Xinomavro! New delights here from 5-9pm. Wines by the glass all night as always!

FEBRUARY 13th & 14th: Valentines Bouquets from Flower & Forage here at OAKLAND YARD! Skip the earrings or cologne - and dazzle a friend or a loved one with stunning local, wild and gorgeous arrangements by Alyson Vitt (Flower & Forage). Will update on IG when sold out!

SATURDAY 2/15: Sparkling Flights from around the globe. Let's keep the sparkle going! New bubbly flights from France, Italy, and Spain. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 2/16: Wines of Piedmont. Four wines, four favorites from the north. Aromatic and alluring. All dry, delicate and delicious. Italian Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.


See all you lovers soon,

Daniel

Canine conversation, overheard yesterday..

(Oakland apartment, afternoon, interior)
Boss: Hey Turtle, what are you doing on Thursday?
Turtle: I'm working, duh. Gosh, you really think when I leave everyday I’m just going to the park to sniff butts? No, I'm going to Oakland Yard to make sure no one tries to steal the treat jar.  I have a very important job you know. 
Boss: Uh, okay.  Wait... TREATS??
Turtle: Yeah, well that's obviously the main focus of the shop.  All the neighbors come to sample treats. Like Scout, Hank, Larry, Stanley, Tomatillo, Bandita, Pants, Pancake, Wren…
Boss: Yeah, yeah, yeah I get it.  You’re very popular.
Turtle: I know, Thank you.  
Boss: You look silly in your sweater.
Turtle: I know, Thank you. Oh, aside from the most important aspect of Thursday (the treats) the humans discussed pouring some white whine stuff from California and red whine stuff from Loire Valley. You know you whine a lot too, Boss. 
Boss: I know, Thank you. Mom says it's because I'm part lab. Uncle Mando says it's because I'm spoiled. 

(enter Tomatillo)
Tomatillo: Hi Arlot, Turtle and Boss. I love you. Are you guys gonna be around on Saturday? Because my mom Kim said she might stop by to drink stuff from Crokanichiea? 
Turtle: You mean Croatia? Oh silly Tomatillito. Yeah! Come on down! Bring your owner! Bring cheeese and chew toys and.. Treats! 
Arlot: Hi Tomatillo, I love you. 
Boss: Hi Tomatillo, I love you too. 

(sometime later) 
Turtle: Hey Arlot, do you like treats? 
Arlot: Duh, yeah. 
Turtle: Cool! Me too. Do you like oranges??
Arlot: Eww, no!  
Turtle: I know right? I mean I've never had one but Boss caught one in his face once and dropped it right away. He said he didn't know WHAT it was but definitely NOT a tennis ball. 
Arlot: OMG. That's terrifying. Is he okay?
Turtle: Yup. Anyway, since I'm always pretending to sleep at the shop I overheard that the humans are pouring “Orange Wines” on Sunday.  I mean I'm just a chihuahua - but I thought wine was made from grapes.
Arlot: Oh no, me too. I should email Max - my human dad - in Spain right away and let him know that these guys do NOT know what they are doing over here.  I mean, they're letting dogs write the newsletter!!
Turtle: Yeah yeah. Smart. Tell him to bring back some cheese too. Say it's a cheese emergency. 

-----

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Loire Valley Reds and local whites from California. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass all evening. 

SATURDAY 2/8: Wines of CROATIA. Crisp, refreshing white (Laški Rizling, Rizvanec), Fuller bodied Pošip and savory, fresh red (Plavac Mali). Come explore this dynamic region and taste some delicious wines with us. Flights $15 from 2-6 and new wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 2/9: ORANGE Wines. Skin Fermented white wines. Tasting flights of ‘orange’ wines from Italy, Australia, and California. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.



See you soon,

Turtle's mom (aka Jessie)

For all of its wild beauty, this is the one month of the year I don't miss Guerneville. Rainy and cold, dank and dim.. the annual threat of flooding. The rare social interactions during this season were generally limited to odd characters I'd see in town (certain sorts who the other inhabitants of the North Bay would describe as distinctly "west county") and with my various landlords, curious characters in their own right.  There was always something failing in those old cabin homes. I called one landlord to alert of a raccoon infestation and he suggested, in complete sincerity, that I either "go ask for Big Willie, the Trapper, at the hardware store" or (option 2) "go talk to to Dr. Lunch, up the road who might be willing to take them in".

At some point I looked for another rental, with a bit more sunshine. I responded to a Craigslist ad that sounded promising - a sunny spot off Coleman Highway in Occidental. The ad had no photos, so I called to request a few. An older woman answered. She "didn't really like computers" but insisted I'd love the place. "Just close your eyes..." she said. Before I could voice my confusion she continued, with a mystical enthusiasm "The house is sky blue with a darker blue trim. You open the door and there is a coat rack to your left and a bright window across the room ...." I took far too long to object and was frozen in her spell. Some 25 minutes later I was still listening, in a trance - exhausted and amazed. ("the hot and cold knobs were switched in '82 for some reason..."


Max has the right idea. He is heading off to Spain today, for two weeks. And while vicarious living has its limits, we'll have slightly more than a postcard or tasting notes to share in his experiences there. In his absence, Max has curated all Spanish flights for tonight- as well as Spanish themed flights this weekend! A small taste of Spain to get us through the greys - or occasional showers- until he returns. Bon Voyage, Max!

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights...
All Spanish Red and White Flights $12 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass all evening! Tacos Oscar is back open tonight too, serving up savory treats - bring a bottle next door for a small corkage or bring tacos in here to enjoy with flights or glasses until 9pm.

SATURDAY 2/1: WInes of Spain Part 1
Basque Txakoli - Both Red and white. Dry, mineral, zippy whites and bright, savory reds. Expectional for food-paring and above all, completely delicious. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 2/2: WInes of Spain Part 2
Spanish weekend continues.. Spanish Flights and Wine Club Pick up Party. All are welcome! Stop in to stock up for your Superbowl parties and weekend festivities. We'll be pouring Flights from 2-6 and open for wines by the glass and bottles to go until 8pm.

See you soon,

Daniel

I’ve played the cello for as long as I can remember, and, though I play less often these days, there is still a world of muscle memory in my hands and fingers, so when the knife I held two nights ago suddenly jumped from the cabbage to the pad of my index finger, I feared not only pain and injury, but also the loss of a lifetime of lessons. Happily, it was a simple slice, and not too deep; held aloft, with some pressure, straight to the sink, deep breaths, don’t look too closely.

Yesterday, as I tasted wine and my finger throbbed, I remembered that many great artists had missing digits, including silent film stars, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, and the Romani Jazz guitarist, Django Rhinehardt. As it happens, today is Django’s birthday. Reinhardt was born in 1910, on January 23rd, in Liberchies, Belgium, to a Belgian family of Manouche descent, and - try this on for size - that same year, on December 28th, my grandmother, Nettie Judels, was born in Namur, just 25 miles from Liberchies. I like to think perhaps they met at a sandbox or shared some chocolate in their youth, in the neighboring Wallonian towns of Gemboux, Floreffe, or Fleurus, before Rhinehardt’s fateful accident.

When Django was eighteen years old, he overturned a candle in his caravan wagon, starting a fire that nearly killed him and badly burned the outer two fingers of his left hand. Returning to the guitar, he relied on his left index and middle fingers for melodic lines, and began using the two injured fingers only for chords. These limitations, and the sensibility he brought to the music, created a new sound, an oblique, jangly style of open- voiced chords and angular punctuation that lives on in the inspiring work of Marc Ribot, Stefan Wremble, and countless others.

My finger’s going to be fine, maybe a bit fatter at the pad, and when it stops hurting, I’ll go back to the cello with renewed vigor. Hell, Itzhak Perlman’s fingers are so fat he has to lift one from the fingerboard to make room for the next. I’m looking forward to the challenge. Join us this week for some good music, some healing, some tasting, some looking forward...and a great big toast to Django!

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Chilean Reds and California Whites. Pinot & Pais from way down south and Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, & Grenache Blanc from the Sacramento delta, Santa Barbara, and Contra Costa County. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 1/25: Loire Valley Cabernet Franc: Everyone’s favorite, fresh, mineral- driven, well-structured, earthy, spicy, berry-fruited bistro reds. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 1/26: A Taste of Tuscany: ‘Orange’ wine from Foradori’s Ampeleia estate, stately Sangiovese, and other delights from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.


Cheers,
 


Max

I just finished my shower and was exiting the bathroom with my towel around my waist, when my two year old daughter suddenly appeared in the doorway. She pointed at my naked torso. "Meatballs... " she said, with her arm extended and a finger directed at either my belly or my chest. It didn't feel good either way. She declined to make eye contact at least, a sympathetic gesture I appreciated.

So yeah, I've got one or two New Year's resolutions on the table, even if a couple weeks late. It's that time of year for many, I suppose. Deciding to do without this or that - or resolving to develop new habits, to try new things, to enjoy new experiences.  

In this spirit, we are here for you, offering all new wines, new opportunities, new delights... 
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights... pouring six new wines from around the world... new vintages, new arrivals and new varieties. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass all night. 
White Flight
2018 Domaine Reine Juliette Picpoul de Pinet
2018 Col del Mondo Abruzzo Bianco
2018 Domaine des Vercheres Macon Villages
Red Flight
2018 Gaia 'Monograph' Agiorgitiko
2017 Valerie Forgues Touraine Cot
2017 Oddero Barbera D'Alba Superioire

SATURDAY: 'Orange' Wines... Skin-fermented (or w/ extended maceration) white wines from Italy and California. Curious and complex. Unique and unusual - and all, ultimately, delicious. Tasting Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

2018 Emme French Colombard 
2018 Salcheto 'Obvius' Toscana Bianco
2018 Castelo di Stefanago Campo Piano

SUNDAY: Wines of Burgundy. Cremant, Blanc, and Rouge. Beguiling beauties from Bourgogne. New vintages and new arrivals. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
NV Coteaux des Margots Cremant de Bourgogne
2018 Domaine Marc Cameron Bourgogne Blanc Tonnerre 
2014 Rene LeClerc Bourgogne Pinot Noir

See you soon,

Daniel

Daniel and I are well aware that our weekly newsletters go out to a mixed audience of friends and customers, including neighbors, dear relatives, fellow small business owners, oenophiles, wine professionals, enthusiasts and the odd misanthrope – you know who you are – so we try not to bore you by writing about wine. Drinking wine is one thing, but talking or writing about it quickly grows tiresome, especially if you don’t have a full glass in hand, a tall order for 10am on a Thursday.

So, at the risk of boring those fully familiar with the proposed tariffs on wine from the EU, and those already levied last October, I will briefly lay it out for the rest of you. Three months ago, in retaliation for European Airbus subsidies, deemed unfair by the WTO, the US imposed a 25% tariff on French, Spanish, and German wines, along with single-malt Scotch and other European food products, including Italian cheeses. Now, in reaction to France’s Digital Services Tax, and other perceived infractions, our president has proposed a 100% tariff on all European wine.

In order to maintain a varied and interesting selection, we buy from over 50 distributors, and it’s no exaggeration to say they are all in a terrible panic; this would effectively kill the businesses they’ve spent their lifetimes building, and uproot an American industry of warehouse workers and delivery drivers. Would you buy a $15 Cotes du Rhone for $30? Even California winemakers have come out against the tariffs, because most of the companies that distribute their wines make most of their money selling European wines, so crippling these companies will hurt domestic producers as well.

We feel we are at the mercy of our capricious leaders, but public commenting with the US Trade Representative is open until January 13t​h​, so if you’re concerned about the outcome and have yet to send a comment, please do it now!

https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2019-0003-2518 (click COMMENT NOW at top right if you would like to make your voice heard)

In the meantime, we’ll be tasting French, Italian, and Spanish wines this week, while we can still afford them. Come drink to the strangely mysterious future.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights!​ ​Tutto Italiano​...Rosso e bianco. Montepulciano, Ruche, Nero d’Avola, Favorita, Arneis & Verdicchio ​​​Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 1/11: Vino Tinto Natural de España:​ ​​Organically farmed, unspoofulated, low-tech, vivacious Spanish reds. ​Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 1/12: Vin Rouge Naturel de France​:​​ Traditional, rustic, uniquely expressive French reds made without chemicals or centrifuges. ​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.



Cheers,


Max

Happy New Year, everyone. I'm excited to see you. I just returned from visiting family in Southern California. We lost almost two days at the beginning of trip, stuck for countless hours in our car, trying to find a safe route down there. A historic snow storm closed the Grapevine on Interstate 5 for nearly 36 hours - and snow and ice blocked nearly every other route in (or out) as well. The 101 was a parking lot, and the detour too far for an attempt with a two year old in tow. 

It was dark and late and in Bakersfield, the nearest city, all hotels were booked. It was looking likely to be the worst night of my year. We ended up in a motel a stone's throw from the highway. The cement floors and bright halogen lights in the room offered little warmth. While my wife attempted to get our daughter down for the night, I walked out in the cold to find something for us to eat, grateful (at very least) to see that Taste of India was still open, across the adjacent lot. I was surprised to discover the massive, brightly painted room loud and lively inside, chairs scattered and tables rearranged in odd patterns - the space full with Indian families in animated post-meal conversations. I rushed to put in an order before they closed.

As I waited for food and and for new information about the next day's forecast, I heard a ruckus from across the room and noticed a line of children against one wall. Two men were taking turns lifting toddlers to the top of a weathered, white faux leather sofa. The little ones screamed and giggled, sliding down the sofa to the pillows and the white blanket on the floor below- giving whole scene a beautiful and absurd illusion of a tiny snow bank.

Again! Again! they hollered, on what was quite likely their favorite night of the year.


I don't know what the road ahead in the new year looks like - but we are here for the ride. Whatever the forecast, however the skies look, whatever surprises lay ahead, OAKLAND YARD is here for you. A place of warmth and joy. A bright station on your journey. We are here with a smile, with a laugh. Here to do whatever we can to make things better. Happy New Year indeed. Let's do this.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights... All wines of Spain for the line up this evening. White and Red Flights $12 from 5-9pm and wines by the glass until close.

SATURDAY: Italian Flights! Four wines. Exploring classic regions and varieties, from Piedmont to Sicily. New arrivals and staff favorites. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY: Loire Valley Flights and Wine Club pick up party. Stop in on the early side to get a table, these can get a bit busy:) Drop on in, all are most welcome! Flights are $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.

See you soon,

Daniel
 

Just a quick note among the sweets and nog, the rain and slippers, the ribbons and candles and sweet smells of home. We at Oakland Yard hope you’re feeling cozy and carefree this holiday season. We’ve enjoyed meeting your visiting family members, and welcoming back so many familiar faces from seasons past, and as always, we’re truly proud when our wines are part of the carefully considered and undoubtedly delicious meals so many of you have been preparing this week.

As our friend Lore Olds of Sky vineyards will tell you, these feasts are the last act in the performance piece that is each bottle of wine; a protracted drama, beginning with just a vine, some sun, soil, and water. There are long cold nights before the bloom, then sugar and acid, and the guiding hand of the vigneron. Then it sleeps, until the uncorking, when the curtain rises, and we greet the wine with laughter and smiles, the delicious flavors of a home cooked meal, and the warmth and comfort of loved ones.

2020’s just around the corner, but if you want one more final act, or two, or three, we’re here today with Thursday night flights, and then all weekend tasting bubbles to ring in the new year. Take a walk, get out of the house, bring your sister, your brother, your mother’s mother, maybe some animals, and join us as we bid goodbye to the fitful teens and toast the better days to come!

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights.​ French Rhone Reds and Greek Whites. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Sparkling Wine Flights! ​Holiday Bubbles, Crowd-Pleasers, New arrivals, Staff favorites,. ​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass Saturday until 9 and Sunday until 8.

Cheers,

Max
 

I left California for New York 10 years ago. I finished up cellar work in Sonoma the month before and said farewell to a charming cold cabin on the Russian River. I loaded my furniture and all other belongings onto a truck and took a flight across the country with only a duffle and a sleeping bag - having timed my arrival the evening before the delivery of the container.  The building manager, a gregarious Brooklyn-born bear of a man named Ronnie was at my door at 8am sharp. We'd only chatted on the phone a couple times but he was there with a smile and a coffee (and asked if I'd rather have a beer). He had "borrowed" several city pylons and cones from a nearby site and placed them out front earlier to reserve space for the semi truck. Welcome to Brooklyn.

But Ronnie was the second native New Yorker I met. On the plane over I sat next to a woman named Maureen who lived in a neighborhood nearby called Carroll Gardens. I'm very claustrophobic and consequently all nerves flying anywhere. Maureen had her 4 year old daughter with her, who turned out to be a great comfort, curiously enough. Our plane had just emerged through the clouds and into the stratosphere and all the world was a giant cotton ball. The little girl looked out the window at the white blanket below and said: "Ah dang, we're gonna get stuck in all this snow"

Maureen was eager to share all of her favorite local spots. Los Paisanos for your meats. Bar Tabac for live music and drinks, she suggested. Oh, Lucali for pizza. Hands down. She also raved about her favorite wine shop. She only called it 'the wine shop on Smith St' but on her recommendation I bought two bottles from there the next night. I don't recall him working that night, but as fate would have it - it was Smith&Vine, the shop Max managed. And where he'd hire me, three months later. 

I was thinking about Maureen connecting me to her city, spreading joy- and was thinking about many of you this morning too. We see a lot of new faces at the shop this time of year. And so many of them say "my neighbor told me about this place" or "my friend said I have to come check you out!". It is a wonderful thrill to hear, every time. And the greatest gift we could ask for. Thank you. THANK YOU. It really is the most generous and thoughtful thing and means the world to a little shop like ours. It's just what we wanted. 

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. French Reds and Austrian Whites. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass as always.

SATURDAY: PINOT NOIR Flights. New arrivals and staff favorites. Holiday wines and crowd-pleasers. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY: NEBBIOLO. Earthy and expressive reds from Piedmont! Four wines, all dry and delightful. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.

Happy Holidays (and see you soon),

Daniel

When I was 21 years old, I moved from New York to Berkeley and lived in a one-bedroom apartment on Derby and Telegraph with two college friends. None of us had cell phones or computers in 1993, and we spent most of our free time shooting pool at the Bison Brewery and reading books from the Berkeley library.

My roommate, Seth, would get very excited about books – especially Dostoevsky and Camus - and he introduced me to many authors I’d never read. To him, I passed John Gardner’s ​Grendel​, Andre Gide’s ​The Immoralist,​ and Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations​, and he gave me books by John Fante, Richard Brautigan, Alan Watts and Kenneth Patchen. The poet, Patchen, thrilled us both to no end.

Kenneth Patchen was born on December 13t​ h​, 1911, in a mining town near Youngstown Ohio. He had little education beyond high school, but had an essay published in the New York Times at age 18, and wrote prolifically for the remaining forty years of his life, the last twenty in San Francisco and Palo Alto, where he died in 1972. Along with Kenneth Rexroth, Patchen was the creator of ‘Jazz Poetry’ and travelled the country in the early sixties, performing with Langston Hughes and Charles Mingus. Patchen was friends with Henry Miller, E. E. Cummings and Jim Morrison, and he is often associated with the beat poets, though he referred to Ginsburg, Kerouac and the gang as ‘the freakshow’.

Patchen’s poetry gave voice to our anger and joy with the world, and let us know we were not alone. He was silly, absurd and whimsical, combining words that have never gone together, and he was outraged at the way people treat one another, and at the post-industrial, capitalist America that inevitably crushed the human spirit. I have a weathered copy of ​Because It Is​, probably bought at the Ashby Bart flea market twenty-five years ago, with an inscription from 1968 that reads: “Sissy, my dear, When life becomes a bit much, ponder Patchen. Love, Mom.”

Come celebrate Patchen with us this weekend and raise a glass to art as salve. I’ll leave my copy of ​Because It Is​ at the bar so you can laugh it all off yourselves.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! ​ALL FRENCH REDS and WHITES featuring wines from the Côtes Catalanes, Loire Valley, Minervois, and Corbieres. ​Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.​

SATURDAY 12/14: Domestic Tasting Flights and BABS Pop Up: BBQ and Cookie Explosion:​ Mouthwatering barbecue and tempting holiday cookies by Dorian, and tasting flights featuring wines from Edmunds St. John, Drench, Bucklin, and Bow & Arrow. ​Flights $15 from 2-6pm, Food Pop Up from 2-6pm, and wines by the glass until 9pm.


SUNDAY 12/15: Spanish tasting flights:​ Albariño and Garnacha from Rías Baixas, Priorat & Madrid. ​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
 


Cheers,
 


Max

Lots of feels this morning. The shop just turned three a few weeks ago. And my daughter turns two in just a few days. Seems crazy. She was an early walker and now zips about at great speeds, climbing up on just about anything she sees too. The past couple months have been particularly special, with an explosion of language, new words every day. Despite my best attempts, Redrum! didn't stick and her first real word was owl. Beyond her mother, her first earnest display of affection was toward a treasured photo of a bobcat kitten. Then she gave her heart entirely to giraffes for a full month before camels curiously won her over. She crushed hard on Elmo too for an appropriate duration, nothing serious now, just on the side she says. Her newest love is a bit forlorn, she is often fixated on the same page of her new favorite book, gazing into the eyes of an illustrated chimp whose cup is empty. Sad monkey she says each time, every night, and gives him a kiss before bed.

Thinking this morning about her first loves, I can still feel a pulse for many of mine from my early childhood... My obsession with hawks. Pirates and ninjas. Thundercats. Kimberly Morrisroe. Purple Rain era Prince. These days, I'm more often fixated on the fleeting and changing (and reimagined and rekindled) obsessions with various bottles that grace the shelves here. Chinon. Arbois. Sicilian Reds or skin contact whites. Pipeños and Pet Nats. As with my little one, I also get to experience the vicarious thrills and joys of customers exploring and discovering many of these regions and varieties for the first time. Some of these new loves burning intensely for months, some short-lived... some, perhaps, theirs forever.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights. French Gamay and Chenin Blanc Flights. New arrivals, new vintages, and new obsessions. Throw your homework onto the fire. Come out and find the one you love. Flights $12 from 5-9pm.

And an ALL PORTUGUAL weekend ahead! ...

SATURDAY 12/7: Special guest, Mark West Teixeira, and SUNDAY 12/8: special guest, Rachel Miers. Both importers will be pouring Portuguese Flights from their portfolios from 2 to 6pm. Sparkling, whites, and reds. Expressive, lively and dynamic new wines from the region everyone seems to be crushing on these days. Come see what the buzz is about and make sure it's true love, before you get that tattoo.


See all you lovers soon,

Daniel

I arrived in this world forty-eight years ago today, on a snowy afternoon, in Rochester, New York. I was a big baby, just over ten pounds, and my parents named me Jonathan Henry. As my mother lay with me that day in the hospital, a passing nurse stopped to glance at her medical chart. ‘Generous,’ She said, and continued her rounds.

I’ll be thinking of my parents today, and the warmth of their home during this, their favorite holiday. Listening to our customers this last week, it may well be nearly everyone’s favorite holiday: ‘No gifts. No religion,’ said our friend Harry, smilingly. Just a good meal with good wine and loved ones. We at Oakland Yard are thankful for all of you, and honored that our bottles have a place at your table. And if you find you need another bottle or two today, we’ll be open from 10 to 2 for your last-minute libations.

Sometimes – like when it’s cold in the morning and the car headlight’s out and a jury summons arrives but the wine I’ve ordered doesn’t – I’m still a big baby. But I also like to think I’m still generous, and anyone who’s seen the size of our tasting pours at Oakland Yard would have to agree. If you haven’t quite gotten enough of them, take your brother, your uncle, your grandpa, or your mother, whomever you’ve still got on hand, and bring them on down for a wine tasting this weekend, and remember, first Sundays are always crowded, so come early if you want a seat!

TODAY 11/28: MAX’S BIRTHDAY: WE’RE OPEN from 10am to 2pm

SATURDAY 11/30: SPARKLING WINE tasting:​ Spanish, Italian, French and American - festive, dry, irresistible bubblies from around the world. ​Flights $15 from 2-5pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.



SUNDAY 12/1: PINOT NOIR tasting flights and WINE CLUB PICK UP PARTY​: Taste three Pinot Noirs from three different terroirs. ​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.




Cheers,
 


Max 

One thing I enjoy most about sharing stories with you all is many of you sharing right back - and I get to hear all kinds of funny and unusual (and sometimes bittersweet) memories of others. Thanksgiving traditions have obviously come up a lot this week. One customer talked about an annual football match of his youth, against the neighboring family - each year getting a bit more competitive and particularly ugly one year (the last year). They laugh about it now. Another shared how they always did Thanksgiving on Saturday to accommodate travel and flight schedules - and that Thursday evening was always a Chinese takeout feast. My favorite this week was a customer who told me they always named their turkey - every year getting a bit more regal or just absurd - and how they took turns dancing with it before prepping and roasting the bird.

Our family traditions were mostly normal I think, though maybe on a bigger scale- the feast and the fury that was 9 of us, plus grandma, a priest, and a few "orphans". We'd clear out of the kitchen late morning to let the real chefs prep. An early afternoon at the park, burgers for lunch from Tommy's (even though we'd eat our weight 5 hours later). Everyone making their annual contribution. I was always responsible for cornbread. I'd been using the same recipe for years before someone discovered that it called for 2 and 1/2 sticks butter and a half cup of sugar. That's just cake, Bob said. While we waited for space in the oven or things to bake, we'd peel off to binge on Twilight Zone episodes into the evening. For a young child like me who was deathly afraid of Guy Smiley, those twilight tales of hungry aliens, pig-faced doctors and murderous dolls (My name is Talky Tina, and you'll be sorry...) all haunted me for years - though I never felt so safe than sardined on a sofa, with my siblings all around me, all of us together.

We at OAKLAND YARD are so very thankful to be a part of your holiday traditions, whatever they may be. In the smallest and most delightful way, a place at your table is our great honor. And we have bottles for your unique celebrations. Bottles for your joy. Bottles to help make peace. Bottles to share with those who matter most. We'll be pouring Thanksgiving friendly wines all weekend - wines that pair with turkey and duck and salmon and cornbread and apple and cranberry sauce - or whatever might be served (It's a cookbook!...)


ALL THANKSGIVING Flights all weekend at OAKLAND YARD. Wine for your feasts, families, friends, fun, and fiascos. Come sample and celebrate early with us this weekend.

TONIGHT: THURSDAY NIGHT FLIGHTS! Aromatic Whites & French Gamay. Aromatic, complex and spicy whites... and light, fresh, vibrant reds. Flights $12 from 4-8pm

SATURDAY & SUNDAY: All Thanksgiving Flights continues. Both days we'll showcase Flights of 4 different wines, all food-friendly and festive. Flights from 2-6 both days. We'll sample some wines from our Holiday Six Packs and also some staff favorites from all price points. Stop in and stock up this weekend!

See you soon,

Daniel

p.s. PLEASE NOTE: OAKLAND YARD will be OPEN Thanksgiving DAY from 10-2PM!

“What should I have with my tacos?” is not an uncommon question around here, which I answer with another query: “Are they spicy tacos?” Differing affinities and sensitivities make wine and food pairing a dicey game, but some guidelines are warranted. First off, drink what you like; there’s no point in forcing down a bottle that’s not your style just because it’s meant to go with a meal. Secondly, let the origins of the dish inform your choice; spaghetti with meatballs was made to drink with Italian reds. No need to think too hard about it.

Highly tannic wines, like Bordeaux or Nebbiolo, work better with fatty foods, their astringency cuts richness refreshingly, but they don’t marry well with piquancy; peppery spice and tannin come together with an unpleasant wrestling of the tongue. Wine pairing adds new smells, flavors and textures to the meal, and wines are traditionally selected for characteristics that are either similar or complementary to those of the food. Lobster with an opulent white Burgundy matches the richness of the meat with a similarly soft and buttery wine, while the opposing characteristics of a lean, acidic Muscadet will complement the shellfish as does a slice of lemon.

“What goes with Thanksgiving?” Pretty much everything; so here’s an opportunity to drink what you like. The traditional thanksgiving meal is a feast of savory flavors and none too spicy for some tannins. A very light white wine may get lost here, or seem watery and ineffectual, but fuller whites, like Chardonnay or Viognier, and fruity or spicy whites, like Gewurztraminer, will play well with Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy, as will the orchard-fruited, skin fermented ‘orange’ wines, and reds of all sizes and hues, from lighter Pinot Noirs and Jura reds, to Rhones, Riojas and Cabernets.

Here at Oakland Yard, we’ve posted tiny turkey signs next to many of the wines in the shop to indicate selections we’d like to drink with the upcoming holiday meal. We’ll also be featuring wines in our weekly tastings this month and next with feasting in mind. Come taste with us, and let the turkeys be your guide.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! ALL FRENCH reds or whites. Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 11/16: Trail Marker Wine Co. tasting with winemaker Drew Huffine pouring flights of California rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zweigelt. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 11/17: Skin Fermented white wines: Tasting flights of ‘orange’ wines from Italy and California. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.





Cheers,


Max

I'm not always the most punctual person, though I'd like to think I've become better about it this, finally. Maybe I just attend fewer meetings or social gatherings. Or maybe I've slowly surrounded myself with those who are less punctual than I am. I remember interviewing for my first real job at an elementary school, just out of college. A middle school teacher there had fallen ill and they needed a substitute for a couple weeks. It was exactly this time of year, on a Monday early November. I know this because the clocks were set back that Sunday night, and even though an entire day had passed, I had not adjusted the bedside clock, nor the clock in the family car. At 22, I didn't own a car (I would purchase my brother's Oldsmobile wagon the following week) and the irony of being dropped off at school by my mother was not lost on her, and did not help to swell any particular feeling of confidence going in to meet the principal.

Pulling up to the school, my mom had a brief laugh about me being an hour early. With no wish to be later identified as the strange man who lingers in school parking lots with his mom, I elected for a quick coffee at a college café nearby called Sexy Sadie's. I eventually walked back over to the school's main office, nearly 25 minutes early. My punctuality must have impressed as I got the job. It was probably the only time for the next 9 years I was early.


Allow me to be a bit early this morning. I am after all early for things that truly matter. Movie previews. Concerts. Weddings. You matter to us most of all. Thanksgiving is a few weeks away but I wanted to say thank you and express my utmost gratitude, even if it's way too early for such things. OAKLAND YARD is yours and we are here for you. We are grateful to serve you and to see your faces returning each day and each week. We are honored to be a part of your lives and your celebrations. Your new jobs. Your weddings. Your movie nights. We are so lucky to have such wonderful neighbors and to be a part of this amazing community. Joy is never punctual. I know it's early, but thank you thank you thank you.

This SATURDAY, November 9th, OAKLAND YARD turns 3!!! Please come and be a part of the celebration! We want all of our favorite people around us. There will be music and food and oysters and bubbles, raffles and prizes, and early holiday vibes. There will also be another fantastic collection of artists, curators, builders, and culinary delights... And lots and lots of wine! The 3 Year Anniversary Celebration and Artisan Flea Market event is FREE! So spread the good word! Bring all your favorite people too! Bring your moms. Bring your school principal. OKKON Japanese street food will be here! B.A.B.S. BBQ too! Vendors and artists include Gold & Rust Finds, Slant Vintage, Charlotte Stone Shoes, Flower & Forage, Westward Succulents, Pablo Cristi, Megan Godino (artworks/prints) Lucas Ahlstrand, Lauren Tedeschi Ceramics, and Becca Compton Jewelry. There will be a beer and wine garden outback and the wine bar open inside too. There's just enough room for all this joy.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! California Whites and Portuguese Reds. Flights $12 from 4-8pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY November 9th: THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY and ARTISAN MARKET from 12-5pm (shop and inside bar will stay open until 9pm as always:)

SUNDAY Sparking Flights... Lets's keep the celebration going! Natural Italian Bubbles - Pet Nats and new arrivals. Flights from 2-6pm and wine by the glass until 8pm.


See you all there (you too, mom)

Daniel

The fall season lends itself to introspection and emotion, and many formative and tragic events have marked these months for me with a layered memory of strong feelings. The Trade Center attacks, the Ghost Ship fire, and the last presidential election, to name just a few. And now, with ‘fire season’ upon us again, it is important that we pull together and be kind to each other.

Seven years ago, in the wee hours of October 29th, a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane- force winds landed in New York and New Jersey. This storm, named Sandy, had already destroyed much of Cuba and Jamaica, and it arrived in New York along with a full moon high tide. This was way too much water for the edges of the city, and our friends in Red Hook and those by the Gowanus Canal were submerged.

The water was full of sewage and fuel oil and downed electric lines, and in the darkness of the power outage, parked cars, their headlights lit by shorted circuitry, floated through the flooded streets, luminous and unmanned. Our friends Barry and Jens went to check on Barry’s watering hole, the Bait and Tackle, and found themselves waist-deep, inside the bar.

The morning of the 30th was a cold, wet, complicated mess, and it was hard to know where to start the cleanup. My wife, Julia, helped lead the relief and rebuild efforts in Red Hook, first by gathering generators and volunteers, later with community organizing and grant applications. We worked alongside our old friends, and made new friends, emptying their basements of all things soggy and toxic, helping them to see beyond what still seemed insurmountable - and these memories, stinking of whiskey and petrol and laughing through the tears, are some of the best that I have.

TONIGHT: Thursday Night FIRE AID Flights! CALIFORNIA REDS and WHITES featuring wines from Arroyo Seco, Santa Barbara, Clarksburg, Lake County, and Mendocino. Flights $15 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm. All proceeds from tastings tonight will go to the Latino Community Foundation’s Norcal Wildfire Relief Fund. Help us put a dent in the troubles of our dear neighbors.


SATURDAY 11/2: CATALAN Tasting Flights: Exciting new wines from northeastern Spain. from Celler del Cesc, Mas Candi, and Ramon Jané. Flights $15 from 2-5pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.



SUNDAY 11/3: MORE SPANISH tasting flights and WINE CLUB PICK UP PARTY: New wines from Ribeiro, Rioja and Bierzo. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.




Cheers,
 


Max

I wrote a couple weeks back about my years teaching, in my 20s. This time of year was always crazy for students and faculty alike. We'd be a full two months or more into the school year by this time - an unbearably long stretch after the long leisure of summer break. The kids would be manic, in fits and furies waiting for their Halloween candy fix. Thanksgiving break was still too far off for comfort, but we all held out hope.

There was often strange seismic shifts in weather this time of year too - even in sunny Pasadena where I taught at a public middle school. I remember one strange year - a second summer of sorts, with record heat into the fall. An apocalyptic Mad Max vibe out on the blacktop one week, the Santa Ana winds ripping through the campus, dry leaves and debris and two-second tornados everywhere. And then the next week a small miracle. A sudden and extreme temperature drop in November, fall falling into place at last. It was lunch time and I was in my classroom, not wanting to be disturbed, when a crescendo of screams rang outside my window. My classroom was at the back of the campus and my rear door exited out onto the blacktop. The screams (long OHS and EEEs) got louder and suddenly several fists were pounding on the back door, frantically. All of them witches I muttered, and went to investigate.

Outside the door, the most unbelievable sight. Total mania. Witches indeed. Their faces feral, mouths open and still screaming. The group outside holding hands and side-skipping in a wild, circular dance. Something in the air. Something in their hair. Something now on my nose. I instinctively looked to the heavens, my mouth now open too. The flakes were tiny, and barely there in the autumn air. But it was snow. It was snowing. In Los Angeles. I held my palms out in disbelief, jolted out of my stupor when they took my hands, and suddenly I was away in the circle, skipping and spinning too out toward the grassy field, now freckled with white dust. It's SNOOOWIIINNGG!!! we all hollered at the top of our lungs, shouting so loud our voices fell silent, laughing so hard we were crying.

We have wine for all and any weather ahead, this week and beyond. Whatever falls, we have you covered. TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights - Pinot Noir Flights for any of you craving autumnal reds and Portuguese Whites for any still savoring the last wave of summer-like heat here. Red and White Flights, just $12 from 5-9pm, and wines by the glass as always.

SATURDAY: ROSÉ FLIGHTS. It looks to be sunny and warm and we thought we'd take the easy way and give in. Domestic, French and Italian. All dry and delicious and all for you. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY: Wines of JURA. One of our favorite wine regions of France. Beguiling beauties from the east between Burgundy and Switzerland. Unique, expressive and dynamic wines - come explore with us and taste for yourselves. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.


See you soon,

Daniel

We call the signs under our wines ​shelf talkers​, and they list the winery, the region, the grapes, and the price, and we usually manage to add a sentence or two describing the wine, or just a few words to try to make you smile. My favorite shelf talkers include some useful information, but also take a surprising turn. ​Like eating pear sorbet with a limestone spoon​ is a classic from a coworker at Smith and Vine, still a memorable description fifteen years later, so simple and with that Haiku twist. Who does that? And are there spoons made of limestone?

I think my finest work in the shelf talker department here at Oakland Yard was for a skin-macerated Georgian white: ​This wine tastes like tea, but we’re not sure what kind of tea. Are you comfortable with uncertainty? ​This question has been much on my mind this past, particularly chaotic, week. Will we have electricity tomorrow? How long will it be out? Might the ground beneath us roll and buckle? Why did my phone suddenly send emails stuck in my outbox from over a year ago? What’s that cloud of black smoke billowing out of Crockett? And are we really going through with this tariff business? I could go on, but I’d rather think of Marvin Gaye’s sweet voice singing “Change what you can, and what you can’t leave it alone and have the sense to know the difference between the two.”

Benjamin Franklin wrote to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, in​ 1​ 789, “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Barring any unforeseeable disaster, I can confidently add to that short list that we at Oakland Yard will be pouring surprisingly delicious wines, from unexpected places, with flavors you can’t possibly imagine, all week, starting tonight, regardless of what else happens, or doesn’t happen. Be sure to join us!

TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights!​ ​LOIRE VALLEY WHITES & GREEK REDS: Folle Blanche, Muscadet, Quincy, Agiorgitiko and Xinomavro. ​​Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SATURDAY 10/19: WINES of SICILY​:​ Frappato, Etna Rosso, Grillo and Catarratto. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.

SUNDAY 10/20: AUSTRIAN Tasting​:​ Arndorfer Gruner Veltliner, Weiderstein Harslevelu and Blaufrankisch by Moric and Schiefer. ​​Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.


 

Cheers,


Max