Bay Area Bits and Pieces

Back from San Francisco. Lots of good work in the winery but some free time to explore the Bay Area.

Here are a few semi-random thoughts and tips about the Bay Area.

Calicaro's winery, which we share with a number of other small brands is located in the Dogpatch neighborhood, adjacent to Potrero Hill and South of Market (SoMa for the cognoscenti). It is part of the new urban winemaking trend. Quite an interesting and diverse neighborhood and Dogpatch is such a great name for a Southern winemaker. Maybe we need to do a Dogpatch bottling!

Some good restaurants there tucked away inconspicuously. After wrapping up at the winery one night, a winery cellar rat handed me a split of White Hawk Vineyard Syrah and said "enjoy!" I walked up the street to Serpentine and had an amazing hamburger made from local Niman Ranch beef and an heirloom tomato salad. The peppery, meaty notes in the Syrah made a perfect pairing. White Hawk Vineyard is famous for its Syrah, and for very good reason. A memorable $20 meal.

Blue Bottle Coffee is all the rage in SF. Individual brewed drip coffee that takes about 5 minutes or so to make. Combine that with the frequent lines at these popular places and you have lost 20 minutes plus just to get a cuppa joe. Once was enough for me. I predict the fad will pass- sure the coffee is good but it just ain't worth that!

The Bounty Hunter up in Napa has a unique high testosterone approach to selling pricey Napa Cabernet. Animal trophies on the wall, a painting of a reclining nude female behind the bar and wine descriptions that sound like the bottles were tracked down by men on horses with high powered rifles.

I loved it- no snobbishness and the theme works here- it is the opposite of the tuxedoed waiter sniffing and sipping from a tastevin. And get there before 6pm and try the BBQ sampler plate for 10 bucks, made in house with their custom smoker. The meat falls off the ribs and you won't be hungry for the next 24 hours. While the wine focus is Cabernet, a big Zin or Syrah is the way to go with the 'cue.

Cheers,

Dave