BARRIQUE

461 Pacific Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133
415.421.9200

We sought out Barrique because we're interested in the ecological and cost-saving potential of serving wines straight from the barrels. But we didn't realize that Cellar Master Matt Weese has a hand in production too; all of the barrel wine is private labelled. With six reds and three whites on tap, ordering two flights was the perfect way to get a sense of what Barrique has to offer.

The 2010 Russian River Chardonnay tastes of oak but not butter and fruit but not sweetness. According to Matt, "This is what Chardonnay tastes like. It's all about the grape." Who would argue? Another Chardonnay from Yorkville Highlands was mildly spicy, with a tantalizing nose. We moved on to a toasty 2010 Russian River Pinot Noir - mid-range in weight and a bit sweet at first, with tannins that emerge slowly, and a 2009 Arroyo Seco Syrah - bursting with black cherry and peppery on the finish, and a special treat: 2003 Bordeaux style Merlot. There's an element of surprise in these wines. The first burst of flavor doen't tell what's coming next, yet in every case we noted an exceptional finish.

Matt studied winemaking in college and is clearly following his passion to offer high-quality wines at reasonable prices via a business that's sustainable for people and the planet. Barrique is a wonderful venue for tasting and learning, or just relaxing after work or on weekends. In addition to the barrel selections there's a nice list of Northern California and French wines by the glass or bottle and a well curated snack menu.

Barrique is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am - 12am, Sunday & Monday 3pm - 10pm

WINE ON TREASURE ISLAND

On a recent visit to San Francisco we were delighted to discover a cluster of wineries right across the bay, housed in buildings that were part of the now-decommissioned Treasure Island Naval Base. We spent a memorable afternoon at Fat Grape Winery, Bodega Wine Estates, and Treasure Island Wines.

TREASURE ISLAND WINES

Treasure Island Wines, established in 2007, is a spacious urban winery that houses four winemakers producing under their own labels: Treasure Island, Eristavi, Bravium, and Heartfelt. Hosted by expert pourer Deneane and master vintner Victor Eristavi, we started with a crisp, mineral-tinged Treasure Island Sauvignon Blanc. Next we tried Eristavi's Symphony - a lesser-know grape varietal that's a hybrid of Muscat and Grenache. The wine is dry, with a delightfully intense floral bouquet. A pleasant taste of Rkatsiteli was another first for us.

Moving on to the reds, we enjoyed the 2010 Bravium Carneros Pinot Noir and 2009 Eristavi Zinfandel, which is lighter and drier than most. Even more impressive: Eristavi's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and award-winning Syrah.

Lots of space, lots of wine!

Victor, who hails from the Republic of Georgia, is a chemist who has revived his family's winemaking tradition in a new setting, melding old-world techniques with modern technology. He enthusiastically sources unique grape varietals from Sonoma, Lodi, and Amador County where "the grapes are so good, it's hard to make bad wine." To be sure, we only encountered good wine, including some barrel tastes of what is to come.

Heartfelt will be bottling in July, which means that soon there will be even more to experience at Treasure Island Wines. The tasting room is open most Saturdays from 1:00-5:00 and sometimes on Sunday.


995 9th Street Building 201,
(Corner of 9th Street and Avenue I)
Treasure Island
San Francisco, Ca. 94130
415.394.9463

BODEGA WINE ESTATES tasting room

Bodega Wine estates is "a collaborative artists' colony" where Northern California winemakers showcase their offerings. Warmly welcomed by the colony's president Robert Amox and his friendly Basset Hound Bentley, we tasted wines from his own Knightwood Winery (Morningwood label) as well as Stein Family Wines and Curveball Winery.

Bentley

Standouts include Stein's 2010 "Vaquero" Chardonnay and 2007 Tempranillo, and Morningwood's 2005 Merlot (plum and spice!) and 2005 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon (our favorite).

With Robert in the tasting room

Bodega Wine Estates' wine club offers several membership options. Members are invited to special events and receive a special holiday shipment.

The tasting room is open Friday-Sunday 1:00-6:30.
751 13th Street at Avenue I
San Francisco, CA 94130
415.525.4154

FAT GRAPE WINERY

Since 2007, Patrick Bowen has been making his all-natural wines in a former Navy brig on Treasure Island, just minutes from downtown San Francisco. The wines, some of which are sold straight from the cask, are 100% varietals and contain no added sulfites. Patrick started making wine in the 1990s. When he retired from his job as a contractor he thought about going to the mountains to look for gold, but instead started a winery. He sources grapes from Amador County and Lodi and ages in French, American, and Hungarian oak.

Tasting room in what was the brig's men's dormitory

We tasted nine delicious wines - all red - plus a few more from the barrels. Our favorites: 2008 Patrick Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Fat Grape Sangiovese, and award-winning 2008 Fat Grape Merlot.

Patrick telling us about his wines

Fat Grape Winery's tasting room is open Thursday-Sunday from noon-5:30. Tasting is complimentary.
1080 Ave M San Francisco, CA 94130
415.613.8925