We’re big fans of wines from Central and Eastern Europe, in large part due to the stellar wines imported by Danch & Granger. Co-owner Eric Danch is a fount of knowledge, and his passion for these off-the-beaten-path wines is utterly infectious. His humor, wit, and wild stories about navigating the challenges of bringing these wines to the U.S. are unmatched. On Friday, August 18th, Eric will be at minimo from 5-7pm, preparing a traditional Hungarian stew called Lecsó, which features peppers, tomatoes, paprika and kolbasz (Hungarian sausage), topped with sour cream. We’ll serve up a flight of his Central European wines alongside it!

Flight of Central European Wines + Lecsó stew $18
Wine also available by the glass

Friday, August 18th, 5-7pm
Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

Many of you are familiar with the wines of Jolie-Laide, but you may not realize that familiarity is a rare treat! Jolie-Laide is a vanguard producer of California’s minimal-intervention wine movement, with a name that translates to “beautiful-ugly,” or unconventionally beautiful, reflecting the obscure varieties Scott and Jenny Schultz work with and the beauty they coax from them. With limited releases twice a year, these wines are tightly allocated and we are lucky to carry them–and to share them with you. We’ve waited years to host a winemaker tasting with Scott and Jenny at minimo, and now it’s finally happening! They’ll pour a flight of 3 new spring releases, and you don’t want to miss it.

Featuring:
Melon de Bourgogne 2022
Pinot Gris 2022
Gamay Noir 2022

Sunday, May 21st, 1:00-4:00pm
Flight $16
Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

In conjunction with the tasting, Provecho returns to minimo for a pop-up! Chef Eder Ramirez serves up Oaxacan-inspired delights with local produce and ingredients.

Tony Coturri has been making California natural wines for 59 years. If you ask Tony “why make natural wine?” he’ll just tell you that’s how his family always did it. In 1901 his grandfather Enrico immigrated to San Francisco, where he worked as a cooper. He taught the traditional winemaking techniques of his Italian village to his son Harry “Red,” who in turn taught them to his sons Phil and Tony. On Sonoma Mountain, Tony carried on the tradition for decades, farming and sourcing organically grown fruit and making wine without cultured yeast, additives, or SO2 at any stage. His wines are unapologetically bold California reds that evoke the old world. They’re pure and rustic, yet structured and age-worthy. By sharing winery space and wisdom, Tony has also helped numerous natural winemakers get their start, including minimo favorites Ashanta, Caleb Leisure, Absentee Winery, and Etteilla Wines. For good reason, many call him the Godfather of California Natural Wine. We’re thrilled to welcome Tony back to the shop for a winemaker tasting!

Featuring:
Pét-Nat Cider 2022
Albarello 2021
Estate Zinfandel 2021

Sunday, April 16th, 1:00-4:00pm
Flight $16
Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

During the tasting, we're hosting a food pop-up from Bites by Jane! Jane Bragen is a local chef focused on creating delicious experiences with the best of what the Bay Area has to offer. Her fun, approachable, and nostalgic bites act as "gateways to the divine," encouraging friends and loved ones to gather over good food and conversation.

Some of our favorite winemakers are headed this way, thanks to upcoming natural wine fairs in the East Bay … so we invited them to pour their new releases at minimo! Oest Wines and Ellsworth Wines represent the close-knit community of natural winemakers in North Yuba. Oest is a project by Tahnee Shields and Brad Artziniega, who source fruit in the unique terrains of the Sierra Foothills. Behind Ellsworth you’ll find Bryn and Jeffrey, who farm a small home vineyard in Penn Valley plus other nearby parcels in exchange for fruit. Friends who are bound together by their love of the Sierra Foothills, they all make unique wines with a profound sense of place.

During the tasting, we're hosting a pop-up from Bites by Jane! Jane Bragen is a local chef focused on creating delicious experiences with the best of what the Bay Area has to offer. Her fun, approachable, and nostalgic bites act as "gateways to the divine," encouraging friends and loved ones to gather over good food and conversation.

Friday, March 31st, 5:00-7:00pm
Flight of 4 wines $16
Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

Keep the weekend going! Catch Oest at ‘By the Way - A Natty Wine Fair’ at Purity Wine in Richmond on Saturday, April 1st, and Ellsworth at ‘Wine from Here: A Natural Wine Fair’ at Subject to Change in Richmond on Sunday, April 2nd.

Ben Nielsen is behind Chico-based Lassen Traditional Cider, founded in 2015. His love for fermentation began when he started brewing beer during his college years in Corvallis, Oregon. Yet it was his desire to do something with unused apples from his neighbor's backyard that steered him into cider making, where he found his true calling. Today he sources heirloom apples from the Cascade and Sierra Nevada foothills, all within 160 miles of Chico.

We love that Ben’s ciders are 100% apple, fermented with native yeast in neutral red wine barrels. He adds no sugar, does not pasteurize or filter, and uses minimal sulphur (when he uses it at all). Ben only makes cider seasonally, when the apples are at their peak of ripeness. The results are standout natural ciders!

Featuring: Newtown Pippin -- a classic American heirloom; Winesap -- an heirloom variety with a wine-like flavor; Heirloom Blend -- a blend of King David, Newtown Pippin, Winesap, and Arkansas Black heirloom varieties.

Flight of 3 ciders, $15 Wednesday, January 29th, 4-7pm.

Ben will be present 5:30-7.

As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only. Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

Tony Coturri holds the prize at minimo for our “most popular winemaker tasting ever.” It’s no surprise: he’s a legend in the natural wine community. For 40 years on Sonoma Mountain, Tony has been making natural wine in the truest sense. His wines use no cultured yeast, no additives, no SO2 at any stage, and only neutral vessels for aging. He has been steadfast in upholding traditional techniques as taught to him by his father “Red,” who learned from his father Enrico during Prohibition and the Great Depression. He has never compromised, resulting in some of California’s boldest, most authentic wines.

We’re thrilled to welcome Tony back to minimo this Saturday to showcase his new releases! We’ll start with Albarello, a lively, juicy blend of Carignane, Zinfandel, and Barbera sourced from Mendocino. Next up is a blend of Syrah and Merlot from two different vineyard sites, showing smooth, dark fruit. We’ll finish with a rare treat, a Zinfandel from Tony’s estate vineyard, planted in the 1970s, dry farmed and head-pruned in the traditional Italian goblet style. It’s a classic beauty with ripe blueberries and cherries, licorice, and dry finish. We’ll have the tasting flight available all day, with Tony at the shop from 2 to 5pm. Come meet Tony, hear about his history in natural winemaking, and taste some pure California wines!

Saturday, December 14th, 12:00-7:00pm Tony Coturri will be present 2:00-5:00pm

Flight of 3 wines $15

As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only. Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

Fresh from the natural wine fair RAW WINE in Los Angeles … Francesco Cirelli will be at minimo on Wednesday night to pour his wines!

In 2003 Francesco purchased a farm in Abruzzo, Italy that is now certified organic and biodiverse, with vineyards, orchards, crops, and livestock. He’s best known for wines made in amphora (clay terracotta vessels), inspired by ancient traditions. We’re featuring two newly released amphora wines, a Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo and a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, plus his delicious ‘Wines of Anarchy’ Frizzante Rosato. Join us for this special opportunity to meet Francesco and taste his limited and highly sought-after wines!

Agricola Cirelli Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Anfora 2017 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC, Anfora 2017 ‘Wines of Anarchy’ Frizzante Rosato

Flight of 3 wines, $15

As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only. Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

We’re excited to welcome back William Allen of Two Shepherds for a winemaker tasting, featuring new releases and a special limited wine! William and his partner Karen have a small production winery in Windsor (Sonoma County), a homestead where they’ve planted their own vineyard, and an adorable menagerie of animals. They love fruit from cool climate vineyards, older vines, and unique grape varieties. They always rely on native yeast, add nothing other than minimal sulphur, use neutral barrels for fermentation and aging, and eschew fining and filtration. Their wines, as a result, exhibit transparently fresh fruit with bright acidity and lower alcohol.

First we’ll feature the ‘Dolce’ Skin Fermented Pinot Gris, named after their miniature Sicilian donkey. It’s destemmed, and fermented on the skins for 5 days, producing a copper hue and falling somewhere between an orange wine and a rosé. Next we’ll have the ‘Wiley’ Carbonic Carignan, named after their adorable kitten! It has lively red plum fruit and a crisp acidity, perfect with a chill. And last we’ll pour a rare treat, their Cinsault from the famous Bechthold Vineyard in Lodi. At 135 years old, it’s believed to be the oldest surviving Cinsault vineyard in the world. Its purity of fruit and spice stand out, with surprising depth for a light-bodied red wine--making it an ideal summer-time wine.

Saturday, May 11th, 12:00-7:00pm. William Allen will be present from 3:00-6:00pm. Flight of 3 wines, $15

As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only. Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings.

Ryan Stirm is one of those winemakers whose talent and passion are evident the instant you taste his wines. Situated near the town of Aromas (just south of Santa Cruz) Ryan is making some of California’s most inspiring Rieslings, and a variety of other wines both adventurous and timeless. Ryan likes to work with old vines--and importantly, Ryan likes to work in the vineyard, where he spends the majority of the time. His goal for the wines is to transparently present the narrative of the growing season. To that end he monitors, rather than manipulates, the wine as it undergoes native fermentation and matures with time. He’s been recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as a 2017 ‘Winemaker to Watch,’ and he’s in Oakland this weekend to pour at the (sold-out) natural wine fair Brumaire. We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan to the shop for a winemaker tasting on Saturday, March 9th.

We’ll feature two new releases: a soulful old-vine Riesling from the Wirz Vineyard in San Benito County; and a zippy, citrussy pét-nat Albariño under the Los Chuchaquis label (Ryan’s joint project with Bay Area friends Andrew Paul Nelson and Jehan Hakimian). Finishing the lineup is Ryan’s elegant Pinot Noir from Santa Cruz Mountains.

Stirm Old Vine Riesling Wirz Vineyard, Cienega Valley 2017
Los Chuchaquis Sparkling Albariño Santa Ynez Valley 2018
Stirm Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains 2016

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, March 9th 12-7pm (Ryan will be present from 3-6pm)
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings

For the last two years, we have participated in the Women’s March Oakland because we strongly support this international action that unites all people around the causes of civil rights, empowerment, justice, and ending discrimination and violence.

On Saturday, January 19th, minimo will open at 1:00pm so that we can march, once again. After the march, we’ll hold a special winemaker tasting and fundraiser, featuring local superstar Laura Brennan Bissell of INCONNU.

100% of net proceeds from the tasting will be donated to MISSSEY (Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth), an Oakland community-based nonprofit organization that provides supportive services to youth who are victimized by or vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation. Joining us from MISSSEY will be the Executive Director, Jennifer B. Lyle, who is also a featured speaker at this year’s Women's March Oakland.

Laura was named one of the San Francisco Chronicle’s 2017 “Winemakers to Watch!” The tasting will feature 3 of Laura’s wines: her new release of the Bordeaux-style blend ‘Kitsune,” Lalalu Rosé of Mourvèdre, and a vintage 2014 INCONNU Cabernet Franc. The tasting will run from 1:00-7pm, with Laura Brennan Bissell and Jennifer B. Lyle present from 2-5pm.

Please come join us for this special event after Women’s March Oakland, help support the phenomenal work of MISSSEY, meet a winemaker whom we love dearly, and continue the conversations of the day.

Saturday, January 19, 2019
1:00-7:00pm (Laura Brennan Bissell and Jennifer B. Lyle present from 2-5pm)
3 wines, $15. 100% net proceeds to benefit MISSSEY
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Women’s March Oakland Schedule:
10:00 a.m. – Rally at Lake Merritt Amphitheater (featuring speakers and performers.)
11:00 a.m. – March to Frank Ogawa Plaza

The Mustilli family is legendary in Campania, the region surrounding Naples. They were the first to commercially bottle the local grape Falanghina, and one of the few wineries to be classified DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata). Dating back to the 16th century, and now run by daughters Paola and Anna Chiara, the family is dedicated to cultivating and preserving the native grapes of southern Italy. They practice organic farming and minimal intervention in the cellar, in hopes of presenting the truest expression of their grapes.  

We’re delighted to welcome winemaker and vineyard manager Anna Chiara to minimo to share her wines with you. We’ll feature two different examples of their renowned Falanghina and their red Piedirosso, all of which showcase the unique qualities of Campania’s volcanic soils. 

Mustilli Falanghina 2017
Mustilli Vigna Segreta 2016
Mustilli Piedirosso 2017

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Wednesday, January 16th, 5:00-7:00pm
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings

We’re big fans of Avi Deixler, who is making some of California’s purest natural wines under the label Absentee Winery. Avi converted a former milking station on a Point Reyes dairy farm into his production facility and cellar. Sourcing fruit exclusively from Poor Ranch vineyard in Hopland, Avi believes in native fermentation, no additions (including sulphur), and no temperature control. When he says on his label “ingredients: grapes,” he means it! Trained as a cooper, Avi likes to work with used barrels, which he takes apart, shaves raw, and then uses for fermenting and aging his wine. The result is a level of purity, depth and beauty that sings of unadulterated California. 

Gravity 2017
NMWD 2017
Balou 2017

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, November 17th, 12:00-7:00 (Avi will be present from 3-6pm)
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Wine Club Members get 20% off tastings

Straight from the RAW WINE Natural Wine Fair in Los Angeles, we’re thrilled to welcome Marc Barriot of Clot De L'Origine in Roussillon, France! Marc farms a small estate of old-vine Catalan grape varieties, using biodynamic practices and plowing by horse. Originally from Bandol and trained in Bordeaux, Marc sought out the unique terroir of Roussillon in 2004 and has been making minimal intervention wines ever since. Eschewing additives except for a very low quantity of sulphur, often employing skin-contact fermentation on his white wines, leaving the wines unfined and unfiltered, and bottling by hand are some of the hallmarks of his standout wines. 

Le Trouble Fait 2017
Le Clot de l'Origine 2015
Soif de Plaisir 2016

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Wednesday, November 14th, 5:00-7:00
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Tracey and Jared Brandt of Donkey & Goat Winery are pioneers of natural winemaking in California. Their first vintage was 2003, and from the beginning, they’ve been committed to working with growers who employ sustainable farming, in particular biodynamic methods. In the cellar, nothing is removed and nothing is added, save minimal effective sulphur. Fermentation takes place with native yeast, and the wines are bottled without fining or filtration. To top it off, all this happens in Berkeley, making them leading lights of urban winemaking too!  Tracey and Jared have opened their winery over the years to countless budding winemakers and wine enthusiasts, advancing the cause of natural wine through teaching, mentorship, and facility-sharing. Their generosity is boundless and their impact on California natural wine cannot be overstated. We’re excited to welcome Tracey Brandt to the shop on Saturday, July 21st from 3:00-6:00 pm. She’ll pour four current releases—-and maybe a surprise as well.

2017 The Gadabout, California White Wine
2016 Stone Crusher Skin Fermented Roussanne
2017 The The Gallivanter, California Red Wine
2017 Twinkle Mourvèdre

Saturday, July 21st, 12:00-7:00pm
Tracey Brandt will be present from 3:00-6:00pm
Flight of 4 wines, $15
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.
 

Subject To Change is an exciting new project launched by four friends, including Alex Pomerantz (formerly of Sonoma’s Kivelstadt Cellars) and Brad Friedman (formerly assistant winemaker at Big Basin in the Santa Cruz Mountains). They produce natural wines with a focus on organically- and biodynamically-farmed single vineyard sites, partnering with California growers they admire. Subject to Change made quite a splash at the natural wine fair Brumaire a few months ago, and they’re currently scouting for an East Bay production facility. We predict they’re going to find an enthusiastic audience in the Bay Area--so come meet them, taste the wines, and count yourself an early adopter!

All the wines in the lineup are sourced from exceptional Mendocino vineyards. The Feliz Creek Sauvignon Blanc is made from the fruit of 40 year-old dry farmed vines and inspired by the herbaceous, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire Valley. Next is the SunHawk Farms Field Blend Red, a co-fermented field blend of Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Roussanne, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc and Muscat that makes for a quaffable chilled super-light red. Last, a Carignane from the 100 year-old vines at Feliz Creek, full of purple fruit and spice with a cheerfully rustic personality.

Feliz Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2017
SunHawk Farms Field Blend Red 2017
Feliz Creek Carignane 2017

Saturday, May 5th, 12:00-7:00pm
Alex Pomerantz will be present from 3:00-6:00pm
Flight of 3 wines, $15
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Two Shepherds is a labor of love for William Allen and his partner Karen Daenen. They have a small production winery in Windsor (Sonoma County), a homestead where they’ve planted their own vineyard, and an adorable menagerie of animals. William is primarily a Rhône enthusiast, but with a style that highlights the leaner, lighter, elegant side of these varieties. His wines have a purity of fruit and a lively acidity that are more akin to their French counterparts than their California neighbors. ‘Two Shepherds’ refers not to WIlliam and Karen, but to the winery’s roles as ‘shepherd of the grape’ and ‘shepherd of the palate’--an Old World philosophy of gentle guidance, minimal intervention, and authentic expression.  We’re delighted to have William back at minimo for a winemaker tasting this Saturday, where he’ll debut new Spring releases.

We’ll feature the flagship “Pastoral Blanc,” a white blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc sourced from the esteemed Saralee's Vineyard and Catie's Corner Vineyard in Russian River Valley; a skin-fermented Trousseau Gris from the coveted Fanucchi Vineyard in Russian River Valley; and Cinsault from the oldest surviving Cinsault vines in the world at the historic Bechtold vineyard in Lodi. 

‘Pastoral Blanc’ White Rhône Blend, Sonoma County  2015
Trousseau Gris Skin Fermented Fanucchi Vineyard, Russian River Valley 2017
Cinsault Bechthold Vineyard, Russian River Valley 2017

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, April 28th, 12:00-7:00
Winemaker William Allen will be present from 3:00-6:00pm
 

Scott Sisemore launched Waxwing in 2007, and has been making his wines in Belmont since 2014. Scott continues to impress us with his beautiful wines made from cool-climate grapes. Their balance and purity allow the fruit to shine, while reflecting the unique vineyards they come from. 

Scott is returning to minimo for a winemaker tasting this Saturday, showcasing all new releases. They include a gorgeous riesling from Tondré Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands, a complex and bright rosé of pinot noir from Delfina’s Vineyard in Arroyo Seco, and a rock-solid syrah made with no added sulfites, dark and smooth with great structure, from the Flocchini Vineyard in Sonoma’s Petaluma Gap. Waxwing’s production is very small, so it will be a treat to taste the lineup and meet him in person. Don’t miss it!

Riesling Tondré Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands 2016
Rosé of Pinot Noir Delfina’s Vineyard, Arroyo Seco 2017
Syrah ‘Sans Soufre’ Flocchini Vineyard, Petaluma Gap 2016

Saturday, February 17th, 12:00-7:00pm
Winemaker Scott Sisemore will be present 3:00-6:00pm
Flight of 3 wines, $15
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Photo Credit: @einarvollset (Instagram)

Belden Barns is a wine country gem perched at 1,000 feet on Sonoma Mountain. Nate and Lauren Belden fell in love with this site, which has a long history of farming and hospitality dating to the late 1800’s. This magical setting was once a stagecoach stop, and houses Victorian farm buildings and 100-year-old Monterey Cypress trees. Since 2005 they have been re-developing the vineyard and property back to its historic standards, and have launched a farmstead for small-scale, sustainable agriculture. They make limited-production wines from their own vineyards that exemplify elegance, structure, and balance.

We’re so grateful that Belden Barns survived the NorCal fires without damage, especially given the immense devastation in surrounding areas. This Saturday, November 11th, we’re hosting a special winemaker tasting featuring Belden Barns, and 100% of net proceeds from the tasting will benefit the Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund. Our event is part of a larger fundraising effort by Nate and Lauren, for which they have secured a private donor who is matching donations dollar for dollar up to $100k. That means the funds we raise at the tasting will be matched for double the impact! We’ll feature four Belden Barns wines for $20. The tasting will be available from 12-7pm, with Nate and Lauren at the shop from 3-6pm, sharing stories about their wines and their unique site on Sonoma Mountain.

Blanc de Noirs - Sparkling Wine N.V.
2016 Estate Rosé
2015 Estate Pinot Noir
2014 Estate Syrah

Saturday, November 11th, 12:00-7:00pm
Nate and Lauren Belden will be present from 3:00-6:00pm
Flight of 4 wines $20
100% net proceeds benefit Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund and will be matched dollar for dollar by a private donor.
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.
 

Harvest started early this year! Tony's receiving grapes this weekend, and had to postpone. We look forward to having him in the shop post harvest!

Tony Coturri is a legend in the world of natural winemaking, but if you ask him “why make natural wine?” he’ll just tell you that’s how his family always did it. In 1901 his grandfather Enrico immigrated to San Francisco, where he worked as a cooper. He taught the traditional winemaking techniques of his Italian village to his son Harry “Red”, who in turn taught them to his sons Phil and Tony. Red & sons founded Coturri Winery in 1979. Bucking all trends of the times, the Coturris have always farmed their Sonoma Mountain property with no chemical pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. (Tony now sources from an organic vineyard in Mendocino, too.) Their winemaking sees no cultured yeast, no additives, no SO2 at any stage, and employs only neutral wood vessels for aging wines. It’s that simple: just make wine like your grandfather did. 

Tony is now revered as a visionary, and his terroir-driven wines showcase the purity of California’s fruit in a way that’s classic and revolutionary all at once. Come meet Tony, hear what it was like to be a natural producer in California before it was cool, and taste some spectacular wines.

Saturday, September 9th, 3:00-6:00 pm
Flight of 3 wines, $15
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Bryan Harrington is one of San Francisco’s most exciting urban natural winemakers. When he started in 2002, the focus was on Pinot Noir, sourcing sustainable old-vine fruit from some of California’s most prestigious sites. But since then the concept has steadily broadened to encompass other varietals, many obscure and unusual, along with some creative blends. He seeks out and sources from heritage vineyards around the state, some well known and some forgotten. From an industrial facility in Butchertown, where Bryan collaborates each year with friends and wine enthusiasts, now flow arcane gems like Trousseau, Mission, and Marzemino.

Bryan will join us Saturday, May 6th, from 2-5pm to pour three of his wines, including the just released Mission--California’s first cultivated grape--from Somers Vineyard in Lodi.

2015 Grenache, Siletto Vineyard, San Benito County
2016 Mission, Somers Vineyard, Lodi
2015 Mourvèdre, Sumu Kaw Vineyard, El Dorado County

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, May 6th 2-5pm
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Laura Brennan Bissell is a local superstar. After working in various aspects of wine for years, she has launched her own label INCONNU to great acclaim. Laura focuses on minimal-intervention wines inspired by the French tradition of vin de soif, or "wine of thirst.” These wines are joyfully accessible, and they’re also a reflection of the purity and freshness that can come from sustainably farmed vineyards, spontaneous fermentation, low sulfur, and impeccable restraint in the winemaking process.

Today we’re featuring her Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Rosé of Merlot. All three are made from fruit sourced in Los Carneros in Sonoma County, and aged in neutral barrels. And all three exemplify why Laura’s wines are so beloved.

INCONNU Rosé Los Carneros, Sonoma County
INCONNU Merlot Los Carneros, Sonoma County
INCONNU Cabernet Franc Los Carneros, Sonoma County

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, April 1st 12:00-7:00pm [Due to a missed flight Laura can’t be here in person--but we’ll be pouring her wines all day, starting at 12 as with a normal Saturday tasting.]
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Tin City Cider Co. in Paso Robles is a collaboration between winemakers Andrew Jones (Field Recordings), Mikey Giugni (Scar of the Sea) and Curt Schalchlin (Sans Liege). Together they produce some of the most tasty and unique California ciders.

Mikey will be joining us Wednesday, March 29th, from 5:00-7:00pm to pour some new releases from Tin City.  We’ll be featuring a standout apple cider co-fermented with Chardonnay that's utterly delicious; an apple cider fermented and aged in Old Bourbon Casks for 4 months, and dry hopped in barrel with citrus rind; and their bone dry classic blend of west coast apples, dry hopped, barrel fermented and perfect straight out of the can.

And, we're adding to the lineup Mikey's Scar of the Sea Dry Hopped Cider, a blend of Newton Pippin, Arkansas Black and Jonathan apples from Santa Cruz and  Paso Robles!

Tin City Cider Co. ‘Original Cider’
Tin City Cider Co. ‘Goldie’ 
Tin City Cider Co. ‘Templetucky Volume 3’
Scar of the Sea Dry Hopped Cider

Flight of 4 ciders, $15
Wednesday, March 29th 5:00-7:00pm
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

“Wine is like life and music. Both are filled with resonance, distortion, simplicity, modesty, intimacy and ingenious integrity of the natural processes.” So say Mike Roth & Craig Winchester, the longtime friends who created Lo-Fi in Santa Barbara County. Their goal is to make honest, handcrafted, food-friendly wines for everyday drinking. Lo-Fi’s winemaking philosophy--”nothing added, nothing taken away”--is exactly what we celebrate at minimo. For them it means native yeasts, whole-cluster fermentation, minimal sulfur additions, neutral barrels for aging. The results are fresh and delicious.

Come meet Mike Roth at minimo on March 11th!  He’ll be pouring three of Lo-Fi’s newly released 2015 wines: sparkling rosé of Mourvèdre, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec.

Lo-Fi Pét-Nat Rosé Santa Ynez Valley 2015
Lo-Fi Cabernet Franc Santa Ynez Valley 2015
Lo-Fi Malbec Santa Ynez Valley 2015

Flight of 3 wines, $15
Saturday, March 11, 2-5pm at minimo
As always, featured bottles will be for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

This event is held In conjunction with Brumaire, Oakland's second annual tasting event celebrating awesome natural winemakers--taking place at Starline Social Club Sunday, March 12th. 

The Republic of Georgia is often considered to be the birthplace of viticulture and winemaking, dating back 8000 years. The earliest form of winemaking there involves macerating and aging in clay vessels called Qvevri, which are buried underground. In essence, these are the first “natural” wines, in that there is no use of chemicals, foreign yeasts, or filtration. This practice is so vital to understanding early winemaking that it has been added to UNESCO’s “List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” Thankfully, there are a number of wineries in Georgia who continue to make wine in this traditional manner. On Wednesday, December 14th, we’ll be pouring 4 Qvevri-style wines (1 white without skin contact, 2 “amber” or orange wines, and 1 red), all newly arrived to the U.S., all amazing examples of what makes these wines so unique. Joining us is one of our favorite people, Eric Danch from Blue Danube Wine Company, whose knowledge of Georgian wines never ceases to amaze us!

From southeastern Georgia, we’ll be featuring two wines from the Shavnabada Monastery -- the 2004 Mtsvane which spent 6 months fermented on the skins and then 11 years in Qvevri, and the 2009 Saperavi, which spent 6 years in Qvevri. Grown and produced by monks, bottled by hand, sealed with beeswax, and blessed! From Eastern Georgia, we’ll be pouring a Kisi, one of the rarest white grapes, from the winery Doqi, which has 6 months of skin contact. And from high up in the hills of the Asureti Valley, we’ll be pouring the native white varietal Chinuri from Gotsa winery.

Shavnabada Mtsvane 2004
Shavnabada Saperavi 2009
doqi Kisi Qvevri 2014
Gotsa Wines Chinuri 2015

Flight of four wines, $15
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.
Wednesday, December 14th, 5:00-7:00pm

Photo Credit: Blue Danube Wine

In celebration of Oakland Pride, Anna Marie dos Remedios of Idle Hour Winery will be joining us on Saturday from 2:00-5:00 for a special winemaker’s tasting!  

Winemaker Anna Marie and her partner, Deb Payne, are the proprietors of Idle Hour Winery, located in Oakhurst just outside Yosemite National Park. They specialize in single-vineyard designated wines from organic or sustainably farmed vineyards, and practice minimal intervention winemaking using native yeasts, gravity flow and other traditional methods.  

Anna Marie is a former journalist (she owned a community newspaper in Hollister) turned winemaker, who honed her practice with mentor Josh Jensen at Calera Wine Company. Adjacent to the winery, Deb & Anna Marie also own and operate a lovely inn and wine bar called the Queen’s Inn By The River, on the Fresno River in Oakhurst. 

For the tasting, we are being treated to all reserve wines, limited in release, and some not even available yet! Anna Marie’s wines have a purity and strength to them, bold with fresh fruit, always well balanced with impressive structure. Come join us for a tasting of reserve Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, and Petite Sirah from Clarksburg, and reserve Syrah from Madera County!

Tempranillo, Winemaker’s Reserve, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg 2013
Cabernet Franc, Winemaker’s Reserve, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg 2014
Petite Sirah, Winemaker’s Reserve, Heringer Estate Vineyard, Clarksburg 2013
Syrah, Winemaker’s Reserve, Love Ranch Vineyard, Madera County 2012

Flight of four wines, $15
Saturday, September 10th, from 2-5pm
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only

From Los Angeles, flavor genius Freya Estreller will be pouring both versions of her Ludlow Spritz! Think Venetian aperitivo in a bottle, think summer pool party, think a day at the spa, think ridiculously delicious. There’s nothing like this. 

Ludlow Spritz is an all-natural fizzy cocktail in a bottle made with California sparkling wine infused with real fruit, citrus and herbs. Grapefruit-Elderflower is spiked with Aperol and elderflower liqueur, with fresh grapefruit, cucumber & lemon. Golden Apple-Bartlett Pear is flavored with the bitter gentian liqueur Suze plus pear, apple, cucumber & mint.
 
Freya is also the co-mastermind with Natasha Case behind Coolhaus, maker of architecturally-inspired gourmet ice cream sandwiches. Natasha will be joining Freya this Saturday, and if we’re lucky, they’ll also have some Coolhaus with them! 

Flight of two Spritz plus François Chidaine Vouvray Brut Pétillant, $15
Saturday, August 27th from 2:00-5:00!
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

We’re bringing Greek wines to the shop, and we want you to taste them first!  This Wednesday tasting will feature four Greek wines, and we’ll have Hollis Grant from DNS Wines here to help share what makes Greek wines so unique. DNS Wines specializes in growers who adhere to sustainable farming practices and meticulous, minimal-intervention standards for winemaking. Their Greek portfolio is a partnership with Dionysi Grevenitis Selections, an ardent champion of Greek wines who represents an impressive selection of artisanal, small-production winemakers.

We’ll start in Santorini--known for its distinctive white wines due to volcanic soils and unique growing conditions--with an indigenous varietal called Aidani from cult winery Hatzidakis. This wine has exotic fruits and citrus with great texture and weight. Next over to Thessaly, nestled in the foothills of Mount Olympus, where we’ll explore Limniona, an indigenous varietal resurrected by Domaine Zafeirakis. We’ll begin with their delicious rosé of Limniona, featuring juicy cranberry and wild herbal notes, and follow with Zafeirakis’ Limniona red, smooth and fresh with dark fruits and interwoven spices. We’ll finish on the island of Cephalonia, with the Sclavos family who traces its roots back for centuries. This full bodied red wine, named Synodos, is a blend of Mavrodaphne and Vostilidi from 70-100 year old bush vines--meaty, smoky, and savory.

Hatzidakis Winery Aidani 2015
Domaine Zafeirakis 2015 Limniona Rosé
Domaine Zafeirakis 2012 Limniona
Sclavos Wines Synodos 2013 

Flight of four wines, $15
Wednesday, August 17th, from 5-7pm
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Dan Fishman and Philip Cuadra are winemakers to watch in California’s burgeoning natural wine movement. Both are crafting extremely small-production, expressive, and unique wines. Here at Oakland Crush, we consider it one of our greatest thrills--and responsibilities!--to support talented winemakers and micro-wineries, and to give you the opportunity to discover and support them too.

Dan is the winemaker at Hatton Daniels, where he makes a vibrant Zweigelt from Lodi’s famed Mokelumne Glen vineyard (72 cases), and a richly textured, complex Malvasia Bianca from Contra Costa (54 cases).  

Philip launched his own label, Highlawn Wine Company, where he makes a deeply flavored Albariño from Rorick Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills of Calaveras County (44 cases), and an earthy, cool climate Syrah from Halcón Vineyard, one of the highest elevation vineyards in Mendocino County (24 cases).  

Come meet these rising stars!

Hatton Daniels 2015 Malvasia Bianca, Ceccini Vineyard, Contra Costa
Hatton Daniels 2015 Zweigelt Mokelumne Glen Vineyard, Lodi
Highlawn Wine Company 2015 Albariño, Rorick Vineyard, Calaveras County
Highlawn Wine Company 2014 Syrah, Halcon Vineyard, Yorkville Highlands

Flight of 4 wines, $15
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

Belden Barns, located at 1000-feet elevation on northwest Sonoma Mountain, is a magical property. It has a history of hospitality dating back to the late 1800s, including a dance hall and stagecoach stop, and a farming history of both orchards and dairy. In the 1970s it was vineyard planted, and became one of California’s premiere sources for Pinot Noir grapes. Nate and Lauren Belden acquired the property in 2005, and have been painstakingly re-developing the vineyard and property back to its historic standards, including becoming certified sustainable. While they still sell fruit to some of California’s finest wineries, they have also launched their own Belden Barns label for limited production wines from the estate. 

Belden Barns produces gorgeous wines, and we’re excited to have Nate and Lauren Belden at Oakland Crush on Saturday pouring four of their current releases. You’ll have a chance to taste a standout Sauvignon Blanc, from an obscure clone with Italian origins; a versatile Grüner Veltliner (very few are working with this Austrian varietal in California); and two Pinot Noirs with wonderful flavors influenced by maritime breezes and smaller "mountain" berries -- the first from an old block of Pinot, and the second a very limited bottling from the Serendipity block, which has nine separate clones all picked in one day and fermented whole cluster. Come see why Belden Barns has already won a passionate following.

2015 Estate Sauvignon Blanc
2014 Estate Grüner Veltliner
2013 Estate Pinot Noir
2014 Serendipity Block Pinot Noir

4 wines/$15
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.

From the art-punk band Half Japanese to the Sierra Foothills … Hank Beckmeyer’s career has taken him through a lot of rule-breaking experiments. He met Caroline Hoel while the band was touring in Europe, and together they started La Clarine Farm in 2001 with a property located at 2600 feet in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. They are leaders in California’s natural wine movement, biodynamic farming, and philosophy of “do nothing” farming inspired by Japanese writer Masanobu Fukuoka. The role of caretaker in the field is much harder work than “do nothing” implies, as Hank will tell you, but the rewards are obvious in the wines they make. 

Sourcing from their own vines and others tended with equal integrity in the Foothills, La Clarine Farms’ unique wines are what you’ll want to drink all summer long. Spontaneously fermented, aged in neutral vessels, with only minimal sulfur added at bottling, these wines are fresh, pure, and lively, with wonderful nuances, and re-define yummy. Today Hank and Caroline will pour four wines that are all new to the shop--including  an Albariño released just last week, and the crazy-hard-to-get Sumu-Kaw Syrah. Come see why they’ve attracted a following as avid as Half Japanese did ...

Albariño 2015
Jambalaia Rouge 2015
Priscilla 2014
Syrah “Sumu Kaw” 2014

Flight of 4 wines/$15
As always, featured wines are for sale at 10% off to tasting participants, during the event only.