[wine] Small Local Wine Shops

FYI Local shops entering a new golden age Jon BonnéSunday, January 31, 2010 Portuguese wine from Vintage Berkeley. A few weeks ago I mentioned the rise - again - of retail as one of the trends for this new decade. Big retailers have been with us all along, of course, but increasingly there is virtue to the local shop with perhaps 100 bottles that proudly displays its owner's tastes. Not every shop has brought up its game. But there are ever more Bay Area examples of retailers who believe in sharing their views of wine. Decades ago, the same was true with a pioneering band of wine sellers - Kermit Lynch setting up shop to tout a then-obscure portfolio - and I'd argue we're again entering a golden age of wine shops. To test my supposition, I've been lurking in the wine aisles. I imposed a cap of around $20 per bottle, and since I'm usually shopping in San Francisco, I forayed farther afield. In the East Bay, I headed to Vintage Berkeley, a perennial favorite housed in a former water-pumping station around the corner from Chez Panisse (2113 Vine St.; (510) 665-8600; vintageberkeley.com) Peter Eastlake's wine choices focus on the under-$30 realm, just right for a quick pre-dinner purchase. I browsed with my best focused look on my face; even so, the staff was eager to sort out my indecision between two Iberian whites. There were welcome choices all over, like the white Carte Blanche from Clos Saron in the Sierra Foothills. One wine in particular, the 2007 Berryessa Gap Tempranillo ($15), brought a smile. This Winters winery is helping to raise the profile of Yolo County, and the latest vintage of its Tempranillo showed ripe fruit without the scraping tannins that can attend that grape. At not even 13 percent alcohol, it's a model for where California wine could be headed. The store's globalism was equally refreshing. A Portuguese red, Quinta de Bons-Ventos from Estremadura (in central Portugal, near Lisbon), had both cigar-like earthiness and bright berry flavors; at $12.50 it was a total score, doubly so in screw cap. (Given the cork industry, the Portuguese using screw caps is like Texans eating tofu.) Heading north, I stopped at Back Room Wines in downtown Napa (1000 Main St.; (707) 226-1378; backroomwines.com) Owner Daniel Dawson manages a fine balance between expected Napa names (Robert Foley), less expected (Hesperian) and a well-selected international lineup of selections, like the momentous Saumur Champigny wines from Clos Rougeard. In that middle category, there was the 2008 Forlorn Hope Silvaspoon Vineyard Alta Mesa Torrontes ($20) from winemaker Matthew Rorick, Argentina's beloved grape but grown here not far from Lodi. It had the floral swoon that could easily be channeling high-altitude Mendoza instead of the warm stretches of Galt (Sacramento County). On the red side, there was the Bookmaker, a $17 blend under the Parlay label that Dawson compared to Orin Swift's the Prisoner. Quite so. I often insist the best way to learn about wine is to get guidance from your local wine merchants. So next time you feel like a $20 adventure, just ask them what they'd love to drink. It's a glorious time to explore. For tasting notes, see the link with the story on sfgate.com. 2007 Berryessa Gap Yolo County Tempranillo ($15) An earthy nose of dried pepper flakes, black olive and roasted plum gives way to vibrant red fruit flavors and solid (but not intrusive) tannins. Just ripe enough to taste seamless but still retains its Tempranillo guts. 2007 Casa Santos Lima Quinta de Bons-Ventos Estremadura Tinto ($12.50) This larger-production red from central Portugal has a vivaciously juicy, high-acid palate of red fruit, meshed with scents of huckleberry, dried currant, cigar wrapper and loam. It's surprisingly broad-flavored and full, with chalky tannins bulking out the finish. Just right for pequillo peppers stuffed with tuna. (Importer: J. Oliveira Selections/Tri-Vin Imports) 2008 Forlorn Hope La Gitana Silvaspoons Vineyard Alta Mesa Torrontes ($20) Almost Viognier-like in its floral definition, but with snappy, grassy punch and kaffir lime aromas to balance out lush honeydew. Impressively tight and bright, with a tiny bit of leftover spritz. Made by Matthew Rorick Wines in Calistoga. 2007 Parlay Bookmaker Napa Valley Red Wine ($17) The name keeps making me thing of Geoffrey Rush in "Pirates of the Caribbean." No matter. Here's a big, oak-lashed whopper full of chocolate-covered cherries, tar and dried dill. Not that subtle, but absolutely delivers for its style, with plenty of brighter fruit highlights to liven up the sweetish finish. A mix of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Syrah made by Ramian Estate's Brian Graham. Jon Bonnés The Chronicle's wine editor. Find him at jbonne(a)sfchronicle.com or twitter.com/jbonne. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/31/FDAD1BOE71.DTL This article appeared on page K - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *