Where to Have a Glass Poured:
20 Spot
20 Spot is not your classic wine bar. Formerly a record shop, 20 Spot spins Fleetwood Mac and the like all night long. The bites – from their popular deviled eggs to the classic cheese plate (but don’t underestimate the power of the creamy Brillat Sévrin with your glass of Cabernet from Santa Ynez Valley) – pair well with their small but well-curated wine list. // 3565 20th Street at Lexington, Mission, San Francisco, 20spot.com
Union Larder
Union Larder is also a San Francisco favorite for its spacious, unfussy interior reminiscent of a casual wine bar in Paris. Not only are their 50 wines by the glass to choose from, but 60 (yes—60) cheeses to choose from…because on some occasions, cheese may be slightly more important than wine. But it’s a close call. // 1945 Hyde Street, San Francisco, unionlarder.com
Tender
The perfect spot for the wine-o in you, from sea to shining sea, their selection is probably your one stop destination for the Sonoma traveler in you. Anything from rich to sour to sweet and all things in between, Tender on Geary is the hole in the wall you want to stay at through the evening. // 854 Geary St, Tenderloin, tendersf.com
Where To Buy Bottles of Celebratory Vibes:
Arlequin Wine Merchant
Brian Loehr, manager of the Arlequin Wine Merchant in Hayes Valley, has some fresh recommendations for wines to enjoy this spring. One of them, a bottle of A Tribute to Grace Grenache Rosé from Santa Barbara County (2016), is 100% Grenache grape that’s fruity yet has a dry finish. Sounds like it pairs perfectly with turkey, or, let’s be honest—tacos loaded with guacamole. Because we like to mix things up here in the Bay, and there’s probably a taco truck within walking distance of your apartment. // Arlequin Wine Merchant, 384A Hayes Street, Hayes Valley, San Francisco
Speaking of Grenache, Arlequin will also be featuring a wine tasting of Domaine Charvin wines from Weygandt-Metzler Importing—Côtes du Rhône and Chateauneuf du Pape—tastes of these old-vintage wines will even the most inebriated evening an upscale outing. // Domaine Charvin Wine Tasting. Thursday, 5/25, 6:00pm, $TBA, Arlequin Wine Merchant, arlequinwinemerchant.com
Ruby Wine Merchant
This Potrero Hill shop features a focused collection of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. We try and eat organic produce when we can—so why not wine as well? // 1419 18th Street, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, shopbanquet.com
Tofino Wines
If heaven stocked wine, Tonfino’s 700+ selection would be the gates. Found at the edge of Laurel Heights on Geary, this hidden-in-plain-sight gem has a very chic interior and an array of decedent flavors. Wine-o’s, get prepared. And they’re not just taking any winery, they favor producers who practice natural winemaking and make clean, precise and well-balanced wines that reflect the terroir of their particular sites. // 2696 Geary Boulevard, Laurel Heights, tofinowines.com
title: “Off The Menu Celebrating National Wine Day Throughout The Bay Area” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Deborah Billings”
Where to Have a Glass Poured:
20 Spot
20 Spot is not your classic wine bar. Formerly a record shop, 20 Spot spins Fleetwood Mac and the like all night long. The bites – from their popular deviled eggs to the classic cheese plate (but don’t underestimate the power of the creamy Brillat Sévrin with your glass of Cabernet from Santa Ynez Valley) – pair well with their small but well-curated wine list. // 3565 20th Street at Lexington, Mission, San Francisco, 20spot.com
Union Larder
Union Larder is also a San Francisco favorite for its spacious, unfussy interior reminiscent of a casual wine bar in Paris. Not only are their 50 wines by the glass to choose from, but 60 (yes—60) cheeses to choose from…because on some occasions, cheese may be slightly more important than wine. But it’s a close call. // 1945 Hyde Street, San Francisco, unionlarder.com
Tender
The perfect spot for the wine-o in you, from sea to shining sea, their selection is probably your one stop destination for the Sonoma traveler in you. Anything from rich to sour to sweet and all things in between, Tender on Geary is the hole in the wall you want to stay at through the evening. // 854 Geary St, Tenderloin, tendersf.com
Where To Buy Bottles of Celebratory Vibes:
Arlequin Wine Merchant
Brian Loehr, manager of the Arlequin Wine Merchant in Hayes Valley, has some fresh recommendations for wines to enjoy this spring. One of them, a bottle of A Tribute to Grace Grenache Rosé from Santa Barbara County (2016), is 100% Grenache grape that’s fruity yet has a dry finish. Sounds like it pairs perfectly with turkey, or, let’s be honest—tacos loaded with guacamole. Because we like to mix things up here in the Bay, and there’s probably a taco truck within walking distance of your apartment. // Arlequin Wine Merchant, 384A Hayes Street, Hayes Valley, San Francisco
Speaking of Grenache, Arlequin will also be featuring a wine tasting of Domaine Charvin wines from Weygandt-Metzler Importing—Côtes du Rhône and Chateauneuf du Pape—tastes of these old-vintage wines will even the most inebriated evening an upscale outing. // Domaine Charvin Wine Tasting. Thursday, 5/25, 6:00pm, $TBA, Arlequin Wine Merchant, arlequinwinemerchant.com
Ruby Wine Merchant
This Potrero Hill shop features a focused collection of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. We try and eat organic produce when we can—so why not wine as well? // 1419 18th Street, Potrero Hill, San Francisco, shopbanquet.com
Tofino Wines
If heaven stocked wine, Tonfino’s 700+ selection would be the gates. Found at the edge of Laurel Heights on Geary, this hidden-in-plain-sight gem has a very chic interior and an array of decedent flavors. Wine-o’s, get prepared. And they’re not just taking any winery, they favor producers who practice natural winemaking and make clean, precise and well-balanced wines that reflect the terroir of their particular sites. // 2696 Geary Boulevard, Laurel Heights, tofinowines.com
