Wine-ing Down in Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto

The middle of a move would seem an inauspicious time for extended wine exploration. But mine involved an extended stay with friends in North Berkeley, near the heart of the Gourmet Ghetto. Most people are drawn here by Alice Waters’ celebrated Chez Panisse. There’s also Acme Bread, Cheeseboard Collective, and my new favorite, Cafenated Coffee.

All of these places have my respect and my tastebuds. But I’m here to talk about wine.

For an area rife with top-flight, pun fully intended, wine retail, Berkeley gets surprisingly little wine buzz. That’s despite stalwart Kermit Lynch, some great local shops of long vintage, and a new generation of urban wineries, like Donkey & Goat and Broc Cellars. I confess having lived in Oakland for 10 years, I’d been so spoilt for choice that venturing to a wine store in Berkeley felt completely unnecessary.

But after spending two weeks in the GG, I have some new local wine store favorites. And maybe in this case, less is more really is a good thing. I didn’t have to wait on long lines or interact with harried wine store staff, chasing the latest it wines. And now that my staycation, which took place all of five miles from where I moved from, but 2,900 miles from where I’m moving to, is over, I have some fun places to visit on future trips.

Here are my three top Berkeley wine store recommendations: for benchmark wines, for Burgundy geeks, for indie and under-the-radar labels plus small-batch spirits.

Vintage Berkeley

I kicked off my visit with a stop, okay several, at this shop. The store’s not yet open for walk-ins, but you can go up to the window to find a specific bottle, pick up an online order, or ask for a recommendation.

When I walked up looking for a bottle of Chateau Musar, a reference-point wine from my wine certification studies at WSET, the salesperson knew exactly what I was talking about. Not only that she had tasted the vintage I was looking for, and described drinking it as transformative. I had intended to gift the wine as a thank you to a friend. But after our chat, I wound up getting a second bottle for myself.

Tasted: 2013 Chateau Musar Bekaa Valley Red Blend

For me, this was a Day 2 and Day 3 wine. It was perplexing and hard to describe on initial opening. But its dark brambly fruit, lead pencil, and underlying animal notes seemed to knit together over the next couple of days.

I can’t say this was a transformative wine for me. But it was unique. And I was happy to have tasted one of the last vintages long-time proprietor and founder Gaston Hochar crafted before his death in 2014.

North Berkeley Imports

Burgundy fans find each other. The friend I was staying with tipped me off to this store’s re-opening. Though the business has been around for 40 years, the location on Shattuck Avenue had only recently opened.

I decided to test the reception by asking for a red Burgundy recommendation without admitting to any wine industry experience. The welcome was warm, the staff knowledgeable and unpretentious, and their passion for Burgundy was plain to see. So much so that I returned for a second bottle from the same producer they recommended.

Tasted: 2018 Michel Sarrazin Givry Sous la Roche

Accessible, with bright, juicy, and crunchy red fruit flavors

2018 Michel Sarrazin Les Vieilles Vignes Pinot Noir

Concentrated and rich with red berry flavors, and spice notes, this shows complexity and nice palate weight.

Northbrae Bottle Shop

I happened on this shop on a walk with a friend. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but when I saw Dr. Lippold, I was intrigued. I’m just as enamored of German Riesling as I am red Burgundy. And I had previously been introduced to this wine by a neighbor who worked for an importer.

The staff was super enthusiastic about the wine, and even suggested pairings. Looking around the shop, located just steps from Monterey Market, I noted the selection was attractively laid out, well-curated, and well-priced.

Tasted: 2015 Dr. Lippold Josephine Riesling

Clean and fresh fruit flavors pair with bright acidity on the off-dry palate. I came back a few days later for a second bottle, and contemplated buying a third.

As my time in the Bay Area wound down, exploring these shops and chatting to the staff was a wonderful antidote to moving stress. And great incentive for future visits.