mugsywinebar

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Looking forward to breaking one of my New Year’s resolutions (drink less) on August 1st. Because this is the good stuff! Showcasing 60+ wines from East Bay Vintners. Article from moi here: 

East Bay Vintners to celebrate 10th drinkfest

In Berkeleyside

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Two Mile Wines Launches Oakland Spirits Distillery

Seems like poor timing* to share an article I got the opportunity to write on Two Mile Wines , but most of us will want or need a drink on the way to the revolution. A favorite urban winery in Oakland has new releases, and is launching Oakland Spirits. They’ll be distilling gin and later vodka, bourbon and other infused liquor. They’re also starting an incubator for small distillers, and working with funders to help job growth in non-tech in Oakland. Both the wine and people here are on to something. (Wine excellent too).

*Charleston murders.

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Poor you if you missed this in Oakland! Article here.

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Keep me in wine please! Take a look at new article on Urban Legend Cellars at Oakland Local. Love them both.

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Justice Grace Vineyard is a valentine to Berkeley's drinks district and joins Lusu Cellars and Eno Wines at 805 Camelia in Berkeley. Check out my new piece on Berkeleyside. Petite Sirah galore.

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Ahoy wine drinkers - eyeballs here please. Oakland's Ordinaire has Paris influence and focus on low-intervention wines. Tomorrow (1/30) there's a winemaker event with food from former Bar Tartine chef… affordable! Check out new review here:  http://oak.lc/5NQ2m

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Brian Eno drank here

New piece on Eno Wines and Lusu Cellars in Berkeley - great guys, great wine. Cheers, Granate

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I love dive bar signs. This one is for a Korean bar in SF's Japantown. The Korean is a romanization of "Dimples" not a translation.  

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The Barrel Room rolls out in Oakland.  Do you like your wine with a bit of food? New sommelier-run restaurant in Oakland's Rockridge district should please you. Not a lot of pomp. Excellent food and a bit of learning with the wines. Review by me here.

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Yuki (our cat) speaking of course.

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Six Ounces to Fine: Oakland Holiday! 9 Wines to Give and Drink!

By Granate Sosnoff

Oakland and nearby winemakers offer elegant and dazzling wines to choose from for your favorite people. So why not skip wine country traffic and the daunting aisles of bottles in well-lit chains, and for your next event (party, dinner, glass-in-your-hand-while-you-sauté,) try one of these local beauties.

Also, if you’re into wine world chat you may have heard a bit about the New California Wine – less overpowering big fruit and more terroir-driven wines made from grapes grown beyond Napa Valley, in overlooked places like El Dorado and Lodi. Many representatives of these low-intervention, smoother wines are being made right here …

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Enjoyed a glass of Lusu Cellars red on tap at The New Parkway, Uptown Oakland. Splendid way to watch a movie… comfy chair, big screen, great glass of wine with food. 

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Six Ounces to Fine - Two Mile Wines from Oaklandia

(My) new piece up on Oakland Local last week.

An excerpt:

"The wines are exceptional. And proof that with an intentionally light touch, in the right hands, outstanding, sustainable, organic, and biodynamic grapes yield a swoon-worthy bottle.

The fact that Two Mile ascribes to a credo that’s basically 'no working with assholes' makes it even better."

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Mugsy hanging with Mission bar royalty. Bar winners El Rio, (Best Dive Bar), Virgil's Sea Room, (Best New Bar), and Mugsy, (Best Pop up). 

SFBG Best of the Bay 2013

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Best of the Bay 2013: BEST POPPED-UP BOTTLES

Related: 

Best of the Bay 2013 Editors Picks: Food and Drink

BEST OF THE BAY 2013

You know what this place could use? Some no-frills, open-to-all wine tasting. Enter Mugsy Wine Bar, a pop-up most often spotted at El Rio that knows how to class up a place without bringing down the mood, aided by sips from local vintners. The Mugsy tasting notes: "a wine bar with an emphasis on women, urban, and people of color winemakers" with a mouth-feel of "all-around enjoyment." And this pop-up is pop-cultured. Witness, theme nights: "Mugsy is the New Black" (a play on Netflix smash-hit prison drama series, "Orange is the New Black") for which the team brought out lesbian-owned Oakland winery Fraina Blanco. Then there was "Popping up for Pride" night, when bottles were uncorked from Alameda's Rock Wall Wines and Urban Legend Cellars of Oakland. Hooray for local vino pride.

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Some like it Hot and Italian

Bonnie Chan and I eat pizza, drink and then write about it... Hot Italian also has their own blend of flour for pizza.