My wife and I recently vacationed with friends in San Francisco, CA. While we made a few reservations at wineries, we planned to take our time and enjoy what San Francisco had to offer, including some lovely weather – a welcome break from the humid DC summer.
Our adventure began with a trip to Spruce in Presidio Heights. The atmosphere is warm, welcoming and spacious - especially when you consider the current trend in restaurants to cram guests into tiny, "intimate" quarters. The wine list is respectable; in particular, we were interested in Spruce’s vast, 6-plus-page list of German Rieslings. The knowledgeable staff helped us choose the best Rieslings to pair with our meals, and we prepared for an enjoyable evening. My wife’s Harissa cooked chicken stole the show! The Auslese Riesling and the chicken were the best pairing of the night. Make no mistake, I had nothing to complain about because my duck breast was perfectly cooked and served over fresh, local sauteed Swiss chard.
After a day of touring San Francisco, we embarked on our evening journey to Paso Robles. The beautiful, two and a half hour drive south took us over mountains covered in an eerie, smoky haze – recent wild fires on the other side of the mountains left a reminder of their devastation. We arrived at our inn late Wednesday night and rested quickly but well before our first scheduled tour to Justin Winery.
In the morning, we woke to survey the property at Justin Vineyards and Winery - the word “impressive” comes to mind. Beautiful new structures and well-manicured grounds left us astounded. Plus, the newly added caves - dug into the hillside - are equally impressive in their embellishment. They add to the amazing experience, lending a unique atmosphere to the winery. In the tasting room at Justin, the “Isocolese” was solid but did not move me as much as I anticipated. The St. Emilion styled blend called “Justification” was quite nice. Justin Winery was a perfect beginning to our wine tasting adventure, but the best was yet to come.
Our next stop took us to Tablas Creek - the joint venture of the Perrin’s of Beaucastel and Daniel Haas. The Perrin’s looked far and wide in California before settling in Paso Robles because the soil makeup is similar to the makeup in Rhone. The Esprit lineup we tried is wonderful and very affordable, making it a great deal. Their Cote du Tablas line is nice as well for an everyday drinking wine. We also had the unique opportunity to sample some wines that Tablas Creek only sells to members of it’s mailing list – being connected to Schneider’s has its privileges.
Next, we traveled to Opolo. I was on a mission since Jon Genderson requested that I sample the new vintage of Opolo Zinfandel for the store. Rick, wine representative for the winery, walked us through the tasting and the barrel samples. I will cut right to the chase. The 2006 Opolo Zinfandels are awesome and even better than the terrific 2005 Zins. Schneider staff and customers love the 2005 vintage, and the 2006 vintage will blow your socks off! It is important to note that Opolo makes A LOT of different wines. They also have a reputation for making full-bodied wines with a high percentage of alcohol. Out of all the wines we tried, Opolo’s Zinfandels and Syrah Cabernet blend called “Fusion” were the most memorable. While we truly enjoyed our visit to Opolo, palate fatigue began to set set in, and bid Rick farewell. You can rest assured, we did have a designated driver.
The next few days we relaxed and prepared food we purchased at the expansive Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market - quite an adventure for those looking to explore a bit of local life in San Francisco.
Our final culinary adventure led us to Alice Water’s Chez Pannise Café - which is fabulous for those who are budget conscious. We love that fact that we did not sacrifice a wonderful dining experience for a less expensive restaurant. Chez Pannise Café features local, fresh products. The food was phenomenal - fresh clams, zucchini flat bread, local fish and cheese. It was a great experience and I recommend it to anyone making their way to San Francisco.
San Francisco was great, and we look forward to a return trip in the future! The city its diverse neighborhoods offer visitors and residents access to fantastic food. Plus, the area’s location makes it a perfect springboard for day trips to wine country. Sonoma and Napa are a couple hours north and Paso and Central Coast are a couple hours south. If you have the opportunity to visit San Francisco, do yourself a favor and visit these places, and leave time to explore.
Ben Page - Assistant Wine Manager, Schneider's of Capitol Hill
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