Vintage Berkeley
I was crabby last Saturday, so when Melissa decided to get some pizza at The Cheese Board, I stood away from the long line and fumed at the delay. Melissa pointedly suggested I check out the new wine store on Vine Street, just around the corner from the fabulous Black Oak Books and notably far from the pizza line.
Groovy. Hipster. Vibe. These words popped into my head as I stepped into Vintage Berkeley ("A Wine Store for the People", says their website). The still-new store occupies a remodeled EBMUD pump station. Ryan Kerrigan's artwork adorns the walls as the current exhibit. The staff is young and hip; soul patches and cool glasses abound, though there's little pretension about the wine. The displays are simple—wooden racks and boxes—and a small card next to each wine reveals the store's thoughts on the bottle. These are refreshingly personal reflections, uncluttered by the annoying "92 points from Wine Spectator!!" one often sees. I chatted with the staff and eavesdropped on their other conversations: They know their stuff.
The theme here is simple: "Wines from small producers under $20." I only saw one or two bottles above that price in the main area, though they do have a cabinet of special bottles that go well above that range. I also didn't see many bottles under $10, by the way. There's no particular regional focus; the store carries bottles from around the globe. But the price point they're looking for naturally tilts their inventory towards lesser-known regions and less-famous producers. I spotted a Cahors, a Lirac, and a Txacoli, to name a few. Wine buyers with a modest budget and a yen for an interesting wine will find lots of treats here.
The prices aren't necessarily bargains. We spotted some of the same bottles for a couple dollars less at Paul Marcus Wines, which isn't a place to find steals. Still, if you're in the neighborhood, the store's worth checking out. I bought two bottles of the Txacoli they carry, which comes from a different producer than I'm used to, and one bottle of a Saumur-Champigny, a wine that always brings a smile to our faces because we honeymooned in that region. I also picked up a note about their wine club. Six interesting wines a quarter for $75? It's tempting. They have daily tastings as well, though I'd only be able to make it there on a Saturday. The store fills a gap in the neighborhood that's been empty since the North Berkeley Wine Company moved closer to Kermit Lynch, and I'll probably be back.
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