Saturday Wine Tasting 7/18

July 18: Cal-Ital

Come join us this Saturday for a fabulous afternoon of wine tasting at The San Francisco Wine Trading Company! Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just looking to have a good time, this event is perfect for you. Sample a variety of exquisite wines and mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to expand your palate and enjoy some delicious wines. See you there!

Tansy Wines was founded in 2020 over a conversation at Shelley Lindgren's renowned A16 restaurant, long celebrated for introducing southern Italian wines to American audiences. Recognizing how well many Italian varieties thrive in California, the founders set out to create a modern wine brand that is women-owned, women-made, and digitally native. The name "Tansy" comes from the wildflower found throughout vineyards in both California and Italy, symbolizing the connection between the two regions and serving as an indicator of healthy vineyard ecosystems.

This Pinot Grigio is sourced from sustainably and organically farmed vineyards across California's premier growing regions, producing a fresh, vibrant expression of one of Italy's most beloved white varieties.

Donkey & Goat is a Berkeley-based winery that helped pioneer California's natural wine movement. Founders Jared and Tracey Brandt spent a year working with famed Rhône producer Eric Texier, an experience that shaped their commitment to low-intervention winemaking. They were also among the first California wineries to list every ingredient on their labels, championing transparency long before it became common practice.

Inspired by the vibrant white wines of southern Italy, Jared believed Fiano could thrive in California's climate. This bottling comes from Fernow Ranch near the Mokelumne River in Lodi, where cool Delta breezes moderate the warm growing season. The wine is made from 100% Fiano and is aged for 11 months in neutral oak barrels, preserving the variety's bright acidity, texture, and aromatic complexity.

Idlewild was founded by Sam Bilbro, who grew up immersed in California wine before discovering a passion for Italy's Piedmont region while working in restaurants. His vision was to explore how Piedmont's indigenous varieties could express themselves in the hills of Mendocino and Sonoma, producing wines that emphasize elegance, freshness, and a strong sense of place.

This Erbaluce comes from Las Cimas Vineyard, perched high above the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. The grapes are foot-trodden before being gently pressed into stainless steel. After fermentation, the wine rests for five months in neutral puncheons before bottling, highlighting Erbaluce's distinctive minerality and vibrant acidity.

Comunità is the project of David Drummond, a lifelong Californian inspired by the state's rich cultural diversity and deep Italian-American heritage. His friendship with Idlewild founder Sam Bilbro led to a shared vision of celebrating California through Italian grape varieties while fostering a more inclusive wine community.

The fruit comes from Las Cimas Ranch, a remarkable vineyard overlooking the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. Rising above the valley fog, the site is planted with more than forty grape varieties, many of them Italian.

Poor Scholar is named after the beloved Monterey bookstore once owned by Drummond and is a chillable California red composed of 85% Schiava, 10% Refosco, and 5% Teroldego, offering bright fruit, lively acidity, and remarkable drinkability.

Rootdown was founded in 2014 by Sonoma County native Mike Lucia after decades working throughout Northern California wine country. The winery focuses on organically farmed, single-vineyard wines that emphasize low alcohol, bright acidity, minimal intervention, and restrained oak influence.

This Sangiovese comes from Jane's Vineyard, a two-acre organic site near the base of Duncan Peak in Hopland, Mendocino County. Owner Jane has carefully farmed the vineyard with an emphasis on biodiversity since Rootdown began sourcing fruit in 2016. The vines grow in deep, well-drained Talmage soils. The wine is fermented with 50% whole clusters and 50% destemmed fruit before aging in 500-liter puncheons, producing an elegant expression of Sangiovese with freshness and purity.

Mora Estate is led by Fabiano Ramaci, the only winemaker in California dedicated to crafting wines inspired by the Amarone tradition of Italy's Valpolicella. His passion began at age fourteen while working in his father's Italian restaurant in San Francisco, where he developed a lifelong appreciation for Amarone. He eventually combined that passion with California fruit to create his own interpretation of the iconic style.

Valporone—its name a tribute to both Valpolicella and Amarone—is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, and Negrara sourced from vineyards throughout Sonoma County, including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and Russian River Valley. The grapes undergo the traditional appassimento process, drying on racks for approximately 90 days before fermentation, and the wine is aged for 18 months in new French oak, resulting in a rich, concentrated, Amarone-inspired California red.