So I want to talk about this cool little wine shop I visited about a month ago in Downtown Pleasanton called The Wine Steward. While exploring the area, I randomly came across a wine shop and of course I had to check it out. It is a very cute, local place and the staff is extremely friendly. They have signs for “Best Liquor/Wine Shop in East Bay 2019” around the shop because it’s an award they are very proud of. In fact, they’ve won the same award five years in a row!
Upon entry, you’ll notice that there is A LOT of wine. Bottles and bottles line the shelves of the entire store. There are also themed displays such as the Rosé display I came across. I noticed that the store looks kind of like a gigantic loft apartment. At the top of the stairs, there is a wine lounge where they serve wine by the glass or by the flight. You can even ask for wine by the pour. A pour is when they give you a splash of wine for $4-$5, so you’re not committing to an entire glass and you get to try different things if you please.
After browsing the shop for a little bit, I decided to go upstairs to enjoy a wine flight. I learned that the owner, Jim Denham, creates new flights and introduces them on Thursdays. I chose the red wine flight that took me around the world and encouraged me to drink varietals I don’t typically reach for. In this flight there was:
1. Zenato Alanera Rossso Veronese: 55% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Corvinone, 5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
2. Allendorf Spätburgunder Trocken
3. Domaine Grand Veneur Les Champauvins, Côtes du Rhone
4. Right Hand Man Syrah
5. Lost Blues Good Fences: 70% Grenache, 30% Syrah
My quick notes:
1. It’s an Italian wine, so I was positive I was going to like it. I was right. I really enjoyed this one, but it wasn’t something I’d buy a bottle of.
2. Spätburgunder is the German word for Pinot Noir, so I knew what I was getting into when I tasted this one. It was lighter than I expected for a Pinot Noir, but still really good.
3. When I saw that wine number three was a French wine, I wasn’t looking forward to it. I’ll always try something once and I was pleasantly surprised when I actually liked this French wine! It’s not something I would regularly reach for, but if someone offered me a glass of this, I wouldn’t say no.
4. Wine four was a Syrah. Again, I wasn’t super excited when I saw this on the list because I’m not the biggest fan of bold red wines. I was shocked when I fell in love with this Syrah. It was so good, I bought a bottle to take home!
5. The last wine was a red blend, but the main varietal is Grenache. I also thought that this wine was also surprisingly good.
I pretty much thought that all of the wines that I tried were “surprisingly good.” It’s extremely rare that I like all of the wines in a flight, so my hypothesis is that Jim and I have very similar tastes in wine. When I go again, I’m definitely going to have to order another flight to test this out.
It was actually Jim who poured my flight. He told me about each wine as he poured them and he is extremely knowledgeable about everything involving wine. When I told him about She Know Vino, he was kind enough to give me some insight about the store. In his store, he likes to source wine from smaller wineries and from wineries around the world because it encourages people to try new things. He also told me a little bit about the wine clubs that the shop offers.
The Wine Steward offers six wine clubs. Each club is different and offers different wines than the others. You can join clubs featuring all whites, all red, a mix of both, world wines, California wines, and a club for the more adventurous. Check them out here.
Overall, I had an extremely positive experience at The Wine Steward. If you’re ever in the East Bay, I highly recommend checking this local wine shop out. You won’t regret it.
*I am not sponsored by The Wine Steward. Everything I write about is my own experience!
