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Since wine can be made anywhere these days, it’s no big surprise that Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda, CA (also known as the East Bay) are home to many urban wine brands, both established and start ups. So what if there are no vineyards in the city (that I’m aware of).  At this past weekend’s Urban Wine Experience in Oakland, the local wines were showing rather well, paired with bites from local restaurants. The public event was held by the East Bay Vintner’s Alliance.

I found a lot to like, and some really good values. There were many good Rhone varietal bottlings, and that made me happy, since j’adore Rhone wines. I might just need to do a little East Bay Rhone wine tour.

These are the standouts:

One of my last sips of the day was at Stage Left Cellars. It’s a fairly new player in the urban wine scene. Partners Melinda Doty and Rich Williams exited the corporate world and discovered “everybody needs an exit strategy.” Opening Stage Left is theirs. “The Go Getter” white is a blend of Rhone varietals – Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Rousanne. Just yummy, refreshing and very aromatic. They also make a beautiful Grenache, blended with a little Mourvedre to make a fruity wine with a little spiciness added in.

At Prospect 772 Wine Co. they were pouring “The Brawler.” Oh yeah, its a big big Syrah, but tamed a little by the addition of Viognier in the blend. The grapes are grown in the Sierra Foothills, and the wines are made by Jeff Cohn (winemaker at JC Cellars).

Speaking of Jeff Cohn, his own label, JC Cellars , poured “First Date,” a terrific and rich Rousanne and Marsanne blend.  “The Imposter,” was a bold blend of mostly Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah.

Rock Wall Wine’s Cabernet France was so fragrant and jammy, just a beautiful wine.  I love to see Cab Franc on its own.

Urban Legend wines have great labels, inspired by the cranes at the Oakland port. They have a good Sauvignon Blanc that’s crisp and has really bright acidity. They also make a Teroldego, a darkly hued red varietal from Italy that has big ripe black fruits. Definitely worth seeking out!

Over at R & B Cellars, owners Kevin and Barbara Brown are not only winemakers, they’re also jazz musicians. Kevin plays piano and Barbara sings. Hence the wine labels with musical symbols. They’re striking the right notes with a very nice “Serenade in Blanc” Sauvignon Blanc and “Swingsville” Zinfandel, and both are less than $15 dollars each.

Verve wines from Aubin Cellars really charmed me. They’ve got a French Columbard, imported from France (Cotes de Gascogne). When have you ever seen French Columbard? Well it should be more often.  This is a great value too, at $12. Verve also makes wine with local grapes, a Carneros Pinot Noir and a Sonoma Mountain Syrah.

One final mention, loved the “Temptation” Rhone blend from Carica Wines, which is a GSM – Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre mix. And only $25 per bottle. No wonder the winery is sold out of the current vintage (I did find some bottles online)

There were many, many good bites to go with the wines. But the one that stood out the most for me was the pulled pork sandwich and grits from Brown Sugar Kitchen. Fabulous! And a perfect match with the Urban Legend red wines. If you haven’t

been to Brown Sugar, just go ahead and go now, for their fried chicken and waffles!

Most of the East Bay Vintner’s wineries have tasting rooms — either shared or on their own.  Check websites for days and hours open or to make an appointment.  Think of going to the urban wineries as exploring a new, modern wine country.

Do you know about Bottlenotes? It’s an online wine social media community, and totally unpretentious.  Here you can share your own tasting notes, learn about and buy wine. They have a well-edited selection in their wine portfolio. You can also get The Daily Sip, the wine equivalent of Daily Candy.

Bottlenotes also organizes wine tasting events, where you can meet up with other members and taste and talk about wine (yes in person!). Called Around the World in 80 Sips, it’s a great opportunity to taste wines you may not ever come across — like a passionfruit wine from Thailand.

This event was held at Crushpad, the custom crush facility in San Francisco.  Crushpad is relocating to Napa Valley, so this was probably my last time for visiting the city location.  The tasting takes place amid all the barrels of wine aging.

These wines stood out for me and should be on your radar:

2008 Tierra Secreta Malbec – really smooth!

2009 Eradus Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand – this was one of the best SB there.  Classic New Zealand, gooseberry with good acidity.

Radee Passionfruit NV and Pineapple Ambrosia NV – both from Thailand.  I preferred the Passionfruit which had true fruit varietal character. The Pineapple was not as sweet as some Hawaiian wines that I’ve had.

2008 Donelan Venus Rousanne/Viognier and 2008 Donelan Cuvee Christine Syrah – if you were a fan of the Pax Syrahs, the new owners are carrying on the Pax style.  This is the first vintage from Donelan Family Wines and it’s darn good.  Prices are a little easier on the wallet too, at $45.  The Rousanne/Viognier is lush and well-balanced; the Syrah is smoky and meaty.

Scholium Project.  I’ve read lots about Scholium and winemaker Abe Schoener and his unconventional approach to winemaking.  But I’ve never tasted them until now, and I totally get what all the fuss is about.  The 2008 Naucratis Lost SloughVineyard is made of 100% Verdelho, and has lots of good acidity and round fruit.  The 2007 Choephoroi , another white, is completely different and very unusual for a Chardonnay.  The 2006 Tenbrink Vineyard Gardens of Babylon is primarily Petite Sirah.  All soulful wines.

Skipstone wines were also there – and I’ve written about their wines before.  Two bottlings; the 2007 Viognier, is one of the best made in California.  Has all the wonderful peach and nectarine flavors.  The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon is powerful without being agressive.  The layers of flavor linger a long time.

There are no vineyards.  Instead, wine barrels on the edge of the coast signal that you’re at a winery.  Welcome to Pacific Star, on the northern California coast in Mendocino County wine country.

Pacific Star is north of the town of Mendocino and Ft. Bragg.  While the remote location is remote, Sally Ottoson’s wines are accessible and highly drinkable.  Choose from a number of varietals, including a few Italian grapes, such as Barbera and Charbono and Carignane.  I highly recommend Barbera with a spicy tomato ciopinno stew.

She also makes a lovely Viognier/Rousanne blend.  Recently the winery learned that a fault line runs directly under the tasting room and winery, which has been named the Pacific Star fault.  Sally made the It’s My Fault blend — Syrah, Charbono and Carignane — in honor of that fact.

This is the definition of a destination winery.  Plan a visit here with a picnic in mind, and enjoy the view with a glass of Sally’s wine.