By Dana Eastland. There’s a cool new wine bar/tasting room open in North Beach, called MARITIME WINE TASTING STUDIO. Hoodline originally caught the story, and The Chronicle nabbed some additional details.
It’s from Chris Nickolopoulos, the founder and CEO of Maritime Wine Trading Collective, a wine producer, importer, and distributor. Technically, the space is licensed as a tasting room, so they can only sell wine, showcasing the company’s offerings. Wines are available by the flight or glass, or you can purchase them by the bottle at retail (there’s no markup, even if you enjoy it on-site). Wines are international, including small producers from France, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa, as well as California selections including Maritime’s own labels. The space also functions as a bit of a hangout—reportedly, there is WiFi and laptops are allowed. While they can’t serve food, neighboring Brioche Bakery will deliver to the location, and keep your tabs separate. Hours are Wed-Sun 1pm-9pm. 222 Columbus Ave. at Kearny, 415-861-1139.
Did you know that Oakland has tons of urban wineries within its city limits? It’s a fact! If you’d like to explore them (and really, who wouldn’t?), the Oakland Urban Wine Trail is for you. The list of wineries is right on the website, and you can download a handy map to navigate the trail. All the wineries are easily walkable and accessible via public transportation too. Oh, and of course there are plenty of restaurants to explore while you’re out there. Have fun! Locations vary; see website for details.
