So I did a East Bay bicycle tour on Sunday which involved a stop at some favrorite wineries, Dashe Cellars and Donkey and Goat. Dashe has a lovely Mendocino County Dry Riesling that was quite impressive, and Donkey and Goat was true to form (their 2010 Fernaughty Syrah was in fine form). But...anyway, there is now an "Explore Oakland Wineries" card, which led me to discover Campovida Winery on Linden Street in West Oakland!
Mendocino-based, they share a tasting room with Linden Street Brewery. It was quite a party scene (a pig roast) and I enjoyed the FISTS OF FLOUR pizza from their portable pizza oven quite a bit! But anyway, the wine itself is Mendocino-based, largely organic or biodynamic, and definitely in the slightly funky, earthy, low intervention school which I love. Favorites: The Nero d'Avola, to be honest, was better than most of the (relatively few) Italian versions I have tried, with dark fruit, soft tannins, some acidity, and a bitter note that complemented the pizza quite well. Their Bordeaux blend was fantastic, rich and earthy and savory. The new oak was not dominent at all. The Syrah was showing some nice bottle age (a 2007), with earthy, meaty, and funky notes I found quite appealing.
A very nice discovery, and as they are located on Third Street which is the primary bicycle route (for me) from Berkeley to west Oakland BART (or, in this case, Alameda and Lake Merritt), I will definitely be back!