When it comes to Italian restaurants in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, the choices are nearly endless. When it comes to Italian restaurants in the area that are actually good, the list tightens up a great deal. So enters Albona, which is best described as the Italian restaurant in North Beach that is pretty much not Italian nor in North Beach. A simpler way to say that is to call it an Istrian restaurant.     Istria is a peninsula that sticks off the far western corner of Croatia. This wasn't always the case as the region has been under flags of Venice, Italy, and even France for a spell. This is reflected in the cuisine a great deal. While it's easy to call it "Italian-esque" and leave it at that, this would do a heavy disservice to what makes the food unique. It's a crossroads of Central European, Mediterranean, and Slavic foods and you taste that with every bite.     Take for instance the strudel. Yes, that's right, a strudel. Try and find that on an Italian menu! This dish which is oft considered Germanic or Slavic is one of the stars on the Albona menu. But, it's not like your Central European strudel. It has prosciutto, béchamel, a tomato-cream sauce, and a number of seasonings that lend it an extremely unique flavor. It's absolutely delicious and is typical of what Albona offers. The dish is a delicate balance showing the influence of several different cultures.     The menu doesn't stop there and while it has a great selection of pasta and chicken dishes, there are also a few seafood dishes and a veal shank that is delicious as well. You really can't go wrong and the best part is that the foods go well with any number of wines from many places, again showing diversity of the region. In fact, Blue Danube is happy to announce that Albona is going to start pouring our Kozlović Malvazija and Santomas Big Red Refosk which add distinct authentic flavors to their already eclectic wine list.     Albona, much like Istria is a little out of the way, sitting at 545 Francisco, just off Columbus. It's in something of a transitional area between North Beach and Fisherman's Wharf. The beauty of this is that it avoids the cheesy hustle and bustle on Pier 39 as well as a lot of Columbus, while still being very convenient and offering a quieter, classier evening out. Give them a try if you want to sample a much different take on dishes that you've known a long time, as well as getting to know some new ones.

Last Saturday, CAV hosted a tasting of Slovenian wines. Naturally, such a tasting wouldn't be proper without Frank Dietrich from Blue Danube Wine and Emil Gaspari from Slovenian Premium Wines in attendance to point out the various facets of the extremely long list of wines. In case you missed it, stay up to date at the News & Events section on this site as well as my twits that I write about wines and events in San Francisco.     And what it list it was, drifting from whites to reds, to desserts. It showed that not only is Emil able to somehow talk these very small producers in to exporting, but also that Slovenia is really producing a great wealth of wines these days. Starting with such wines as the Guerila Pinela those in attendance wandered in to the Batič Cabernet Franc and Batič Rosso 2005 (which I hadn't tasted previously, but found to be one of my new favorite vintages). Then it was off to the bolder reds such as Santomas Big Red and Santomas Antonius to experience the great, full-bodied Refošk that the Slovenes on the coast are producing. Closing all of this was a taste of the Batič Valentino which is a delightful, nutty dessert wine.     It looked to me that all in attendance were really enjoying exploring these wines. And while this was merely a week long tasting stretch, the good news is that CAV regularly stocks these wines as well as a great number of Croatian wines to enjoy anytime. While it can get a big packed in the evening due to popularity, CAV is a good place to check out anytime, since they always put together interesting wine lists.

The Hidden Vine is a perfectly-named wine bar in San Francisco. Sitting on the edges of Nob Hill, The Tenderloin, and Union Square, owners and master hosts, Angela and David Cahill pour wines for the masses with, what cannot be stated in any better terms than "down home" hospitality. Amazingly, no matter how busy it is on any given night, you will always feel like you are their only guest and they are very excited to show you what new wines they have that month. Ah yes, that's an important element to their wine bar that's always fun in that they feature a different region each month to taste, so in addition to their wine list always being updated and tweaked, returning guests can enjoy something brand new, 12 times a year. But more on this in a little bit.     The history of their wine bar starts back on the East Coast. David and Angela bopped around New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina for awhile. It was in Chapel Hill that they encountered the West End Wine Bar. They had great times there and liked the whole setup of the place. They had had the idea to work in wine for some time and so they came out to the West Coast with this idea in mind.     In February, 2005, they officially opened up their doors as, The Hidden Vine. With all of the wine bars sprouting up in San Francisco that seem to be some play on 'vine', 'wine', 'uva', or the like, the name may seem too clever for its own good to those who haven't visited the bar. But, it is true that they are rather hidden, basically in the basement of the The Fitzgerald Hotel, their main entrance being on Cosmo Alley (pictured above) right across from Le Colonial. It's definitely a cozy space, where groups over five are tricky to fit in, but they make it work exceptionally well, bedecking it in big overstuffed chairs and nice, warm colors that ask you to sit, be mellow and have a glass with friends. And as they say on their website, their focus is to have it be low-key. You never have to shout over your glass of wine to your companions sitting next to you.     But cozy, "speakeasy-esque" setting aside, it is really the choice of wines that make this bar, and it is where the real enjoyment begins with The Hidden Vine. Their regular menu always has stellar choices in both glasses and bottles, covering an array of prices, regions, and varietals, both in the old and the new world. However, it is their featured regions of the month where the fun is for anyone who visits their wine bar regularly (such as the author of this article...), which gives them an opportunity to try wines and varietals from regions that they might have never tried before. For instance, I was in no hurry to try the wines of Washington State only to be pleasantly surprised at the selection of whites and reds that the duo of Cahill and Cahill chose for that month.     Some of the regions that have been featured in over their nearly three years in the business include: Germany, New Zealand, North Eastern Spain, Portugal, Southern Italy, South Australia, West Australia, Oregon, Argentina, Bordeaux, and Austria to name just a few. The last of which, Blue Danube supplied a number of tasty vintages for. Currently, they are featuring wines from Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro, which Blue Danube has been happily supplying. People have been enjoying the likes of the Törley as well as Batić, Dingač, Kozlović, and Plantaže. They tell me that people have been very interested in the wines overall and greatly enjoying the Kozlović Malvazija and Törley Fortuna while excitedly learning about the link of Californian Zinfandel to the Dingač Plavac Mali that they're pouring. For those interested to partake, they will continue to pour through all of December and possibly in to January when they do a recap of their favorite wines for the year.     These wines they have selected are not the standard fare found in other wine bars and when asked why they decided to choose these wines now, Angela said that they like to balance out traditional regions with those that are new for most people or being discovered. This set of wines from Eastern Europe are giving them a jumping off point for possibly more in the future. Speaking of the future, some of the regions regulars have to look forward to in 2008 might include a return to Austria, another part of Spain, and maybe some other US States.     So, at their essence, The Hidden Vine is a wine bar that continues to have great service, great wines, great cheese/meat plates, and blindingly good olives (which seem to be impossible to find in other places). When asked if they had any far-ranging plans for the future other than these consistently great goals, David simply said, "Nope." which is the best thing any of us could ever hope for.

Last Monday on November 12th, we hosted a private tasting event for the trade of all our new arrivals. This is a fun time for us because it allows us to share the wines that we've carefully selected to import for the first time with our colleagues in the trade and the media. This event was particularly enjoyable because we had new wines from all areas that Blue Danube Wine Company imports including: Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. The well known Bacar Restaurant and Wine Salon provided a most suitable setting for this tasting event. This restaurant in the heart of SOMA in San Francisco is hip and modern, yet at the same time inviting and warm; a perfect place for sipping exciting new wines amongst others who love wine.     Joining us for the invited tasting were the wine buyers and sommeliers of local wine shops, restaurants and wine bars as well as wine writers and critics. It was great to see such a diverse crowd because everyone tasted the wines differently and they're all looking for something unique to match whatever exciting plans they have for their wine lists or articles.     Most people started with the Austrians. Here, we poured the new vintages from Schmelz, Weinrieder, Juris and J.Heinrich. We also introduced two new estates, Bio-Weingut Geyerhof, a leading organic producer in Kremstal and Sommer, an estate from Donnerskirchen at Lake Neusiedel. For those who went to the Hungarian wines next, there was the entire Craftsman line-up from Hilltop and Szõke Mátyás as well as some great new sparkling wines from the traditional house, Törley.     From Central Europe, guests moved over to the Balkans. They were greeted by our greatly expanded portfolio of Slovenian wines. Guests enjoyed tasting many new wines from top Slovenian producers, such as those from Guerila, Santomas, and Batić. One of the biggest hits with this audience clearly was the a new Yellow Muscat from Črnko.     Lastly, it was on to the Croatian and Montenegrin wines. Several Croatian brands are becoming highly sought after brands, in particular the Kozlović Malvazija and the Marco Polo Pošip for white wines and the Pelješac Dingač and Zlatan Plavac for reds. From newly independent Montenegro, Plantaže is now shipping a "regular", lower cost Vranac in addition to their esteemed Vranac "Pro Corde".     Overall, it was a very successful tasting that offered a good number of guests their introductory tastes for these ancient wine regions, which is always a fun experience.

So it was that last year, that the first Michelin guides entered the US with in New York City and San Francisco. We didn't get to read the 2007 guide, but took more of an interest this year as they're introducing Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Also, the director, Jean-Paul Naret was at a local bookstore to promote it a bit. So, we went down to see it.     As it turned out, the event also featured Marcia Gagliardi of Table Hopper there to talk as well. While very much about food and dining in San Francisco, it was something of an odd paring as listening to Jean-Paul Naret was amusing. He's a very charismatic fellow and very, very French. Putting Marcia next to him showed just how international he was and how local she was. In theory the line up should have worked to show different of approach to food that their respective writings take, when it actually just showed the different leagues that the two worked in.     Naturally, we bought a copy of the guide. Want to know some ratings? Well, it would be ridiculous to try and summarize all of it, since it is a very good guide for dining in the San Francisco Bay Area. But, a couple of highlights include:     Aqua (2 stars), Á Côté (which we previously wrote about here), Cesar, Ame (1 star), Rivoli, Rubicon (1 star), Slanted Door (Bip Gourmand), and Village Pub. Keep in mind that there is a maximum of three stars and just a mention in the guide is quite a stellar accolade. But, there are many, many more and our best recommendation is for you to go out and get one of your own. Now!

We recently had the enjoyment of eating at the new digs of Tinderbox. It's a restaurant in the Bernal Heights area of San Francisco that is wedged in the middle of a burgeoning gourmet ghetto. The dishes are focused around that growing genre of food called, "New American", which, as was the case at Tinderbox, means new twists on old dishes that surprise you in new ways. The menu has been coupled together with a very unique and tasty wine list compiled by the sommelier and general manager, Omar White. It includes a good number of Blue Danube Wine selections like the exotic Juris St. Laurent from Austria, an unoaked Hungarian Szõke Chardonnay, and the indigenous Pošip Marco Polo from the Croatian island of Korcula among others.     We started with a nice Dolcetto to warm up our palates. It was inviting and light, yet still flavorful and enjoyable to sip with our appetizers. It also had the ability to not trounce the fact that one of us had the grilled sardine appetizer.     From there, we split off with a glass of white for the cod and a bottle of Bura Dingač for the game hen, steak, and avocado cutlet. All of these dishes were delicious, but it was the last of which on that list was the most remarkable. The server summed it up best by saying, "Who knew you could grill an avocado?" Who indeed, but it works. It really, really works and when paired with a nice, deep-bodied red wine, it only works to amplify it.     Dessert was a lovely affair as well. Everything we had was paired with a very nice Five Puttonyos Tokaji. The sweetness of this Hungarian dessert wine was not overpowering to our closing dishes and once again, worked to complement not fight with the complexity of the desserts.     We found the atmosphere of the restaurant to be very nice and fit well with what we look for in a place to dine. The service isn't snooty, just knowledgeable and helpful, which is a welcome change to a great many restaurants in The City. It's also good to see that the establishment caters to people eating in groups (we were four) and those dining solo with a small, adjunct room just up a small set of stairs in the back. The crowd seems to fill in from about 8:30-10, but with a recent review in the SF Chronicle, the crowd is bound to come earlier and leave later. And naturally if this isn't enough word of mouth for you, read up on what others are saying these days.

    It's only after two years of its existence that people start to realize that CAV on Market Street in San Francisco is not only an excellent wine bar, it has a wonderful kitchen to boot. No one would be better suited than SF Chronicle restaurant critique Michael Bauer to attest the superb quality of Executive Chef's Christine Mullen's cuisine. The title of his review entails a double compliment: An accomplished kitchen to match the sublime wine list at CAV.     Well, I feel quite qualified to provide testimony as well: I've recently been back to CAV specifically to check out the menu and can only rave about it. Rather than giving the details away, why don't I leave you with good advise: Sit down and let the good times roll, i.e. tell the knowledgeable and friendly wait staff you want to explore their goodies. Trust me, they will treat you well and nicely pair each of the courses as they arrive on your table. Give it a try, you'll love it.     Not to be outdone by her culinary colleague, Wine Director Pamela Busch continued garnering additional awards to her already long list. This time it was California's oldest magazine for Good Living that bestowed on her the title Sunset Magazine's Best Wine Bar in the Bay Area     Let me finish by disclosing that we have been supplying CAV with our wine selections from Day One. We are very proud that our wines are choosen to participate in the stellar line-up of wine and food at CAV. You can get a taste of our wines by ordering their Slovenian Wine Flight. As I post this entry some very fine selections from this small alpine country at the Adriatic Sea are on tap until Labor Day.     

We are sad to read the news that the World Wine Market filed for Chapter 7 (i.e.liquidation). This was the San Francisco based wine trade show where Blue Danube Wine Company got its public start in 2003. We also participated in the next year with an expanded portfolio of wines from Austria, Croatia, and Hungary.     For us, the World Wine Market provided direct exposure to some of the key people in the trade and media in California and elsewhere in the US. It was a great venue for networking: for instance, we met the folks from Cafe Europa in Boston, Mass. and started distributing their Croatian wines from FeraVino in California. Next year, we met the top management from the import and distribution company Wine for Everyone and convinced them to represent us in the State of Florida.     We will miss this show right in our neighborhood and close to the center of the Californian wine industry. For the gory details of why the WWM failed as a business turn to the article in the North Bay Business Journal.