"Bump This," at Bump City Wine Company!

Bump City crew is a family affair!

What is Hip?
Wine and grooves, that's what's hip! It is nearly impossible to write this blog without incorporating the musical influences of the iconic 70s  east Oakland band, "Tower of Power!" Fans of the band and others, only need to visit keyboardist Roger Smith and crew at the aptly named "Bump City Wine Co." to get "Funkifized" in all things wine, grooves and great hospitality! Please read on.

Its' Still a young winery....
Okay, so I'm borrowing a piece from one of their songs to describe a recent visit to the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA. Many of you are familiar with this location even though it remains to be aggressively marketed. With this said, the inviting sound of "Soul and Funk" emanating from the back forty of the property is sure to entice visitors from within the confines of the main building to check out what is "Hip" in the old boiler room.

Smith personally educates guests

Definitely NOT a "Flash in the Pan!"
 Smith and longtime friend and business partner Mike Smolich have been making wine for family and friends for more than 10 years. They are both passionate and picky about the wines they produce, and enjoy being involved from vineyard to bottle in the process. What's most appealing to guests at the winery is the lack of pretentiousness that often deters people from wine tasting.

Smith and crew are on hand to personally greet visitors, pour wine and answer questions about the winery and upcoming events. On the day of my visit, guests who purchased wine were blessed with an autographed bottle by Smith himself. The experience of visiting this tasting room was akin to visiting good friends in their own living rooms.

Mike Smolich and Roger Smith

As I observed the comings and goings of several waves of visitors, it struck me how approachable and engaging Smith was. Assuming that he hailed from Oaktown, I was surprised that he was a Sacramento native with ties to many people that I knew personally. This made the experience even more enjoyable. One can relax amid a homegrown son who has not been bitten by the celebrity bug. Smith himself is careful to add that he does not want his wine to be misaligned with celebrity trappings. In short, his wine is reflective of the "Every Person" palate without compromising quality. The proof of his genuine humility and passion for all things grape were soon to come as I given the opportunity to enjoy a few tastes.

Diggin' on the Vino!

Newly released 2014 Chardonnay

The grapes for Bump City Wine Co., are sourced from Sonoma County appellations with the exception of the Zinfandel from Lodi. As a seasoned wine aficionado, I tend to forego white wine and jump straight into the reds when visiting wineries. Because my research is centered mainly in observing diverse populations of visitors, it is necessary to curtail how much wine that is consumed. Not today! Bump City wine Co, offers five varietals; Beginning with a wonderful semi - somewhat buttery, kinda oak tinged, goldenrod, fruity, smooth, luscious, lick the last drop off the edge of the glass 2014 Chardonnay, which recently took a gold medal in the East meets West International wine competition. This wine would pair well with many types of food including and not limited to dessert. Think peach cobbler? Going completely out of order and saving for last, my palate was not tainted any more for the worse after indulging in three wonderful reds.

Pinot Noir.
Not a fan of PN, but always willing to try something new. Amazingly smooth without the pomegranate overtones that can choke the uninitiated. Richer and much more buoyant than some other Pinot's that I have tried. Buoyant? Yes, this is a nice way of saying that the wine carries its' weight well and is balanced in all characteristics. Nuff said.

Bumpin' Bump City Red!

Zinfandel. 
If you are an avid reader of this blog, you know my position on Zinfandel. In fact, it may have been expressed while visiting the tasting room. Zinfandel...especially Lodi Zin, is not a favorite grape. Why you ask? Beginning my career in Amador County and Lodi, I became saturated in this wine. Nuff said. Bump City changed all of this for me. Instead of the high octane, salad bar, fruit bombs reminiscent of mountain wine and wine from the interior of hell aka Lodi, this Zinfandel was incredibly layered, yet straightforward in its presentation. In short, this is the wine enjoyed while playing dominoes, eating barbecue or just chilling with the folks!

Bump City Red. 
 No "Clean Slate" needed to enjoy this wine! A voluptuous, big legged, dark, classy vino with an essence of naughtiness. Definitely something to be cellared or consumed while young. (Buy two and see how it develops) I Couldn't help asking for two or more taste's...just to be sure that I liked it.

Signing a bottle for a guest

What's Next?
Smith talks enthusiastically about the future of the tasting room and upcoming events. A release party is scheduled for August 13, 2016 at the Old Sugar Mill. Live music, nibbles and great wine await wine club members and the public. Tickets can be purchased at bumpcitywineco.com.
Speaking of wine clubs, Bump City Wine Co. has one of the most affordable and flexible wine clubs available. Members can choose all red, all white or elect to have Roger's choice in quantities of three six or 12 bottles shipped or picked up at the winery twice a year. Discounts apply for multiple bottle and case purchases.

Final Thoughts.

For a laid back experience in wine tasting, Smith and his crew provide genuine top shelf hospitality, great wine and smooth grooves for their guests. Feel free to break into singing along or dancing to familiar tunes in the large tasting room area. The vibe is full of soul with a capital "S!"
I give this winery four slaps upside the head...and this is a good thing and highly recommend that you "Get your feet back on the ground" and visit.

Until next time,
Cheers!

Urban Wine Walk; Bringing the Vineyard to the Hood!

Sustainability in da hood?

Gentrification is defined as, "To renovate or improve (especially a house or a district) so that it conforms to middle class taste." But, before I go off on a tangent about the devastating effects of this practice, and the destruction of social and cultural capitol,  in major cities like Oakland, CA, allow me to say that the urban wineries, or more often the tasting rooms of distant wineries, found in Oakland and Berkley California have blended into the framework of some of the toughest, most neglected, crime ridden urban settings without destroying the flavor of "the hood!"

Beginning in or around the year 2000, the city of Oakland, California has seen a 25 percent drop in its' African American population due to gentrification. Areas that were once dominated by people of color, especially areas bordering the southwestern portion of the city, are now becoming hip new suburbanized urban areas along streets that once housed warehouses, factories and shipping companies. Neighborhoods located within these areas housed the many blue collar workers who supplied the labor force necessary to operate commercial and private businesses. However, as time moved forward, a once thriving industrial environment, lay waste to neglect, foreclosure and abandonment.

What is Hip...Now?
The Oakland Urban Wine Trail consists of 10 or more winery tasting rooms scattered over a 10-square mile path near Jack London Square.  Offerings range from the chic, waterside, Rosenbaum Cellars to the family friendly Cerruti Cellars. There is something for everyone's palate.  

Revitalizing the "Hood" for good!

                                                                                                                                                              
The Route

We began our stroll at CampoVida...a great place for early evening wine tasting as they often have live music on hand, with a light lunch, snacks and wine. I was particularly impressed with their Rose wine. Rose's are fast becoming the new craze in all things vino. The tasting room was large, open and could accommodate large groups. We had about 30-40 people ready to stroll, and they expertly kept our glasses full. It is noteworthy to mention that CampoVida also has a bucolic location in Hopland Ca., where the atmosphere is laced with lush vineyards and gardens. Definitely worth checking out this summer.

www.campovida.com

Refillable House wine!

Traveling east, to burn off the light lunch of foot long sub sandwiches, antipasto salad, fresh fruit, granola bars, chocolate kisses, cookies and other low calorie edibles...snicker, snicker, we stopped at Urban Legend, located in the old ironworks waterfront district. For those who are not familiar with southeast Oakland, the area was once home to the largest population of blue collar labor in the greater bay area. Now, nearly abandoned, Urban Legend has done little to change the face of this once thriving area. In short, the building is not that pretty, but the wines are fairly good...if you like high octane fruit bombs! (My opinion, please keep reading.) In keeping with the "Oak Town" theme, the label art features a large industrial crane similar to those used at the nearby Port of Oakland. Additionally, they pride themselves on a refillable jug wine that is relatively affordable and drinkable. (Consists mainly of Barbera, and it rather bulky...just sayin') 

On to the next tasting room! We ambled, or stumbled further east to what I considered to be the pinnacle of our journey, Jeff Cohn Wines. Not to be too biased, but, DANG!!!

Cohn's wines offer the finesse and style that I prefer. 

Admittedly, I am a wine snob of sorts. When entering a tasting room, I have a few expectations that are essential in creating a memorable experience. For instance, a genuine greeting will set the tone for how I perceive the value of spending money. Our greeter could not have been more sincere and genuine. She at no time thrust a tasting fee at our throats, and noticing how many were in our party, offered us a high top table to make pouring and describing the wine's more efficient. I was extremely impressed that the wine glasses were of the highest quality crystal, and was the proper shape for the type pf wine being poured.(It really does matter.)   I'm already in love with this place. Because I was leading the tour, I refrained from a full tasting but was offered two tastes at no charge. Boom! Put this place on the radar...I will be back!

Next we visited Cerrito Cellars located on the embarcadero. After imbibing heavily at Jeff Cohn, we were in need of sustenance, and Cerrito offered up complimentary cheese, crackers and meats. Gnoshing away, (We cleared the free food without abandon, as they continued to refill the platters. So ghetto, I know!) the decor is reminiscent of an old fashioned saloon...which I believe it may have been. The room was large, a bit too noisy for my taste, and offered several bench seats designed to accommodate bringing in your own food. Wines were okay to my palate, but the group seemed to find them likable as they spent more money here and at Urban Legend than anywhere else. (Two bottles at Urban Legend equalled one at Cohn.) Again, as the tour guide, it was best that the bulk of this stop involved rehydrating myself with water as the weather was hot for an Oakland afternoon. 

Must come back and try this place

Heading back to the waterfront, I was happy to see a brew house near the center of Jack London Square. Although there was no time to stop in, for those who do brew, this place looked worthy of a return visit.

Cheers!

We concluded the tour at Rosenbaum Cellars located on the waterfront. If memory serves me well, this location may have been a floating hotel called the "Boatel" that I remember as a child. Rosenbaum is very nice and inviting. The wines are a bit pricey, but worth the extra $$. Outdoor seating provides a harbor view...as well as the back side of the now nearly empty Alameda Island military installation. Large yachts cruise by,  outside speakers provide good music and the breeze was a welcome treat after the wine stroll.

I have had the pleasure of leading two wine strolls along the urban wine trail, and really like this way of wine tasting. Each winery provided a relaxed atmosphere and a good selection of wine for any palate. I give this excursion three slaps upside the head...and this is a good thing, and hope that all will consider venturing into "The Hood" to do some wine tasting.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Siatah's who sip!