Shelley Lindgren, wine director and co-owner of A16, the wildly popular Southern Italian restaurant in San Francisco, is constantly seeking out amazing new wines. Here, she shares the Bay Area wine shops that consistently impress her with their mix of esteemed producers, esoteric wines, knowledgeable staff and welcoming atmosphere.
Biondivino
This chic Russian Hill wine store is named after owner Ceri Smith's great grandfather Settimio Biondi, an Italian immigrant who knew Jack London. Smith's carefully selected Italian bottles are the stars, but her fast-growing Austrian and Swiss corner is not to be overlooked.
1415 Green St.; 415-673-2320; biondivino.com.
Swirl on Castro
Jerry Cooper brings outstanding-quality wines to his hip store in the heart of the Castro. The store also showcases unusual art installations and a tasting bar on wheels.
572 Castro St.; 415-864-2262; swirloncastro.com.
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant & Wine Bar
Debbie Zachareas, Peter Granoff and Bo Thompson created this incredibly popular wine store and bar as a place where people can meet for drinks, pick up a case of wine or bring food they've purchased from Ferry Plaza vendors and have it paired with wine. The bar opens early on Saturday, the big farmers' market day, and is usually packed.
One Ferry Building, Shop 23; 415-391-9400; .
The Jug Shop
Their new location across the street from their previous one has an amazing selection of Australian, Italian, French and Californian wines. The variety of well-priced, high quality bottles makes this a fantastic place to shop for a party.
1590 Pacific Ave.; 415-885-2922; jugshop.com.
The Wine Club
This store consistently carries hard to find and difficult to pass up wines. The tasting bar often features the latest discoveries from Bordeaux, Rioja, Rhone and Burgundy.
953 Harrison St.; 415- 512-9086; thewineclub.com.
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