Cheryl Newbrough is a food and wine connoisseur who often enjoys touring local restaurants and wineries. In the following article, Cheryl Newbrough takes a look California’s natural wine, and its distinct characteristics.
Natural wine slowly crept into the limelight in Berkely, California. Six wineries opened in a one-block radius stretching from Camelia Street to Gilman Street to Fifth Street and Fourth Street. West Berkely is undoubtably one of the state’s havens for natural wine lovers. Locals and tourists alike have a lot to explore.
But what actually is natural wine? And where are the best places in the area to discover all its tasty offerings? Let’s take a look.
Cheryl Newbrough on Natural Wine Attributes
As The Oxford Companion to Wine states, natural wine boasts these characteristics:
- Grapes grown by independent, small-scale farmers
- Grapes hand-picked from organic, biodynamic, or sustainable vineyards
- Fermented without added yeast
- No additives included in the fermentation process
- Little or no added sulfites
Cheryl Newbrough says that there isn’t a regulated or official definition of natural wine. So it can mean different things to different people. Don’t be afraid to ask for more details before ordering something that claims to fit this description.
The Block on West Berkely: The Place to be for Natural Wine Seekers
For those wanting to try the best that California’s wines have to offer, West Berkely will exceed their expectations. The area outlined earlier is earmarked for light industrial usage. Thus, wineries fit right in — and they’ve really taken this to heart.
2008 saw Chris Brockway open Broc Cellars at Camelia and Fifth streets, before relocating to Fifth and Gilman five years later. At this point, he was working next to Donkey & Goat Winery, set up by Tracey and Jared Brandt.
Cheryl Newbrough explains that upon moving to the block, Brandt made it her mission to get as many wineries into the area as possible, believing that growing the pie provides bigger slices for them all. And it’s safe to say she succeeded.
In 2017, Josh Hammerling opened up Hammerling Wines, with another (Blue Ox) occupying a building that was previously operated by a chocolatier. When 2019 rolled around, Vinca Minor, run by Jason and Emily Charles, took over a building that formerly housed a solar company, and countless others have followed suit.
Cheryl Newbrough says that the area is bursting with wineries, all of which have the same philosophy — keep intervention to a minimum when making wine. The professionals are hands-on yet allow the wines to speak for themselves. They aren’t trying to fit predefined formulas; they’re simply doing it for the love of the purest, rawest wine.
Touring the West Berkely Wine Block
Cheryl Newbrough says that oenophiles from across the land flock to the area to tickle their taste buds with the variety of natural wines made and sold inside warehouses-come-urban-wineries. The sheer number of options, however, can be overwhelming. So, many people take the Edible Excursions West Berkely wine block tour.
Running on Saturday afternoons only, Joshua Clever, a certified chef who’s spent the last 15 years leading tours in gastronomic epicenters across the state, takes participants on an unforgettable wine-tasting (and learning) adventure. The tour benefits both wine aficionados and novices, as Clever bestows knowledge about the wineries’ philosophies and the history of the Gilman District, before leading the group inside about four or five establishments.
Eager parties can expect cab francs and chenin blancs, with a few orange wines thrown into the mix. Despite their name, they aren’t made from the juicy fruit. In fact, they’re called orange wine due to their amber hue.
Cheryl Newbrough says to soak up some of the soul-igniting tipples, Clever takes the walking tour group to the Japanese street food vendor, Daruma Kiosk, which is regularly sat beside Broc Cellars. Drinkers will become eaters here as they fill up on everything from mentai mochi spring rolls to cheese katsu to egg sandwiches.
Soloing or Touring, Oenophiles Will Save Money in Berkely, California
Cheryl Newbrough notes that whether visiting the wineries through a tour or alone, purchasing bottles from the West Berkely Wine Block will save money compared to the large estates up north. These urban wineries are breaking away from Napa Valley’s expensive, conventional approach — instead of paying $100 for a Wine Country bottle, customers should expect to spend around $25 to $50 in the Berkeley vicinity.
Not only will patrons save money, but the wineries (tour and all) are entirely dog-friendly. Enjoy an amazing afternoon with your pup sampling the unmissable wines of the West Berkeley wine scene.
