Sparks In The City

San Francisco is one of my favorite places in the world. I've always called it the most European city in America, with its distinctive architecture and charm. It's loaded with culture. When I arrive there, I can almost feel the whirlwind of thoughts by people who know more than me about so many things. It makes me want to learn (Yes, I want to go to the Cartier exhibit! Yes, show me Fort Mason!) and it makes me want to just get lost. Mostly, though, the food and wine culture just envelops me completely.

I have a dilemma whenever I visit: do I visit my favorite restaurants and wine bars, or try some new ones? Inevitably I end up doing both, though when I go for work I end up typically being given a list of accounts to visit. I keep a list of places I want to go, and this list is infinite because I'm constantly adding to it. All I can say is I thrive in a city where I can get Burmese food on a Tuesday night.

I visited last week to work with my most awesome sales rep, Leif. The coolest thing about having worked the market for six years now is seeing how Riverbench has gained presence as a brand. Yes, the food and wine culture there is amazing, but that also means it's seriously difficult for a new wine label to break into, especially considering the Napa/Sonoma proximity. Having so many accounts in San Francisco, thanks to Leif mostly, is pretty rad since we started with none.

Some of my favorites include this kickass little Italian place called Frascati, whose wine buyer Justin loves great wine and loves pairing it with great food even more. If you haven't been there, go. And order...well, everything.

Another fun one is Say Cheese, a gourmet shop that has obscure and funky cheeses and really fun wines. I get intoxicated by stinky cheese, so it's the place to be.

Finally, it's not one of my accounts YET, but it WILL be someday when I have bubbles to sell wholesale. The Bubble Lounge is my kinda place: laid back, a little dark but comfy, and fully stocked with great Champagnes and sparkling wines from all over the world. Heaven.

See you again soon, SF. I'll be back.