Nestled on the bay a short ferry ride from San Francisco, Oakland offers an attitude of
unpretentious artistry and is filled with talented and personable people. Oakland, surpassing
San Francisco, as the next hot place to live and work. Arriving at the downtown waterfront, I
was immediately drawn to write about this place. I would be following in the footsteps of Jack
London, an American novelist and author of Call of the Wild and White Fang, to whom the city
is dedicated. In this city, creativity comes through in various forms – from visible street art, to
artistry in business. I found great dining experiences, where chefs and restauranteurs can afford
to keep their craft alive. People are trying different things and bringing the city to new heights,
such as running a bicycle wine tour company as a husband and wife team.
Oakland is to San Fran what Brooklyn is to
New York City. Oakland has taken the title of
“Wine City” and this was my next adventure.
The downtown is filled with urban wineries
that you can bike to and taste wine. These are
actual city wineries, with oak barrels, stainless
steel tanks and an open concept design. It was
like wine country got transferred to the city,
and the smile on my face couldn’t have been
bigger. Wineries are blocks apart from each
other and reside in old warehouses converted
to urban tasting rooms. Being conveniently
located, people have easier access and connection to the wineries. They can visit and
shop on a regular basis without having to
travel for the wine they love – brilliant right?
I highly recommend taking a bicycle tour of
Wine City. Get ready to bring wine home
from this magical experience. The Waterfront
Hotel was perfectly located. The rooms were
well-designed and very comfortable and offered a stunning view of the water. It was truly
pleasant to wake up to the water everyday and
watch the sunset each night. The pool was a
great addition and so was the lobby fireplace.
I recommend dining at Bocanova on the
waterfront during your stay – the restaurant
is nestled on the waterfront and the food is
amazing and the view is great too! For a truly
unforgettable dinner, visit Haven in Jack London Square. This restaurant has some wonderful wines by the glass and bottle, and if you
happen to have bought something from your
Wine City adventures, you can also bring it
into the restaurant and a pay a corkage fee.