The dream job?  Putting together the wine list at Bottega ... a task which is really not all that simple. Try tasting over 550 wines to put together a 150 wine list!  And of course, the list was already filled with wines I love and that complement my food perfectly, and wines which have a great personal story to them. The big aha was the tremendous quality of the wines in the $30 price range, a great trend for restaurant-goers!  See what a tasting looks like (remember, these wines were tasted for just ONE section of the list....)

The excitement building around the restaurant opening has brought some excitement in the vintner community, and all week I've been honored and grateful for the gestures by old friends to develop a phenomenal wine list at Bottega.  From a Staglin Sangiovese, with less than 30 cases made, that have not been enjoyed off their property, to a Turley Wine Cellars '99 Old Vine Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard, to the highly allocated Schafer Hillside Select.