Oakland Wine Bars

After 2 wonderful years Franklin Square Wine Bar has closed it’s doors.

A good pairing of food and wine can enhance your dining experience. The servers at Franklin Square Wine Bar are good at describing and recommending their wines but if you’d like some suggestions before you go then read on. If you start with olives, think sparkling, beer, (un-oaked) white or rosé and it’s hard to go wrong. When it comes to their mixed cheese plate ($28) it may be nice to have a sweeter white, like their Riesling, or the fruit forward red. Both of those styles should pair up through all the different flavors of the mixed plate. If you’d like to target a specific cheese then try the following pairings (wines priced by the glass here)…

rogue river blue (oregon) raw cow’s milk ($7)

• Prinz, Rheingau, Kabinett, Riesling ($8)
• 2006 Cueva de las Manos, Mendoza, Cabernet Sauvignon ($7)
• 2005 Camus-Bruchon, Savigny Les Beaune, Pinot Noir ($12.50)

tumalo farms (oregon) goat’s milk ($6)

• 2006 Marimar, Russian River, Chardonnay ($11)
• 2005 Marelle, California, Syrah ($10.50)

delice d’argental (france) cow’s milk ($7)

• 2006 Sylvain Bailly, Sancerre, “Prestige” Sauvignon Blanc ($11)

queso iberico (spain) mixed milk ($7)

• 2005 Castillo d’Ulver, Castilla y Leon, Mencia ($9.50)
• 2004 Carmelo Patti, Mendoza, Malbec ($11)

fromage affinois (france) cow’s milk

• One of their Sparkling wines ($7.50 to $11)
• 2007 Tripoz, Mâcon Charnay, Chardonnay ($6)
• 2007 Box Car, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir ($9)

With the mixed charcuterie plate ($18.50) the 2007 Pichot, Vouvray (Dry), Chenin Blanc ($6) or the 2004 Tayerle, Paso Robles, “il Trovatore” Sangiovese ($6) will work with the different styles of cured meats.

For the individual cuts try some of these pairings…

serrano & iberico ham ($7)

• Their driest Rosé ($6 to $10)
• 2007 Breggo, Anderson Valley, Pinot Gris ($9.50)
• 2007 A Donkey & Goat, El Dorado, “ Tamarindo” Roussanne ($11)

lomo (cured pork loin) ($6)

• 2005 Castillo d’Ulver, Castilla y Leon, Mencia ($9.50)

Spanish Chorizo ($6)

• 2007 Hermanos Millas, Argentina, Tannat ($7)
• 2006 Cueva de las Manos, Mendoza, Cabernet Sauvignon ($7)

chicken liver patè ($5)

• Almost any Beer ($4 to $6)
• Prinz, Rheingau, Kabinett, Riesling ($8)
• 2007 A Donkey & Goat, El Dorado, “ Tamarindo” Roussanne ($11)

pork rillettes ($5)

• 2006 Schmelz, Austria, Grüner Veltliner ($12.50)
• 2005 Camus-Bruchon, Savigny Les Beaune, Pinot Noir ($12.50)

coriander crusted ahi tuna w/ parsnip purée, baby veggies, & red wine gastrique ($19)

• 2005 Gilles Barge, Condrieu, Viognier ($17)
• 2007 Sylvain Bailly, Sancerre, Pinot Noir (rosé) ($10)

cauliflower risotto w/ chanterelle mushrooms, savoy spinach beldi olives & white truffle oil ($16)

• 2006 Marimar, Russian River, Chardonnay ($11)
• 2005 Marimar Estate, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir ($14)

maple leaf duck breast w/ fingerling potato-chard hash bacon & red wine sauce ($20)

• 2006 De Conciliis, “Donnaluna”, Campania, Aglianico ($9)
• 2003 Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills, “High Slopes”, Syrah ($13)

pan-seared pork tenderloin w/ carrots, broccoli rabe, creamy polenta & pork jus ($17)

• Prinz, Rheingau, Kabinett, Riesling ($8)
• 2005 Camus-Bruchon, Savigny Les Beaune, Pinot Noir ($12.50)