A new wine venue has opened in San Francisco, aiming to fuse a winery tasting room with a cocktail lounge.

The Press Club contains individual tasting bars for eight boutique wineries, including Saintsbury, Chateau Montelena and Pahlmeyer.

Founders Andrew Chun and Jan Wiginton acknowledge that Napa’s Copia and other wine centres around the world are struggling, but they say they are filling a void.

‘This is merging the urban and wine country experiences for visitors to San Francisco, and residents who can’t take the time to spend a day or more going to the wine country. We saw a need,’ said Chun.

Most of the eight wineries have tasting rooms at their winery facilities, but all wanted a presence in San Francisco.

‘Joining forces with seven other wineries is a tremendous opportunity for marketing directly to the millions of tourists who visit San Francisco,’ said Mary Calhoun, co-owner of Landmark Vineyards in Sonoma Valley.

Other wineries participating are Fritz Winery and Hanna Winery and Vineyards, both in Sonoma; Miner Family Vineyards from Napa, and Mount Eden Vineyards from the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation.

Written by Janice Fuhrman

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Janice Fuhrman
Janice Fuhrman
Decanter Magazine, Wine Writer & California Expert

Janice Fuhrman is a freelance wine, food and travel writer based in San Francisco, California. She began writing about wine in 1999 while living in Napa Valley and went on to become a contributor to San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter and Wine Enthusiast. She has published three wine books: Wine Genius, Wine Aficionado and Napa Valley: The Land, the Wine, the People. She regularly updates her website, Fuhrmantations, with food, drinks and travel articles.