Baldivino, Stacionis to Open Bay Grape in Oakland

Two young stars of the wine world—Josiah Baldivino, the lead sommelier at Michael Mina, and his wife Stevie Stacionis, director of communications at Corkbuzz—are teaming up to open their own unique wine shop and tasting bar in Oakland, Bay Grape. As Tablehopper reports, the duo has a lot of cred, from Baldivino's recent Best New Sommelier award from Food & Wine to Stacionis' sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and wine columns for Serious Eats to their combined Web series, A Drink with Friends. Their shop will be geared towards drinkers on a budget, with most wines between $15-25 per bottle, and an emphasis on a high value-for-quality ratio. The selection will be global, but feature unique or up-and-coming California winemakers prominently.

In addition to wine, Bay Grape will feature craft beer, cheese and charcuterie, interesting sodas, pickles, nuts, and bread. For those staying in to drink, the duo will have two wines and one beer on tap, as well as themed flights poured by the bottle. Drinkers can also enjoy a recently purchased bottle and snacks right at the counter. Winemaker tastings, wine classes, and CSA pickups will all be part of the mix as well. The couple is currently renovating the 1,900-square-foot space (which is very close to their Oakland home) with lots of pale wood and corrugated metal, with the hopes of opening sometime between May and September.

· Josiah Baldivino and Stevie Stacionis Opening Bay Grape [Tablehopper]
· Bay Grape, a wine shop with a pedigree, en route to Oakland [Inside Scoop]