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Rombauer Vineyards, one of the most recognizable producers in Napa Valley, has been sold to the massive wine company E. & J. Gallo Winery, the company behind brands including Barefoot Wine, Andre, and Dark Horse. The North Bay Business Journal reported news of the sale on Wednesday, noting that the purchase price was undisclosed.
Rombauer has been a family-owned winery since its founding in 1980 and operates a cozy tasting room perched above the Silverado Trail, as well as a second, newer tasting room in the Sierra Foothills. Both were included in the sale along with the Rombauer brand, “three winery and production facilities ... and more than 700 acres of vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Amador counties,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Rombauer is best known for its heavily oaked and buttery chardonnay, a style that the winery is widely credited with popularizing and has since become synonymous with “California chardonnay” — for better or worse. Founder Koerner Rombauer, who was the great-nephew of Joy of Cooking author Irma Rombauer, died in 2018, after which his son, K.R. Rombauer, took over running the family business. K.R. tells the Chronicle the family decided “the best path forward for the winery was to transition it to another family-owned business with greater resources.”
Salvadoran restaurant Popoca is finally open
Chef Anthony Salguero has finally opened his first permanent restaurant in Oakland, East Bay Nosh reports. Popoca started as a pop-up in 2019 and Salguero has been working on the full restaurant for years now; at long last, a grand opening is scheduled for today, Wednesday, August 30 at 906 Washington Street.
A new cafe and bar opens in SoMa
Tablehopper has the news about Dacha Cafe + Bar, a new project from Katya Skye and Suki Skye’s cocktail consultancy Manhattan Zodiac. The woman and queer-owned business will be located inside SoMa coworking space Trellis and will serve “classic Eastern European pastries, modern coffee drinks, and a curated low-ABV and alcohol-free cocktail menu.” A grand opening is set for Tuesday, September 5 at 981 Mission Street.
Catch Oakland chef Nelson German on Food Network tomorrow
Oakland chef and restaurateur Nelson German of alaMar Dominican Kitchen and Sobre Mesa will compete on an episode of Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay that airs tomorrow, Thursday, August 31 at 9 p.m. PST. A watch party will be hosted at alaMar Dominican Kitchen; reservations are available on OpenTable and walk-ins are welcome.
One of Asia’s top restaurants is coming to Fisherman’s Wharf
On September 5 and 6, Abaca, the Filipino restaurant tucked inside a hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf, will host Manila restaurant Toyo Eatery, number 42 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Abaca chef Francis Ang and Toyo Eatery chef Jordy Navarra have created a multi-course tasting menu featuring dishes such as smoked wagyu kilawin with summer truffle toyo and black vinegar and seafood batil patong with egg drop, shrimp, squid, fish, and salmon roe. The menu costs $125 per person, excluding taxes and gratuity; reservations can be booked online.
