The new wine bar at 633 First Street, just down from the Delta Cinema, is a collaboration of Becky Bloomfield and Dafne Swisher.
Bloomfield and her husband Tom, a fourth generation Brentwood farmer, have been growing grapes on their 205 acres since 1996. They focus on Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Syrah and Riesling.
Last year they produced 1,200 tons of grapes, most of which are sold to wineries such as Kendall Jackson and Beringer, but much of which is also processed into their own Bloomfield Vineyards label selections. This is their fourth year of bottling wines that "represent my fruit very well," said Bloomfield. "It's called 'fruit forward.' You can taste the fruit in the wine; it's not over-oaked."
Bloomfield met Swisher, who is the sister-in-law of former Brentwood Mayor Brian Swisher, through fundraising activities for the John Marsh Historic Trust and other organizations.
When the Brentwood Wine Store closed shop in a Swisher-owned building, Swisher was looking for a new tenant. She called Bloomfield, who was looking for a way to promote her wines, and the next thing they knew they were in the wine business together.
"This was like gold fell into my lap," said Bloomfield. "It's a dream come true. People come in and get to meet you and try your wine. It's a great way to get exposure. It's been very well received, lots of new faces and familiar faces. They are pleased that we are here and pleased with the atmosphere."
They opened the tasting room a couple weeks ago, featuring local and boutique California wines. In addition to Bloomfield Vineyards, you can sample wines from local entities such as Hannah Nicole Vineyards, Tamayo Family Vineyards, Sterling Albert Winery and Shadowbrook Winery.
A two-ounce taste costs around $3, a glass will run you $8 to $9 and bottles go anywhere from $17 to $56. You also have the option of a buying a flight for $9, which allows you to sample three different wines from one maker or three of the same wines from different makers or any combination in between.
They have started a wine club and plan to add more wines as well as offering cheeses and light deli fare. And, oh yes, if you're a vinophobe, they also have a large variety of beer on tap and in bottles.
The winter hours are Wednesday and Thursday 4-8 p.m., Friday 4-10 p.m., Saturday 3-10 p.m. The phone number is 634-WINE (9463) They don't yet have a Web site but you can e-mail them at
cococounty@att.net.
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