Nick Caruso asks two questions before handing you anything. What are you eating, and who is it for? He trained through the Court of Master Sommeliers, though you would never guess it from the conversation, and that is exactly the point. That tone runs through the entire shop, from the front door to the back wall. Christina and Nick stock Suds and Bottles almost entirely from small family wineries, most of them farming organically or biodynamically, none reaching for the 76 additives the FDA still allows. What surprises people is how approachable the shelves are. Most of the room is priced at thirty dollars or under, so bringing home something lovely never has to wait for a special occasion.
Fall is when the good bottles start arriving. Napa winemaker Rob Sinskey visits on October 29 for a meet-and-greet. On November 14, Stock the Cellar returns free with more than forty wines, benefiting Theodora Dance Conservatory. Everything on the next page is something Christina or Nick would hand you across the bar themselves.
Obsidian Wine Co. Volcanic Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
$35 - full-bodied, structured red wine grown in the volcanic soils of the Red Hills Lake County AVA in California
Condado de Oriza Gran Reserva Tempranillo
$33 - a full-bodied red wine from the Ribera del Duero region of Spain, aged for 24 months in oak barrels
Kokomo Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County
$42- a full-bodied red wine produced in Healdsburg, California. Designed to be powerful yet balanced with supportive tannins
Sohm & Kracher Gruner Veltiner Lion
$29 - a crisp, dry, and mineral-driven Austrian white wine
Duca Di Salaparuta Lavico Etna Bianco
$34 - a crisp, mineral-driven white wine made from 100% Carricante grapes grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily
Domaine Serge Laporte Sancerre Les Boursicottes
$33 - a classic, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc produced by the family-owned estate in the village of Chavignol, France
Robert Sinskey Vineyards Vin Gris of Pinot Noir
$42 - an organically and biodynamically farmed dry rosé wine made from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Carneros region of California
Champagne Vincent Bliard Les Fondamentaux Premier Cru
$66 - an organic, non-vintage grower champagne made in Hautvillers, France, by the third-generation sibling team Florence and Antoine Bliard
Your Wine Permission Slip
Chill your red. Drink rosé in December. Love moscato unapologetically. Skip the expensive bottle. Choose wine because the label made you laugh. Pair champagne with potato chips. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, not passed like a test.
Suds & Bottles Rules of Wine
- Drink what you like
- Price doesn't equal quality
- You don't need to know the lingo
- Try something you've never heard of
- Never apologize for liking sweet wine
- Rosé has no season
- And when in doubt, Ask!