Wine Importer Selection Massale | Recommendations - Find. Eat. Drink.
Selection Massale, Wine Importers, Cory Cartwright, Guilhaume Gerard, San Francisco, CA, California, San Leandro, Wine Importer, What to drink, Wine, Red Wine, White Wine, Rose Wine, Where to eat, Restaurants, Where to buy wine, Where to drink, Wine Bars, Recommendations, Insider Recommendations, Wine Recs, Best Wine Bars, Paris, France, Angers, Los Angeles, CA, Haut-Savoie, Jura, Wine Blogs, Nimes, Angers, Arbois, Pupillin, Tours, Oakland, French
Eat | Restaurants - Paris, France
L’AS DU FALAFEL
34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
T: +33/(0)1.48.87.63.60
4th Arrondissement / Marais
Middle Eastern / Falafel
Do I really need to talk about falafels? Just go for it. Best in the world says the sign... (ok, every other falafel shops says the same in that street).
SEPTIME
80 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris, France
T: +33/(0)1.43.67.38.29 (make a reservation)
11th Arrondissement
Modern European
My boys Theo and Bertrand opened that place less than a year ago. I believe Bertrand is one of the greatest young chefs in Paris these days. The best products, always very simple, non-obstructive, but very inventive. A must go. The floor is run by Theo is the most charming host in all of Paris, seriously. The list includes favorites like Belluard, Frantz Saumon and Pfifferling.
LE BARATIN
3 Rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020 Paris, France
T: +33/(0)1.43.49.39.70
19th Arrondissement
French
Almost every American I've sent there hated the place. Truth is, I believe it's the best restaurant in the world, and most Parisian chefs (Inaki, Bertrand, Sven etc..) believe so as well. Deep, deep cellar, and cuisine d'artiste by Raquel. Of course if you don't like food (how do you call that? vegetarians?), or if your thing is "service", this isn't the right place for you.
PHO 14
129 Avenue de Choisy, 75013, Paris, France
T: +33/(0)1.45.83.61.15
13th Arrondissement
Vietnamese
Both Pho Ga and Pho Tai are great. Better than anything I've had in the States (ok, Turtle Tower's noodles are nicer, but the broth here is superior). Vietnamese raviolis to start.
Recommendations
BI-RITE
3639 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
T: 415.241.9760
Mission
Market
San Francisco, CA
Oakland, CA
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Paris, France
Arbois, France
Angers, France
Haut-Savoie, France
Nimes, France
Find | Wine Stores - San Francisco, cA
The wine selection is always very exciting for a small one.
TERROIR NATURAL WINE MERCHANT
The selection is big. I used to buy for them, so I know of a few bottles in there that not everyone has access to, so it kind of makes it special, for me at least. Truth is, to me at least, wine is about the producer, not the merchant. I would purchase a great bottle from the worst idiot in the world and have no issue with it.
SOMA
Wine Shop
Who
Cory Cartwright and Guilhaume Gerard are the owners of the wine import company, Selection Massale, based in San Leandro, CA.
Why
Guilhaume Gerard and Cory Cartwright met when both worked at San Francisco’s Terroir Natural Wine Merchant and Bar, where Guilhaume was a partner. They now import and sell small production, traditionally-made wines.
Wine Importer: Selection Massale
July 24, 2012
San Leandro, CA
Photographs courtesy of Selection Massale
LA CICCIA SARDINIAN
Glen Park
Italian / Sardinian
Eat | Restaurants - San Francisco, cA
La Ciccia is my home away from home. One the best restaurant experience in the states. They do a linguine pasta with shaved cured tuna heart that I would eat on my death bed if I could. Also the Calamari dish, Sardines, and about everything else on the menu. Amazing list, with a real focus on Sardegna. And Lorella and Massimo are the sweetest people in the world, period. La Ciccia's list has a real focus, and I like that a lot, even if I'm not a big Italian wine lover.
MISSION CHINESE FOOD
I know it's very trendy, but they deserve it. Anthony Myint was making the best burgers next door (in some Asian supermarket) before taking over the parent’s restaurant, and I think what they've done there is truly amazing. Chicken wings, smoked eel, pork jowl, chicken rice. It's hard to go wrong there.
Mission
Chinese
OUTERLANDS
Outer Sunset
American
Outerlands does all their bread and it’s amazing. It sort of starts there for the restaurant and everything has that sort of simple honesty to it.
TAQUERIA VALLARTA
3033 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
T: 415.826.8116
Lengua with red salsa and Al pastor with green salsa. The best tacos in SF, all al vapor.
Mission
Mexican
TURTLE TOWER
631 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
T: 415.409.3333
Tenderloin / Civic Center
Vietnamese
A little Pho place that's better than everything I've ever had in the States. Start with the fried rolls and get a Pho Ga (chicken soup). It's the real deal.
FOREIGN CINEMA
2534 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
T: 415.648.7600 (make a reservation)
Mission / Bernal Heights
Californian
Drink | Wine - San Francisco, cA
They always have some older wines on the list, and I think it's the sign of a smart wine program, even if sometimes it's a mediocre Burgundy, they are mostly well priced, and it's fun to see something other than the same Muscadet, the same Arbois and the same fucking Bourgueil and be like ‘wow, that's a great natural wine list!’ Natural wines are cool, but people have been making the same wine list all over the world and it gets a little tiring in my opinion, I like more adventurous ones I guess. Food is nothing special though.
RN74
www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/rn74.php?restaurant_id=3
301 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
T: 415.543.7474 (make a reservation)
They serve Saint Geron water, I really like that. I used to go to the bar and drink a bottle of water and look at their big wine list. They also use to have that pinot blanc from Fourrier that's alright.
SOMA
Wine Bar / Contemporary French
TERROIR
SoMa
Wine Bar
This is one of the spots we spend most of our time drinking in the Bay. They can get loud and they have great by the glass pours and some older stuff, If you’re nice enough they’ll let you buy some stuff that isn’t even on the list.
THE MONK’S KETTLE
Because my boy Jeff was doing the list, and that seeing a good wine list in a beer bar, it's quite unusual.
Mission
Bar
PAUL MARCUS WINES
Rockridge
Wine Store
Find | Wine Stores - Oakland, cA
I’m over in the East Bay and I tend to go to Paul Marcus pretty much exclusively. They have a bunch of people doing the buying, so you get a lot of diversity in wine and you’ll never walk out without something.
BAKESALE BETTY
Temescal
American / Bakery / Sandwiches
Eat | Restaurants - Oakland, cA
For the fried chicken sandwiches.
COMMIS
James is doing this very focused, precise, personal style.
Piedmont Avenue / North Oakland
American
TAQUERIA SINALOA
2138 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
T: 510.535.1206
East Oakland
Mexican Food Stand
Taqueria Sinaloa on International in Oakland. Just because Guilhaume knows the tacos are better in Oakland.
CAMINO
Lower Hills / Oakland
New American
Russ at Camino is doing this very hearty pastoral thing.
THE PUNCHDOWN
www.punchdownwine.com
2212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
T: 510.251.0100
Franklin Square
Wine Bar
Drink | Wine - Oakland, cA
Terroir and Punchdown are where we spend most of our time drinking in the Bay. Like above they can get loud, and they have great by the glass pours and some older stuff, and if you’re nice enough they’ll let you buy some stuff that isn’t even on the list.
Eat | Restaurants - Los Angeles, cA
ANTHONY WILSON
He’s a guitarist, so nothing to do with the wine/restaurant world, but he’s one of the most passionate people about food and wine I know. We like people who drink and eat for pleasure. Not to be seen or take precious pictures at hard-to-get-in restaurants, but people who are truly passionate about eating.
Musician
NIGHT + MARKET
9041 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069
T: 310.275.9724
West Hollywood
Thai
Kris Yenbamroong is a very talented chef who makes some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had, and a true wine lover again.
Find | Musicians - Los Angeles, cA
Eat | Restaurants - New York, NY
MINETTA TAVERN
Greenwich Village
French
For [chef] Bill Brasile. These days, with the sommeliers being the new “rockstars,” we are missing the link between food and wine, and to me, a chef that loves wine, truly, that's someone that needs to be exposed more.
BISTROT DES CLAQUETS
Place de Faramand, 39600 Arbois, France
T: +33/(0)3.84.66.04.19
Go for lunch. The appetizers are sitting inside as a buffet. Fromage de tete, pates and a couple salads or soups, then the entree changes everyday. One of the best "worker's menu" in France. They have some of the greatest wines from the region, Ratapoil, Cavarode, Gahier and that cool beer they brew in the area; La Franche.
Arbois
French
Eat | Restaurants - Arbois, France
Drink | Wine - Paris, France
ROSEBUD
11, Bis Rue Delambre, 75014 Paris
T: +33/(0)1.43.35.38.54
14th Arrondissement / Montparnasse
Cocktail Bar
Classic american cocktail Bar that serves a great simple cuisine and the best Chili con Carne in Paris. Everything served with bread and butter. Because after traveling for weeks and drinking wine at the nicest tables in France, it just feels good to have a chili and a Manhattan on the rocks.
LE GRAPIOT
It’s a bit of a fancier spot in the area, still very affordable (unless you order the overnoy vin jaune). Very classic food from the Jura, with frog legs au vin jaune when in season. Amazing list representing almost every single great producer of the region.
Pupillin
French
Eat | Restaurants - Pupillin, France
Eat | Restaurants - Tours, France
CASSE-CAILLOUX
Tours
French Bistro
Great bistro/gastro. I had the most amazing lievre a la royale there. Took three days to get rid of the gut taste in my mouth. Longest finish ever in a dish.
RESTAURANT AUBERGE CHEZ L’ANAIS
780 Route Bonneville, 74130 Ayse, France
T: +33/(0)4.50.03.61.50
You don't expect much from a place in such a small village, but I had the best 10,000 calorie meal of my life there. Tartiflette au morilles. Great fondues and charcuterie as well.
Ayse
French
Eat | Restaurants - Haut-Savoie, France
Eat | Restaurants - Nimes, France
LES HALLES DE NIMES
5 Rue des Halles, 3000 Nimes, France
T: +33/(0)4.66.21.52.49
Nimes
Order a dozen beers at the bar, and some Iberico at the first butcher on the left. I have very little love for my birthplace, but Les Halles is something I'm always going to miss. There, everything is just perfect. Ask the bar guys about boudin noir.
LE CERCLE ROUGE
4 Rue des Deux Haies, 49100 Angers, France
T: +33/(0)2.41.87.49.66
Guilhaume and I went there after discovering both Jerome Lenoir and Frantz Saumon. It’s one of the best spots in the world to get a glass of wine. It’s the kind of place you go to drink a lot and get loud. I don’t trust anyplace that is too quiet. It means people aren’t drinking.
Angers
Wine Bar
Eat | Restaurants - Angers, France
BROC CELLARS /
CHRIS BROCKWAY
USA / California
Wine Producer
Drink | Wine Producers
LA CLARINE FARM /
HANK BECKMEYER
USA / California
Wine Producer
I have nothing but respect for these are two guys in the states. People have accused Guilhaume and me of snobbery in the past (and probably present, and most likely future) for having a low opinion of American wines, but truthfully, most wine is not that great everywhere, and you need to find producers you like first, not countries.
CLOS ROCHE BLANCHE
Clos Roche Blanche, always -- for the rose, the Cot and the Cabernets.
France / Loire
Wine Producer
GLOUGUELE
Wine Blog
Find | Wine Blogs
OLIF
Wine Blog
WINE TERROIRS
Wine Blog
Guilhaume: I used to read blogs a lot more than I do now, the likes of Wine Terroirs, Glougueule, Olif etc, but these days, I have other ways of finding my information about producers...I just visit them all.
ROCKSS AND FRUIT
Wine Blog
Cory: I’ve always dug Lyle Fass’ site. I like Lyle, and he’s a rare person whose taste is wholly his own, and it really shows through.
JOSE PASTOR
Jose Pastor is the man, in my opinion. Of course, he's a real friend so I'm biased, but I think the way he's done it is very impressive.
Wine Importer
Drink | Wine Importers
NEAL ROSENTHAL
Wine Importer
I like Neal Rosenthal's book because I think his back label still means something. There's a real stamp of quality in all of his wines, natural or not.
CHARLES NEAL
I like his portfolio, especially his spirits, and seriously, he’s a guy who wrote a 700 page book about Calvados. It’s real passion to do something like that and the wine world needs a few people like him.
Wine & Spirits Importer
