O u r S t o r y
"...Brooklyn West has a deft touch with reds… producing polished, well-balanced Tempranillos and Barberas… their Zinfandels are jammy and big, yet elegant….and their Viognier is lithe and ethereal."
~ Wine Enthusiast
A b o u t U s
Brooklyn West specializes in handcrafted, small lot winemaking. With production based in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, we source our grapes from some of the best vineyards in Northern California. Our winemakers Stew Epstein and Jeffrey Fiegel chose to follow a winemaking philosophy of minimalist intervention, relying upon what is naturally available on the grapes and from nature to inform the journey of our wines.
As one of the first American wineries to specialize in Tempranillo, we learned to combine Old World artisanal winemaking techniques with New World fruit-forwardness, crafting wines that are intense and deeply concentrated, yet elegant at the same time. We went on to perfect that signature winemaking approach with all of our wines – from our Sauvignon Blancs to our old vine Zinfandels.
The Brooklyn West Winery tasting room is located in the heart of Jack London Square, Oakland so that folks in the Bay Area don’t need to travel out to wine country to experience our award-winning wines. We strive to not be a run-of-the-mill winery tasting room… but instead, to be an inclusive local hangout – a place where a diverse community of folks can meet up to enjoy and learn more about wine in a welcoming, laid back atmosphere.
W h y A r e W e C a l l e d ‘ B r o o k l y n W e s t ’ ?
We are often asked why the winery is named Brooklyn West. The short answer is fuhgeddaboutit (just kidding).
Actually, the short answer is that our family roots go back to Brooklyn. Our winemaker, Stewart Epstein and his wife Michelle have a life story centered on migration from Brooklyn to the West. 3 of their 4 parents were born in Brooklyn and Michelle was born and lived there for over 30 years. Due to a triumph of online dating between Stew and Michelle (thank you, Jdate)! they found their Brooklyn destinies intertwined out West in California. Jeffrey Fiegel, our Assistant Winemaker is from Wichita, Kansas, ( but we forgive him for that – someone has to represent the rest of the country!) Jeffrey brings a wealth of hospitality experience from the Ritz Carlton and from Norwegian Cruise Lines
The longer answer about our winery’s name is that Brooklyn West ties into both the history and the current zeitgeist of Oakland. Many folks don’t know that Oakland WAS the Brooklyn of the West.
Brooklyn, California was formed in 1856. Brooklyn commemorates the name of the ship that had brought over 200 Mormon settlers from New York to California. Oakland annexed Brooklyn in 1872 and the area is now known as East Oakland.
It has been definitely been said, written about, and pondered on more than once that Oakland IS the Brooklyn of the West. Just as New Yorkers now make their way to Brooklyn for innovative experiences in culture, food, and art, San Franciscans and Bay Area residents and visitors increasingly head to Oakland to do the same.
We are extremely proud to be part ofthe creative vitality and cultural diversity that makes Oakland so special.
