coopervino wine bar CUPERTINO A tad tricky to find and located across the street from to-be-redeveloped Vallco mall, this friendly wine bar combines interesting selections, live music and some low-key wine education for those so interested. Spacious and well designed with wood accents and floors, CooperVino has a small patio in front as well. The most pleasing spot is in the “barrel room,” where groups gather and where events (wine-pairing dinners and classes) are held. Middle-of-the-road paninis are available along with quite a few appealing salads, while there’s also a line-up of heartier dishes such as grilled eggplant and polenta with smoked mozzarella. Well-chosen wines include a few hard-to-find gems among 30 by-the-glass choices. Live jazz is played frequently, although the noise can be a bit much for those concentrating on what’s in their glass. PAIRINGS ON THE PATIO Match truffled mac & cheese with a lush Sea Smoke pinot noir or try pulled-pork sliders with a full-flavored Brunello di Montalcino from Argiano. DETAILS 19700 Vallco Parkway #130, 408/642-1057; coopervino.com August/September 2016 87 FROM TOP: MARK SYLVA (2); COURTESY OF DAVIDCMC58; OPPOSITE: ANDREW NGUYEN savvy cellar wine bar MOUNTAIN VIEW “Savvy” is the key here, with highly rated wine education classes and a slew of informative events taught by sommeliers, winemakers and certified wine pros. A monthly trivia night tests what patrons have learned. Located in what was once the train depot, Savvy Cellar is small inside but has an expansive patio where train whistles are the audio entertainment. Some Caltrain commuters stop off for a convenient glass on the way home. The nibble assortment isn’t huge but is well chosen and features breads, pastries and handmade chocolates from nearby posh Alexander’s Patisserie. Given that this wine bar is also a retail shop (not unusual for local wine bars), the wine assortment is large so it’s easy to bring home new discoveries for dinner chez vous. PAIRINGS ON THE PATIO Munch on prosciutto-wrapped figs and chorizo with a flight of international reds or artichoke-jalapeno dip with a little kick that won’t overpower a big Napa cab from Corison. DETAILS 750 West Evelyn Ave. (at Castro), 650/969-3958; savvycellar.com
South Bay Accent - AugSep 2016
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