Rosenblum Cellars

2900 Main Street (at Gateway Alameda)

Alameda

(510) 865-7007

Wine aficionados tout Rosenblum zinfandel as some of the finest produced in California. Rosenblum also produces highly regarded Merlot, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus small amounts of Chardonnay, Syrah,and other dessert wines. What’s equally pleasing is the low price. Rosenblum’s Zinfandels, some of the most honored wines in the country, retail prices vary from $9.50 to $40 depending on appellation, vineyard designation and rarity of the wine. Incidentally, Kent Rosenblum, the proprietor of Rosenblum Cellars, is a respected Alameda veterinarian.

And getting to Rosenblum Cellars is at least half the fun. Alameda/Oakland commuters know well that they enjoy one of the most astonishingly beautiful ferry rides in the world. As the boat departs from the ferry building, making a lazy arc towards the Bay Bridge, a stunning view of the San Francisco skyline unfolds. The sight is so impressive that crowds routinely form on the fantail, watching quietly, as if in church. Passing beneath the mighty Bay Bridge is an awesome experience; you can hear the hum of traffic and, not infrequently, get a quiet sense of satisfaction at the sight of backed-up traffic. Huge ocean-going container ships are a common sight, along with all manner of working craft like tugboats and barges. Before long, the ferry slows as it enters the misnamed Oakland Estuary. (It’s actually a man-made channel. An estuary is a water passage where the tide meets a river current. In fact, all of San Francisco Bay is an estuary).

The first stop for the Alameda/Oakland ferry stop is Gateway Alameda. Alameda, once part of the East Bay mainland, became an island when the Estuary was dug to create the Port of Oakland. In the early 1900’s, Alameda was promoted as the "Isle of Style", and many successful San Francisco businesspeople moved to the island, attracted by its long beaches and hundreds of stately Victorian homes (some of the finest anywhere). Until recently, a Naval Air Base occupied the western third of the island. Now decommissioned, the base is rapidly being developed into a center for high-tech business. The Gateway Alameda ferry terminal is located on land that had once been part of the air base.

After the Gold Rush, and until the opening of the Bay Bridge, the ferry routes that operated between Alameda and San Francisco were some of the busiest on the Bay. A rail network called the Red Trains connected seamlessly with ferries. In a shortsighted belief that cars were the be-all and end-all, the Red Trains was torn up and the ferries retired to make way for the Bay Bridge. Indeed, ferries were outlawed until 1989. It was only when the Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the Bay Bridge that ferry service resumed. After the Bridge was repaired, the City of Alameda took the lead in making possible continuing service.

Leaving the ferry at Gateway Alameda, it’s impossible to miss Rosenblum Cellars. It’s just a few hundred steps from the terminal in a large historic structure that once was the Todd Shipyard Building where Liberty Ships were cranked out during World War II.

The truth is there isn’t much to do at Gateway Alameda besides go to Rosenblum Cellars. Redevelopment of the Air Base is in its early stages, though plans eventually call for a large nature preserve that will surely become a tourist destination. There are many interesting things to do in Alameda, but public transportation to the Gateway Alameda ferry terminal is limited.

But for now, the spectacular ferry ride – a bargain at just $9 round trip, $3.50 for children – and the fine wines of Rosenblum Cellars make this day trip an unbeatable bargain. The best weekday bet is to take the 4:10 boat (from Pier ½ at the Ferry Building) and return on the 5:40. The Winery closes at 5:00, so you’ll have a half hour to enjoy the San Francisco skyline and working waterfront. On weekends you could leave San Francisco at either 1:00 or 3:30, returning at 4:15 or 5:45 respectively.

The Winery is open for tasting and sales 7 days a week from 12 to 5 p.m. except for major holidays. 

The Conference Room

5 World Trade Center (The Ferry Building)

San Francisco

415-397-6330

Tacked onto the front of the Ferry Building just at the main portico, the Conference Room is hardly a trendy eatery catering to dot-comers and ad executives – far from it. Tubes of green tennis balls completely block all natural light from entering the bar’s casement windows. Fishing and baseball caps cover one wall; 8 by 10’s of racetrack scenes take up another. There’s a small bar, or you can chose to sit in one of the mismatched used office chairs.

It may be a dive bar–the radio plays 40’s classics non-stop and racy pictures are unapologetically posted on the wall. But it’s an authentic waterfront bar that has earned its place as a genuine San Francisco institution.

The Conference Room is pretty much unchanged since it opened 28 years ago, thanks to owner/bartender Andy Leakakos. Stepping into his bar takes you back, back to when the waterfront was the economic engine of California, pulsing with cargo, travelers, and working stiffs like Andy Leakakos who had to work their heart out to make it all go right.

Not surprisingly, many of his customers are ferry riders, and have been since ferry service resumed in 1972 with the Sausalito run (for which Andy ran the concession stand).

Major renovations are set to begin soon for the Ferry building and what the future holds for Andy and the Conference Room is unclear. With any luck, he and his lovely San Francisco institution will be with us for a long time. 

The ferry ride is spectacular – straight across the Bay with peerless views of natural vistas and the working Richmond waterfront

You’ll need a bike for this jaunt unless you’re up for some pretty long walks, because the Richmond Ferry Terminal doesn’t have much in the way of public transportation.

As the ferry approaches the dock you can’t miss the extraordinary building jutting into the Bay just to the south. It seems a mile long, and with its beautiful brick construction and breathtaking views of San Francisco to be just crying out to be converted in loft spaces. Which, in fact, is about to happen. The building was designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1929 as a Ford Motor plant. Ground will be broken in January 2001 on a redevelopment that will include 250 live-work units and 200,000 square feet of office space.

Plans for the site also include a World War II Home Front Visitors and Education Center to be operated by the National Park Service. The Center will anchor a 3-4 mile long waterfront trail of monuments commemorating those who worked in wartime industries, including the planned "Rosie the Riveter" monument honoring the special role played by women workers.

Exiting the ferry terminal area, take a right at the corner past the Harbormasters Office and there will be the start of Marina Bay Waterfront trail, a recently opened addition to the Bay Trail (Bay Trail info:510-464-7900).

You’ll go past Salute’s, a great Italian restaurant on water heartily recommended by regular Richmond ferry riders (1900 Esplanade Dr., 510- 215-0803). Just a bit further along is Point Isabel where you’ll find a Rollerblade park popular with locals.

Next up is a 7 mile bike ride to the incomparable Miller Knox Regional Shoreline (see turn-by-turn directions below).

This beautifully landscaped shoreline area includes a secluded cover with swimming beach and a hilltop with excellent panoramic views of the North Bay. The 295-acre park also incorporates Ferry Point, place of embarkation for ferry riders headed to the North Bay until the Richardson/San Rafael Bridge brought an end to ferry service in the 1950’s. Incidentally, the park is named in honor  of the late State Senator George Miller, Jr. and for John T. Knox, a Point Richmond resident and former State Assemblyman.

The Golden State Model Railroad is a can’t-miss. It’s located in Miller/Knox Park, at 900 Dornon Drive (call 510-234-4884 or 510-758-6288 for information). It’s 10,000 square feet house one of the largest collections of model railroads in the nation and is only open Sunday afternoons from 1-5 from the beginning of May through the end of October.

Next head to downtown Point Richmond, just a half-mile away and truly one of the most charming and least-appreciated places in the Bay Area. This utterly charming historic district is chock-a-block full of fun shops and interesting turn-of-the-century architecture.

Our informants – Point Richmond residents who commute on the Richmond ferry –say the best breakfast in town is to be had at the Hidden City Café (109 Park Place, 510-232-9738). Your correspondent has personal knowledge of the exquisite Gold Coast-era bar at the Hotel Mac (510 Washington Ave., 510-233-0576). It’s the unmistakable large brick building that genially dominates the downtown square and is so perfectly a restored period piece that you almost expect Bat Masterson to walk out the front door.