Winemaker Produces Out Of Her Bayview Garage

Wine was a fun hobby for Barbara Gratta, something she enjoyed, but never took too seriously.  But it soon became a passion in her life, and is  now a business, GrattaWines, all out of the garage of her home in San Francisco's Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood.

Talk to Gratta and you can tell she takes her craft seriously, but not too seriously.  “I would never claim to be an expert on wine, but my knowledge is constantly growing.  I try to make things simple.  I think a lot of people are intimidated by wine because it can all be very complex,” Gratta said.  “I want to make the best wine I can, but also, make it something that is comfortable for everyone to enjoy.”

Photo Credit: Barbara Gratta

Not only simple, but affordable as well.  Gratta sees her business as an opportunity to teach people about wine, where she can help explain how to pair wine with food, give them a few basic tips, and introduce them to something they may not be familiar with.  Gratta’s garage is like her own personal wine lab, with barrels, a temperature-controlled room, even a forklift.  She produces about two tons of wine a year, the equivalent of 100 cases.  She currently produces four varietals: a Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet and Sangiovese, along with a handful of blends.  The grapes Gratta uses are grown at Teldeschi Vineyards in Dry Creek Valley, an operation that focuses on sustainability, and a vineyard introduced to her by a friend. 

Photo Credit: Barbara Gratta

Making wine out of her garage has inherent challenges, from controlling the climate to storage and space.  For example, the climate issue makes it difficult to produce white wines.  But her goal is to keep the winemaking process an uncomplicated one, to allow the grapes to do their part, and let the natural process take over.  Even with her "simplistic" approach, Gratta's wines have been a huge hit, including winning awards at the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition in her native New York. 

Gratta currently produces wine that she sells through her website, along with a handful of markets, bars and restaurants in San Francisco (Rainbow Grocery, The Hotel Rex, El Rio).  She also sells her wine at the Bayview Pop-Up Market and is hoping to expand soon in the neighborhood.  “I’ve been working with another vendor (Xan DeVoss of Fox and Lion Bread Company) on the idea of opening up a wine shop on Third Street.  There are some loopholes to work through in getting an alcohol permit for a space on Third, but I think it would be great to be part of this movement going on in Bayview Hunters Point,” Gratta said. 

Gratta said she sees the changes every day in her neighborhood, with new people moving in.  Gone are the days where she would hardly see her neighbors – in fact, when I visited her home to see the wine production firsthand, a number of adults and kids walked past the open garage door to say hi.  “I think quite a few of the residents who have lived here for awhile were concerned or are concerned about gentrification, about being forced out of the neighborhood.  But I think unlike areas like the Mission or Dogpatch, people who move to BVHP are coming in with a positive attitude, they want to be part of this community, and contribute in a positive way.  With more people moving here, we're also getting more visitors and there are finally places to go in the neighborhood," she said.  “There are so many positive things going on here, and food is an important part of that.  Food really gets people out of the house and back out into the community.”

Like many others, Gratta is hoping a grocery store is on its way, but she sees positives in the way BVHP has embraced the Bayview Pop-Up Market, and growing support from business owners and San Francisco Supervisor Malia Cohen.  Coming up in my next piece on Bayview Hunters Point, a closer look at the Bayview Pop-Up Market, with one of the driving forces behind the weekly event.