Bar Bambino Celebrates Summer of Riesling

San Francisco, CA- Bar Bambino, one of San Francisco’s “38 essential restaurants” according to the newly published poll by SF Eater, has joined this year’s Summer of Riesling fever by highlighting exceptional German, Austrian, Italian, French and Croatian Rieslings from their wine list— a perfect match with their Northeastern Italian cuisine.

Bar Bambino’s wine director, Collin-Peter Casey, has highlighted Rieslings from the Rheingau, Pfalz, Nahe and Mosel regions in Germany and from the Kamptal Region in Austria, specifically for this summer-long spotlight on this most versatile variety http://summerofriesling.com/.  Long a fan of Riesling’s many charms, the crew at Bar Bambino seized the opportunity to showcase some of its wine list gems. With a wide range of styles from dry to sweet, the wine list features Rieslings for any preference.

Chef Lizzie Binder will be creating Riesling-specific specials throughout the summer, and of course some of the menu standards are classic pairings. Bar Bambino’s stuzzichini dishes are a perfect pairing with Eva Fricke’s Rheingau Trocken 2009 (a dry Riesling) or the menu favorite truffled egg bruschetta with the Kuenhof “Kaiton” Riesling from Alto Adige. In addition, Casey revealed that soon he will announce an event where they can pair Riesling with literally any dish on the menu. “It works!” he exclaimed. There will also be at least 3 Rieslings sold exclusively by the glass every day.  Currently in addition to Eva Fricke and the Kuenhof wines, Casey is featuring:

• Hirsch Zobing 2009, a biodynamic, zippy & bright Austrian Riesling from one of the hottest up & comers of the last 10 years. The Grapes are a stones throw from Heillegenstein, which is a "grand cru" vineyard.

• Maurice Schoeck Kaffenkopf Grand Cru 2009, an Alsatian Grand Cru juice from a stellar vintage—a brilliant Riesling.

• Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonneneuhr Auslese "Rotlay" 2007. Rotlay is a small parcel within Sonnenuhr with a particularly complex soil structure that Johannes Selbach is a big fan of. This  "microparcelling" isn't done with any regularity elsewhere, according to Casey.

• Enjingi Grasevina. A Croatian "Welschriesling" (as its sometimes called), this isn't really a Riesling proper, but that’s irrelevant— it is super delicious and a distant cousin J.

There is also a plan to highlight a trocken through auslese tasting at some point this summer. Follow @BarBambino on Twitter for regular updates on the program.

The Summer of Riesling event was founded in 2008 by wine professional Paul Greico. He announced his restaurant, Terroir, would be featuring only Riesling for all 92 days of summer. With over 30 Rieslings on the glass list and over 150 by the bottle, the idea was a huge hit. Three years later, it has turned into a national event, with restaurants in every city of the country participating.

About Bar Bambino
Slightly off the path in San Francisco’s Mission District lies Bar Bambino, a neighborhood eatery that brings simple, elegant food and wine to the table while gathering together friends, family and friends-to-be. Inspired by years of living in Europe, owner Christopher Losa has created a restaurant the San Francisco Chronicle has hailed as “a true oasis with a sexy, speakeasy vibe.” Guests enjoy an unpretentious urban atmosphere at Bar Bambino. Embracing the idea that life is better around the table, Bar Bambino accents the cuisine of Northeastern Italy with its Tyrolean and Friulian influences via Central and Eastern Europe. Featuring locally and sustainably sourced produce and meats, house-made pastas and inspired desserts, Executive Chef Elizabeth Binder with her understated touch brings a lightness and elegance to traditional recipes.  Celebrating its fourth anniversary this year  Bar Bambino has garnered local and national accolades, repeatedly named as a San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 restaurant and one of Bon Appetit Magazine’s Top 10 Wine Bars in the nation.

For more information and reservations please call Bar Bambino at 415/701 VINO(8466) or email info@barbambino.com or visit their website www.barbambino.com. For media inquiries, interviews or Information, please contact Skye Morgan of Charles Communications Associates at skye@charlescomm.com or 415/701 9463.