32258 Thu Oct 28 14:48:39 -0700 2004 7 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 142714 i am a wine novice, but i need to get a gift of wine for someone who has done me a big favor. can anyone recommend a good wine store in SF or south to about palo alto where i can make sure i get something nice for $50-75? this is way beyond my normal price range, so i am out of my league. i want to make sure that it is a good gift. i know nothing about this person's taste in wine, so i thought i would go with a red wine or champange. any suggestions of wines would be great, too. sorry this is vague! thank you! gp Thu Oct 28 14:48:39 -0700 2004 0 GeckoPig 1 142716 Billecart-Salmon rose Champagne is a good value in that price range. SF: Amphora, D&M (for Champagne only), Ferry Plaza, K&L, SF Wine Trading Co. Burlingame: Weimax Redwood City: Beltramo's, K&L The Wine Club in SF has great discounts on fancy wine but it's not the best place for guidance. Thu Oct 28 14:57:18 -0700 2004 142714 0 Robert Lauriston 2 142731 I think K&L and Amphora are good places in SF for guidance, with K&L having the edge because they are much bigger. Great staff, too, let them know what you're looking for and your range rather than using the "shelf talkers" (the little descriptive slips of paper posted on the shelves). However, my absolute favorite Bay Area wine store is Weimax, I think the staff there are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their subject, and they have a suprisingly good selection for the size of the shop. Thu Oct 28 17:02:52 -0700 2004 142716 0 bernalgirl 3 142733 Don't be fooled by Amphora's small space. They have a huge selection, and little of their storage space is wasted on uninteresting wines. Thu Oct 28 17:08:25 -0700 2004 142731 0 Robert Lauriston 4 142769 Agreed. Amphora has one of the best and consistently interesting selections of wine in the city. Thu Oct 28 22:34:15 -0700 2004 142733 0 Paul H 1 142718 I would go to K&L Wines on 4th Street between Brannan and Townsend in SF (SoMA area). They have a broad selection and helpful staff and are generally competitive on price. Since you don't know what kind of wine your friend likes, it would be helpful for the staff to know what kind of food your friend likes to eat and/or cook, as that would help them tailor the wine to a food preference that would work for the recipient. Thu Oct 28 15:01:23 -0700 2004 142714 0 farmersdaughter 1 142766 If you want to go to Palo Alto, there is a great wine shop on California Avenue called Vin, Vino, Wine. Very helpful staff. They get many of the same wines that Kermit Lynch in Berkeley has. Thu Oct 28 21:46:55 -0700 2004 142714 0 Jeremy Newel 1 142854 We venture to Weimax in Burlingame...the staff is very knowledgeable and the selection is amazingly deep. What they really do well is find wines which have a great quality/price ratio. And they will gift box and wrap your purchases. I think they have a web site. Sat Oct 30 11:49:27 -0700 2004 142714 0 Rob Regan