Fine Wines The World Over
Since its founding in 1979, North Berkeley has sourced authentic, expressive wines from France and Italy, destined for leading restaurants and wine shops as well as private cellars across the country. With a retail store in Berkeley, California and offices in Europe, our team is dedicated to providing customers with top-notch service and the finest wine selections the world over.
Did you know? We’ve been named “Importer of the Year” two years in a row — in 2019 and 2020 — by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Here’s our story.
Rosato Is How You Say “Summer” In Italian
Summer fun is just around the corner, which means it’s time for great rosato wines from Italy. Spiced and sultry and always thirst-quenching, say the word “rosato” and instantly summer is here!
Meursault On The Road! Boyer-Martenot in CA
Vincent Boyer of Domaine Boyer-Martenot visited California this month to present his golden Meursault wines as well as his new project, Boyer de Bar.
Le Clos du Caillou “A Candidate For Perfection”
We are eagerly awaiting the fruits of the 2020 vintage from Le Clos du Caillou! As a teaser, here’s a selection of stupendous notes for these wines from The Wine Advocate.
“Stunning” 2018 Côte Rôtie: Christophe Billon
This family-run, small-batch, talented estate, with exceptional wines of character that are quite affordable when compared to the competition, is a real discovery in this historic appellation.
Mugneret-Gibourg In San Francisco!
We welcomed Marie-Andree Nauleau-Gibourg of Domaine Mugneret-Giborg to San Francisco for a day packed with one-in-a-lifetime Burgundy tastings and world-class cuisine.
Musella An Amarone “Best Producer”: Forbes
Musella is named to Forbes’ top 35 Amarone producers list, citing its style of wines that lean “toward elegance rather than power.” Lovely wines waiting to be discovered!
Rocca di Montegrossi: Top 100 Wines of 2021
Our partners in Chianti Classico, Rocca di Montegrossi, had their 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ‘San Marcellino’ named to Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2021 list.
Murgo Etna Rosso: Top Value Brand of 2021, Wine & Spirits
Murgo’s Etna Rosso is named not only to Wine & Spirits’ “Top 100 Values of the Year” list but also to its “Top 40 Value Brands of the Year” for 2021 …
Praise For Musto Carmelitano New Releases
Musto Carmelitano is the top name for organic Aglianico in the region, and it’s heartening that the wine press is catching up to what we’ve been saying: that the true character of Aglianico — powerful & elegant — is what Musto Carmelitano faithfully delivers.
Valgiano’s Palistorti Rosso Is “Fun and Delicious”
The biodynamic oasis that is Tenuta di Valgiano in Tuscany (Colline Lucchesi) has crafted a stellar 2018 Palistorti Rosso, profiled in the upcoming October 2021 edition of Wine & Spirits Magazine.
Great Marks For 2019 Barraud at Wine Advocate
More stellar notes and praise from The Wine Advocate for Daniel et Julien Barraud, our long-time partners in the Maconnais. These organically raised, Burgundian Chardonnay wines are indeed benchmarks for quality in this beautiful region.
Dureuil Retrospective: The Glory of Old-Vine ‘Meix Cadot’
An excellent article from the Wine Advocate on our long-time partner in Rully, Vincent Dureuil, exploring Vincent’s top white, ‘Meix Cadot Vieilles Vignes,’ a vertical tasting that takes in literally every vintage that Vincent has made in his career.
Wines from Italy
From the rolling, romantic hills of Piedmont to Sicily’s fiery volcanic slopes, Italy is a sensualist’s dream and a wine lover’s heaven. Nowhere else in the world will you experience such a rich selection of native grapes, each with its own character and flavor, than in Italy. Our partners from the bel paese are small family farms, many of which have roots that reach back centuries. Discover our Italian wines.
Wines from France
Our partners in France are true artisans, looking toward the future while respecting the traditions of the past. We’ve worked with not only mothers and fathers but also sons and daughters—who, after traveling the world, have come home with new ideas. Many of the regions in which we were first pioneers, are today household names—yet we’re still scouring the gorgeous French countryside for the next must-have wine. Discover our French wines.