With its iconic crimson bridge, sweeping vistas from every hill and rich cultural experiences—it’s easy to see why so many have left their hearts in San Francisco. The city by the bay is also just an hour away from California’s wine country making it an ideal place to call home for anyone who loves culture and wine.
Meet Alexandra Newman
TravelSquire recently caught up with wine aficionado and entrepreneur Alexandra Newman, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and San Francisco native. Alexandra began her professional career as a ballerina with the San Francisco Ballet. After 8 seasons dancing with the company, she traded in her tutus and tiaras for wine bottles and corkscrews and headed off to Paris to study at Le Cordon Bleu in their Wine and Management Diploma program.
During her time in France, she worked harvest in Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, and interned with one of the leading wine startups in Europe, Le Petit Ballon. Upon returning to the states, Alexandra founded her boutique wine club, En Pointe Wines, a community-oriented subscription service featuring wines from all over the world. Her only requirement is that each wine be made by a small producer practicing sustainable farming to make food-friendly wines.
The TravelSquire asked Alexandra how she makes every day great in the city by the Bay.
What is your favorite attraction in San Francisco?
I love nature, so a walk from home through the historic Presidio forest down to Crissy Field by the bay is the perfect way to spend a day – especially if timed with the “Off the Grid” food truck event on Sundays during the summer.
What is your favorite monument in the city?
I can’t recommend a visit to the War Memorial Opera House for a ballet performance highly enough. The theater is stunning, the quality of the performances is world class, and if you head to the balcony at intermission, you’ll have a fantastic view of City Hall across the street.
What is your favorite museum?
I love the de Young Museum. Located in Golden Gate Park, it showcases American art from the 17th through 21st centuries, modern and contemporary art, photography, textiles, costumes, and art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The rotating exhibits are fantastic and you can’t beat the location. Grab lunch on the patio afterward and take a stroll through the park. It’s serene!
What is your favorite shopping area or favorite store?
Hayes Valley, a neighborhood around the Opera House, has really come into its own over the last ten years. A stroll along Hayes Street offers a great selection of boutiques, wine bars, restaurants, and even a beer garden. Can’t-miss spots are Arlequin wine shop, Sightglass Coffee, Souvla for a healthy greek salad, A Mano and Cala for dinner before a performance, and for clothing, my two favorites are Cary Lane and Azalea.
What is your favorite neighborhood?
It depends on the day, but I’m partial to Pacific Heights (Fillmore St.), Presidio Heights (Sacramento St.) and the Mission.
Do you have a “go to” restaurant in San Francisco? Is there a favorite cocktail or dish that you order there?
I live in Presidio Heights, just a few blocks away from the highly acclaimed Spruce. My husband and I love to eat at the bar for special occasions (or to turn date night into a special occasion). We always start with a glass of bubbly, then split the famous burger on their bar menu (with a salad of course) and take advantage of their extensive wine list. Our other “go-to” is just across the street and easy to miss. Sociale is an intimate Italian restaurant, offering the most romantic setting – a heated patio under pretty strung lights. It’s hard to resist their rotating selection of fresh pastas.
What San Francisco restaurant do you think has the most innovative wine list?
A night at Lazy Bear is memorable. Everything from the creative set menu, to the innovative wine pairing program, to the convivial communal setting with long shared tables and open kitchen, is top notch. I highly recommend having one person order the regular wine pairing, while the other orders the reserve. To compare the two wine pairings side by side is an incredible opportunity.
Where do you like to go on a night out?
I love the theater, so you’ll either find me cheering on my friends dancing with San Francisco Ballet or enjoying the latest Broadway show on tour at the Orpheum or Golden Gate Theatres.
Any secret things you like to do in San Francisco? What’s your perfect day? Perfect escape?
Believe it or not, one of the best things about San Francisco is its escapability! In 45 minutes you can be at the beach, in an hour exploring wine country, and in three hours skiing the slopes around Lake Tahoe. Heading out to the north of the Golden Gate Bridge is perhaps not a secret, but it’s certainly less “discovered.” A perfect day might be to drive to Marin County and have brunch at the Dipsea in Mill Valley or on the deck at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, then cruise Highway 1 to Stinson Beach. After a walk along the beach, continue on to Bolinas or Point Reyes Station for lunch and an afternoon stroll in a town with a decidedly “West Marin” vibe. If it’s still light out (and you’re hungry), have dinner at Bar Bocce or Fish in Sausalito for delicious food paired with a bay view.
Your training at Le Cordon Bleu inspired your creativity. How do you use that in San Francisco?
My training at Le Cordon Bleu inspired my curiosity more than my creativity. By spending an entire year focused on French wines, I was able to see how my knowledge at the outset of the school year was only the tip of the iceberg of all the information there was to learn and discover about wine. And then, expanding that curiosity to all the other wine regions of the world, there were so many questions I wanted to ask, wines I wanted to taste, and regions I wanted to visit. Le Cordon Bleu gave me a taste of the wine industry that inspired an insatiable appetite to keep diving further into it.
What advice do you have for someone considering a career in wine? Why pursue the course of study at Le Cordon Bleu?
Given that there are so many people with an interest in wine, it’s essential to differentiate yourself as someone taking the study of wine seriously. It’s easy to be dismissed as a hobbyist when you’re trying to enter this field, so embarking on a year-long intensive course like the one at Le Cordon Bleu can set you apart from the pack (both in terms of reputation and knowledge). Also, it’s important to note that the vast amount of information you can learn about wine is not something you’ll absorb from a book, and certainly not in a single year, but something you’ll spend your life learning. And if you’re seriously considering a career in wine, you should be comfortable self-identifying as someone who loves to learn.
The only other advice I would give is to give serious consideration to the kind of lifestyle that’s important to you. The life of a sommelier is tough – you’re working the floor nights and weekends, and that’s not easy for someone with a family. I suggest getting familiar with the varied career paths inside the industry, from importing to selling, to even producing wine – there’s a wide range of options out there that might not be apparent at the outset.
What is your favorite wine region in the world (including the US) to visit for a great experience?
I’ve been fortunate to have visited the US, Argentina, Italy, France, and Switzerland and I can say that my favorite part of visiting a region is understanding what makes it unique. For example, how has history influenced the style of wine a country is producing today? Was it invaded long ago and specific grape varieties and cultural traditions integrated? Take Alsace for example. You have this fascinating confluence of French and German culture coming together to make a unique and exciting region. That said, I’m excited by the renaissance happening in the US right now and the trend shifting away from more popular wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay towards alternative ones. There’s still an opportunity to experiment here, and discover which grapes grow best and where. That’s not possible in “old world” wine regions where strict laws govern winemaking and growing decisions.
Hard to answer I know but do you have a favorite wine? Red? White? Or Rose?
My interest in wine has always leaned toward food pairings, so my favorite style would be what best complements a meal.