San Francisco Wine Center for Wine Education and Events Opens April 17

One of the US's most sophisticated wine markets, San Francisco, is about to get its first dedicated full-time center for wine education and events.

 
Catherine Fallis, Director of Education at The San Francisco Wine Center
One of the US's most sophisticated wine markets, San Francisco, is about to get its first dedicated full-time center for wine education and events.

The San Francisco Wine Center (SFWC) will open on April 17 in the SOMA district adjacent to the city's financial center. Its director of education, Catherine Fallis, will administer it along with owners Brian & Hillary McGonigle. Fallis is a former contributor to Wine Business Monthly and one of the world's few female Master Sommeliers.

Classes accommodating 12-46 at a time will cover such subjects as Napa, Tuscany, and Designing Your Dream Cellar and be led by a range of Master Sommeliers and other notable educators. Its 'Visiting Dignitaries' series will feature luminaries such as Kermit Lynch, Laura Catena, Peter Mondavi, and Jean-Charles Boisset. California's separate licensing currently disallows it from using spirits but a waiver from the Alcohol Beverage Commission is being considered; Mr. McGonigle told WineBusiness.com that SFWC, "may offer classes on tea, coffee, etc. but the focus is on wine."

Fallis's diverse background as a sommelier, wine director, retail buyer, and supplier & distributor sales management includes a stint with Zraly at the former Windows on the World where she wanted to, "bring wines down to earth for all people."

SFWC's opening flies in the face of the recent closing of Napa's COPIA, which once had designs to open a similar location in San Francisco, and of the overall current economic downturn.