A mayor walks into a bar...

Pouring wine sure sounds better than negotiating a challenging city budget. This past week, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan decided to join Port of Oakland officials on a trip to China to promote trade — and wine.

On her itinerary is a stop at the California Vintage Wine Bar in Hong Kong, part of a chain hoping to capitalize on China’s growing taste for wine. Quan will be behind the bar on behalf of Oakland’s Dashe Cellars, Urban Legends and JC Cellars. The Hong Kong outlet opened in January and serves more than 80 wines by the glass, along with “small-plate California cuisine.”

There’s more to this than a celebrity bartending gig, however. The wine bar doesn’t carry any of the Oakland wines, so Quan had to arrange to have them shipped there herself. All part of the mayor’s job, in her view.

“We have an opportunity to increase our exports,” she said.