Broc Cellars, the natural winery tucked into West Berkeley, is celebrating its holiday wine release with a Japanese pop-up party on Saturday, featuring four food vendors who are all frequent collaborators with the winery. Two vintages of its Vine Starr Zinfandel will be poured by the glass for $15, and entry is free with the purchase of a beverage.
The celebration taps into a cult following that Broc Cellars has built in Japan over the better part of a decade. As reported by KQED, the pop-up is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the winery's tasting room at 1300 5th St. Berkeleyside, however, listed the event's hours as noon to 5 p.m. in its own roundup of weekend happenings, so attendees may want to confirm the exact closing time before heading out.
The event is billed as free to enter with a beverage purchase, and non-alcoholic options will also be available for those not drinking. Broc Cellars, founded by Chris Brockway as winemaker, is known for wines that are unoaked and not high in alcohol, qualities that general manager Bridget Leary says make them pair exceptionally well with Japanese food.
How a Manga Made a Berkeley Winery Famous in Japan
The roots of Broc's popularity overseas trace back to 2018, when the winery learned that its Vine Starr Zinfandel had been featured in The Drops of God, a popular Japanese wine manga. The appearance propelled Broc Cellars to newfound celebrity status almost overnight, according to KQED, and Japanese wine enthusiasts began buying the Vine Starr in quantities approaching the winery's total production.
Leary told the outlet that the winery's audience in Japan seemed to double in the aftermath. Today, the majority of the Vine Starr that Broc produces goes to Japan, and travelers from Japan continue to visit the West Berkeley tasting room as something of a pilgrimage site. Leary has said that faithful manga fans make a point of visiting every winery featured in the series. The phenomenon isn't unique to Broc: KQED also reported that a French winery behind another wine featured in The Drops of God had to double its own production to meet demand, with that wine's price temporarily spiking by a factor of ten.
Broc leans into the connection in small ways, selling merchandise bearing the phrase “Got grapes?” rendered in Japanese katakana. Saturday's party will even include a copy of the manga's featured volume for visitors to browse while they sip.
Takoyaki, Chirashi Bowls and a Yakitori Patio
Food is as central to the afternoon as the wine. Broc Cellars regularly hosts yakitori and sushi pop-ups on its outdoor patio, and the lineup for the holiday party draws from those recurring partnerships. Daruma Kiosk, run by chef Sanae Shikayama, will serve takoyaki and Japanese street food; Leary met Shikayama years ago while both worked the opening team at Liholiho Yacht Club, and Leary has singled out Daruma's onigiri as exceptional.
The San Francisco Chronicle has called Daruma Kiosk's Japanese food among the Bay Area's most delicious, noting the chef settled into a weekly rhythm cooking at Broc, with a menu built around takoyaki and rotating side dishes that rarely repeat week to week. Chef K will serve yakitori and oden at Saturday's event, while Koji Umemura, the chef behind Ippuku who also runs a catering side business, rounds out the savory offerings. Casa De Kei will serve chirashi sushi bowls, and Not Too Sweet will handle Japanese-inspired desserts.
What's Pouring for the Holidays
Broc's holiday release includes a sparkling Chenin Blanc, a Michael Mara Chardonnay, and a Nouveau, each chosen with the food pairings in mind. Leary has described the sparkling Chenin Blanc as a great party starter, the Chardonnay as her go-to for a chirashi bowl, and the Nouveau as a match for umami-heavy dishes like takoyaki. Broc's wines in general are built to bring out umami in Japanese cuisine and complement delicate flavors like sushi, according to Leary.
Organizers behind the gathering describe it as child- and dog-friendly, per Berkeleyside's listing, which notes the event is scheduled rain or shine. The nonprofit J-Sei has also said it plans to join the festivities as part of a wine club meet-up at the Broc Cellars tasting room on 5th Street.
