At the bar
By the glass
The bar and raw bar open at 4:30pm and the full menu is served there. The glass list is where the sommelier experiments, so ask what is open tonight.
Farallon/Wines at Farallon
California & France · 90+ pinot noirs
Wines at Farallon
The red of choice with coastal cuisine is pinot noir, and this list treats it seriously.
The program
Built to sit beside seafood
The primarily California and French wine program features an abundant selection of half bottles, an eclectic, wine-by-the-glass list to compliment the fresh and intriguing menu, and upwards of 90 pinot noirs from around the world, the red wine of choice with much of Farallon's coastal cuisine.
Why pinot noir
Most red wine fights fish. Pinot noir does not — its acidity, low tannin and red-fruit register sit comfortably against salmon, char, tuna and even a warm half lobster, which is why the cellar is weighted toward it. The depth runs across California's Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Anderson Valley, Oregon's Willamette, and Burgundy, with Central Otago and other New World regions appearing when they earn their place.
Half bottles, seriously
An abundant selection of half bottles is the quietly useful part of this list. It lets two people drink a white through the raw bar and a red through the third course without committing to two full bottles — and it lets solo diners at the bar drink well.
By the glass
The by-the-glass list is deliberately eclectic rather than safe: sparkling from the Loire, aromatic whites, a rotating set of pinots, and dessert pours including a late-harvest Napa sauvignon blanc/semillon and a Cossart Gordon Madeira to finish with the cheese board.
- Focus
- California & FranceWith New World pinot noir where it earns a place
- Pinot noirs
- 90+From around the world
- Half bottles
- AbundantMove between courses without two full bottles
- By the glass
- EclecticChosen against the fresh and intriguing menu
PinotFest
Twenty years of a public tasting of a sexy wine
Farallon's own pinot noir festival has run for two decades in the Beluga Room, gathering over 50 top pinot noir producers from California and Oregon for an afternoon the restaurant calls The Great Big Bacchanalia — pinot, Farallon appetizers and one killer location on Union Square.
The event has raised money for The Watershed Project, whose mission is to inspire Bay Area communities to understand, appreciate and protect our local watersheds, and in 2017 also for the Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund.
Ways to drink here
Three approaches to the list
The lounge
At the table
Pairing by course
Hand the list back and give the sommelier a budget and a direction. With the tasting menu in the Pool Room this is the most rewarding route.
In private
The Wine Hold
A table for twelve inside four glass walls in the middle of the Pool Room, surrounded by the cellar. Guests choose from the daily changing à la carte menu.
Frequently asked questions
Wine at Farallon, answered
How large is the wine list?
The printed list runs to 25 pages. It is primarily California and French, with an abundant selection of half bottles and upwards of 90 pinot noirs from around the world.
Do you have a sommelier?
Yes. The award-winning wine program is led by wine director Luke Kenning, a sommelier accredited by The Guild of Master Sommeliers.
Can I bring my own bottle?
Corkage policies change; call (415) 956-6969 before you plan around it. Given the depth of the cellar, most guests find something on the list.
Do you do wine dinners?
Yes — wine dinners are among the events the private dining team regularly hosts, along with corporate functions and cooking demonstrations. See private dining.
What pairs with the raw bar?
Sparkling wine, Chablis and dry Loire sauvignon blanc are the classic answers, and all three sit on the by-the-glass list. With caviar, the sommelier will usually pour something sparkling.
Reservations
A table on Post Street
Make a reservation online, or call us at (415) 956-6969. Our full menu is served at the bar, and limited valet parking is available.