Back Wine Bar

After moving back from London in December, I spent a few months living in Sacramento in limbo on my way to San Francisco. Since the last time I lived in this city was well before I was of drinking age, I had to go out and discover some wine spots where I could get my "fix". An old coworker from San Luis Obispo had started working at a newer place called Back Wine Bar in Folsom, CA and it appealed to me because he said it had the same cozy feel as the bar we worked at in SLO. I went out in January to check it out, and was thoroughly impressed!

Although the space is small, they make it work really well by offering lots of bar seating, and cosy little tables along the wall and outside on the patio. It has a sleek, dark look to it with the stainless steel bar and velvety couches, but still offers a welcoming feeling with the warm lighting and warm smiles behind the counter. The Back's, a husband and wife team, run the bar and strive to offer a unique selection of wines, high quality foods, and events to draw the neighborhood in. The bar offers about 30 different wines for tasting or by the glass, and many more available to purchase by the bottle. There are also a few beer available on tap and by the bottle, and thanks to their beer connoisseur staff members, they are usually harder to find selections. But the best part of this bar is the food menu! Along with the traditional meat and cheese plates, they offer mini pizzas, four delectable types of bruschetta, and a seasonal Crème Brulée made from fruits of the season (blood orange the day of my visit).

I joined the mailing list on my first visit, and started hearing about all the events and tastings they offered over the next month. When I heard about their Valentine's Eve tasting of Champagne and oysters, I had to drag my boyfriend out to share in the treats. Everything was so reasonably priced ($0.50 oysters on the half shell and $6.00 glass of Champagne) that I couldn't resist over-indulging. The staff also opened several other bottles from their store and private collections, and were more than happy to share and educate anyone who was interested.

This place is a fabulous addition to the Folsom wine scene, and well worth the trek all the way from downtown Sacramento. Just be careful about driving home!