For those of you who missed the Grand Opening on Oct. 3 (that includes me), check out The Vine at Bridges, Danville’s new spot for all things wine. I’ll be doing a Night Writer column on it in the near future, so keep an eye out. Our general rule is to allow a spot to be open for a month before the Night Writer descends.

In the meantime, check it out and post your comments here. Seems the concept is not unlike Prima Vini in Walnut Creek, which is adjacent to a fine dining establishment and offers diners an opportunity to browse and buy before and after they eat.

The added bonus is that The VIne functions as a bar as well, serving tastes and glasses and offering knowledge coupled with a bend toward the affordable. Think Wine Thieves in Lafayette, if it was a bar attached to a fabulous restaurant.

Hey folks, I’m leading a Pinot Noir food pairing event at Lost Canyon Winery in Oakland this Saturday, May 17 from 3 to 5 p.m. The power point presentation will be almost as delicious as the wines.

Lost Canyon is easily making some of the state’s most sophisticated Pinot Noir in a range of styles. Come see what I pair them with and why plus win trivia prizes. The cost is $30 ($15 for Lost Canyon wine club members) and that gets you a taste of three Pinots plus three food samples and three recipes to take home.

Details are here. See you then.

Move over SF. Oakland is gaining on you with wine bars per square mile. Vine Wine Bar on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland is officially open, despite the confusing “Coming Soon” on their Web site. Perhaps they mean the site itself? Anyway, I checked out the bar earlier this week and while it has some kinks to work out, I’m definitely glad they’re here.

Much like Artisan Wine Lounge in Walnut Creek and Taste in Berkeley (which is currently closed for remodeling), Vine Wine Bar offers two Enomatic machines, one for whites and the other for reds. Incidentally, the white machine offers three levels of pours, not just one. Pretty cool.

The selection in the machines was good: everything from Plumpjack Merlot and HdV Syrah to lesser known cool climate Viogniers and even two sakes. The by-the-glass list which includes J’s uber-popular Pinot Gris, shows all the Enomatic offerings in red type, which is quite helpful. Why bother ordering a full glass if you can taste it first.

The space in general is winning as well. Ceiling-high barrels fill the vaulted overhead with the seductive smell of a warehouse winery — the scent I wish my home had — while sleek black couches and a gorgeous wall-size wine art give the room the vibe of a lounge.

What needs work:

1. The menu. A fruit plate with yogurt dip is not wine bar fare. Neither are salads. And when you only offer three cheeses on your charcuterie plate, make sure one of them is not cheddar. I’m astounded they call themselves a wine and tapas lounge. The owners need to take a lesson from Artisan, with its easy going yet elegant Spanish-themed small plates.

2. The music. There’s no need to play loud techno, bump and grind or otherwise clubby music at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday. Let the crowd dictate what you play, not the other way around.

3. Switching out bottles. When the Plumpjack Merlot was finished, it took a team of two to three staffers to replace it and ensure Jenny got the pour she paid for. To make up for it, they let me try a taste on the house, which was nice.

4. Flirting with the customers. Jenny and I were floored at how forward one manager was. The joint was filled with an almost entirely male clientele to begin with, so we already felt odd being two of the only women in the place. We didn’t need any more attention.

5. Consider offering Enomatic cards in any increment the customer wishes. Vine’s minimum is $20, and with a slim menu offering not even one hearty dish (French fries? Sandwiches?) that’s too much wine for light weights like me and Jenny.

Ok, I know I’m a little event happy right now, but ’tis the season, eh? The weather’s brisk yet the sun is shining, so we need to take advantage before it starts raining buckets next month.

You already know about Lost Canyon Winery’s Holiday Open House this weekend. Also good to know: Harrington, another maker of fine, single-vineyardPinot Noir, is having its annual holiday sale this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 1 and 2, from noon to 5 p.m. at the winery, 805 Camelia St., Berkeley.

Harrington will be pouring all five Pinot Noirs from the 2006 vintage. They’ll also be pouring wines from Eno and Edmund St. John. Wow your friends with local, small production wines of exceptional quality.  The press release from Bryan Harrington says to bring friends. So I’m bringing all ya’ll. See ya then.

A substantial tasting joint was left off of my centerpiece story yesterday “Wine Bars Pour it On,” . And it’s worth checking out.

The Pleasant Hill Wine Merchants, adjacent to T.J. Maxx on Pleasant Hill Road, fosters a winery-like experience. They have separate tasting room hours (5 to 8 p.m. Fridays and 2 to 5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays) and are more than happy to host a private tasting event for you, something I don’t think I’ve encountered before.

It could just be the new birthday dinner. Why force your friends to cough it up for a prix fixe at Slanted Door when you could do a private cheese tasting for a lot less?

Much like Wine Thieves, they have three tiers to their monthly wine clubs — Smart Buy ($18), Estate ($30), Winemakers ($50) — and their tasting events have fun themes, like Ladies’ Night or Screw Caps. That document is hard to read on their Web site, so I suggest you peruse the blog and just go into the store for more information on upcoming events.

Another cool thing about their wine club is that rather than ship the wine to you every month, club members are invited to a two-night tasting event. At “Wine Club Pick Up Party” you get to sample and then select your wines — to go! It’s obviously been a success, as they’ve garnered more than 350 wine club members in the 10 months they’ve been open. Bravo!