Seize: Eat & Drink

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Big Beams, Bold Taste

A new wine bar in San Francisco's SOMA district is inserting a much-needed return to classic tastes and decor into the city's saturated wine bar market. Shying away from the sleek modernism that dominates many such establishments, District, between 3rd and 4th streets on Townsend Street, is a large room given over to candelabras and huge wood beams. A large bar provides plenty of elbow room, and the plush vibe is balanced nicely by the establishment's industrial feel. The wine list is superb and easily navigated. Small plates and noshing items are available, and the ambience is relaxed yet vaguely posh, making it a lovely date destination. Consider the words of Mark Twain that appear on its website: "There are no standards of taste in wine, cigars, poetry, prose, etc. Each man's own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard." In other words, drink what you want ... and they'll help you find it.

For more information, visit districtsf.com.

Have you vowed never again to be the only one dancing the macarena on top of the bar or the only one to tell your boss what you really think of the big project at an office party? Then try sipping the alcohol-free Vignette Wine Country Soda available as pinot noir or chardonnay. It's bubbly, it tastes like wine, and unless you're super sugar-sensitive, you won't lose your cool after downing a few.

For more information, visit winecountrysoda.com

U-Pick Free-For-All

Looking for an outdoor activity that's fun for the entire family and relatively cheap? Try berry-picking. May through August is prime season for strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, and there are growers around the region who allow visitors to pick their own berries. Some places require appointments, so call before going.

For more locations, picking hints and other information, visit pickyourown.org.

1. American River Cherry Co.
   2240 Dias Dr. , Placerville (530) 626-3881
2. Veerkamp's Pick'N Carry Berries
   9840 Farris Lane, Elk Grove (916) 806-4191
3. Impossible Acres
   26565 Road 97D, Davis (530) 750-0451
4. Amber Oaks Berry Farm
   2770 Shanley Rd., Auburn (530) 885-3420
5. Bolster's Hilltop Ranch
   2000 Larsen Dr., Camino (530) 644-2230

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