Founder of celebrated San Francisco restaurant A16 has a Wine Country secret

"With six restaurants, three books, two kids, one husband - and a James Beard Award to boot - Shelley Lindgren isn't resting on her laurels. Born in San Francisco and raised in West Marin, Lindgren is best known for A16, the award-winning restaurant she co-founded in San Francisco's Marina District in 2004. Now, there are four locations of the modern Southern Italian eatery, including a new Napa outpost that launched this spring."

"Wine has long been a passion for Lindgren, who was named Best New Sommelier by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2004. At A16, she became determined to showcase the food-friendly grape varietals of Southern Italy, eventually earning the restaurant a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program in 2015. "Many Southern Italian wine producers attribute their success in the U.S. directly to Shelley," said Megan Glaab, co-owner of Ryme Cellars in Forestville. "She was responsible for introducing many of these wines to the American market.""

"At Ryme Cellars in Forestville, she and her husband, Ryan, launched their brand with Aglianco, a full-bodied red grape grown in Southern Italy. So when Lindgren asked Glaab to be the winemaker for Tansy - a new wine label she was launching with her business partner Kitty Oestlien - Glaab was immediately intrigued. A few years ago, Glaab recalls having dinner at A16 and being "floored" by the wine list, which included numerous Fianos - an Italian white grape that's among her favorites."

Shelley Lindgren operates six restaurants, authored three books, and balances family life while leading a notable culinary and wine career. Born in San Francisco and raised in West Marin, she co-founded A16 in 2004 and expanded it to four locations, including a Napa outpost. Named Best New Sommelier in 2004, she developed A16’s wine program around Southern Italian varietals and won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program in 2015. Many Southern Italian producers credit her with introducing their wines to the U.S.; she launched the Tansy label with Kitty Oestlien and recruited Megan Glaab as winemaker after Glaab praised A16’s Fiano and other underrepresented varietals.

Read at The Mercury News