• Paul Marcus Wines is a friendly, sophisticated neighborhood wine shop in the Rockridge district of Oakland, California. We carry European and domestic wines, with an emphasis on distinctive French, Italian, German, Austrian, Spanish, and Californian producers. We taste and personally select everything in the store in order to bring you the highest quality, most authentic, and best value wines from these regions. Because we're part of the Market Hall, a European-style food market comprising independently owned vendors, we emphasize food-friendly wines. We're always happy to share our enthusiasm for wine and food with you and to help you select wines that will best match your meal (or vice versa).

• We don't list our complete inventory on-line, but we do have a page of some of our rare, collectible, and just plain expensive wines. The best way to find out what we have is to come into the store or call us (510-420-1005). You're also welcome to e-mail us at info@paulmarcuswines.com.

• The majority of our wines are $6 to $25 bottles for everyday drinking. Whatever your budget and preferences, stop by the store and ask us to recommend some wines.

• We publish an on-line newsletter that grows out of the ethos of our shop: our passion for wine and food, our enthusiasm for excellent wine in all price ranges, our preference for wine that reflects the place where it was grown, and our frequent travels in Europe. We always include maps in our newsletters, because we're convinced that the more you know about where a wine comes from, the more you'll know about and enjoy the wine. You can read all of the newsletters here on paulmarcuswines.com.

• "What bread should we eat, what wine should we drink?" When the poet Wallace Stevens asked this question, he was undoubtedly thinking of its philosophical and religious implications. But for the staff at Paul Marcus Wines the answer is easy. We say, "drink red wine, drink white wine, dry wine and sweet wine, but drink wine!" Drink great wine, drink the wine you love. And as for the bread, sure, have some bread. Wine is an integral part of any meal. Wine is food and food is good.

From points south and west, take 580 to highway 24 (towards Walnut Creek). Shortly after you get on 24, take the Claremont Avenue exit. At the bottom of the exit ramp, turn left onto Claremont Avenue. Go two blocks and turn right on Forest. Go four short blocks and turn left on Shafter. Park in the Market Hall lot on your right.

From points north and east, take highway 24 west through the Caldecott Tunnel and get off at the College Avenue exit. You will be paralleling the freeway on Miles Avenue. Stay on Miles, cross College Avenue, and turn left on Forest. After you cross under the freeway, turn left on Shafter and then right into the Market Hall parking lot.