Down the Hatch

By The Editors
June 17, 2014 9:00 am

Bucolic. Kitschy. Puts ya’ to sleep. All appropriate descriptions for your standard wine tasting room.

Nuclear submarine? Now that’s atypical.

Introducing Sottomarino, Treasure Island’s brand new showcase of homespun Italian varietals, pouring now in a decommissioned Naval training facility.

Dubbed USS Buttercup by former Navy brass, Sottomarino’s home was once used to replicate the interior of a sub and battle-test the damage repair skills of fledgling seamen with simulated floods.

Operations may have ceased, but the aesthetic remains.

And the only flooding to expect is that of your glass, sailor.

The wines come from Mendocino County and Paso Robles grapes by way of veteran urban winemaker Bryan Kane (VIE Winery, among many others), who’s got a long history of scoring in the nineties on Wine Advocate‘s hundred-point scale.

Meaning you’ll get substance with your style at a fraction of the driving.

The ship’s outfitted with two levels, so you’ll have the option of strolling the reworked submarine-like interior or heading up top and making the most of the waterfront views with a table on the deck.

But leave the Red October quotes ashore unless you’re looking to put your date to sleep.

Photo by M.G. Hogan

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