Betty Wine Bar & Bottle Shop is a fairly new addition to Sacramento’s wine scene, but Sarah Milstein brings to Betty an extensive grounding in the wine trade and a broad and deep perspective on wines of character, variety, quality and value. She is the seventh person in this series on eight women in wine in the Sacramento area.

Sarah Milstein (Photo courtesy of Sarah Milstein)

Sarah Milstein, wine director, Betty Wine Bar & Bottle Shop, Sacramento

A little more than a decade ago, Sarah Milstein was back home in New York City after just earning a degree in art history and American studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She was working unhappily at an insurance company when during her commute past the Brooklyn Wine Exchange she saw a sign soliciting applicants for an unpaid internship setting up and breaking down weekly wine classes.

She got it, which morphed into a part-time position, then a full-time position, beginning her climb up the ladder of wine retailing. She subsequently put in stints from Flatiron Wine & Spirits in New York City to Corti Brothers, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and Taylor’s Market in Sacramento, where she had moved in 2015. “It felt a bit like the Brooklyn I grew up in – slower than Manhattan, with a more bohemian, a less pretentious air, and a burgeoning music, art and food scene that was still off the mainstream radar enough to be accessible,” she says in explaining her choice of Sacramento over San Francisco.

Last fall, she became wine director for Betty Wine Bar & Bottle Shop along the southern reaches of downtown Sacramento.

What is your vision in assembling the wine selection at Betty?

I look for smaller-production wines, wines of low intervention, sustainable farming practices, organically grown grapes. I don’t want to carry things found everywhere. They should be small boutique things, delicious, easy to drink, priced to be enjoyed at Betty.

What are Sacramentans buying in wine?

I am consistently impressed with the Sacramento palate. Sacramentans are adventurous, excited to try new things. People are embracing lighter reds. Some may think they don’t like Chardonnay, but I’ll steer them to something French and they love it. I have this rosé that’s quite unique – “Cuvee Tradition” from Clos Cibonne in the Cotes de Provence. It’s made entirely of a grape variety called Tibouren, made in a style similar to sherry, in which a layer of yeast called fleurette develops over the juice, protecting it from oxygen, and imparting depth and layers of umami-like flavor. It’s $62 on our shelves, but the first case sold out immediately.

What would you like to see them buy more of?

I wish we could sell more Champagne. I am always about drinking more Champagne.

Do you have a wine at Betty that you can about guarantee will draw someone new to wine into the scene enthusiastically?

First, I’d like to know a little about their individual preferences – tastes, budget and so forth. That said, L’Ancien from Jean-Paul Brun (Domaine des Terres Dorees) is one I’ve sold year in and year out. It’s Gamay from very old vines, organically farmed, hand harvested and made in Burgundian style. It’s light and earthy, with lovely pure fruit and incredible complexity.

What California wine region most excites you?

Sonoma Coast. I can’t believe the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay coming from Hirsch Vineyards. And Lodi. The number of old vines at Lodi is incredible. I am so impressed by winemakers who take advantage of those vines. The terroir and the bottles are incredible.

What do you think the wine industry could be doing to appeal to more people, especially younger adults who aren’t enthusiastic about wine?

We work on this at Betty and have gotten a lot of positive feedback. We put little descriptions on bottles, reference points for customers to read. They are write-ups, tasting notes, stories about where the wine is from and how it is made.