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.
Shelly Lindgren, co-founder of A16 restaurant and Tansy Wine. (Tansy Wine)
A selection of Tansy wines. (Kelly Puleio)
Kitty Oestlien, co-founder of Tansy Wine. (Tansy Wine)
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Shelly Lindgren, co-founder of A16 restaurant and Tansy Wine. (Tansy Wine)
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.”
Ryme Cellars owners, winemakers and spouses Ryan and Megan Glaab at their early-1900s Forestville winery. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat) John Burgess / The Press Democrat
Glaab, who met Lindgren about 16 years ago when they both worked at the Farmhouse Inn, shares her affection for Italian varietals.
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.
“There were so many Southern Italian varietals that weren’t being represented in the U.S.,” she said. “I had never heard of many of them, which is always very exciting.”
Glaab describes Lindgren as “one of the kindest and most humble people” she knows, making the prospect of partnering with her on a wine brand all the more appealing.
“Kitty is equally as fabulous, she said. “In the end, it was a no-brainer.”
A light in the dark
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, Lindgren and Oestlien discussed ways to diversify their business and came up with the idea of launching a wine brand.
“During that dark time, it was really great to work on something we were passionate about, so that was a real light,” said Oestlien, who has a background in technology and marketing. “I’ve always been passionate about wine myself, so it just made sense.”
Oestlien, who was born and raised in Australia’s Barossa Valley, admired the fact that Glaab had earned her enology degree from the University of Adelaide and worked harvest at Torbreck in Southern Australia.
“Megan is an incredible winemaker, so Shelley and I thought of her straight out of the gate,” said Oestlien, who lives in Napa. “We love her wines and minimal-intervention winemaking style, so we could really see ourselves working with her.”
Tansy’s beginning
Tansy went on to produce its inaugural vintage in 2020, crafting 100 cases of Vermentino from Las Brisas Vineyards in Los Carneros.
A white grape grown primarily in Sardinia, Vermentino shows off its zesty side in the hands of Tansy, with notes of kaffir lime, jasmine and sea salt spray.
Over the last five years, Tansy’s lineup has expanded to include nine wines, including Fiano, Falanghina, Aglianico, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir. This fall, they expect to release their first Nero d’Avola, a bold Sicilian red grape sourced from Fox Hills Vineyard in Mendocino.
But one of the more unusual wines in their Italian-inspired roster is a Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville, where Oestlien lives.
Glaab admits she was initially a bit skeptical about making a Napa Valley Cab, a variety that strays in style from Tansy’s other wines and those she makes for Ryme.
“On the one hand, I really need to love the wine I’m making – it’s very personal to me,” said Glaab. “But I also needed to honor what Shelley and Kitty wanted, so I wanted to understand their inspiration.”
Nestled near San Pablo Bay, Coombsville is one of the coolest appellations in Napa Valley, where Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its more feminine side.
“We visited Glass Rock Ranch, which has all of this crazy volcanic glass,” said Glabb. “I ended up loving the fruit. It’s so pretty and aromatic. It was a beautiful fit.”
An exciting future
Today, Tansy produces about 2,000 cases of wine per year and has just partnered with its first California distributor, Springboard.
While Lindgren and Oestlien don’t expect to open a tasting room any time soon, they are offering Tansy tasting flights and food pairings at A16 in Napa. The wines are also available at numerous beverage retailers, including Bottle Barn, Sonoma’s Best, Wilibees and Avinage Wines.
“Italian wines are generally really meant to be enjoyed with food, so it makes sense for us to pour them at the restaurant,” said Oestlien. “It’s exciting when people ask where they can buy them.”