Excerpt:

Harvest wine season may be drawing to a close, but as wineries seal barrels, wine lovers prepare to crack open a bottle with family and friends for the holidays. Alameda’s “Spirits Alley,” which runs along Monarch Street on Alameda Point, allows Bay Area residents to enjoy tastings and buy bottles for gifting without the drive to wine country.

With the addition of a new winery and Rock Wall Wine Company’s ability to now stay open later during the summer months, the area appears to be on the brink of a growth spurt. Building 43 Winery, named after the building it occupies, is set to open in November and will be the newest addition to the Spirits Alley family, which includes St. George Spirits, Hangar 1 Vodka, Faction Brewing and Rock Wall.

Building 43 Winery is owned by Meredith Coghlan and winemaker Tod Hickman. Coghlan operated Steeltown Winery in Pittsburg before starting this venture with Hickman, who operates his own vineyard, Hickman Family Vineyards, in the Sierra Foothills. Coghlan said the pair originally intended to open their joint winery in Pittsburg as well, but when that didn’t work out, they searched for a place that understood their vision of an urban winery.