"Up-and-Comers" Awards
This article was originally featured in Patterson's Beverage Journal, October 15, 2006

The First Anthony Dias Blue 'Up-and-Comers' Awards

The Anthony Dias Blue "Up-and-Comer" Awards are being presented for the first time this year in recognition of excellence in the beverage industry among individuals, retail accounts, bars and restaurants who are relatively new on the scene and who have been singled out for their vision and creativity. The awards will be given on a yearly basis.
The following are our Up-and-Comers for 2006, presented at the Beverly Hills Hotel on October 18.

Jerry Cooper
Swirl on Castro
Best Wine Shop

Jerry Cooper has embarked upon a mission to speed America's headlong journey into wine culture by cultivating a city of wine enthusiasts one neighborhood at a time. His entrepreneurial spirit and a desire for independence transcended a distinguished 20-year career in the beverage industry when he and partner Christopher Von Laufen opened their jewel-box wine shop - Swirl. Located on bustling Castro Street, Swirl artfully showcases more than 400 wines about half of which hail from California.

Cooper's emphasis is on small biodynamic producers that make fewer than 1,000 cases and his keen interest in stocking virtual labels produced by neighborhood winemakers is both charming and good business; it's a point of differentiation that is not lost on clients who value his strong connection to the community. With a focus on quality and value, the wines at Swirl are organized by weight in a system that makes it easier for clients to approach the task of pairing wine and food and for broadening their horizons. He and his staff guide clients in choosing wines and building their cellars and on most Thursday evenings they're joined by guest sommeliers and winemakers who present insightful guided tastings. As a venue for autonomy and self expression, Swirl is akin to the icing on this seasoned professional's cake.

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