“Steve Baker brings new meaning to the term ‘wine merchant’. He has an uncanny ability to find and offer unique, superb artisan wines from France, Italy, Spain, Oregon, Washington and California. The depth of his knowledge of the vineyards, winemakers and wines of these areas comes from personal, on location experience. When you buy a bottle of wine at Authentica, you walk out the door with more than the wine - you have history, anecdotes, food pairings and good humor rattling through your head. It’s a wine tasting and buying experience like no other.”
The owner and staff of one
An Oregon native with a background in fine art and the newspaper industry (strange combination I know) Baker has worked in every tier of the wine business from retail to importing. He has also taught wine classes and written extensively about the world’s great wines through the weekly Authentica newsletter and periodic freelance work for regional publications. A fan of Oregon pinot noir since the earliest days, Baker also finds the search for great European wines irresistible and engaging both personally and professionally. Known as a bit of a “Francophile” Baker is especially entranced by the ever-scarcer bottle of affordable Burgundy (especially white), but will never give up on old Bordeaux, great Rhone wines from the north and south, grower’s Champagne, German and Austrian riesling and northern Italian wines, especially Barolo. But any wine that shows character, regional fidelity and honest, unadulterated expression is also fair game to Baker and may end up featured in the weekly newsletter.