Jeff Back, an early player in midtown Sacramento's surge of wine bars as a manager at 58 Degrees & Holding Co., has teamed up with his wife Gail to open what the couple is calling Folsom's "first upscale wine bar," The Back Wine Bar.

Half their inventory of 60 wines, about evenly split between international and domestic brands, is poured by the glass. "These are wines you can't find in supermarkets," said Jeff Back when asked about the stylistic focus of the couple's selections. Their list includes wines from such boutique wineries as Marelle in Sonoma County and Ancien in Napa Valley, as well as familiar brands like Rosenblum, Far Niente and Duckhorn.

Their chef, Matthew Nicolls, oversees a compact small-plate menu that includes Hawaiian ahi poke ($13), a shrimp-and-sole ceviche ($9) and assorted bruschetta ($9).

Jeff Back, a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a certified wine steward in the Court of Master Sommeliers and also holds a diploma from the International Sommelier Guild.

The Back Wine Bar, in the Raley's at The Parkway shopping center, 25075 Blue Ravine Road (at East Natoma Street), is open 3-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; (916) 986-9100.