New East Bay gourmet wine & cigar shop
Tanith@tyrr
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The Cellar: A new East Bay wine, beer & cigar merchant opens with tasting
events
Review by Tanith Tyrr
Definitely worth checking out for East Bay wine and beer fans is a serious
new store called simply (and descriptively) "The Cellar". In their
well-stocked store on San Pablo Dam Road, you'll find a tasting bar where
you can try before you buy, and an impressive and eclectic selection of
wines and spirits ranging from esotetic collecter's treasures to simply
delicious, approachable and everyday wine, beer and spirits at
non-extortionate prices.
The cigar selection is relatively small, but well chosen and impeccably
kept in a cedar-lined humidor. I'm only a bare beginner with cigars, but
I certainly enjoyed the wonderful smells wafting out from the opened
display case as the owner pointed out the various brands - vintage
Portofino Macanudo, aged Dunhill Altamira, Artuo Fuente Hemingway and
Double Chateau, and an interesting-looking cigar from Paris called the
Pleiades. The sweet, potent cedar reminded me deliciously of a very good
Port or Cotes du Rhone.
Some of the selections from the tasting bar this week include two excellent
Chilean red wines of great extraction and flavor that are also easy on
the pocketbook ($6.99, Vina Tarapaca Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and a
beautifully forward and fruity 1993 Louis Martini Barbera. Ask, and you
can probably sample some beers as well, depending on what's available
that day.
I was certainly impressed by the beer and ale selection. While not quite
as large as the massive shelves of Beverages & More, the storage is
considerably better in their temperature-controlled back room, and the
array seems thoughtfully chosen. Along with the serious staples like
Guinness and Rogue, I found bottles of Old Peculier (an excellent
Yorkshire ale not always easy to find in stores) and some very nice
imported lambics in the refrigerator case.
I found out about the back room by asking the owner skeptically why he
would want to keep Guinness in the refrigerator. "Americans want cold
beer," he replied ruefully. "So I have to sell it to them." But, he
pointed out, he kept cases in the back at 55 degrees for folks who
preferred the classic brew at the classic temperature.
Intrigued, I asked for a peek into the store's namesake, the real Cellar.
Although it isn't underground, it definitely meets all the other
requirements, and I'd store my own wine collection here without thinking
twice. I left with significant envy in my heart for the expensive
temperature control system and concrete insulation, and few or no worries
about buying a skunked or cooked bottle here.
Some older wines and a treasure trove of rare, exotic liqueurs in
handblown bottles are worth a look, if only for their museum value. Don't
miss taking a peek at the $300 bottles of awesomely aged cognac and
esoteric eau de vie, and if you're really in the money, a $1500 bottle of
blended cognacs from the 1800's awaits, as well as a small but tasteful
selection of 50-year old scotches for a mere $15,000. Each.
Even if you're shopping on a budget, there are some bargains to be had,
most notably in the Chilean wines as well as some excellent California
vintages with prices equal to or in a few cases less than their going rate
at the winery. And if you're looking for something special, don't
hesitate to ask the owner for it. "We do special orders, no problem," he
assured me breezily. Looking around at the already impressive selection,
I believed it.
There are a few solid comestibles worth mentioning here as well. There
are some interesting chocolates and biscuits from England as well as a
yummy selection of cheeses and English crackers that are just right
to accompany a glass or two from the tasting bar.
The Cellar is located at 3550 San Pablo Dam Road in El Sobrante. From
the Highway 80, take the San Pablo Dam Road exit and head up the hill
(right if you were on the 80 East, left if you were headed west). Look
for it almost immediately on your right hand side in a small shopping
center, the recently renovated location of the old Fry's store.
The newly opened store is currently hiring, so if you have some
experience with wine sales, drop the owner a line at 510 243-6600.
Tasting events (in addition to the regular selection at the tasting bar)
happen irregularly here, so drop in or give them a call for the weekly
schedules.
I have significant ulterior motives for posting a favorable review of The
Cellars. This is the neatest new store that has ever popped up in my
neighborhood, and I want them to stay there. Other than that, I am not
financially connected to them in any way except that I spent way too much
money there yesterday. :/
Cheers,
Tanith
***************************************************************************
"There are people who strictly deprive themselves of each and every
eatable, drinkable, and smokable which has in any way acquired a shady
reputation. They pay this price for health. And health is all they get
for it. How strange it is. It is like paying out your whole fortune for
a cow that has gone dry."
-Mark Twain
****************************************************************************
Robert Lauriston
They store the beer in a temperature-controlled room? I'll have to check
it out.
I've practically given up drinking bottled beer because storage is so
hit-and-miss that it's only fresh maybe a third of the time.
Robert Lauriston
Another plus for these guys: they're open till 9:30.
Tanith@Tyrr wrote:
> The Cellar: A new East Bay wine, beer & cigar merchant ...