805 Wine Boutique, named after the area code for the region, opened on Friday, April 7 as part of the First Fridays festivities selling a selection of small-production wines not usually found outside of the wineries themselves.
“You go up north to Napa and it’s just big wineries,” says Carrie Cathey, who co-owns the shop with her husband, Janeiro. Instead, they seek out winemakers who “take pride in what they do and want to produce a good wine and enjoy it themselves,” she says. “We want it to be more personalized.”
The business is not a bar: It only has a license to serve one-ounce samples so people can try before they buy. And it’s the size of a former motel room, so there’s only one sofa and a couple of benches for sitting while sipping.
The inventory comprises a small selection to start, including pinot noir, zinfandel, rosé, and more from the likes of Brick Barn Wine Estate, Midnight Cellars, ONX Wines, and Paul Lato Wines. Bottles retail from $21 to $54 and prices will vary depending on what’s on the shelves.
The Catheys are working with local distributors to bring in their hand-picked favorites over time. They hope to turn more people on to the charms of viticultural areas along the Central Coast such as Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
One thing the couple likes about the region is the broad range of styles. The sea breezes along the ocean make for crisper whites, for instance, and the warmer and lower elevations turn out jammy reds.
“Some are more fruity; some are bold,” Carrie says. “You have all types of varieties.”
Artist Adam Garrett, owner of Caged Heart Gallery at the Desert Sun Plaza, created the wall art for 805 Wine Boutique.
Geri Koeppel
However, the law requires the couple to wait a year before serving full pours to members. Janeiro knows the ins and outs well: He’s a consultant and administrator helping businesses that sell alcohol — such as wineries, breweries, distilleries, or importers — stay in compliance with liquor laws.
“I was hired [at] Rotta Winery in Paso [Robles] as the controller,” Janeiro recalls of how that part of his career started. “And when they hired me, they said, ‘Hey, we also have a wholesale business and we need to get licensed in all these states.’ Me, not coming from the alcohol industry, I had no idea what he was talking about and I had no help, so I had to figure it out.”
Janeiro managed to procure wholesale and direct-to-consumer licenses for Rotta, but not without some “bumps and bruises” and rejected applications. He went to a compliance company for help and found their fees outrageous.
“I thought, well, I can do this for people and I can charge a seventh of the cost that they charge,” he says. In 2015, he started his own company helping businesses with everything from making sure their labels say what they need to say — and don’t say what they shouldn’t — to selling online and shipping across state lines.
Janeiro, who grew up in Paso Robles, says he and Carrie always thought about opening a wine bar, but since it’s difficult to get a license, they decided to start with the boutique.
“I looked through the licensing and this one allows sampling,” he says. “Since I’m familiar with it and I know a lot of the winemakers and industry people, it seemed a natural fit.”
While Janeiro will handle the accounting and management duties for 805 Wine Boutique, Carrie plans to be the face of the business. She used to work as a restaurant manager and event coordinator. She also has a real estate career.
Desert Sun Plaza is a repurposed 1920s-era motel with more than 20 independent businesses.
Geri Koeppel
“We met with the neighbors and everyone was very friendly,” Carrie says. “They have their specific niche and we have ours. Everyone complements each other.”
805 Wine Boutique
1325 Grand Avenue #114805wineboutique.com
