Neighborhood Cellar had paused some popular services and wine classes during the pandemic, but now, the wine bar and retail shop is regaining ground. The shop’s full menu has been brought back, and Ian Montgomery, the bar’s certified sommelier, has relaunched his wine classes. The classes, called Wine 101, offer guests the opportunity to gain knowledge of a wide variety of wines, paired with a tasting of the wines being presented and discussed.
According to Montgomery, people continued to order wine online during its closure due to the COVID pandemic. He says that the pandemic caused many hurdles for the business, but his years of restaurant management helped them pull through.
According to Montgomery, Neighborhood Cellar had historically sourced most of their rosé from France. However, due to the pandemic, the wine shop has been relying heavily on domestic wine producers, mostly from California. The sommelier announced that globally-sourced wines return to their cellar with the return of their full menu. The full online catalog includes wines from Italy, Spain, Australia, Portugal, Argentina, and beyond.
Montgomery says that bringing back the full wine menu was challenging. “Getting wines that are non-domestic has been very, very difficult lately. Just because of shipping,” he says. “All of Europe was shut down like twice this year. So, it’s been kind of tough to get. If they’re shut down, ports aren’t running.”
Neighborhood Cellar’s Wine 101 Classes are scheduled from October to December. The next class, held on Oct. 23, will focus on zinfandel, a juicy, black-skinned wine grape that is commonly used in a variety of red wines and rosé, especially in California vineyards. On Nov. 13, the spotlight will be on pinot noir, and the last class for this year, Dec. 4, will have guests enjoy and explore sparkling wines. Those who are unable to attend the wine classes can opt for the wine club subscription, where customers can have wines picked up or shipped to them every month. The subscription allows customers to choose between one and four different wines and lets them try new varietals approved by Montgomery.
Montgomery says he hopes to have a neighborhood wine walk and a three-part wine dinner series in the safer future.
For more information on Wine 101 classes visit https://www.neighborhoodcellar.com/
