110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - wlinks_may08 - Index

BY DON HUNTINGTON I PHOTO BY RUSSELL BYRNE I PEEKS
BRENTWOOD WINE
STORE REBIRTH
The new, renovated Brentwood Wine Store is a
combination tasting room and wine bar.
Becky Bloomfield has been interested in
wine since she was in her 20s. She was exposed
to the Napa Wine Country and experienced
various labels. “I never knew how wine could
be until I met some of the better winemakers
and experienced some of the better varietals,”
she said.
Tom and Becky founded Bloomfield
Vineyards in 1996. They are bottling 1,600
cases for the 2007 season under their own
label, and have sold most of their product to
third-party wineries.
Now Becky and Daphne Swisher have partnered
to re-open the Brentwood Wine Store.
They have completely transformed the property
replacing everything except for the
cement floor and a sink.
The project began when Daphne phoned
Becky to get her advice on what should be
done with the property. The Swishers own the
building; Becky is the Property Manager. The
two of them realized that renovating the wine
store would be the best use that they could
think of.
The wine store underwent an amazing transformation.
Becky and Daphne attacked the
THE NEWLY REFURNISHED BRENTWOOD WINE
STORE HAS BECOME THE NEWEST AND BRIGHTEST
JEWEL IN DOWNTOWN BRENTWOOD’S CROWN OF
INTIMATE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS — AN AMAZ-
ING PLACE FOR DRINKS AND CONVERSATION.
challenge of transforming the space with intelligence
and vigor. They began looking through
magazines, talking to contractors, and started
tearing out walls.
The building was constructed in 1938 and
has a lot of character that they wished to
preserve. They finished the cement walls and
floors, and removed the dropped ceiling.
Estimates for custom cabinetry were in the
range of $35,000 so they bought some barrels
for $25 each, cut them in half, and created an
extraordinary wall of shelves with such novelty
and style that they have become the signature
of the place.
Together with the rock walls, the barrels
motif creates the Tuscany-style, cellar atmosphere
that they were striving for. The barrels
are held in place by immense molly bolts.
“You can walk on those things,” Becky said.
They are rated for 1,400 pounds so you could
actually stack NFL defensive linebackers on top
of each one. The opposite wall displays the buttends
of some barrel ends reinforcing the theme.
Doorways were shortened, creating usable
and warm spaces plus convenient spaces for
conversation. A beautiful granite counter on
the top of the bar resonates with the colors of
the walls.
The Wine Store has plans for events centered
upon local Contra Costa Winemakers, plus a
schedule of private tastings, barrel tastings,
wine pairing events, and vineyard tours.
They’re planning a series of meet-the-winemakers
events and coordinating with the
Farmer’s Market schedule.
The space is also available as an event center
for private parties.
The Wine Store is only one way that Becky
Bloomfield is pushing local Brentwood industry.
She also serves on the board for Harvest
Time, and is a member of the Contra Costa
Wine, Grape, and Olive Growers Association,
and the newly formed Brentwood Downtown
Association (BDA).
Now that the makeover has been completed,
the venue offers patrons an elegant, warm,
welcoming, and pleasing atmosphere. Drop in
for a glass of wine and a pleasant conversation.
See for yourself the miraculous space that
the two women have created in our little
downtown.
°
Drop in at 633 First Street. For more information
call 634-WINE (634-9463), or send an email to
cococounty@att.net. Send any comments on the
article to editors@110mag.com.
May/June 2008 www.110mag.com 19