BY MALLORIE MCCOY FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — The newest hot spot for wine lovers, Sante Wine Bar and Shoppe, opened its doors on Nov. 20. The French-themed business is located on 113 S. 9th St. in Opelika.
After a 12-year long friendship, co-owners Chris Tomlinson and Mark Poirier inspired the concept of a wine bar based off places to which they enjoy traveling to, like New Orleans, Charleston and Poirier’s home state of California.
“We want to give other people the opportunity to try some of the things we found,” said Tomlinson. “We are lucky to have been able to try stuff and want to be able to give those experiences to others.”
The business partners met at The Hound, a popular restaurant in Auburn owned by Poirier. Tomlinson was and still is a frequent customer there. The friendship blossomed over a mutual appreciation of good food and delicious wine.
General Manager Buddy Ingram tasted several hundred wines to curate a menu of rare wines available at Sante. Poirier said quality and value were two important factors considered when choosing which wines to carry.
“Some of our criteria is that it cannot be found in grocery stores, and we are very selective about where else you can find these wines,” said Poirier. “We want to have unique offerings.
“We have something for every pallet and every price point,” said Poirier.
Wines are served by the bottle with an average price of $30 and by the glass for around $12 to $14. Sante’s sophisticated wine preservation system keeps the wine fresh for 30 days after a bottle is opened, allowing customers the opportunity to try more types of wine in pours of one-, three- and five-ounces.
The wine bar also carries favorite wines from elevated restaurants in Auburn and Opelika that do not sell bottles to take home. These can be purchased at Sante’s shelved shopping area at the bar’s entrance.
Soon the wine bar is expected to have an electronic menu that will showcase the bar’s entire inventory and highlight specifics of various wine regions and tasting notes.
“The part of wine that is unique from other food and beverage is that it’s almost an education,” said Tomlinson. “We encourage people to learn about it.”
The historic charm of Opelika is highlighted in this venue with exposed brick and rafters.
“The architecture of downtown Opelika really fits the vibe and aesthetic we wanted to present,” said Tomlinson. “We wanted to create a warm, hospitable environment where someone is comfortable to relax and enjoy a glass of wine.”
The wine bar has a reserve room cellar with a temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the bottles chilled and ready for serving. Also, during remodeling, an underground cellar was created to help hold inventory.
Wine flights of the week will be added to the menu in upcoming weeks, and the bar intends to make private wine tasting events available for large and small groups, as well as elevated tastings with small bites added to the mix.
“If anybody has the need for an event or they would like to hold an event please talk to us because it is absolutely something we would entertain,” said Tomlinson.
Sante Wine Bar is open Mondays from 1 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1 to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 1 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 1 to 10 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. Check out the current bar menu online at www.santeopelika.com.
