December 11, 2003


La Rochelle Cellars offers a new concept: wine tasting in the mall

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

Even before visions of turkey leftovers danced in their heads, many devoted shoppers braved the pre-dawn hours for those too-hot-not-to-miss specials, complete with checkout lines resembling those typically reserved for the hottest rides at Disneyland. If you opted to catch a few extra winks after a week filled with dinner preparations, you missed it.

The holiday shopping season officially got underway at 6 a.m. last Friday as retailers coaxed buyers into their stores for everything from $8 Playstation games and $20 DVD players to two-for-one toys and free cashmere scarves. But for the next few weeks, shoppers can expect a myriad of special offers as storeowners coax them into the malls in an effort to boost lagging sales.

The newly renovated Westfield Shoppingtown at Oakridge will undoubtedly be one of the hot spots attracting the flurry of patrons looking for a variety of new shopping venues. One such spot within the mall has until now been a relatively well kept secret. Although not actually a secret, this store boasts a breakthrough concept that offers a respite from the rigors of holiday shopping—let’s call it an attitude adjustment.

Nestled among the many retailers in the newly polished wing of the mall lies the hip new outpost of San Jose’s very own La Rochelle Cellar. At first glance, it looks like any other retail storefront. But take a closer look and you will find a full-blown tasting room, complete with an oak barrel ambiance, a delightful staff and a host of wines available by the glass.

Mall manager Phillip St. Pierre, a wine club member, approached La Rochelle with a kiosk idea to coincide with the grand opening of the new wing. The pair returned instead with a concept for a retail store that included a tasting bar—a relaxation station—where shoppers could put their feet up and enjoy a glass of wine during a long day of shopping.

According to retail manager Siobhan Dye, this is the first of its kind in a mall setting. The response has been tremendous since opening on Oct. 3 and there’s already a regular crowd. “People love it that we're here and we have a lot of repeat customers,” she says. “We're starting to get to know a lot of people by name and learn about their lives. It's neat because they keep coming back.”

With the undertones of another quaint little bar in Boston, “where everybody knows your name,” it’s quickly becoming the Oakridge Mall hangout and could be the start of a fashionable new trend, especially with busy families. Mom and dad can steal an hour and a half for some private time and a glass of wine while the kids take in a movie at the new Century Theaters, just a stone’s throw away. “A lot of moms with strollers during the week will come and have a glass of wine,” says Dye. “It's kind of neat because they get to meet other moms. Our whole store is sometimes filled with strollers, toddlers and moms at the bar.”

Patty Skovron and Tina Fisher live close to the mall and admit to being regular customers, often returning for a glass of wine and a game of “Wine Smarts” with the staff. “We love it and if it goes away we’re going to be sad,” says Skovron. “This isn’t our first visit here.”

“We’ve been known to sit at the counter and play the wine trivia game,” admits Fisher. “But today we have bags. It’s proof that we did do some shopping too.”

In addition to the wine bar, La Rochelle encourages shoppers to bring their meals in from the food court or better yet, place an order with BJ’s and they’ll deliver. Depending on the time of day, expect to wait 20-40 minutes for the food to arrive, but Dye admits customers prefer to enjoy a good glass of wine while waiting for their food as opposed to waiting for a table somewhere else.

Self proclaimed wine maiden Jane Salvman happily sees to her customer’s needs, including Collette Staump and friend Sherry Relf, who decided to have a quick lunch and a glass of wine while Christmas shopping last Friday. “I think this is a great idea,” said Staump. “I'm a bartender and think it’s wonderful to have a place where you can stop, get a glass of wine and then go back and do some more shopping.”

“It's great for the husbands who are tired of shopping too,” added Relf. “They can come have a glass of wine and wait for their wives to finish their shopping.”

Since La Rochelle is an official winery, they are allowed two tasting rooms under licensing guidelines. “This is technically considered our second site,” says Dye, who admits people who walk by are somewhat hesitant about the concept. “We only serve to people over 21, yet minors are allowed in the store because we are considered a tasting room. They are not allowed to sit at the bar but can sit at the tables. Mom and dad can have a glass of wine while the kids can hang out at the tables and enjoy a meal.”

La Rochelle may not yet be a household name, but its roots are strongly attached to the former Mirassou label. The name and brand was sold a year ago, but is still run by the same family, with the same staff and chef de cuisine, David Page. Production was lowered to create more of a boutique winery, offering vintages only available at the cellar, the winery on Aborn Road and through club memberships. “Everything's basically the same,” admits Dye. “We now have a different name and better quality wines. We're able to do a lot more handling and processing using different kinds of oaks and aging processes.”

Wine tasting starts at $10 for a three-sample pour of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot, their main line wines. For those who wish to expand their tasting experience, they also offer a variety of seven other types of wines in their designate series, including Pinot Blanc, Zinfandel and Blanc de Blancs. Plan on staying once you order a glass, as you won't be able to take it past the carpeted area back into the mall. You can, however, take a bottle or two with you, as long as they remain unopened.

While the evenings tend to focus more on the wine bar, early shoppers gravitate more toward the retail side, finding much in the way of wine-related gadgets, games, glasses and décor tailored for the connoisseurs on their list.

La Rochelle Cellars is open daily until midnight, unless traffic is slow and then they’ll close earlier. “The evenings are great here because they turn the lights down in the mall,” admits Dye. “We turn ours down, too, and light some candles, play some groovy tunes and just relax.”