New wine bar to open downtown in October

Oenophiles, get ready to be wined (and dined). San Francisco restaurateur John Marco is adding to downtown Sacramento’s transformation with the opening of a new wine bar at 4th and L, next to Foundation Restaurant & Bar and one block from the Golden 1 Center.

Whired Wine (which gets its name from the combination of “white” and “red”) is set to open its doors in mid-October, and will feature a rotating menu of local wines, along with six taps of regional beers and even sake. It will also serve small plates, cheese and charcuterie.

The modern industrial space—designed with wood, steel and concrete elements—will feature a large vintage photograph of the original storefront, back when it was a jewelry store during the 1960s, to honor Sacramento’s transitions through the years and serve as a conversation piece.

Marco, a former manager at San Francisco’s erstwhile Suisse Italia Cafe, has long held a passion for the local wine industry, attending wine sensory and tasting classes at the UC Davis Extension program and helping out at wine harvests and winery weddings along with his wife Vicky, who owns Southside Park’s Bella Bloom Flowers. He was inspired to open Whired Wine after hearing a speech by Mayor Kevin Johnson about making Sacramento a world-class destination. “[That] motivated me to do something for this city,” Marco says.

Roxanne Langer, who founded Wine FUNdamentals (a wine education company) and coordinates local wine classes, will serve as the wine bar’s sommelier, while chef Frederick Fernandez, who has over 15 years of experience—including working at the Wynn and Venetian hotels in Las Vegas—will helm the cuisine program at Whired Wine.

“Sacramento is a miniature California—we have a little bit of everything,” Marco says. He hopes his business will reflect that, offering an eclectic and casual place for guests to relax during happy hour or before events at the arena.

Stay tuned to sactownmag.com for further details.

410 L St. Sacramento. whiredwine.com

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