I love a great wine bar, a cozy spot you can pop into for a glass or two and a bowl of herbed olives. On the other hand, sometimes even the word “wine bar” makes my skin crawl, imagining intimidating sky-high racks of bottles and the pompous bartender, sighing heavily as he offers suggestions. You know the place.
At Old Town Cellars, you’ll find a relaxed ski vibe, an interesting and focused wine list, excellent nibbles and instead of a stuffy bartender, a friendly young guy in flannel who knows his stuff. The walls are covered in prints by the legendary ski photographer Lee Cohen, viewed from cozy armchairs or bar stools encircling large restored wood tables.
You can read their story, but OTC is all about being #theofficialwineofaprès, enjoyed after a day adventuring in Utah’s outdoors, whether it be on skis, mountain bikes or on your own two feet.
To experience the wines, you can ease into it with $2 sippers, a great way to peruse one of the nine OTC wines and blends, like the Mountain Town White, an Oregon pinot gris; the rosè they’ve dubbed Townie, a Cab Sauv-Syrah-Merlot from Washington state; the Mountain Town Red, a Malbec tempranillo blend; or what must surely be a favorite—just because of the label—the Snowbunny, a California Syrah. Glasses start at around $9.
The menu also features many wines from local winemaker Evan Lewandowski and his label Ruth Lewandowski, as well as a selection of excellent beers and fine spirits.
Only the OTC wines are available by the glass (plus Processo). All other selections are by the bottle only.
Need a bite? The menu is tiny but quality. Satisfy your savory tooth with a charcuterie platter from Beltex meats ($30), an excellent vendor of salamis and sausages, or your sweet tooth with chocolate from Ritual. Both are local faves.
After the wine has warmed you up, you can check out the corner of the bar dedicated to Cotopaxi, the gear company that not only makes cool stuff, but also designates two percent of revenue to help alleviate poverty around the world. Wine, shopping and saving the world? Bonus.
OTC is convenient, located smack dab at 890 Main Street, at the bottom of Old Town. If you can’t score street parking, there are two parking garages, one right across the street and one directly below.
Bottoms up!
