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Fifteen months after Chris and Lindsey Wanner opened the second Bay Area location of their West Coast Wine • Cheese shop at 31 Sunnyside Ave., adjacent to Kitchen Sunnyside restaurant in downtown Mill Valley, the entire foundation of their business – gathering people together to learn about and experience great West Coast wines – fell victim to the COVID-19 health crisis.

With in-person tastings shut down since mid-March, the Wanners had to be nimble. They’ve done just that. In a note to their followers, Wanner wrote, “After closing our doors in mid-March, we’ve been on a rollercoaster ride! But I am eagerly looking forward to putting a close to that chapter, and starting a fresh new beginning with a more sustainable, long-term vision. I never imagined getting into the e-commerce game, but that day has come. All the data crunching we’ve been doing, in collaboration with our friends at Ships Co. Studio, who have provided all the beautiful design and functionality!”

“Let me assure you, this took a lot of data crunching – resulting in some bleeding eyes – to get all the tech notes and photos for over 350 wines loaded, but that’s the level of West Coast customer service that we pride ourselves on, even when you visit our website!” Wanner added.


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Wanner says the new website has “everything you need is now all in one place, including a page dedicated to their OVO Rosé, a page on its ever-growing Wine Club and a fully integrated e-commerce ordering site.

As the moniker suggests, the Wanners leave no doubt about the wines they spotlight. “I’m kind of a homer, for sure – it’s all about California, Oregon and Washington,” Wanner says of their Pinot Noir-heavy bottle list of approximately 330 wines. “That’s where my expertise lies, and I really love repping these brands and telling the stories of these winemakers and vineyard owners. And I see us as not being just a place that sells wine, but a space that builds community around our wine and around those stories.”

The 411: West Coast Wine • Cheese shop has leaned heavily into its e-commerce and wine club businesses over the past several months of shelter in place. We’ll let you know when they reopen their physical space. 31 Sunnyside Ave. MORE INFO.

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