Vino lovers rejoice; Mayer Family Wines opens doors in Downtown Carson City
A new business years in the making has officially opened its doors with a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday.
Mayer Family Wine first acquired the space in Downtown Carson City over a year ago and have been hard at work constructing a business that is both a retail store front, market, and gathering place.
The mission of Mayer Family Wines, according to co-owner Brian Mayer Jr. who owns the business with his wife Paula, is to make wine accessible.
"The wine world is huge," Brian said. "There are amazing places with amazing wines, and as years go by, variety changes. There is a lot of science to it, but we want to make sure it's approachable and not intimidating. It can be a pretentious thing, and it should be relatable."
General Manager Cari Schmitt met the Mayers six years ago, and wine has always been a shared passion. Schmitt has been in the food and beverage industry for over 25 years, and Brian has been a certified sommelier since 2011.
"This isn't only a place to get a recommendation, it's a place to come, socialize, and learn," Schmitt said. "We'll have classes to learn about pairings, tastings, and more."
Paula holds an MBA in business planning, and determined Carson City was the perfect location for Mayer Family Wines.
"There's nothing like this in the market," she said. "What we're bringing is a high end wine shop with artisan meats, cheeses, and charcuterie. There are some locations in South Lake Tahoe and Reno, but nothing here."
"Downtown Carson is really beginning to become something really fun with a lot of foot traffic and we are really excited to be down here," Schmitt added.
The Mayers are passionate about partnering with local businesses, and hopes to host events with nearby businesses such as Eve's Eatery to provide cooking-with-wine classes.
Opening has not been without its hurdles. The location is inside what was once the Horseshoe Club, and because the building is so old, a lot of time and effort was put into bringing the space into code.
The space now provides a market-style storefront where customers can purchase wine as well as an assortment of artisan meats and cheeses, with a sit-down tasting area towards the back of the store.
Mayer Family Wines is located at 408 N. Carson St. and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
To learn more, please visit https://www.mayerfamilywines.com/