Love Wine? Join the Club at C. Vines

A few blocks north of where the arterial turns east and leaves Rucker, Cafe Zippy is a cool neighborhood hangout on a quiet block. It recently got even cooler with an expanded outdoor seating area and C. Vines, the new wine shop and bar inside. Pull up a barstool and say “hi” to Jeff Wicklund, who goes by "Wick", and will help you find the perfect bottle.

Wick's got lots of bottles plus wine, beer and kombucha on tap // Christopher Bragg

So where does the name C. Vines come from? Longtime Everett residents will recognize it as a tribute to the neighborhood grocery store that was in the same building for 60 years, C. Vans. Wicklund and his childhood friends were frequent customers, charging candy and soda to their parents' accounts until the bills came and they got in trouble.

The neighborhood grocer from 1928 to 1988 // Christopher Bragg

Wicklund was planning to retire to Palm Springs when he stopped by Cafe Zippy for a cup of coffee and to see how his old stomping grounds aged. What he found was a space with a lot of potential for a beautiful, intimate wine bar and shop. And he should know, having founded several successful ones.

A small portion of the selection Wicklund has curated // Christopher Bragg

Originally a contractor, Wicklund built his first wine cellar in his South Forest Park home, and when he saw a storefront available on Colby, decided to take the leap from enthusiast and expert to consultant and retailer. He remodeled the space himself and opened Wicked Cellars in 1996. According to Wicklund, there was nowhere else to buy and learn about wine in Snohomish County, other than the weekly tastings at Molson's Grocery (now QFC) in Claremont Village.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Wicklund also wrote a weekly wine column for the Herald and owned Colby Hospitality, an event space management company. He and his wife fell in love with Bellingham when their son moved there for college in 2005, so they sold Wicked Cellars and headed north. Wicklund opened the Purple Smile wine shop in Fairhaven, and eventually the Purple Space event warehouse on the Bellingham waterfront. There, he offered wine storage lockers to 100 (mostly Canadian) clients and started his wine club, which grew to 500 members.

After selling Purple Space and opening the Artifacts wine shop at Lightcatcher Museum, his wine consultancy business took him all over the state stocking grocery store displays he was hired to create. This was highly lucrative, but long days in the car drove him to finally "retire" to Everett.

That's in quotes because he couldn't stay out of the wine business very long.

The wine club at C. Vines has already been established and I became its newest member after Wicklund explained what a great deal it is. For as little as $30 per month, with an initial three-month commitment, club members get two or more bottles every month, and on pickup day there's a tasting where members get to try all the month's wines for all levels, 11 total. Club members also get to join the tastings every weekend (Friday 5-7 p.m., Saturday 3-5 p.m.) for free, a $10 value each. Plus there are four wine-related classes per year included.

There's plenty of food to go with your wine. Swivel around in your barstool and the Cafe Zippy counter is steps away.

Get to know the creative and fun menu at Cafe Zippy // Christopher Bragg

Cafe Zippy and C. Vines are in a great position to succeed, and not just because they're two wonderful businesses run by smart, engaging people. The location is unique because it's the only place to hang out for blocks, and it's just around the corner from the Grand Avenue Park Bridge. When that opens, hotel guests and future Waterfront Place residents will be a quick stroll away from this cozy, comfortable spot. Stop by soon, uncork, and unwind.