Vinum 55 in Central Phoenix looks nothing like the old Boston bar in the 1980s TV show "Cheers." But, what’s happening on the inside seems familiar. Well, sort of.
Amber Arnhold is attending one of Vinum 55’s weekly wine tasting events. She’s something of a regular here. "It’s like 'Cheers' for wine people," said Arnhold.
It’s a Tuesday night in early February and Arnhold and a friend are here for the Twomey/Silver Oak launch party. But Vinum 55 isn’t a bar. It’s where Arnhold, and others like her, house their wine collections.
According to the California-based Wine Institute, Americans consumed more than 760 million gallons of table wine in 2014. And with wine consumption dipping in some European countries like France and Italy, that means all the more for us, especially for those who collect it. But what to do with all that vino? Some aficionados are forgoing home cellars for something different.
Arnhold keeps 20 cases inside Vinum 55’s secure, temperature-controlled cellar, which can hold more than 300 thousand bottles of wine. And she keeps another 10 cases at home.
"I’m part of that trend that’s moving towards the urban core," she says. "There’s a smaller foot print whether you’re in a condo or a house and the space you have, you really want to use."
So she outsourced her storage.
Vinum 55 is not just in the business of storing wine. They’ll also inventory your collection, sign and receive shipments-– a huge help for wine club members who may receive cases from multiple wineries at once-- pull bottles at your request, and deliver them to you. Since opening in 2014, Vinum 55 has seen its business grow considerably. With more than 200 lockers, the Phoenix location is nearly three-fourths full.
Then there are the events like this one, which are free for members and feature hard-to-find wines from around the world.
"Wine enjoyment is on the uptick and that means there are more collectors out there," explained Raini Keyser, operations director at Vinum 55. "Now we’re seeing a lot more women in wine, we’re seeing a lot more couples who collect together and they’re starting earlier. So they’re starting in their mid to late 30s."
And starting a collection, she says, is actually not so hard to do, depending on your palate. And your wallet.
Eric Glomski is the owner of Page Springs Cellars in the Verde Valley. He says wine is becoming more accessible to a wider range of consumers. "You know, there’s always been price barriers, there’s been, kind of, snob barriers, there’s been these intellectual barriers where you have to know all this stuff to be a wine drinker."
For example, Glomski makes some expensive wines, but he also has bottles that retail for around $15. And by making good wine for the everyman and woman, you can change the game.
"There are things they bring through here that are drinkable now and very affordable," said Arnhold, the Vinum customer. "You can get things that are $15 to $30 a bottle. And then there are things that are $300 to $450 a bottle. I’m not that kind of a buyer."
But she enjoys trying them because for her, it’s about the experience, and sharing that experience with friends and family.
"So much of wine-- and this is one of the reasons why I do what I do-- is a social thing," explained Glomski. "And these wine lockers I think are going to create a culture of sharing, which I think is really cool."
Recently, Vinum 55 opened two new locations in Scottsdale and Chandler, with the cellar in Scottsdale 40 percent larger than the Phoenix location.
