Cellar Rat Wine Merchants

Tired of chain wine stores schilling bad wines, two wine connoisseurs decided with a handshake and a bottle of Montrachet in October of 2005 to open a boutique wine shop. Cellar Rat Wine Merchants is the product of John Opelka and Ryan Sciara's commitment to good wines. Each of the wines on the shelf in Cellar Rat has been vetted by the staff—nothing is sold to the public unless the staff would drink it or use it as a substitute for milk in cereal. The resulting more than 800 wines, 70% of which are less than $20, make for tasty everyday and special-occasion beverages, as do the number of premium spirits and handcrafted brews stocked alongside the wine.

Cellar Rat’s vino experts do more than just discern the difference between good and bad wine; they also teach others how to do so during wine classes that delve into the intricacies of tasting. They even make pairing suggestions for the artisan cheeses, gourmet cured meats, and pate also sold in the boutique shop.