As his family siphoned wine from barrels at their bottling business in Arequipa, Peru, then-toddler Ruben Reynoso snuck sips at every opportunity. As he grew older, he eventually joined his family at the table, where dinners often paired plates of his grandmother's homemade pasta with glasses of his grandfather's wines. After starting a wine club with his friends and traveling the world to sample new varietals, the expert vintner opened El Wine Chateau, a wine boutique that would blend his personal passion with his family history.
Inside, stately wooden racks draped with decorative vines cradle more than 150 labels, including many from South America and Spain, as well as dessert and sparkling wines such as cremant and prosecco. Reynoso's encyclopedic wine knowledge springs to life as he leads wine classes with snacks. El Wine Chateau's wine club continues the educational experience with two bottles per month, which arrive with tasting notes, suggested food pairings, and first drafts of their autobiographies.
