Romanza's secret wine stash in Ballard

July 19, 8:17 AMSeattle Wine ExaminerKelly Barry

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Wine Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Romanza is a creatively funky gift shop on Market Street in Ballard, but there's a corner in the back that holds a small selection of some very nice wines.  In this photo I took the other day, notice that on the top shelf at the left are the Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon and the Leonetti Reserve, and a fine bottle of DeLille Cellars Cabernet on the top shelf at the far right.  Those particular three selections are expensive and hard-to-find, because due to high demand and small supply, restaurants and shops are allocated only a specific number of bottles for the entire vintage.  At Seattle Cellars in Belltown where I work, a case each of the 2006 Leonetti Merlot and Cabernet were gone within 15 minutes of sending an e-mail to our client base, and it will be a whole year before we get the 2007.

In addition to the several high-end labels, Romanza carries a selection of other tasty options, including the Dunham "3-Legged Dog" and the Basel Cellars Claret.  The wines are almost exclusively from Washington State, and span a variety of price ranges, but if you're looking for that special bottle, give them a call to see what they have.  Oh, and while you're at the shop, it's a must to browse through the large number of interesting and unusual items, including clever and beautiful wine-themed gift ideas.  Or perhaps a feather-trimmed cooking apron?