Ricco Bambino Winery has finally opened its doors on Pandosy Street — actually, it's been opened since Friday but you had no idea.
Yes, that's right, although Ricco Bambino's grand opening is planned for the second weekend of August, they held a soft opening last week.
Since then, the winery has been attracting customers intrigued by the natural and organic aesthetic to saunter in from the street and be delightfully surprised by the ready-to-go wines and snacks.
Construction of Kelowna's newest winery, located at 1630 Pandosy St., began in March and was anticipating a spring opening in May, but delays caused the urban winery to save its grandeur for the summer peak.
"We're here now, we're here and the sun's still shining so we're happy," said Jason Alton, owner of Ricco Bambino.
Ricco Bambino boasts a minimal intervention, organic wine. Alton notes that 90% of the grapes are organic while the remaining tenth are considered sustainable — but all of them are BC VQA, said Alton.
Wine tanks that ferment the in-house wines are located right in the sitting room to show off their cosmetic beauty and contribute to both the industrial aesthetic of downtown as well as the natural setting — as their cement shape resembles a tulip.
Ricco Bambino walks a fine line, forming a hybrid between a wine bar in the downtown core and a winery that features the natural elements of the outdoors.
Flowers, plants and aspects staple to the outdoors sprout around the inside and outside of the winery as does a very urban aesthetic.
"We are winery downtown, we're not a wine bar. Yes, we have a wine bar; yes, we have a cocktail bar but first and [foremost] we are a winery."
Customers can enjoy the patio seating or the indoor seating while they tilt back some of their signature wines or snacks.
"It's something different that doesn't exist in Kelowna, which is nice. It's a proper wine bar: come enjoy, come with your girlfriends, come with your guy friends come with whoever and have some fun," added Alton.
Ricco Bambino opens at 11 a.m. daily, closing at 6 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday and at midnight during the rest of the week.
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