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San Diego’s Vin De Syrah; Go Ask Alice

When you reach out to a brilliant designer like Michael Soriano and ask for a completely sick wine bar, stand back cause what you’re likely going to get is something like the incomparable Vin De Syrah downtown in the Gaslamp district. Soriano was able to do what he does best—create a space that gives an instant reaction thanks to details that provoke and gratify. “I like creating environments where people react to them, in an intuitive sense, not about what’s right or wrong,” he says. He may be the master of understatement and before you begin to think that I’m going to get all carried away with hype and exaggeration follow this link down the rabbit hole for a 360 degree virtual tour.

He made sure a buzz happens for everyone right at the beginning of the trip. From the street,  or just outside the rabbit hole, vino lovers descend a graffiti-lined staircase, pass two noisy refrigerator condensers that blast out heat, and end up at a concrete graffiti-filled foyer with no clearly marked door trying to figure out how to enter the friggin wine lounge (a camera even captures our confusion and it’s shown live on a flatscreen TV by the bar). The answer: the door is actually a wall covered in faux boxwood hedge, complete with a bird doorbell. “I wanted to play into the whole psychological sense of going into a subterranean environment,” Soriano explains, adding that the owners wanted to remove the condensers, but he insisted on keeping them to intensify the experience. “It ramps up your anxiety, so when you finally break into the space, you are so completely gratified.” Dude, mission accomplished.  Now I need a drink.

It’s about a 4,000-square-foot room that has this almost surreal ambiance thanks to an abundance of mirrors—on the four original columns that are in the center of the space. “I was creating refractions, so you really never have an idea of where you are in the space,” he said. “You are kind of here, kind of there, but there’s a fluidity to it. You feel connected to the space no matter where you are.” I’m not sure how that holds up after a couple of glasses, but if he says so..

I’m convinced too that there isn’t another wine bar in the country that does more innovative type of promotions.  Because the Alice in Wonderland theme is so prevalent,  it made sense for them to tie into the forthcoming Johnny Depp collaboration with Tim Burton for their version of  Alice in Wonderland.  The official release party for the movie is set here for March 3rd.  Link up their Facebook invitation if you think you might find yourself in San Diego or email daniela@syrahwineparlor.com to get on the guest list.

These guys are all over the social media thing as well.  You can follow Syrah Wine Parlor on Twitter or Facebook.  I love this place and it’s very cool how environment, really great environment, seems to make wine taste even better.

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