Trellis Wine Bar Offers a Fresh and Fun Take on Drinking Vino

It was a trip to Sonoma during grape harvesting in the early 2000s that first sparked the idea of opening a wine bar for Ilona Botton. Getting the chance to talk to wine makers in the tasting room, which opened her mind to wines other than her go-to red zinfandel, ignited a newfound passion. “I left that trip feeling completely different about wine, and I wanted to learn as much as I could,” Botton says.

Back in Colorado, she began studying with the International Sommelier Guild, working her way toward becoming a Certified Sommelier. Once she successfully completed that program, she wrote her business plan for a wine bar or bottle shop — but 2008 was a volatile year to launch a new business venture, so she put her dream on hold. The idea remained looming for more than a decade, when one day she spotted her ideal location for a neighborhood wine bar while driving through Park Hill. Botton called her friend Alisha Stoltz to see if she would take the leap with her, and after a six-month small-business course, the two women were ready to launch Trellis Wine Bar, now at 2868 Fairfax Street.

Since the place opened on June 14, feedback has been fantastic, says Botton, noting that many guests have told her that Trellis is not what they expected and is unlike any other options in the area. At first she noticed people opting for their comfort zone of Cabernet Sauvignons from Napa, but returning customers are starting to get more adventurous. “We know wine can be intimidating for people,” Botton notes.
The objective at Trellis is to provide a welcoming, comfortable, fun wine experience led by an approachable staff, making it an enjoyable experience for the wine novice. The bar showcases around forty wines, primarily from smaller distributors, with everything available by the glass. The goal is for people to have the opportunity to try different styles of wine, including ones that they may not usually gravitate toward. The massive chalkboard is updated weekly to include new wines being introduced to the rotation.

Botton's approach is to first learn what guests like, then offer an alternative. “And most likely it’s a grape they never tried from a country they never experienced wine from,” she says.

Rotating flights are another way guests can sample something new. Flights are selected to highlight a particular region, style or wine technique. The Garden of France, for example, features sparkling wines from Loire, and the More Skin Contact Than a Nudist Colony refers to the maceration period for the wine.

During Blind Tasting Tuesdays, Botton chooses four wines — two reds and two whites — and leads an educational but relaxed tasting experience where patrons don’t know what type of wine they are drinking. Guests walk through the entire tasting experience, getting a quick basic wine tutorial, analyzing the color, reading the wine maker’s tasting notes, and making their own guesses at what it could be before the wine is revealed. The first few times the Certified Sommelier led this event, chairs were set up like a traditional classroom. But she soon realized people loved to engage with each other, so now it’s more of a circle discussion with a real community vibe.
Even though it's important for Botton and Stoltz to create a positive wine experience for the average person, Botton says that wine enthusiasts can likely appreciate the details she has curated, too — from crystal stemware to a purposeful wine selection. She’s conscious of not being too heavy on a particular region, striving to offer a variety of different wine styles and wine-making techniques. To complement the wine, rotating meats and cheese are offered. There is also an option to take a picnic to go, ideal for Fairfax Park directly across the street.

Upcoming events include a Thanksgiving Wine Showcase on November 18 with small Thanksgiving-inspired bites and samples of more than forty wines available for purchase. For Small Business Saturday, guests will receive a complimentary glass of wine or flight with the purchase of a gift card on November 26 and 27.

Trellis Wine Bar is located at 2868 Fairfax Street and is open 4 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and 2 p.m. to close Saturday. For more information, visit trelliswinebar.com or call 720-707-4288.