Soif Wine Shop changes hands, closes Walnut Avenue location
Soif Wine Shop is changing hands and moving from its Walnut Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz as of July 23, the shop announced Friday.
Soif said in an email announcement that owner Patrice Boyle is handing the reins to longtime employees Alexis Carr and Dede Eckhardt. They plan to move from the current 105 Walnut Ave. location to the Dr. Miller building on Cedar Street, which formerly housed Cafe Pergolesi. Soif did not announce a reopening date at the new location.
“Carr and Eckhardt are working with various Santa Cruz city agencies to facilitate the rapid opening of the new space,” the email said.
The wine shop specializes in small wine producers from Europe and carries an exclusive selection of local wines. It originally opened in connection with the restaurant but began operating independently under the management of Carr and Eckhardt when the restaurant closed in 2021 after 20 years in business.
In the last year and a half, Carr and Eckhardt expanded events at the wine shop to include regular tastings with winemakers and pop-up dinners with some of the area’s best chefs, including former Soif chef Tom McNary.
Soif said the new location will provide wines by the glass, bottle and case, along with wine services for special events, classes and a wine club.
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