Sondi Carcello took over It’s Wine Tyme with her husband Ed in April.
It’s Wine Tyme opened almost two years ago in Capitola, but changed ownership in April. The new owners, Sondi and Ed Carcello—both former Trader Joe’s employees and long-time wine enthusiasts—are so passionate about wine they even make their own. They have over 120 different wines on their menu, most of which are available by the glass (just not the really expensive stuff). They also have an appetizers menu. We chatted with Sondi recently about her passion for wine and how It’s Wine Tyme has changed since she and Ed took it over.
SCW: I hear you have a dessert menu now?
SONDI CARCELLO: Yes. We have a chocolate ganache torte. We have local handcrafted chocolate caramel. We have cheesecake. And we also have several preserves that pair well with cheese.
If you could only have one wine, would it be red or white?
I would probably go with red. I’m a big zinfandel fan.
You have a pretty big menu. Is there a wine on your menu you think is superb that nobody really knows about?
There’s Cinnabar Incantation. It’s a blend of whites. It has an orange muscat and sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. Who would think about ordering that? Until I try them on it, no one would order it.
When you have people come in that don’t know a lot about wine, how do you help them pick a good wine to drink?
Because our menu is so big, it’s almost impossible for people to read everything and decide what they want. So I usually ask them what they like, and what they want to have right now. I have anybody taste a wine before I even pour them a glass. So I guide them in the area I think they want to be in as far as their wine choice. If they’re interested, I’ll show them how to really get the flavors out of the wine. It’s not about just drinking it. I get a lot of people who come in here who are just starting to drink wine. They want to drink wine, but what do they do? I kind of go through the different palettes. What you’re feeling, what you’re smelling, what you’re trying to get. Try and get them to appreciate the wine a little more rather than just sitting down and just drinking wine. You don’t appreciate it unless you know all the flavors and the characteristics that’s coming out of that wine. If they’re interested in doing that, I go through that with them.
It’s Wine Tyme is at 116 Stockton Avenue, Capitola.
