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The Secret Wine Society owners Robert Douglas, left, and Dawn Douglas, right, pose for a photograph with employees Matteo Fregonese, second from left, and Chris Miller in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society owner Robert Douglas, middle, works at the Oakland restaurant and wine shop in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society owners Dawn Douglas, left, and Robert Douglas opened their Oakland establishment in December 2019.
Guests enjoy the offerings at The Secret Wine Society in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society manger and wine steward Chris Miller works in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society owners Robert Douglas, left, and Dawn Douglas, right, pose for a photograph with employees Matteo Fregonese, second from left, and Chris Miller in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society owner Robert Douglas, middle, works at the Oakland restaurant and wine shop in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society owners Dawn Douglas, left, and Robert Douglas opened their Oakland establishment in December 2019.
Guests enjoy the offerings at The Secret Wine Society in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society manger and wine steward Chris Miller works in Oakland in April.
The Secret Wine Society in Oakland in April.
There’s so much to take in when you first arrive at The Secret Wine Society in Oakland that it’s hard to know where to begin.
The century-old building itself is something to behold. Inside you can’t help but notice the antique grandfather clock, which stands 9 ½ feet tall; the antique wooden bookcase filled with books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the Italian meat slicer, perfect for slicing prosciutto; the Audubon print of the meadowlark, the state bird; and more.
Then there are the wine bottles. Hundreds of them — if not thousands — stacked seemingly in every nook and cranny of the space. Somewhere between 400 and 500 different wine labels, from some two dozen countries, with prices ranging from $18 to $180. And yes, owner Robert Douglas will tell you that at The Secret Wine Society, which opened in December 2019 at 110 SE 1st St., the fundamental focus is indeed wine.
Terrific, sometimes spectacular, reasonably priced wines from around the globe.
Intimidated by the seemingly overwhelming selection? Don’t be. That’s where Douglas, who owns the business with his wife Dawn, along with help from chef/employee Andreas Pias, come in.
“There’s a lot of wine out there,” said Douglas, adding that he’s tasted 98% of the offerings in the shop. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get a great bottle of wine, but you have to learn about it. That’s where we come in. We do the research, and we will give you the best value.”
The building itself has its own story.
Built in 1895, with its brick walls and wood floors, was originally The Crouch Brothers Saloon. It was also an art gallery at one time. They also filmed scenes for the 1993 movie Fire in the Sky in the building, and Douglas said a time capsule left by the production crew was found during renovation.
Inside is almost like an eclectic museum. One could spend an enjoyable hour just looking at the grandfather clock, which chimes on the hour, and other items mentioned above. Other interesting items include a set of 1920s boxing gloves filled with straw displayed on the wall; the ornate, hand-made framed ceramic sake cup set also on the wall; an antique elevator indicator light; a framed pharmacy license from 1902; a wood coat rack with antique door knobs as the coat hangers; and the handcrafted wood staircase.
And don’t miss the metal statue of Dionysus — the Greek God of fertility and wine — adorned with lights, sitting atop one of the wine cases.
“The atmosphere is one-of-a kind,” Douglas said. “A blend of Japanese, Victorian, Steampunk, Gothic and Art-Deco. The atmosphere has an understated elegance such that you can dress up or walk in as you are and not feel out of place.”
The Secret Wine Society also offers an assortment of gourmet food options.
“We offer a rotating selection of cheeses from all over the world. We also have fresh-sliced prosciutto and other premium charcuterie,” Douglas said. “We also have the best soups around from our partners at Market of Choice. We have a homemade Bavarian pretzel from an original, old German recipe served with a house made secret sweet-spicy mustard. We also have gourmet tarts and Basque cheesecake sourced locally.”
The shop also sells, and holds classes about some of the best sake in the world, Douglas said, as he held up one bottle that goes for $160.
“Saké is kind of a focus of ours. We really love it,” he said.
Douglas, a former pharmacist who had a practice in Hawaii, is fluent in Japanese, having studied the language for more than 25 years.That’s important because a lot of information about saké is unavailable in English.
“This allows us to understand and source the best saké available, occasionally including bottles available nowhere else in the United States,” Douglas said.
He also leads private classes where guests taste some of the best saké made, while also learning about the history and production process. He will also teach customers how to read the characters on the saké label and what they all mean.
“Sake is great, that’s the next level after wine,” Douglas said. “Sake is designed not to be the center of a meal. It sits in the background.”
In addition to the sake classes, The Secret Wine Society has a membership program that provides several benefits, including sessions where members learn about various wines, and how to pair them with food. There are currently about 50 membership spots left, Douglas said.
Like the shop itself, members typically learn about the program through word-of-mouth.
“I don’t do a lot of marketing,” Douglas said. “That’s why we’re called the Secret Wine Society.”
The place can pull people in.
Pias, a trained chef from Cypress who runs the Umpqua Supper Club, said he started out as a customer of The Secret Wine Society, but had a hard time staying away.
“I was a customer for too much of the time. That’s why I work here now,” he said.
To Douglas, comments like that are music to his ears. He wants to keep the shop and the wine club at a size where everything has a personal touch. He sees himself as part wine connoisseur/buyer and part instructor.
“The problem we are solving is that most wine drinkers are completely unaware of the explosion in variety and styles of wine that are on the market today. They tend to drink the same several types of wine over and over,” Douglas said. “This results in a very narrow palate, which means a very limited understanding and appreciation.
“We educate our customers and build their palates. We can make anyone a more sophisticated wine drinker within six months, if they are engaged.”
The Secret Wine Society is open 12-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 12-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12-5 p.m. on Sunday. The shop is closed Monday and Tuesday.
For more information call the shop at 541-529-2200.
Follow Scott Carroll on Twitter @scottcarroll15.
Scott Carroll can be reached at scarroll@nrtoday.com or 541-957-4204. Or follow him on Twitter @scottcarroll15.
Scott Carroll is the business reporter for The News-Review. Follow him on Twitter @scottcarroll15.
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