It’s just after 5 p.m. on Tuesday – shortly after Friends of the Vine opens – and already one of the wine bar’s regulars, Stella, is in her usual seat at the corner of the bar.
“[She’s] the reason we’ve been open this long,” owner Fred Eguchi joked.
Friends of the Vine owners Tracy and Fred Eguchi opened the Riviera Village boutique wine shop in October 2001 – “probably the worst time we could have opened,” Fred said – but the last 16 years have led to a dedicated clientele that treats the shop like a second home.
“I don’t think it’s just for the wine; it’s for Fred and the people… this is the closest thing to family and home,” Stella said. “It’s that feeling of after work, you come home, sit down and have a drink, but you get to do that with all of your friends.”
Friends of The Vine
Riviera Village Music
221 Avenida Del Norte, Redondo Beach
(310) 792-5940
friendsofhevine.net
Runner-up: Barsha Wines And Spirits
917 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach
(310) 318-9080
barshawines.com
