Downtown Napa's Wine/Dine Zone Expands with 1313 Main

After selling wine in Napa for nearly 20 years, Al Jabarin is opening Napa’s newest wine bar and shop on Main Street, and he's making sure nobody forgets the address: 1313 Main opens its doors Friday, serving wines by the glass or taste along with micro brews and small plates seven days a week and retailing wines as well.

“We are wine-centric. We are all about the wines and here the wines shine,” says Jabarin. “Napa is the capital of the American wine industry.”

Jabarin bought the 6,000-square-foot building back in 2007, but the economic downturn delayed his vision of creating what he calls “a place where people can come in and do more things than they can in a tasting room." 

1313 Main will pour 40 wines, by the glass or taste, from a changing list and offer more than 1,000 wines by the bottle in the retail section of the establishment.

In addition to by-the-glass offering from such big names as Caymus, Martinelli, Kistler and Conundrum, 1313 Main offers themed flights, unique varietals (the Grenache Blanc caught my eye) and small cult producers. 

“Who knows -- we may open a 1999 Staglin,” Jabarin says, pointing to a recent Staglin vintage on the retail shelf.  He has been buying special lots at the Premier Napa Valley auction over the past two years and plans to offer unique wines from Whitehall Lane, Larkmead, Cain and the uber-cult Coup de Foudre.

Food offerings include small plates with Cowgirl Creamery cheeses and charcuterie. Local chef Sarah Scott, who spent 13 years as executive chef at Robert Mondavi Winery, is putting together the food and wine pairings.  

1313 Main has different seating areas: soft chairs and plush high-back benches in the lounge area in front of the fireplace by the front window, a long community tasting table in the retail section of the shop, the wine bar and an intimate seating area with a more urban feel to it.

"There is a social element to this place," Jabarin explains.

A second wine bar in the back of the establishment will be used for private tastings and winemaker events. Later this summer the back patio will open as well. The Cru 32 Room is a private tasting room that will hold 32 private wine lockers for top clients.

Like many, Jabarin feels that downtown Napa’s time to be on the wine tourism map has finally come. While the Memorial Day Weekend opening means he missed being included in the recent Wine Spectator profile on the rebirth of downtown Napa, Jabarin is expecting to get some Auction Napa Valley traffic next week.

1313 Main is open Sunday through Thursday from 11am-10pm, Friday and Saturday from 11am to midnight.