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Moseley Family Invests in Downtown

Redding has never been thought of as a wine destination like Napa or Sonoma, though in recent years it’s seen a boom in wine bars: Uncorked on Hilltop plus downtown’s Vinter’s Cellars, Vintage Wine Bar, the soon-to-open The Grape Escape, and now Moseley Family Cellars.

When Mimi and Marty Moseley opened a tasting room to showcase their locally-made wines, they decided to invest in downtown Redding.

“We make great wine and live in a great city and intentionally sought out the best location to promote both. We knew downtown was the spot,” said Mimi Moseley. They chose the block of Market Street north of the Promenade, already home to several dining destinations.

But what sets them apart from the other bars, clubs, and wine bars in downtown?

“We aren’t a ‘bar,’ Mimi explained. ‘We are a ‘Tasting Room’ for Moseley Family Cellars. If visiting Napa or Sonoma, one enters the tasting room of a winery to taste their product. If they like it, they buy and often become wine club members. That’s who we are. Our guests don’t come in to stay for hours, but rather to taste and buy a bottle to take home or to dinner.”

Though many wine country tasting rooms are located at the winery itself, Mosely wines are produced at an industrial location off Highway 273, made from grapes produced in other locations. “Growing grapes is a HUGE endeavor!” Mimi said. “We research growers around California to find the best quality grapes we can afford.” Winemaker Marty Moseley has made Cabernet, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Chardonnay and various blends from grapes grown in Paso Robles, Arroyo Seco, Morgan Hill and even Red Bluff.

Though being a winemaker is a popular romantic dream for many wine lovers, it’s not a walk in the park – it’s a labor of love. As Mimi explains the process, “We bring the grapes back to our winery where we crush the grapes to remove the stems. At that point, they are put under a ‘cold soak’ which extracts the color and flavors from the grapes. During this time, the grapes are in what I call ‘The Nursery.’ Like infants, the grapes need contant checking to be sure their temperature does not get too high. We also punch down the grapes three times daily to keep it all mixed up and moist. About a week later, when the winemaker deems is time, the grapes begin the fermentation stage and the cold soak is finished. We do still keep the temperature of the winery very cool because the grapes will generate their own heat as they ferment.

“The grapes ferment for an additional week and then we ‘press’ to remove the skins, leaving only the wine. It is BEAUTIFUL! We take the skins, called ‘must,’ to our compost pile to enrich our soil. Nothing is wasted. The wine is then pumped into settling tanks for about a week and then pumped into barrels for aging.”

The Moseleys are invested in downtown Redding, not only to sell their wines but to be a part of the diversified art and culture revitalization. The Tasting Room boasts five permanent art pieces on display, including the 3-D Wall of Bubbles by artist Eric Podteteneiff, their “Tree” logo and a personal family piece by Tricia Kibler, and the “Man” sculpture by John Michael Streeby. They have started their “Music on Market” series on Fridays nights with local musicians like Garrett Viggers, Christ Molitar and Carrie Grosch. Two Sundays a month they will host “Corks & Canvas” to feature the works of local artists in the Tasting Room. And in October the Moseleys will be supporters of Art Hop.

Currently Moseley’s is open limited hours. Mimi explained, “Our desire is to be a ‘before dinner’ stop. However, many times we have stayed open for those coming by after dinner.” But it’s not just about sales for the Moseleys.”One more thing that makes us special is our love of people, Mimi said. “Everyone is equal at our counter and that warmth is felt. Our motto for Moseley Family Cellars is ‘Come as guests…leave as family.’ So, welcome to the family!”

Moseley Family Cellars
1300 Market Street #103, Redding, CA 96001 Phone 530-605-4222
Website http://moseleyfamilycellars.com or visit them on Facebook
Thu – Sat: 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Sun: 1:00 pm – 8:00 pm
$10.00 tasting fee

Barbara Rice is a native Igonian. Upon discovering the Beatles at age 9, she picked up an atlas and figured out how far England was and how long it would take to get there (5,371 miles, 12 hours). Though gainfully employed, she regards work as a necessary evil to finance vacations. In her spare time she looks up cheap airfares and daydreams about her next trip. She never did meet Sir Paul, but she knows where his office is.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.

Barbara Rice

Barbara Rice is anewscafe.com's administrative assistant. She grew up in Igo listening to the devil's music, hearing tales of WWII, and reading James Thurber and Mad Magazine while dreaming of travel to exotic lands. She graduated from Shasta High School, Shasta College, and San Francisco State University. After too many blistering Sacramento Valley summers, she's traded it all for the ocean breezes of Humboldt County. She's been told she's a bad influence and that makes her very happy. She tweets, travels, and spoils cats. There's a dance in the old dame yet.

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