A boutique Lodi winemaker is bringing a cozy tasting room, wine lounge, and bottle shop to the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
Winemaker Feli Ortega is preparing to debut Felicità Wine Company‘s first brick-and-mortar location at 1015 Second St, formerly home to Casa De Mercado. The full footprint spans roughly 2,400 square feet, including the basement, though the intimate public lounge will occupy just under 1,000 square feet.
Ortega began making wine in 2015 and officially launched Felicità in 2018. She currently operates booths at several local farmers’ markets—including Midtown, Folsom, Carmichael, and Galt—and says Old Sacramento has been interested in bringing her in for some time. The right location, however, didn’t open up until this spring.
“Finally, a space became available in March and they called us again,” Ortega told What Now Sacramento. “We walked in, the tenant was moving out… and it just kind of worked out.”
Felicità wines are thoughtfully crafted to reflect the spirit of Lodi wine country, and Ortega describes her bottles as embodying “viticulture history, understated elegance, and absolute happiness.”
At the new wine lounge, guests can expect the company’s signature boutique wines, such as the 2019 Old Vine Zinfandel and 2022 Pinay Noir, along with a variety of Felicità-themed merchandise.
To pair with the pours, Ortega plans to offer a small but thoughtful selection of bites, including charcuterie and snacks with “a hint of Filipino” influence. The menu will start modestly, she said, with the potential to expand as the lounge grows.
Felicità Wine Company is currently awaiting final city approvals and putting finishing touches on the space. While an official opening date hasn’t been set, Ortega hopes to welcome guests sometime in the coming weeks.
“I want to bring the Lodi wines to not just Sacramento—because we’ve been pouring at the markets—but also to the tourists that come to the city,” she said. Be sure to follow @felicitawine on social media for the latest grand opening updates.
