The Rail Bridge Cellars Penthouse Lounge at the Elks Tower will offer a wine-tasting room with a skyline view after opening in two weeks. The owners of urban winery Rail Bridge Cellars, Michael Gelber and his wife, Katharine (Ayers) Gelber, want to breathe new life into a room that once held Top of the Town, a restaurant and bar popular in the 1950s and 1960s. They hope to officially open the spot July 11 as an off-site wine-tasting room in the heart of downtown, he said. The opening is tied to the winery's growth after seven new wines were recently introduced to the market. Previously, Rail Bridge had only offered two wines: a sauvignon blanc and a 2004 proprietary red blend called Latt

A dusty corner of the historic Elks Tower containing a pool hidden for decades will soon get a second life when a Euro-style cafe, bar and chocolatier open next year. The Ayers family has begun renovating a bi-level corner of the 1926 building designed by architect Leonard J. Starks to incorporate a pool where club members swam for 50 years. The pool hasn't been used since about the early 1980s. Building owner Steve Ayers, his daughter Katharine (Ayers) Gelber and her husband, Michael Gelber, are partnering to open Rail Bridge Wine and Spirits in the front corner of the building at 921 11th St. The other corner is anchored by McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. The bar, small cafe

The Sacramento Artists Council brought together artists and guests to an enjoyable evening during its 1st Annual Masquerade Gala event. This elegant Masquerade is one of two major events held, by this council, during the year to raise funds and support art scholarships for local students. This social event also helps raise grants for artists, musicians and filmmakers in the Sacramento area. The recipient of this year’s grant was Juliana Zachariou. Several outfits worn by those who attended the event spent quite a bit of time creating their outfits for the Masquerade. Several outfits had integrated beautiful designs created by those who wore some stunning dresses. Compliments were hear

It's a blessing and a curse to be a wine lover living in Sacramento. After all, you're surrounded by hundreds of wineries producing some of the world's best vintages – from urban wineries like Revolution Wines and Rail Bridge Cellars here in the central city to Sacramento County, the Sierra Nevada foothills and beyond to Napa Valley. But when you want to do some wine tasting, that blessing can feel like a curse. How do you choose from all those tasting rooms? And with more and more of them charging tasting fees, how do you find the best deals: from free tastings and fees that apply toward purchases to private tastings well worth the extra bucks? A couple of local wine connoisseurs have

Revolution Wines is coming out of the cellar, so to speak. Sacramento's first urban winery is trading its back-door warehouse location at 2116 P St. for a Midtown corner at 29th and S streets, next to the new Temple coffeehouse. The relocation to 2831 S St. will increase the winery's visibility and allow for the expansion of its wine-tasting and production facilities, said Gina Genshlea and Craig Haarmeyer, managing partners along with Genshlea's husband, Joe Jr. "I think we always knew we'd outgrow that space. That was just a starting point," Gina Genshlea said Tuesday at the new location. Revolution Wines is the only urban winery in the grid. The business started in a garage in 2004

The 23rd Annual Christmas Party Extravaganza will feature free food from a multitude of hip Sacramento restaurants and establishments.  Tuli, Zocalo, Hot Italian and Kru will all be at the party serving delicious appetizers plus, Rail Bridge Cellars will offer wine tastings. This is heaven for the gastronomically inclined! If you just want to fuel properly before you hit the dance floor, that can be easily accomplished too. Do not miss this unique opportunity to sample so many culinary creations in one place, knowing its all for a good cause. Food is included in the ticket price ($60 in advance, purchase online) and proceeds benefit at-risk youth in Sacramento.           To top

Wine and eclectic beats never sounded so good. Design Within Reach, a trendy art furniture studio Downtown, came alive Wednesday evening, providing a popular hot spot for the first ever Wine and Beats event, created and hosted by Rai-Mon Nemar. Nemar, founder of LEGENDmag and budding sommelier, has a contagious passion for both wine and music. Nemar said he noticed subtle changes to the characteristics of wine while listening to albums. "I was writing an article one day reviewing an album, sipping on wine," he said. "By the time I completed the article I thought, 'All I need in life is wine and beats.' So I started comparing bottles of wine to certain albums and was amazed at some of the

Flanked by towering racks of wine barrels, and with the sweet smell of yeast in the air, close to 55 area citizens gathered at RailBridge Cellars on North 16th Street for the second gathering of the Sacramento Sustainability Forum (SSF) last Thursday evening. Winemaker Jon Affonzo opened his doors and donated his facility to host the monthly forum established to connect businesses, non-profit organizations, government, and interested individuals for the purpose of promoting sustainability in the Sacramento region. It was a memorable day for Affonzo, in addition to playing host, his second daughter was born early that morning. “I pretty much pulled an all-nighter last night,” Affonzo said