The Wine Barrel

Edmond wine aficionados and enthusiasts now have a chic place to stash their wine, entertain friends and learn about their favorite beverages.

The newly opened Wine Barrel, which occupies the basement of a North Kelly Avenue office building, offers members a temperature-controlled, state-of-the-art cellar for convenient access to secure wine storage. Due to the sleek, light wood lining the rounded ceiling, it also looks like a wine barrel inside and offers members a character-rich entertainment space.

“It’s a wine social club where people with an interest in wine and beverages get together,” said business partner Steve Eckroat. “We don’t sell wine, we don’t serve wine. Wine Barrel members bring their wine and they serve themselves.” 

Members can treat the place like an extension of their own home cellar. They have around-the-clock access to the Wine Barrel, which is kept safe and secure during off-business hours by a central alarm monitoring station. Members are privy to the Barrel Room, a lounge area complete with comfy seating, tables, TVs, wine glasses and dishwasher for easy cleanup. The room is even available to rent for private use, Eckroat added. 

Described by Eckroat as “the speakeasy of educational classes,” the business’ Wine Club University gives students a chance to learn the stories behind the wine in an intimate setting. Open since February, the Wine Barrel employs seven certified sommeliers and a beer-certified instructor to lead the classes. 

Classes range from novice to advanced and last about an hour and a half. Eckroat said classes aim to be fun and approachable for anyone on any knowledge level. A full lineup of the classes can be found on the Wine Barrel’s website.

“It’s like going back to school, but for grownups,” he said. “We give you the inside story about a winery or the industry in general. Wine is a great topic because everybody loves to drink it, but they often don’t know much about it. They want to educate themselves about specific wines they like to drink and also the progression of what wines they’d want to drink next.” 

The Wine Barrel is located at 2808 N. Kelly Ave. Suite 400 in Edmond. To learn more, call (405) 285-0315.