For months, a tiny storefront nestled between Pacific Thai Cuisine and Bookworks on the 600 block of Lighthouse Ave. in Pacific Grove sat empty with a small white sign in the window that simply read, “The Block” in black letters with a wine glass.
Anticipation had been building, even before the Weekly spoke with owner Coby Shammas in December 2025, when he hoped for a spring opening. In early August, it became clear they wine bar would open any day.
Finally, on Aug. 11 sign-off came from the County of Monterey Health Department. Shammas decided to soft open the next day.
“It’s a surreal feeling finally being here,” Shammas says, acknowledging that there is still work to be done as he gestures to the blank wall stretching opposite the bar and a few chairs.
Even though it wasn’t fully advertised, more than half a dozen patrons were sipping wine on the first day open on Wednesday evening, Aug. 12.
Shammas says he was so excited to get the final approval from the Health Department that on the morning of Aug. 12, he asked his wife to go get the final paperwork in hand, and opened the doors in the afternoon.
The menu features a collection of a dozen wines spanning the globe from Monterey County vineyards and elsewhere in California to European varietals imported from France and Italy, along with three beers and some non-alcoholic options. Shammas says that as they grow, food will eventually be served as well but he plans on listening to the community. He adds that many of the people he spoke to urged him to remain open on Tuesdays, since most businesses are closed in downtown Pacific Grove that day.
The wine bar plans to be open at noon every day, with closing time at 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 8pm the rest of the week. Shammas says a grand opening is in the works.