Raising a Glass to Fernley: The Canal Wine Lounge Defines Small-Town Charm
By Rachel Dahl
“We love wine, and we love Fernley, but there was no wine bar here,” said Kris Ravetto, “we thought, hopefully they’ll come if we build it – and they are.”
Her husband Dan said they drug a 40-foot fifth wheel around the country for a couple of years, intent on settling in Texas, “But that was too far away from family and kids. We are not city folks, Fernley is perfect for us, other than there was no wine bar – so we built one. We don’t like to complain, we like to fix.”
Kris had spent twenty years in dentistry and Dan in the telecom and software industry. “It’s way more fun pouring wine than chasing dental claims,” Kris said. “We have family in Sparks, but this is about as close to the city as we want to be. We love Fernley, and the community has been very welcoming to us.”
So much so that their logo is in the shape of the Truckee Canal, for which the lounge is named.
The Ravettos began planning their venture last November and finally opened in August. “It is very time-consuming and takes more patience than I was born with,” Kris said, “but it was worth the wait.”
She said the best part has been seeing women kick off their shoes, fold their legs up in the big, cozy chairs, and just talk. “They’ll be here for hours. That’s what we wanted, a lounge – don’t rush in and rush out, this is exactly what we visualized.”
“The goal was to build these little living rooms so people could just sit and sip and watch the game if it’s on,” Dan said. The lounge has a cozy feel with several seating vignettes, each with a unique décor featuring comfortable chairs placed around a center table.
There are plans to hold events and parties along with monthly wine tastings. Last week a vineyard from California, Vino Noceto, was on hand for a tasting, with an impressive turnout of budding wine connoisseurs and planning dates for the Scott Harvey and Element 79 wineries is in the works.
And there is talk of another event, grown from a flip comment at the bar one night that Dan said has just gotten carried away. “I did say one night I would serve Boone’s Farm and then we got a new distributor, and I was looking through the catalog and saw it. “You seriously carry Boone’s Farm?” So, plans are underway for a Boone’s Farm Night, complete with cases of Strawberry Hill.
The best thing about Fernley, according to Dan and Kris, is that all the small businesses support each other. “Everyone has been so supportive, they come in here and we keep going to theirs,” Kris said.
They don’t use large corporate distributors either, preferring to work with smaller distributors who have been willing to work through the extensive Nevada regulations required to bring new wines into the state.
“The cool part is these wineries are great vacation destinations for people from here,” Dan said. “They’re only a couple hours away and people can go to the wineries of wine they discovered here.” He said Vino Noceto gave everyone who attended the wine tasting last week a coupon to waive the tasting fees and for a discount on their purchases when they go visit.”
“It’s that small business tie in – they support us, and we support them, that’s how you make it work.”
The Canal Wine Lounge is open Tuesday through Saturday from 2–9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. and located at 1032 Inglewood Drive, Suite 110.
