Everson Royce Wine Store opens in Old Pasadena

[Editor’s Note: This article originally incorrectly misstated the ownership of Everson Royce and has been updated to reflect the correction.]

This past Saturday, newcomer Everson Royce opened in Heritage Wine’s former haunt next to the Armory Center for the Arts in Old Pasadena on North Raymond Ave. across from Memorial Park.

April Langford and Randy Clement – two of the three owners of Silverlake Wine, a Los Angeles shop which curates and offers small production, high quality, artisanal wines – and their long-time friend Joe Capella are behind Everson Royce.

Stocking about 25% of the same small-production wine brands as Silverlake Wine as the foundation, everything else at Everson Royce is a bit different, from the looks to the scheduled wine-tasting, to the amount of spirits for sale.

“Once the inventory is complete” Clement tells LA Weekly, “There will be eight times the amount of hard stuff on hand.”

What other differences make this location compelling?

For starters, there’s draft wine. Nestled behind the 21-and-over tasting section of the retail space is an eight-tap dispenser. Everson Royce’s taps will dispense four California reds (cooled to 60 degrees) and also four California whites (cooled to 43 degrees). They will serve by the glass or in a carafe.

Now on tap: Culver’s Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and Giornata’s il Campo White (a blend of Central Coast white varietals).

Then there’s the large selection,  and the eastern European wineries (including the “war torns,” Slovenia, Croatia, Georgia). Of course Italy is well represented, and the center section is devoted to California Pinot Noir and Chadonnay and dozens of wines from France, Spain and the Southern Hemisphere.

There will be, ultimately, over 500 labels to choose from.

“We’ve been looking for a place to open a new store for years now” Clement is quoted as saying to the LA Weekly. The pair couldn’t pass up the opportunity once the old town spot came available.

“It will be “owner operated all the way” Clement says. “We’re not going to build out and then dial it in. It’s exciting for us; it’s like writing a new wine list for a restaurant”.

Clement also points out that there will be some duplication of the stock at Silverlake Wine, but from the creative end, with the excitement of having tons of new selections, he says it will be “Super cool”.

Located in an historic building on Raymond Avenue, this store lends itself to a very loft-like winery, with exposed air-duct ventilation (painted navy blue), brick walls, and steel shelving to help add an urban ambiance.

Everson Royce will soon launch public tastings, now scheduled for Tuesday and Friday nights and Saturday afternoons.

Everson Royce is located at 155 N. Raymond Ave Pasadena. Call them at (626) 765-9334 or visit them on the web at www. eversonroyce.com