By RAIZA GIORGI
Creating a place for community and family was as important to Rian Salvatierra and her husband Chris when they were dreaming of opening their own wine bar. Roots Wine Bar opened in September of 2022 and Rian said she was nervous at first because she wasn’t sure about the reception, but the community has welcomed them with open arms.
“Our whole business model is to give back to the community because this is where we want to raise our family, and celebrate our roots in wine and the valley. We have a lot of connections with wineries and winemakers all over the Northwest and we have a connection to each bottle we pour,” she said.
They choose the wine selection primarily through their connections to either the winemaker or landowners and based on who practices a combination of low-intervention winemaking and sustainable or biodynamic vineyards.
“We want a strong sense of place, or terroir. You can taste the wine that has a unique sense of place, and where the winemaker doesn’t intervene on the natural approach,”
Rian said. “There is no one that doesn’t like wine, but if there is, I can find them something they will like.”
She added that they love carrying labels that have interesting and unique stories behind the bottle or brand. “Wine is always a conversation starter and brought me around the world. I have met some of the coolest people I’ve ever met in this industry,” said Rian, who got her education in communication.
Chris Salvatierra is originally from Washington, D.C., and is a certified sommelier. His passion for wine and food led him to Napa Valley, where he met Rian working at a restaurant.
Roots is hosting ‘take over’ events where they invite the winemaker, representative or sommelier to do a special tasting of the wine they represent. They’ve also done pop-up wine and beer dinners, where they pair wines with a five-course meal. The Salvatierras said they are planning a variety of spring and summer events and are launching a wine club called the Roots Cru, as well.
“My husband is going to be leading educational seminars starting this summer, along
with some other fun events now that we have a wonderful chef,” Rian said. Brittney Pracna recently joined the team as chef and originally hails from Salmon, Idaho. She has been cooking around the Wood River Valley for the past several years, most recently at the Grill at Knob Hill Inn.
Roots has a hard close at 7 p.m. because having time is very important to them, “especially post-pandemic,” Rian said. “We wanted to create a place where we can also have a balance of work and family. We can have our dream careers and still be present for our families.”
Roots Wine Bar is located at 122 South Main Street in Hailey. They are open Tuesday to
Saturday from noon until 7 p.m. For more information follow them on social media or
visit www.rootshailey.com.