BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Some thought they were taking on too much, opening a new business right at the height of the pandemic.
While they're a newer business, Bottleshock has already become somewhat of a downtown staple. It's thanks to ingenuity and an outpour of support from the community.
“With everything going on, how tumultuous everything has been and how slow it’s been,” said Shelby Gerber, co-owner of Bottleshock.
For mother-daughter crew Theresa and Shelby Gerber, nothing was going to get in their way.
“It definitely spurred us into wanting to make sure people knew we were still here and still trying new things," Gerber said.
The duo opened Bottleshock — a wine bar and downtown eatery — almost two years ago. But Gerbers's dream of bringing wine and fun to others started long before then.
“For me when I talk about wine, I tend to get very excited about it,” she said.
While it’s been a bumpy journey navigating a new business amid the pandemic the excitement is still there. So she started a wine club.
“Making it educational but also fun,” she said.
Gerber said ever since she was young, wine has brought people together in her life. she’s hoping this club will do the same. Every month has a new theme, in November it was sustainability, in December it was women in wine, for January the theme is the streets of Bakersfield.
“I feel like it is very that disconnect of like wanting to get into it but scared to get into it," she said. "Because you don’t want to seem like you don’t know what you’re talking about. But that’s kinda the point because wine is very subjective and it’s very easy to learn about.”
The wines chosen for the club each month are only available to club members and each month Bottleshock will host a mixer.
“Wine is a very social thing and I really do feel like it brings people together and gives them a common thing to center around.”
Now if you’re interested in trying Bottleshock’s wine club, membership is $35 a month and you can sign up for a reoccurring membership of just pay month to month.
