Stevie Stacionis and Josiah Baldavino, owners of Bay Grape Oakland and Bay Grape Napa, are in the process of selling their Napa wine shop to DECANTsf, a San Francisco company with a similar business model, according to a report Monday from Paul Franson’s NapaLife.
Stacionis confirmed the news Wednesday.
“(Our) license and permit transfers are officially underway, and the business will soon be in the hands of some very dear industry friends and phenomenal powerhouse women: Cara Patricia, Simi Grewal and Gillian Balance,” Stacionis said in an email.
Sommeliers Patricia and Grewel are the co-founders and co-owners of DECANTsf, a wine shop and bar that opened in May 2019. The business is located in San Francisco’s SoMa district (South of Market).
Balance, a master sommelier based in Napa, is a partner in the new venture but does not hold any ownership in DECANTsf, according to Grewel. Balance also plans to continue her work as education manager at Treasury Wine Estates in Napa, Grewel added.
Stacionis and Baldavino have owned and operated Bay Grape Napa for three years. They also operate two East Bay businesses: Bay Grape Oakland and Italian restaurant Mama Oakland, opened in 2014 and 2019, respectively.
“Should the right buyer come along for Bay Grape Oakland, we’ll consider that move in due time, but for now it’s business-as-wonderful-usual there,” Stacionis said.
Grewel said she and Patricia briefly considered buying Bay Grape Oakland, but nixed the idea because it seemed more like an extension of their San Francisco operation than an opportunity to broaden their business.
When the chance to expand into Napa came up, the two jumped on it, Grewel said.
“For us, really what Napa does for our brand is that it helps to diversify — our clientele, our offerings, and the ability to grow what we do as far as events and classes, and things like that,” she said.
Bay Grape Napa will close in June and reopen as DECANT after the shop undergoes renovations. Grewel said she and Patricia are aiming to reopen sometime in July.
“Another thing that really made this appealing is that Stevie and Josiah have run such wonderful and successful businesses with the Bay Grape brand,” Grewel said. “That also kind of gave us confidence to walk into this business and say, ‘OK, let’s continue doing what they did so well and build on it.’”
Stacionis said she is looking forward to attending the grand opening “as a guest.”
The business is located at 2999 Solano Ave. in Napa.
