Enjoy Emanar Cellars expanded hours tonight
Madrid native Mar Meyerhoefer and her husband, Richard, look forward to welcoming folks tonight as they kick off expanded hours at Emanar Cellars. Viki Eierdam
Emanar Cellars—the warm and authentic Spanish wine and tapas bar in Battle Ground, Washington—officially extends its hours today when it opens at 4 p.m.
The addition of Wednesday means lovers of hand-picked Spanish wines can now enjoy the welcoming ambience of Emanar Cellars four days a week AND Friday and Saturday hours have been extended to 10 p.m. (although, judging from the crowds, I doubt the door has closed at 9 p.m. on a weekend since they opened over two years ago).
Co-owner Mar Meyerhoefer with a small selection of the extensive Spanish wine offerings found at Emanar Cellars. Viki Eierdam
For a town of less than 20,000 residents to have the kind of Spanish wine bar that draws such a loyal following is quite a coup but it’s not luck or happenstance. Co-owner Mar Meyerhoefer is a native of Madrid and her husband, Richard, loves the culture, cuisine and flavor profiles of the Iberian Peninsula nearly as much as he does his wife.
What drives them is that strong desire to deliver as accurate a representation of the neighborhood bars and small plates served up in them as code will allow. Trust me, they looked into ham hanging from the ceiling—just one or two—to slice off and serve to patrons just like they do all over Spain but the USDA simply has no sense of adventure.
What you will find at Emanar is live music on the weekends—even some Flamenco guitar players; a business that truly supports local—they highlight a local winery every weekend in addition to their offerings, serve Julia Bakery breads and cakes and pair Whimsy chocolates with their Spanish dessert wine; and, if they don’t know your name when you walk in, they’ll know it by the time you leave.
Ham hanging from the ceiling at a traditional pinxtos bar in San Sebastián, Spain. I don’t make this stuff up. Viki Eierdam
If anyone has an interest in learning more about the wine regions of Spain, Emanar has that covered, too. Colorful maps are available as a visual follow along while listening to key points of interest about different growing areas and what characteristics that terroir brings to the wine or simply sit back, sip, visit with your friends and enjoy the running slide show of the 10 night tour they led 16 Emanar customers on last Fall. It’s obvious all the people who went had a fantastic time and Richard and Mar are hoping to make it a biennial event.
As Emanar’s following has grown so, too, has their staff and the addition of Paige Pienkowski-Blackford (recently officially dubbed Wine Bar Manager) couldn’t have been more fitting for people who like to walk into a place and see a kind, familiar face. She embodies what Richard and Mar have strived for since they opened—customer-focused and inclusive.
But don’t take my word for it. For the second year in a row they’re one of the finalists for the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. Congratulations! Well-deserved.
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Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.