OROVILLE — If you’re a bibliophile or an oenophile or both, mark your calendar for the second Tuesday of any month and head to Villavino in Oroville, where the fruit of the vine flows and vivacious discussions ensue during the wine bar’s book club meetings.
“I had no idea the book club would be so popular,” said owner Candy Knauth. “It just keeps growing and growing. I’m going to have to start rearranging the bar’s tables so there’s enough room for everyone. That’s a great thing, and I love it.”
Owning a place where she could share her interest in and passion for wine with others was a “retirement dream” for Knauth, a 30-year Oroville resident and retired teacher. In 2020, during COVID, Knauth completed an online sommelier course. So, when the space at 1440 Myers St. in the historic downtown district became available in 2021, she was ready and — in partnership with her husband, David — decided to make the dream a reality.
The space was “gutted,” but Knauth loved the location. It was familiar to her, having been the site many years ago of the now long-closed record store called The Underground where she’d worked while a student at Las Plumas High School.
Starting from scratch, Knauth was able to design a space with pleasant ambient lighting, tile, wood and leather to create her vision of an “upscale, classy, mellow” bar with an “Italian vibe.”
“I wanted to open a bar where I could share my interest and passion for wine with others,” said Knauth. “It’s about more than drinking wine; it’s about teaching people about wine, educating and sharing my knowledge with others.”
And Knauth has been able to do just that since she opened the doors to Villavino two years ago this month. The intimate bar offers beer and more than 35 different wines from around the world but “mostly from California because, let’s face it, we do grow the best grapes for wine,” she said.
Since shortly after its opening, Villavino has also been home to the monthly book club where anywhere from eight to 16 people gather at 6 p.m. with a glass of wine, or a bottle if they’re attending with friends, to enjoy some snacks and discuss the club’s most recent “good read.”
“I’d never heard of a bar hosting a book club, but I thought it would be fun,” said Knauth. “I love to read. I know a lot of girls who like to read, and I just thought I’d see how much interest there was. It took off like wildfire.”
The book club is open to anyone 21 or older and can be joined at any time.
“All you need to do is show up,” said Knauth. “We post what book we’re reading for the month on our Facebook page. You don’t have to have read the book to come to your first meeting. You can start with the next book.”
Members decide which book to read every month through a drawing. Participants write titles on slips of paper and place them in a big jar, from which Knauth draws the new selection. The books vary in genre and length so “we’re not stuck reading the same thing every month. People have different tastes, and that’s what makes it interesting,” she said.
In January, the group read “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” by Shelby Van Pelt — and this month’s selection, which will be discussed at the March meeting, is “Boys in the Boat,” by Daniel James Brown.
Friends Diana Warren and Michaela Herbert are long-time club members who say they “enjoy the lively discussions.”
“I love the conversations, talking about what we read: if we did or didn’t finish it, or if we did or didn’t like the book. It’s always fun,” said Warren. “When I get ready to come here, my family teases me, saying, ‘Have fun at wine club.’”
For Herbert, joining a book club was something she always wanted to do, and Villavino’s offered her the perfect opportunity to unwind with a glass of wine and “come together over books with different women.”
“I love hearing everybody’s opinion, everybody’s different input,” said Herbert. “It’s really interesting to share what you think with other women and to hear their perspective and thoughts.”
In addition to the book club, Villavino occasionally hosts other special events, including live music and trivia nights. The bar is also open for all downtown festivals and events, and is available to rent for private parties. Regular business hours are Wednesdays and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Reach Kyra Gottesman at kgottesman@chicoer.com.
