The Local Cellar

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The Local Cellar

The Local Cellar offers Wine Consultation and Private Event Tastings. I come to you and teach you what you want to know in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

The Local Cellar offers services in Wine Consultation for home or business and Private Event Tastings. Wine Consultation for home consists of building a cellar from scratch or filling in gaps from already existing cellars. There is access to sourcing and buying product directly through the agent or via a secondary business. Creating an online inventory of the wines with cellar potential drinking w

indows, notes, and reviews etc are possible. The process can be as in depth as the client chooses. Consultation for business is quite similar, with the addition of creating or adjusting hospitality menus. Staff training is also an option. Private Event Tastings are catered around what the client is after, whether it be a friends gathering, a special occasion (birthday, bachelorette etc), a dinner party with pairings, or a blind tasting event etc. Glassware rental is available. Tasting cards for guests are also included. If you or someone you know may be interested in any wine or spirit services, please contact me for further information. Thank you!

01/11/2025

Education Time!!

Bordeaux Release Vintage 2022

When it’s Friday afternoon, I have to do 5 rounds of 3-4 staff members at a time.

Makes for a lot of repetition. I’m happy to say I think our team is ready for tomorrow’s big day.

See you at this year’s special event - our 40th Anniversary of Bordeaux Release 🍷

27/09/2025

Our beloved Bordeaux Release which should have taken place today, right now has been cancelled. But will be postponed for a later date as soon as this strike is over with.

This event is my pride and joy. I have worked on the Bordeaux Release since the 2009 vintage, this year will mark the 2022. The event takes a week and half to prepare for once the product arrives to the island, but a 3 year in the making from prebuying (in futures) that are amazing buyer works hard for. The preparation is long hours and a full team that works together for the try successful big day.

The amount of recognition and money that comes into the province for this one weekend alone is astronomical. Customers anxiously wait for this event every year. But yet BCL stores are currently closed because of an unfair wage dispute with the government among other very reasonable requests.

Bordeaux we miss you, but will hopefully see you shine very soon 🍷

23/09/2025

Reminiscing on an amazing road trip to the Cowichan Valley this summer wine touring the area with the bestest group of ladies!

The tour company was great! Erica, owner and founder offered 100% great customer service. And even with some rocks tossed our way she made everything work out from beginning to end.

The mini bus was fully equipped for comfort and even with Karaoke 🎤 because who doesn’t want to listen to 12 buzzed up broads belting Shania Twain down the highway?!

We went to 4 wineries , , and . Everyone had something great to offer from views, service, quality of wine, and history. I even learned something new - the Cayuga grape is used in one of Zanatta’s bubbles. It’s a “New York - bred hybrid varietal”. Very tasty!

Till next summer… I already have some new ideas fermenting ;)

08/09/2025

A fabulous enter in 45!

Sleep in till 715am 🛏️
Gym 1hr work out 💪
Bike Ride Dallas, Breakwater Cafe, Inner Harbour, Goose 1hr 45min 🚲
Lunch with my bf at Deep Cove Chalet with a little surprise, sneaky bubbles
Nap 💤
Dinner with family at Janevca 🏨

#45

20/08/2025

Recapping on the ever so fun pop up wine tasting event Pour Decisions I did .victoria in July. I walked guests thru a journey on the hand selected wines by telling tied-bit stories of the producers, their wineries, locations in world, the grapes used etc. At the end, I always offer a little interactive quiz with take away gifties. Why not make things interesting!?

The weather was amazing, the location was great, the charcuterie boards looked delicious and the wine, oh so perfect! So perfect, there were no photos taken of all of them - haha.

But here they are:
Domaine Rolet Cremant de Jura
Volpi Timorasso 2024
Girlan Pinot Bianco 2024
Domaine Breban Villa Aix Provence Rose 2024
Fiuza Portugal

Thank you to and for the photos! I really appreciate it!

And, wouldn’t have been a good pop up without music that got the group up dancing afterwards by

It won’t be the last event! Stay tuned for more in the future🍷 Can’t run a pop up wine event with such a cool name just once 😉

06/08/2025

I met Owner and Chef Israel Alvarez Molina from .nixtamal at work one day helping him choose a substitute Mezcal for his regular choice Solmano (excelente btw) that wasn’t available yet. We hit it off conversing in Spanish and since I hadn’t visited his new space (it’s been in Chinatown since 2020 oops!) I promised I would make it down there soon. What better time was this past Sunday and so happy I did because it was the such a great experience!

The decor was very bright and inviting, we had a cute seat in the corner window. The sun started to come out and it was perfection once the margarita and food arrived.

We ordered the chips and salsa y crema for a starter and the Esquites; translates to toasted corn 🌽 which is a take on Mexican street corn salad. I also ordered the mushroom tacos 🌮 which arrived in a small skillet with frijoles (black bean), pickled onion, cabbage, and of course house made tortillas (spinach and corn) in a heated bracket. Yum!!

Israel came out from the kitchen to say hi and we chatted about the food and his production area for the tortillas which we got to tour afterwards. We asked him about the grasshoppers and we were given a sampling - crunchy with a whisper of spice 🌶️ Totally coming back for the grasshoppers tacos 🌮!! Did you know they are high in protein?

And, but of course you have to have some kind of dessert. A what would be better than Churros and Mezcal 😉

So, Israel moved to Canada in 2008. Realizing cold and wet Edmonton was not the place to be after visiting Victoria, he started out on a new adventure and career out west. His passion and heart is in his Mexican cooking which is surrounded by his tortilla production. The corn kernels 🌽 are 100% pro-cert organic and comes from Armstrong, BC. Everything is done in house. The corn is delivered, boiled (in Nixtamal and ground right there.

Get down to Chinatown and check .nixtamal if you haven’t already done so..or just get back for more!

09/07/2025

And the lady behind the project…

Hi, my name is Marissa and I’m super excited for this Sunday’s ‘Pour Decisions’ Wine Pop Up Party .victoria

It’s going to be a really busy (literally) afternoon down in Oak Bay and also a hot summer’s day. So, wear those wide brimmed hats and super big shades because we are going to have a good time sipping on wine and grooving to some sweet beats by

A little about me, I am a certified wine expert with an extensive background in wine and spirits that has led me to be a successful Product Consultant for the flagship BC Liquor Store, Fort Street on Vancouver Island, BC.

I founded my business in 2018, out of passion for wine and educating others in a fun, interactive and non-pretentious manner. I am by no means a wine snob or cork dork, just an extremely devoted woman wanting to share my enthusiasm for this ever-changing world of wine with you!

Check out my bio for more information on me and my business!

Cheers and See You Sunday🥂

08/07/2025

A great day yesterday celebrating newly built tasting room and production facility.

What a beautiful space they have built! Anyone can surely enjoy the open concept they have created for various styles of events and tasting sessions. Winemaker can be seen in the private events room showcasing the wall of barrels.

Thanks Unsworth for a lovely afternoon of indulgence … the Pinot Gris Saison 👍🏻👍🏻!

03/07/2025

Do you like wine? Patios? Live music? Food?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to any or all of these questions then you should make the right kind of Pour Decision this summer and join me at this event:

🍷 POUR DECISIONS: A SUMMER WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE 🍷
Sunday, July 13th | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen Café – Patio, Oak Bay Village

An immersive wine tasting experience nestled on the charming patio of Ottavio in Oak Bay Village.

The event will be hosted by a passionate wine enthusiast and certified sommelier (that’s me!), this curated tasting will take you on a journey through a hand-selected lineup of exciting, under-the-radar wines — thoughtfully chosen to intrigue your palate, spark conversation, and ignite your curiosity for what’s new and noteworthy in the world of wine.

🎟 Tickets: $30 per person includes a flight of 5 wines

Includes full access to the wine tasting experience, seating and live music and nibble offerings.

Limited spots available!

📍 Location:
Ottavio Italian Bakery & Delicatessen Café
2272 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC
Patio seating under the summer sun in the heart of Oak Bay Village.

Nibbles: Enjoy a selection of gourmet food offerings available for purchase, including artisanal cheeses, Italian-style small plates, and seasonal nibbles crafted by Ottavio kitchen.

Music: Settle in and soak up the atmosphere with live music performance by the ever talented Dj , who will put together the perfect soundtrack to your Sunday afternoon.

Secure your ticket now — because sometimes, the best decisions are Pour Decisions. Link available .victoria under Events.

Come make some Pour Decisions this summer and join me while I walk you through a good time!

https://www.ottaviovictoria.com/product/pour-decisions-episode-one-july-13th-1pm-4pm/3OWNXZIPZL7XWFB5IPVII7KL?cs=true&cst=custom

Address

Telephone

250-661-2088

Website

http://www.thelocalcellar.com/

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Our Story

Hi there!

My name is Marissa Major and I have decided to share my passion of wine and spirits through my new company, The Local Cellar with services in Wine Consultation and Private Event Tastings.

I am certified with merit in Advanced Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) from the U.K., as well as hold various other certifications; some of which are the French Wine Scholar and the Italian Wine Specialist. This knowledge has enabled me to work as a Senior Product Consultant with the flagship BC Liquor Store on Vancouver Island for many years.

I am determined and eager to share my interests and expertise with whomever chooses to follow my journey.