Long legacy coming to an end: Beltramo’s Wines and Spirits to close after more than 130 years of business

The store has been family-owned and operated since Giovanni Beltramo opened his business in 1882, according to Diana Beltramo Hewitt, the founder’s great-granddaughter.

As it was handed down through generations, brothers John and Daniel Beltramo inherited the store in the 1960s and have grown it into one of the Peninsula’s most notable wine, spirits and beer retailers.

But as the two owners near entering their 80s, they are prepared to step away and shut the store’s doors for good, said Beltramo Hewitt.

Beltramo Hewitt said the closure marks the end of a local legacy.

“It’s a bittersweet moment in Menlo Park history, as Beltramo’s has been here for 134 years,” she said. “It will be missed by many, but we are happy for the beautiful history we have had in this town.”

Once the store is closed at a yet-to-be-determined date, the property will be sold to a buyer who has already been selected, according to Beltramo Hewitt, who would not disclose the identity.

The store holds thousands of bottles of wine and spirits, and hundreds of beer varieties, said Beltramo Hewitt, who noted the expansive collection of rare and hard to find drinks from across the globe.

Beltramo Hewitt remembered fondly her days as a young child spent in the store, which were similar to the experience her dad and uncle had, as generations of the family were raised under the same roof.

“It was part of the fabric of our life,” she said.

The store was a significant part of the Menlo Park community also, as Beltramo Hewitt said she believed it was the oldest business still operating in the city.

From 1935 until 1979, a cocktail lounge was operated at the site as well, which Beltramo Hewitt recalled was one of the area’s most popular nightlife attractions.

“The cocktail lounge was the coolest spot in town,” she said.

As the company’s focus transitioned to expertise in the wine industry, Beltramo Hewitt said she will regret no longer interacting daily with customers, but also having the store available as a local resource.

“I’m going to miss working here, but I’m really going to miss shopping here,” she said.

Some of the longest tenured members of the roughly 20 store staffers have worked at Beltramo’s for two decades, said Beltramo Hewitt, who credited the personnel’s expanse of knowledge for much of the company’s success and longevity.

“There is not a bottle that comes through this door that hasn’t been vetted by some of the best palates in town,” she said.

For years, the store’s knowledgeable staff has dealt with distributors from across the globe, which has granted access to a variety of unique opportunities to sell many of the world’s best wines and spirits, she said.

“The relationships we have developed locally and abroad have allowed us to offer our customers the best selection available,” she said.

In the weeks leading up to the store shuttering, a close-down sale will soon be held to liquidate some of the merchandise, said Beltramo Hewitt.

The store hosts regular tastings, which has helped familiarize many patrons with a variety of wines they many not otherwise be exposed to, and that in turn has yielded a knowledgeable and engaged base of customers, said Beltramo Hewitt.

Many of those committed shoppers have said they will miss having the breadth of expertise available in the familiar digs, according to Beltramo Hewitt.

“The response has been overwhelming and heartwarming. They are very supportive of the retirement, but sad for what they will miss,” she said. “This is the passing of an institution many have enjoyed over the years.”

As a last recommendation, she suggested those who shop the store in its final days purchase a fine bottle of wine which can be placed in the cellar and opened years later to memorialize where it was purchased.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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