Monrovia wine mainstay Paul Kalemkiarian, the longtime local seller and host of the Wine Talks podcast, is rolling out a tiny new venture in Old Town called 10 Over. The retail concept will lean into hard-to-find wines and premium spirits, with a goal of pricing curated bottles at roughly 10 percent over cost. Kalemkiarian says the sliver of a shop will also serve as a hangout for podcast guests and listeners to meet, taste and buy.
Small Space, Big Names And Rare Bottles
As reported by What Now Los Angeles, 10 Over is planned for 318 W. Chestnut Ave, right next to Kalemkiarian’s podcast studio. The shelves are expected to highlight high-end Burgundies, Bordeaux and collectible spirits such as Pappy Van Winkle. Kalemkiarian described the idea to the outlet as “a narrow window to visit, talk shop and buy stuff.”
Licenses, Permits And Paperwork
Monrovia planning records show Kalemkiarian has applied to amend conditional use permits for the Chestnut Avenue property so he can add incidental retail sales of distilled spirits to the site’s existing warehousing and tasting operations, according to Monrovia Planning Commission documents. The city paperwork references a California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Type 21 (Off-Sale General) license, which authorizes the sale of beer, wine and distilled spirits for off-premises consumption.
How 10 Over Plans To Pour And Price
According to What Now Los Angeles, Kalemkiarian intends to keep most inventory tagged at around 10 percent over cost and to stock wines and spirits from guests who appear on his podcast so listeners can buy what they hear about. He told the outlet he is waiting on a liquor-license transfer before he can lock in business hours or announce an official opening date.
Who Is Paul K, Anyway?
Kalemkiarian is the second-generation owner of The Original Wine of the Month Club, a business his family launched in 1972, per Wikipedia. He created the Wine Talks podcast to capture the stories behind the bottles. His show and company materials say he has logged more than 100,000 tastings along with long-running Tuesday morning sessions, and the podcast is hosted at Wine Talks with Paul K.
Why Keep It In Monrovia?
The Chestnut Avenue site already serves as the anchor for the club’s operations, and city files detail earlier permit amendments that expanded tasting space and allowed incidental retail, making a small walk-in storefront an easy next step, according to Monrovia Planning Commission documents. Kalemkiarian has said he wants the spot to feel deliberately intimate and curated, not like a typical liquor store.
What Locals Should Watch Next
The debut of 10 Over will largely depend on completion of the ABC license transfer and any remaining city sign-offs. Those transfers and public-notice periods can run from weeks into months, depending on filings and local protests. For more on how that process works, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and industry advisors at LegalClarity offer background on the forms and timing.
