These sisters locked into a new concept for downtown Ripon — an upscale wine bar

They say do what you love. And in the case of Ripon sisters Merissa Deming and Kara Bogetti, that includes wine tasting and going out.

Now those two loves converge in their new wine lounge, The Vault. The sleek establishment brings a slice of sophistication to downtown Ripon. Opened July 13, the intimate bar is already bustling with people stopping by to enjoy the modern interior and dozens of wines.

The sisters, who grew up in Modesto, now live in Ripon with their families. They said they wanted to create someplace closer to home for people to enjoy an evening out.

“We wanted to bring the Bay Area vibe to Ripon,” Deming said. “We both enjoy wine; we love wine tasting and going to Napa. We took that vision to our town.”

The small space, situated between a Mexican restaurant and sandwich shop on East Main Street, was a boutique before. The sisters have taken it from a concrete shell to wine bar that seats about 50. One of the centerpieces is the new, Italian wine dispenser that both stores and pours their vintages. The lounge has about 38 wines, mostly from California, available — with 16 specifically on tap in the dispenser.

Wine can be ordered by the glass, in three-piece flights or by the bottle. The Vault’s license also allows people to purchase bottles to take home or bring with them to another restaurant. A glass runs from $6 to $16, and full bottles go for $20 to over $100. They’ve even got Dom Perignon for $250 a pop if you really want to splash out on bubbly, and offer custom mimosas in different flavors depending on the season.

For non-wine drinkers, The Vault serves craft beer and has started offering charcuterie and bread boards. The sisters have plans to expand their menu to more shareable, seasonal offerings. But the location lacks a kitchen, so expect appetizer-like dishes only. Live music Thursday and Saturday nights keeps things lively.

Deming and Bogetti have long wanted to open a business together, but couldn’t decide on a concept until they found the downtown Ripon location earlier this year. They’d kicked around the idea of opening a yogurt shop or a full bar. But in March they found the perfect space in between working their other jobs, Deming in a storm drain business with her husband and Bogetti as a real estate broker. They opened the wine bar with eight employees to start.

“We both live here, and this community is really something special,” Bogetti said. “We decided to bring something that we leave (Ripon) to get to our local town. So far so good; everyone has been very, very excited about it.”

The Vault is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at its location at 111 E Main St. in downtown Ripon. For more information, call 209-253-0549 or visit www.facebook.com/thevaultripon.

This story was originally published July 31, 2018 at 5:27 PM.