New wine bar featuring natural wine opening in downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Bottles of wine from around California and the world fill the shelf at new wine bar, St. Joaquin, in downtown Fresno.

"We are the first natural or minimal intervention wine bar in Fresno or in the Central Valley. All of the wine we feature is really focused on sustainable farming practices from small producers," said Hayley Islas-Wolf.

Hayley Islas-Wolf and her husband Josh are the owners of the wine bar located in the Peerless Building along Broadway and Amador Streets. They saw a need for a business like theirs in the neighborhood.

The wine bar's name pays tribute to the area we live in, in a fun way. They hope to offer a unique, relaxed experience at St. Joaquin.

"We're really kind of inspired on this concept with Spanish and French beach food so charcuterie, cheese board, Jamon Serrano that we shave off the leg. So some good bites when you're drinking delicious wine," Islas-Wolf said.

The couple owns Quail State, a rooftop bar and lounge in downtown Fresno. It took them years to open, and they're using those lessons in this next venture.

Hayley's husband is a Central Valley native, and they both wanted to be a part of the revitalization.

"Being here in downtown, I think there's a culture and community. We all really come around here to support one another and really want to see everyone be successful because it's not just one place that changes downtown," Islas-Wolf said.

They have other business plans in the works and hope to create job opportunities. They have three employees at St Joaquin and will be announcing an official opening date on their Instagram and social media.

Once they open St. Joaquin, they'll be serving up wine Wednesday through Sunday.