The Barber family’s three businesses come together this summer in a new downtown collective called Taste Petaluma, opening July 1 — featuring the Nightcap Dessert Bar and hand-crafted confections from local chocolatier Mad Chocolates.
June 1, 2026 (Petaluma, CA) — Barber Cellars and the Petaluma Cheese Shop will join the Barber Lee Spirits distillery at 120 Washington Street this summer, bringing the Barber family’s three businesses together in a new downtown collective. The unified space, called Taste Petaluma, fully opens to the public Tuesday, July 1, and will also feature the Nightcap Dessert Bar and hand-crafted confections from local chocolatier Mad Chocolates. Barber Lee Spirits is co-owned by Aaron Lee and master distiller Michael Barber.
For the Barbers, the project is about something simpler than logistics: making it easier for the community to gather, slow down, and share the best of Sonoma County together.
“We’ve always felt that wine, spirits, and cheese are better when shared together,” says Lorraine Barber. “By bringing these pieces of our lives into one space, we’re able to offer our guests a much more personal experience. It feels like we’re finally inviting everyone into our home kitchen, just on a larger scale.”
Inside the historic Washington Street warehouse, guests will be able to taste flights of Barber Cellars’ estate-grown wines, browse a curated case of local cheeses from the Petaluma Cheese Shop, sip a craft cocktail built around Barber Lee’s grain-to-glass spirits, or finish the evening with a handmade truffle from Mad Chocolates and a late-night plate from the Nightcap Dessert Bar — a rotating showcase of treats from some of Sonoma County’s most beloved bakers and pastry chefs.
“This move is about energy,” adds Michael Barber. “We wanted a place where you can start with a cheese plate and a glass of wine, and end with a rye whiskey and a handmade truffle. It’s about celebrating the craftsmanship of our friends, neighbors, and everything our family grows and makes — all in one shared, lively atmosphere.”
The opening also marks the close of a chapter. The Barber Cellars tasting room at the Hotel Petaluma — the first tasting room to open in downtown Petaluma 11 years ago — will pour its final glass on June 5. The space has been the backdrop of countless first dates, anniversary toasts, and quiet afternoons between friends. The Barbers extend their gratitude to Hotel Petaluma for 11 years of partnership and to the customers who made the room a true downtown landmark.
“Our tasting room holds so many of our favorite memories,” says Lorraine. “It’s where some of our best customers became our best friends. This next chapter lets us bring everything we love to do — farming, winemaking, distilling, and hosting — into one home, where we can share it all in a deeper way.”
During June, the Barber Lee Spirits distillery at 120 Washington will remain open for tastings as the team prepares the expanded space. Taste Petaluma will fully launch July 1 with new seating, a redesigned layout, and the full experience available across all five brands.
For updated hours, events, and stories from the makers behind the brands, visit tastepetaluma.com, barbercellars.com, and barberleespirits.com.
About the Brands
Barber Cellars is a small family winery founded by Michael and Lorraine Barber, producing estate-grown wines from their Sonoma County vineyards. The Barber Cellars tasting room — the first in downtown Petaluma — opened at the Hotel Petaluma 11 years ago.
The Petaluma Cheese Shop, founded by the Barbers, offers a curated selection of local and regional artisanal cheeses.
Barber Lee Spirits is a grain-to-glass craft distillery in downtown Petaluma, co-owned by Lorraine & Michael Barber and Aaron Lee, producing whiskeys and other spirits made from locally sourced grains.
The Nightcap Dessert Bar, founded by the Barbers and Aaron Lee, is a rotating showcase of late-night confections from Sonoma County bakers and pastry chefs.
Mad Chocolates is a Petaluma-based chocolatier known for hand-crafted confections, featured in the Taste Petaluma collective.
About Taste Petaluma
Located in a historic warehouse at 120 Washington Street in downtown Petaluma, Taste Petaluma is a new collective dedicated to Sonoma County craftsmanship. Founded by Michael and Lorraine Barber, the space brings together the family’s wine, cheese, spirits, and dessert businesses alongside featured local makers, all under one roof. Visit tastepetaluma.com.
