Small Business Spotlight: A Taste of Europe Comes to El Paseo

El Paseo has a new destination for food lovers and it is bringing a taste of Europe to the desert. A local couple has transformed their former office space into a cozy European-inspired wine and cheese shop quickly becoming a go-to spot for custom charcuterie boards curated wine pairings and homemade dishes. For this week’s Small Business Spotlight NBC Palm Springs’ Mary Strong takes viewers inside The Wine and Cheese Shop owned by Bob and Jen Eglehart. The couple says their love for food and especially cheese inspired the concept.

“We’ve always been foodies” Bob said. “Everywhere we travel we seek out cheese shops and we realized El Paseo didn’t have anything like that.”

That idea led to the creation of a space designed to feel like a neighborhood gathering spot straight out of Europe. From the décor to the menu everything was thoughtfully curated to encourage guests to sip savor and celebrate.

The shop offers more than 90 varieties of cheese sourced from around the world along with premium charcuterie items you will not find elsewhere in the Coachella Valley. Customers can build personalized boards or enjoy homemade menu items including pinza salads sandwiches and house-made dressings and pestos.

“On our logo it says ‘Sip Savor and Celebrate’” Jen said. “It’s a place to meet a friend enjoy a glass of wine do a cheese tasting and feel like you’ve stepped into Europe.”

Family recipes also play a role on the menu. Jen says some of the shop’s most popular items are inspired by her mother and grandmother including her mom’s pinza and tuna salad dishes customers continue to request again and again.

Everything served at The Wine and Cheese Shop is made in-house and on weekends Jen’s meatball sandwiches are a customer favorite. Looking ahead Bob and Jen are not slowing down. The couple plans to open El Paseo Coffee next door expanding their European-inspired vision even further. For now their wine and cheese shop is already carving out a special place on El Paseo one thoughtfully crafted board at a time.