A partnership sprung by the entertainment industry has added a unique boozy flavor to the Christmas holiday shopping experience.
Locals Dan Pellar and Paul Helling, both veterans of film and television, are aiming to transform the Christmas tree picking process into a seasonal sip and shop adventure with their Wines & Pines endeavor. The pair transformed their respective lots at 1802 Santa Monica Blvd and 2307 Lincoln Ave into the haunt for holiday hangouts, obtaining permits from the local Alcohol Beverage Control board to sell beer, wine and canned cocktails while customers shop for the finest firs.
Pellar noted that his previous charity work inspired him to partner with San Diego-based organization It’s All About The Kids for Wines & Pines, with 10% of alcohol sales going to the group that targets childhood food insecurity in impoverished neighborhoods. He noted that he is familiar with the permitting process from his film and television experience, and Wines & Pines is “to his knowledge” the first lot of its kind to offer the boozy business model. Adding alcohol to the holidays was successfully tested during Halloween’s “Boos & Brews” pop-up before the Christmas season.
“It seemed like a good opportunity to make some money for a good cause, and then also allow people to have a good time and have a glass of wine while they shop for a tree,” Pellar said. “It seems like everybody wins.”
The group’s namesake required quality wine taken from several sources, with one of the featured bottles being “Blank Canvas,” a 2022 Chardonnay vinted and bottled in Napa. Along with a variety of wines, the lots also sell the increasingly popular JuneShine hard kombucha, micheladas, lagers, IPAs and non-alcoholic selections like hot chocolate.
Initially taking up the tree business last year as Hollie’s, Pellar received rave reviews for his lot, and felt this was a way to give back to the community he’s called home for 15 years during the holiday season.
“I would buy Christmas trees [in the area] for years and years,” he said. “I’d always pick [others’] brains about how they do it. Being a television and film guy, I can [turn] a parking lot into a really cool thing … and then the next day, it’s like we were never there. So I was always interested in the process, and who doesn’t love a good Christmas tree? So we’re selling smiles over here, and it’s a really fun place to work.”
Joining Pellar for the endeavor are first-time lot runners Paul and Josie Helling, who received quite the education in how to transform the long-empty Lincoln lot into a wine-fueled winter wonderland.
“There’s a lot [involved] … just when you think you’ve bought the trees and secured a lot and rented it, well, then you need chairs and you need a bar, then you need an extra cooler, then you need games,” Josie stated. “It kept compiling … making it more of an experience for people was kind of the fun part, but it was stressful in the meantime learning about all the additional background things.”
Both lots blossomed into a sizable tree selection for 2023, with fresh trees from Oregon ranging from 3-foot tabletops to 11-footers in types like Noble Firs, Nordmann Firs and the Christmas classic Douglas Firs. Along with the trees, the lots have other exciting essentials like wreaths in stock, and the scents of the season have Helling excited for the upcoming weeks.
“We have a Christmas tree in our house every year, but I’ve never had this many Christmas trees that I just [get] to smell all season long. The wreaths, the lights and the colors, I’m a big Christmas person, so it’s been great,” she added.
The entertainment extends to those who don’t drink, as the Santa Monica Blvd lot contains children’s activities like a bounce house and a giant “Connect 3” inflatable game. The Lincoln lot also holds tabletop games and plays movies under the lights during the evening hours.
Stating that Santa Monica “knows how to make Christmas happen,” Helling has been surprised at the amount of people that buy their trees early, and the Lincoln lot will remain open during the season for drinks and movies even if their inventory is cleared out before Christmas. Wines & Pines lots are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout December.
The alcohol introduction for customers has them coming back even if their tree is picked out, as the pair of lots have created a fun “vibe” for the season.
“I think people enjoy sipping while they’re walking around and deciding on their tree … it adds to the whole experience,” Helling said. “We’ve seen a lot of people excited to think that out in the middle of a parking lot, they can have a drink.”
thomas@smdp.com
