(Image: Ladie Chablis)
(Image: La Cha-Bliss)
Seattle drag queen Ladie Chablis is getting into the wine business and the show is ready to begin.
Capitol Hill’s new La Cha-Bliss wine shop is ready to open any day now.
Known as Howard Russell off the stage, the first-time retail entrepreneur told CHS that the support of the LGBTQIA+ community helped the vinous dreams come to fruition.
“The location is ready—it’s ready to go. I’m just waiting on the liquor license to come through, and that’s where we’re at right now. My goal is to have this store open on the first week of April,” Russell told CHS last month.
Russell was on holiday with friends in December and took note of cute and quaint wine shops, commenting on how lovely it would be to have one. After returning to Seattle, a friend alerted Russell of the available retail space at 1412 12th Ave formerly home to a flower design shop.
“I went ahead, talked to the realtor and the broker… and they gave me a good offer on the place itself,” Russell said. “When all was said and done, they chose me [over seven applicants] to have my wine store there.”
(Image: La Cha-Bliss)
A fundraiser was launched since Russell was starting cold from and was already leaning on funds from retirement savings to help get the process going. The community support has been overwhelming, Russell said, helping raise more than half of his fundraising goal.
The fundraiser is still underway if you want to pitch in.
Russell, a drag performer and longtime Seattleite who has been busy around the Capitol Hill community serving on the boards at GenPride, the YMCA, Imperial Sovereign Court of Seattle, and Emerald City Softball Association, is proud that opening the new shop has been bolstered by the LGBTQIA+ communities of Capitol HIll and the city.
“It shows that we are still as one. We are still together. Part of the community is that when someone is in trouble, we’re there to help. When someone is being inspiring to other people, we’re here to support them, especially in Washington state. We’re very good at supporting each other,” Russell said.
Seattle’s LGBTQIA+-owned hotspots generally consist of bars and nightclubs, but Russell has seen more retail outlets, like clothing shops.
Originally, Russell was planning to offer both domestic and imported wines from France, California, Italy, and Germany. But with Trump’s launch of an economic war, Russell had to adjust the imports. As a result, the shop will stick with domestic wines from Washington, California, and Oregon.
“I think it’s disgusting, and it’s bad within someone’s presidency—within a two-month period—[he’s] put more terror out there and [he’s] not helping the people,” Russell said. “It will not affect me as of right now, but later on it probably will, because I’d like to see imported wines come in.”
Russell has already met with two distributors and asked for 50% of La Cha-Bliss’s stock to consist of wines that are Queer-owned or concocted by allies who are vocal in their support about the LGBTQIA+ community.
“That was one of the things that was extremely important to me. With me being a Gay male, I want to be able to give back to my community somehow or be a representative of my community. And the distributors were all very excited about that,” Russell said.
With a boutique-like atmosphere, Russell points at a patio in the front of the new store where wine tastings will be offered. As someone heavily involved in LGBTQIA+ advocacy, Russell hopes the area’s community organizations will also host a few wine-sparkled meetings at La Cha-Bliss Wines.
“My business is not just my business, it’s our business,” Russell said. “I’m always going to give back—there’s no doubt about that.”
La Cha-Bliss Wines is opening at 1412 12th Ave. Learn more at lachablisswines.com.
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I hope they have Brandi Carlile’s wines
TIL Brandi Carlile has wine brand
XOBC Cellars her and her wife have partnered on
This is nice and all. But is there really a business plan or model behind this? It does not sound as though the business owner has a background in owning any kind of retail establishment, let alone one within this specialty. We are all hurting so much financially, and it almost hurts to see people chipping in to support what looks like a pipe dream. I hope I’m wrong about that last part.
I’m not sure how you gleaned that weird fake concern trolling from the article above, but who asked you?
Who asked me? The article literally asks people to donate funds to this business. Who asked you to try and tell me off for no reason son?
Is it really much of a pipe dream? The hill supports several successful wine/bottle shops like Flight Wine + Chocolate, Aluel Cellars and Nomadic Wine Dispensery. People have to start somewhere– I think supporting the spinup of this business is a great thing for the spirit of the neighborhood. It’s a good thing that this business is going to give a try at success and seemingly have negotiated rent in a neighborhood that is increasingly expensive, and if people want to help them then the more the merrier!
Just my thoughts.
Well if she rubs the right elbows, he might be able to be a sommelier to the neighbors on 15th to 19th. And then Maddison park and stuff. So come on, and build a playa today and buy some wine and stuff from Seattle’s, not to be confused with Georgia’s legendary, Lady Chablis.
I’m local and will shop if it’s fair pricing
Amazing !!!!