Mark & Olivia - Owners
Founded in 2013 by husband and wife Mark & Olivia, The Cellar d'Or comes with many years of experience in the wine business. Started as a husband and wife team; a designer and a wine guy, add three kids and you have The Cellar d'Or. Mark, the original brain behind the bottles of hand selected wine, cider & spirits- a NY surfer, raised in the suburbs just north of Manhattan and on Montauk's Ditch Plains; exudes his extensive wine knowledge from years in the wine business in NYC working forworld class importers and distributors handling everything from sales to marketing. Olivia, a locally grown Cornell alum with a masters in Landscape Architecture, married into the wine world and dove right in. Upon starting a family, she realized she wanted her kiddos to have the same type of childhood she did; one full of pulling ripe fruit straight from the vines, digging in the dirt, and knowing your neighbors. So she persuaded her ocean-loving husband and returned to her roots, setting up shop in Ithaca in 2013. Together, they decided to combine all of their passions by starting up a retail wine shop. The Cellar d’Or reflects their love for design, wine, and relaxation. You can expect to find small-production, iconic, terroir-driven wines, ciders & spirits that represent some of the greatest growers and makers from around the world. The selections make for a comprehensive array of indulgent or affordable that will please anyone who walks through the door.
Eden Mayora - Shop Manager
His infectious enthusiasm for wine will win you over, and he'll make you try something you've never had before. He's an equal opportunity taster, with a very discerning palate, he gets excited about wines from all over the world. Born and raised in Ithaca, Eden caught "the wine bug" after working in the restaurant biz. Now with over a decade of experience, his natural knack for breaking down flavors and textures in wine, as well as his ability to just be so down to earth about talking about the stuff, will take the guesswork out of the age old question of "what should I drink"? His outgoing personality, non-stop desire for learning everything wine, as well as his desire to learn our customers' palates makes him an integral part of the shop, and you can always rely on him to help you find what you're looking for no matter how specific your needs are. Our longest tenured employee, Eden is a huge part of the family here. You will find him in the shop 5 days a week and he is ready to dive in and guide you along your wine journey, whether it is just starting, or not. When Eden is not in the store, you can find him sweating it out at a yoga class or at the climbing gym, cooking dinner at home with his lady and new siamese cat, and talking cats with Eric.
Eric Trichon - Sales & Logistics
Eric is a long time friend of ours and a serious wine lover. We met Eric when we first opened, as he was the previous owner of two top restaurants in downtown Ithaca, and ran the wine program for both. A cornell alum and father of two, Eric has been in the restaurant business for many years and brings over a decade of wine experience "to the table". Another discerning palate here, and a guy who thrives off of service and getting the right bottle into your hands. Eric gravitiates towards italian and french wines, but you'll have to grab that bottle of Turley Zin from his cold dead hands if you want it. Eric is an integral part of the Cellar d'Or, and brings another great palate into the mix to keep all of us on our toes. When he's not at the shop slinging vino, he's working real estate in the Ithaca area, hanging with his 2 kids, or snuggling his hairless sphinx cat, Frank. But, his real calling in life is music. A prolific musician and songwriter, he has toured around the world playing in punk and rock bands. Late nights spent in his home studio recording, playing bass, guitar, drums and vocals-- you can find Eric playing live with a few of his bands in and around Ithaca regularly. Eric is an intricate and important part of the shop and our second longest tenured employee ever. Find him here during the week, just follow the sound of the Ramones coming from inside the store.