Family run since 1973
Meet Wine Hardware in Walnut Creek
Meet Michael “Mike” Vecchia, the owner you can call about your cellar. Wine Hardware was founded by Elliott Mackey in 1973. Mike joined in 2001 and bought the business with his wife, Cari, in 2014. Today, you can bring your plans and questions to the showroom at 1617 Locust St in Walnut Creek.
- Founded
- 1973
- Owners
- Mike and Cari Vecchia
- Showroom
- 1617 Locust St
What we believe
Home is where the wine is
“Home is where the wine is.” It is how Mike and Cari introduce Wine Hardware, and a good place to begin your cellar plans.
What do you want to reach for on a quiet evening? What are you saving for years from now? Bring both into the conversation. Mike can help you plan storage around the way you collect.
You bring the wine. We bring the hardware.
The short version
The dates behind the shop
1973
Founded
Founded by Elliott Mackey.
2001
Mike joins
Led the Walnut Creek and Napa Valley stores from their opening.
2014
Mike and Cari buy the business
A longtime employee and his wife become the owners.
15
Cities served
Alamo to Sonoma, and across to the Peninsula.
Our history
From Elliott Mackey to Mike and Cari
Founded in 1973, family run ever since. Mike joined in 2001, so he already knew the business when he and Cari bought it in 2014.
1973
Elliott Mackey opens Wine Hardware
Elliott Mackey founded Wine Hardware in 1973. Mike and Cari continue its story today.
2001
Mike Vecchia joins Wine Hardware
Mike joined in 2001. He led the Walnut Creek and Napa Valley stores from their opening.
2014
Mike and Cari buy the business
Mike and his wife, Cari, purchased Wine Hardware in 2014. The family business passed to someone who already knew it well.
2021
We start selling wine
Wine Hardware added wine in 2021, with a focus on small, boutique, family-run wineries.
Today
Cellars across the Bay Area
Residential rooms from San Francisco condos to Alamo estates, plus commercial work for restaurants and wineries, all run out of 1617 Locust Street.
What we do
Design, equipment and support from one showroom
Work with Wine Hardware on cellar design and equipment, and connect with contractors for installation. Bring the room and the collection into the same conversation.
Design your cellar
Measurements, capacity by bottle format, rack elevations, 3D design, cooling calculations and finish selection, from a first conversation to a set of drawings your contractor can build from.
Supply the equipment
WhisperKOOL, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and CellarCool cooling; VintageView, Modularack and Designer Kit racking; Transtherm, Le Cache and Marvel refrigeration. Stocked or ordered, and supported afterwards.
Coordinate installation
We can refer contractors for installation. Review the room preparation, equipment requirements and responsibilities with your project team before work begins.
Stock the finished room
Boutique wine, glassware, preservation tools and accessories, with 10% off wine and 20% off wine accessories for one year after purchase.
Who you will talk to
Put a name to your next conversation
Mike has been with Wine Hardware since 2001. A photo of your room, a model number or a wine you enjoy gives you something to talk about when you call or visit.
Michael “Mike” Vecchia
Owner
With Wine Hardware since 2001 and an owner since 2014. Bring Mike your cellar plans or a question about equipment; he can help you work out what to consider next.
Cari Vecchia
Owner
Co-owner since 2014. The boutique wines on the shelf come from small family wineries whose story sounded like ours.
The rest of the shop
Walnut Creek
The showroom brings together cellar equipment, wine and accessories. Karl is the namesake of Karl's Cellar Club and its official Sip Operations Manager.
The showroom
1617 Locust Street, Walnut Creek
Racking on the floor in redwood, mahogany, pine and metal. Transtherm and Le Cache cabinets you can open. Glassware in daylight, and a counter with boutique wine behind it.
Wine cabinets and a compact refrigerator stand beside wooden racks in the showroom. 
Cellar accessories, glassware and preservation tools 
Several wine cabinets and a compact refrigerator form a showroom display. 
The Locust Street shop, barrels and all
I called Wine Hardware in desperate search of a replacement cooling unit for my wine vault. Michael the owner helped me quickly, was completely knowledgeable on what exactly I needed, and I was able to complete the replacement order in under 15 minutes. The unit arrived and is up and running in less than a week.
Our work
Rooms we have built around the Bay
Brick, glass, redwood and steel; under stairs, in basements, behind the dining room. Every one of these is a real client's room.
Wine bottles rest at an angle in an illuminated wooden display row.
A brick arch frames a cellar bar between label-forward racks and wooden diamond bins.
Wooden diamond bins and bottle slots surround open wine cases on a cellar counter.
A wooden ladder stands beside gray bottle racks and an illuminated central display alcove.
Glass doors reveal wooden wine racks beneath a staircase.
Stone-walled Napa cellar with angled display racks
Questions about working with us
Are you a contractor?
Do you only serve Walnut Creek?
Can I buy just a cooling unit or a rack kit?
Do you service what you sell?
What is Karl's Cellar Club?
Inquire now
What would you like Mike to help you work out?
Choosing a rack, replacing cooling or planning a room? Call Mike at (925) 944-1084 with the details you have so you can narrow the next decision. This beta form is a preview and does not email the store.
1617 Locust St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Monday–Friday, 9:30am–5:30pm
Saturday by appointment
(925) 944-1084Keep looking around
What we build, where we build it, and how to reach us.
Start here
Come and see the racking in person.
Bring a photo and a bottle count to 1617 Locust St, Walnut Creek. Mike can help you compare the possibilities. Visit weekdays, 9:30am–5:30pm, or call (925) 944-1084 to arrange a Saturday appointment.