New face, new fun at the Cellar Door

With the blustery autumn chill knocking leaves and acorns to the ground and presenting a palette of golds, oranges and reds and an indistinguishable crisp woodsy scent of the season, a burst of warmth has also come in from the south in the form of a new managing partner at the Cellar Door.

In the retail business all his life, including a fine wine store in Alabama that he ran with his father, Alex Shamsuddim has arrived in Downers Grove. With plans to expand the menu at the Cellar Door and listen to patrons’ wants and needs, Shamsuddim is soon to make the Cellar Door, the wine bar and store “where everyone knows your name.”

While Shamsuddim may be new to most folks in this area, he is quite familiar to Hinsdale Cellars owner, Sean Chaudhry who has known him since their college days together at California State University in Long Beach. Having met in 1989, they have since shared many food and wine experiences together, including a “Sideways-like” trip through Napa Valley and another adventure through Spain’s wine country.

“Alex is a really likeable guy who is great at building relationships with customers,” Chaudhry said. “We’ll see him building very strong relationships with the folks here, and I’m sure wine lovers will be impressed with how his passion for food and wine takes the Cellar Door to the next level.”

That passion for wine shines through as he begins to talk about his preferences: “Spanish wines are among my favorites because I like the complexity, their value and the history of the regions there,” Shamsuddim said. “I also love the depth and spices that pour out of Argentina’s Malbec grape. And when I look at Napa Valley Cabs, I am also impressed with what I believe is superb quality – very complex and rich flavors come out of these grapes. I love that the whole process of wine making has changed the way the world now looks at, and has come to respect, the Napa Cabs.”

Stop by the Cellar Door to taste some wine and welcome our newest addition as he takes your favorite local wine bar and makes it even better!