Wine, Cheese & a Hidden Gem on El Paseo

One of the things Linda and I enjoy about living in the Coachella Valley is discovering the smaller, locally owned places that make the desert special. The Wine & Cheese Shop on El Paseo is one of those finds.

Part specialty market, part wine shop and part casual café, it’s the kind of place where you can stop for lunch and a glass of wine, discover a cheese you’ve never tried before, or put together something special to take back and enjoy on your RV lot. And with a 4.9-star Yelp rating, we’re clearly not the only ones who have discovered it.

A Passion for Great Food, Wine & Cheese

Owners Jen and Bob Iglehart created The Wine & Cheese Shop as a passion project centered around exceptional food, wine, hospitality and community. Inside you’ll find artisan cheeses sourced from around the world, handcrafted charcuterie boards, a carefully selected wine collection, made-to-order sandwiches and salads, gourmet specialties and one of our personal favorites—Roman-style pinsa.

Pinsa has its roots in Roman cooking and is similar to pizza, but with its own distinctive crust and texture. It has a light, crisp exterior with a soft, chewy center, making it a great foundation for quality cheeses and other fresh ingredients.

The shop’s focus on great cheese really shines here. With artisan selections sourced from respected cheesemongers, the quality of the ingredients takes something as familiar as pizza and turns it into something a little different—and definitely worth trying.

Our Favorite: The Pinsa

Linda and I have been back twice now for the pinsa, and it has quickly become one of our favorites. Think of it as a small, rectangular Roman-style pizza, with one being plenty for the two of us to share.

So far, we’ve tried both the Spicy Sausage and the Margherita, and either could easily compete with some of the best pizza we’ve enjoyed in the valley. The quality ingredients, excellent cheese and toppings are all perfectly balanced on the light Roman-style crust, and each pinsa is handmade fresh while you wait.

Our only problem next time will be deciding between these two favorites—or convincing ourselves that it’s time to explore more of the menu!

A Wine Selection Worth Exploring

Wine is another important part of the experience. The shop’s collection is thoughtfully curated by Dr. Pat St. Pierre, who holds the respected DipWSET wine qualification. Wines are selected from numerous distributors with an emphasis on finding interesting bottles that you may not commonly see elsewhere in the desert.

That makes this a particularly fun stop if you enjoy discovering new wines. Have a glass with your pinsa, ask for a recommendation to accompany one of the shop’s artisan cheeses, or choose a bottle to take home and enjoy later. The combination of knowledgeable wine guidance, great cheese and charcuterie makes browsing part of the experience.

You Can't Leave Without Some Cheese

Of course, Linda and I can never leave The Wine & Cheese Shop without bringing home something special from the display case.

On our latest visit, we chose a hard-to-find blue cheese, a one-year-aged cheddar, and a tomato and basil cheese that we’re looking forward to trying in a grilled cheese sandwich. With so many interesting cheeses to discover, browsing the display case is almost as much fun as enjoying lunch—and there’s always a good reason to take a little something home for later.

For RVers, that’s another thing we like about this shop. You can enjoy lunch on El Paseo and then bring home some wonderful cheese, charcuterie or a bottle of wine to enjoy later with friends back at your lot.

Part of the Coachella Valley Lifestyle

Best of all for Outdoor Resort Indio owners and guests, The Wine & Cheese Shop on El Paseo is only about a 20-minute drive from ORI. That makes it an easy destination for lunch and also gives you the perfect excuse to spend some time exploring El Paseo, with its shopping, galleries, restaurants and other specialty businesses.

And that brings us to something Linda and I think is important when choosing an RV resort.

When you're deciding where to buy an RV lot or spend several months of the winter in your Class A motorcoach, look beyond the resort gates. The amenities and community inside the resort are important, but so is everything you'll have available to enjoy during your stay.

The Palm Springs–Coachella Valley offers an incredible variety of restaurants, shopping, live entertainment, casinos, golf, hiking, special events and interesting little places like The Wine & Cheese Shop just waiting to be discovered.

A great RV resort gives you a wonderful place to park your coach and enjoy your community. A great location gives you an entire winter to explore.

That combination is a big part of what makes Outdoor Resort Indio and the Southern California desert such a special place for Class A RVers.

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