What is it that makes OTC so unique? MacKay is a négociant, a French term indicating that he carefully selects and purchases wines to create his own brand. Hand picking vineyards along the West Coast, he then ships them to Utah — a learning curve of its own — then blends them to perfection with the help of Winery Operations Manager Jeffery Bunk. Playing with flavor profiles, MacKay and Bunk have come up with a delectable rose aptly named Townie Rose, that will knock your ski socks off. Red blends such as Perpetual Reserve, Outlaw Reserve, and Superior, created indelible perfect moments for me. What tasted like perfection to my palate, MacKay readily admits that in the first iteration of this business endeavor, “the wine was awful…I messed up a bunch [and] I learned the hard way.”
The building itself is special due to its age, style, and history. OTC houses a silver vault from the mining days (check it out right behind the bar) and was also reportedly a brothel, as well as a speakeasy during prohibition. Patrons would “attend” church, but actually head through the tunnels to the bar. As with any older building, this, too, gave MacKay a run for his money with old pipes which recently burst, flooding his gorgeous social club—a Utah legal term —closing it down for 6 months. MacKay shared, “I think I was meant to be here and things aren’t meant to be easy if they’re worthwhile.” MacKay, with the support of friends, family, and the town, has risen from the ashes or should I say the mud, to thrive. MacKay proudly showed me a photo and a few of the actual muddied bottles from the flood, a collectors’ dream before his mother lovingly “helped” him wash most of them.
Photo Credit Dan Campbell