Est. 1969. The facade drafts itself.
Esquin has sold wine in Seattle since 1969 — Washington's oldest wine merchant, in the record's words, not ours. Today that means 15,000 square feet in SODO and 5,000-plus wines on the floor, behind a 1920s building that was built for line drawing: cream pilasters on a charcoal ground, a stepped entry portal, three awnings, one red OPEN sign.
Architectural elevation of the Esquin Wine Merchants storefront drafting itself: construction lines appear first, then the charcoal facade's object lines — Art Deco pilasters, a stepped entry portal with a red neon OPEN sign, steel-sash window band, three lettered awnings. Dimension callouts carry the store's facts: established 1969, Washington's oldest wine merchant, 15,000 square feet in SODO, 5,000-plus wines on the floor.
Pilasters first. Portal second. The OPEN sign last.
Keep scrolling — the building arrives.
This one isn't a proposal. The building has stood on 4th Avenue South for about a century; the trace follows its own pilasters, portal, and awning band, and then the photograph takes over.
Fifty-seven vintages of the same address book.
The story, told plainly.
Esquin opened in 1969 and has sold wine in Seattle ever since. The trade press calls it Washington's oldest wine merchant; we keep the title by doing the same work every day — buying well, shelving it, and selling it at a fair price. The floor holds more than 5,000 wines at a time, and the store adds new ones weekly: many new to the state, many made in it.
The acquisition, stated exactly: on January 11, 2023, Downtown Spirits LLC — the Warren family's Seattle retailer — agreed to acquire Esquin and MadWine from TMSA Holdings, which had owned both since 2009. On April 1, 2023, Downtown Spirits LLC became the 100% owner. The name on the paperwork changed; the job of the store did not.
“Sell a LOT of stuff for not a lot of money.” ARDIE WARREN — THE STANDING INSTRUCTION FOR EVERY WARREN STORE
The awnings say what the building does: wine and liquor out front, the ESQUIN mark over the door, wine storage at the back. People come in for a bottle and leave with a case; the staff on the floor have shelved enough of both to know the difference matters.
1969Established 2009TMSA Holdings 2023Downtown Spirits LLC 5,000+ wines on the floor SODO, Seattle
SOURCE: WNG OPERATING RECORDS · ESQUIN.COM · “WASHINGTON'S OLDEST WINE MERCHANT” IS THE TRADE'S PHRASE, QUOTED
The back of the building stores other people's wine — locker by locker, held at 55°F, seven days a week. Esquin Wine Storage →