When Arroyo Grande resident Lexie Bell accepted a plate of homemade cookies from her new next-door neighbor, Brooks Van Wingerden, neither could have envisioned their future.

Both families were raising young children — Van Wingerden and her husband are now parents to three girls, and Lexie and Alex Bell have three boys — and the two women bonded over mutual passions: entertaining, cooking and good wine.

The rest, as the story goes, is history.

Bell was raised on the Central Coast but relocated to greater Southern California and resided there for 18 years. She attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles and then worked for several clothing brands, before returning to the Central Coast to raise a family.

When Van Wingerden and her husband purchased the building in Guadalupe, Bell proposed “going 50/50” with them to create a welcoming space that featured wine, beer, small plates, indoor and outdoor seating, space for events and room for families with children. 

“I was the general contractor,” Bell recalled, and managed all the steps required to renovate an historic building. A leak in the water heater “was the only hiccup” during the process, she said. The team opened their business the last week of February.

The Guadalupe Social Club encompasses two side-by-side spaces with high ceilings — one is the main room for wine tasting and dining and the other a venue space — and both empty into a patio and open space that’s nearly a half-acre in size. Bocce, a life-size chess game and other games for the young or young at heart are available, and one can spot the Guadalupe Dunes in the distance.

Bell brings experience in retail, design and events, and Van Wingerden in winemaking, finances and business management of a large wine label.

Since 2010, Santa Barbara native Van Wingerden has worked for Margerum Wine Co., where she’s had multiple roles, including as the “road warrior” national sales manager, general manager and, currently, manager of national accounts and private labels.

It’s some of those private wine labels that she has used to build inventory for the Guadalupe Social Club.

“We have three brands — ours that are Margerum-related, and our own (namesake) label for the wine club,” she said.

Among those Margerum Wine Co. “sister” brands is the Riviera Wine Co. 2021 grenache-based rosé, which is light, dry and a perfect pairing with charcuterie.

Among the other wines available to taste or purchase by the glass or bottle are a 2021 Guadalupe Social Club “1922” Cuvee of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, counoise and cinsault. The date honors the year the building was constructed.

We also tried the 2021 Valle de Inez Pinot Noir, a stellar wine crafted from grapes grown in coastal San Luis Obispo County; a refreshing 2021 Melange Blanc, also from Riviera Wine Co. and a blend of grenache blanc, marsanne, viognier, roussanne and picpoul blanc; and the 2021 Diseños de California Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Barbara County.

Wines from smaller producers, such as Ann Albert, are also available, as are non-alcoholic beverages.

Residents have welcomed the new venue, its owners said, and during my visit in early May, several people walked in just to check out the décor and menus.

“Someone has to be first (to do this), and it might as well be us,” Bell said with a laugh.

She and Van Wingerden said they’re encouraged by the support they’ve received. Though Guadalupe is a small town surrounded by agriculture, it’s got a rich, vibrant history — and some housing that’s affordable.

“This town is what Los Alamos was 10 years ago,” Bell said.

“There are 800 new homes at the south end of town,” Bell said, and among some recent guests have been residents of the exclusive Trilogy at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo.

Late last year, the historic but dilapidated Royal Theater received $5 million in state funding for renovation, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. The Guadalupe Dunes Center at the north end of town, as well as Oso Flaco Lake and its hiking trails in adjacent San Luis Obispo County, attract many visitors, Bell noted. Amtrak also has a regular Guadalupe stop.

The Guadalupe Social Club is located at 945 Guadalupe St. in Guadalupe. Its hours are noon to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit guadalupesocialclub.com/.