A Winemaker’s Zen Cigar Room In Northern California
Any cigar aficionado understands the alluring power of a fine smoke. Whether it’s a gradual process of testing the cigar waters or a headfirst dive after that first cigar, once the hook is set, there’s no turning back. But seldom has the passion for cigars been lit with such furor as it was for a winemaker in Northern California. Justin Schuchardt began smoking cigars at the beginning of 2025. By July of the same year, he decided he needed his very own cigar shrine, and by year’s end, he had converted his garage into a smoking sanctuary and amassed a collection of more than 1,000 cigars.
Schuchardt’s journey deviates from the traditional cigar room coming-of-age tale. The usual story involves an aficionado who’s long dreamed of having a perfect smoking escape, but puts it off for years, even decades, until the moment is just right. Not for Schuchardt. He didn’t even last from one Cigar of the Year announcement until the next. “I fell pretty hard and fast,” admits Schuchardt. “When I get into something, it’s full throttle.”
Schuchardt is an associate winemaker at Ledson Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma, which is about 25 miles away from where he lives in Marin County, roughly an hour north of San Francisco. Given his profession, the attraction to cigars and the appreciation for craftsmanship came quite naturally. “I live my life with sensory analysis you know, aroma, taste, structure, texture, all that stuff,” he says. “There are a lot of similarities with cigars and with production there are similarities as well, fermentation, the craftsmanship involved, it was just fascinating.”
A Cigar Aficionado cover star, who also knows a thing or two about sensory analysis, is to blame for fomenting the cigar urge within Schuchardt. While watching an episode of Chef’s Table featuring José Andrés, the star chef was smoking a cigar, and Schuchardt found himself curious about their appeal. “That simple question opened the floodgates,” he says. His full throttle nature took hold, and Schuchardt immersed himself into the world of cigars, studying everything from tobacco farming and fermentation to leading cigar brands. He began educating his palate, sampling what he could, maturing his taste profile, until everything finally clicked with one cigar: the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Series Principe. “That was the moment I went from appreciating cigars intellectually to truly understanding why people love them,” says Schuchardt. “The flavors, the craftsmanship and the experience all came together.”
Naturally, the next step for this full-bore connoisseur was to build his own cigar room. But he would need to get his hands dirty. Last July, with the ever-coveted blessing of his wife, he embarked on transforming roughly 80 percent of his garage into a classy cigar alcove. “I put a lot of time and detail into designing it and planning it,” says Schuchardt. He enlisted a contractor buddy of his to help him out, but Schuchardt did most of the hands-on work himself. If he wasn’t a winemaker, he theorizes, he’d likely be involved in architecture or interior design. It’s a believable assessment: Though the room is quite intimate at 100 square feet, it has a soothing, alluring ambiance that’s a cross between a vibey jazz club and a Zen retreat. The space was finished last October, and Schuchardt calls it “The Ember Room.”
Schuchardt’s goal was to create a sanctuary that honored the ritual of cigar smoking. He went for a luxurious speakeasy vibe, a space that’s both warm and dark, inviting yet moody. “For me it was all about creating a space where you’re kind of forced to be in the moment,” he says. “We don’t get much of that these days.” There’s a TV in the room that he’ll flick on for big sports games, but generally, he tries to keep the technology inside to a minimum, and asks the same from guests. In the room, he keeps the focus on the simple things: “listening to good music, having a nice conversation, smoking a nice cigar, drinking a nice bottle of wine.”
The room is outfitted with a small window, wine fridge, butcher block counter top, multiple humidors, minimalist decor, a pair of brown leather chairs, hardwood floors, custom cabinets and coffee table books dedicated to various fortes of craftsmanship. Schuchardt, unsurprisingly, is likely to turn to his wine fridge when looking for a companion for his cigar. He says a structured Cabernet offers sufficient character to match with a smoke, and that even a nice bottle of Champagne holds up, allowing one to intermittently cleanse their palate. Schuchardt also has an impressive whisky collection within reach. WhistlePig, Johnnie Walker Black, Angel’s Envy, Four Roses and Teeling are a few bottles that immediately catch the eye.
For temperature control, Schuchardt relies on a radiant heat panel mounted on the ceiling, which he says is quite effective in this confined space. He says the room has remained comfortable in warmer months, plus the window can come in handy. Schuchardt keeps the room ventilated via a pair of AC Infinity fans, one for intake, one for exhaust. After sessions, he flips on a RabbitAir, which is essential because his wife isn’t a fan of cigar smoke. Proper insulation and weather stripping around the exterior door offer additional assistance. “It’s great, I can smoke a 60-minute cigar in there and 15 minutes later she can come in and not even realize I smoked,” says Schuchardt. Though his wife won’t join him while he puffs, he says she’s an equal fan of the new space. The couple will even opt for date nights out in The Ember Room.
The room has become a daily source of reprieve for Schuchardt, who usually uses the room by himself during the week but is joined by a buddy on weekends. All the while, his collection of cigars continues to grow. He estimates he has just over a thousand smokes on hand now, despite picking up the hobby just a year and a half ago. “I need help,” he says with a laugh. “My wife makes fun of me because when I get into something it’s like watch out.” He says Neptune Cigars is one of his favorite online retailers, but he also appreciates a local spot called Telford’s Pipe and Cigar in Mill Valley. Schuchardt struggles to narrow in on a singular favorite cigar, but he does have a selection of brands and companies he often goes back to: Padrón, Tatuaje, Foundation Cigar Co., Liga Privada and Partagás and Ramon Allones on the Cuban side.
Schuchardt, remarkably, is still in the infancy stage of his cigar journey. But it’s safe to say, that hook is well and set. “Today, I’m fascinated not only by the cigars themselves, but also by the history, culture and agricultural side of the industry,” he says. “I feel the act and ritual of smoking a cigar forces you to be present and in the moment, which is something I truly appreciate.”
