Acker, Merrall & Condit Co., the oldest wine shop in America and the world's largest fine wine auction house, has secured a city permit to open a retail location at 1005 A St. in downtown San Rafael.

The San Rafael planning office approved the permit application for the site between Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, according to a permit report in the Marin Independent Journal. A zoning administrator cleared the plan at a City Hall hearing, and the two-year permit took effect July 10 after an appeal period closed without challenge on July 9.

Planned store hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. The limited schedule suggests the location may function more as an appointment or tasting destination than a full-service retail shop.

The permit alone does not mean the shop is ready to open. Acker must still obtain a city business license, a city sign permit, and a California state license for alcohol sales at the site before it can begin serving customers. No opening date has been announced.

If it opens, the San Rafael location would be the firm's first West Coast retail storefront. Acker's flagship has operated at 160 West 72nd St. in Manhattan since 1987.

Founded in New York City in 1820, Acker operates in more than 10 countries with more than 130 employees, according to the company's website. The firm crossed $1 billion in cumulative auction revenue in 2018. In early 2026, a 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti sold for $812,500 at an Acker auction in New York, a record price for a single bottle at one of the company's sales.

As far back as late 2021, CEO Irvin Goldman told MarketWatch the company planned to expand into California, Florida, and Texas, citing a shift in where its clients live. The San Rafael permit suggests that California push is materializing. John Kapon serves as chairman and Goldman as global CEO and co-owner, according to the company's website.