The Arbor Crest Wine Cellars tasting room in River Park Square will close on New Year’s Eve after 10 years at that location.

Bryn West, River Park Square’s general manager, said Arbor Crest’s exit from the mall was planned. She’s negotiating with another tenant for that space, but can’t reveal the name until a lease is signed, she said. River Park Square is an affiliate of Cowles Co., which also owns The Spokesman-Review.

“Especially with tasting rooms taking off downtown they really are looking at a competitive edge and wanted to regroup for a bit and come up with something new,” West said of Arbor Crest executives, who didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.

According to a news release from the Spokane Valley winery, Arbor Crest plans to “transform” its downtown presence, but didn’t offer details of the move.

“Over the next 12 to 18 months, we’ll research where and how we can best complement our flagship Cliff House location, while also offering convenient access, entertaining events, and, as always, exceptional wines, right in the heart of Spokane,” the release said.

Arbor Crest was founded by the Mielke family in 1982. Two years later, the winery bought the historic Riblet mansion overlooking Spokane Valley and renamed it the Cliff House, which is where the main tasting room is located.

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