PYC Sweets and Wine Bar’s owners celebrated their 11th year in business on Feb. 2 in their permanent location that opened in Federal Way in 2024.

The wine bar is located at 32925 1st Ave. S., Suite S., Federal Way.

PYC stands for Pretty Young Chef and is the creation of sisters Niesy Gaul and Victoria Gaul. The two began their business through pop-up and catering events where they shared cupcakes and wine knowledge over the years.

In 2024, they partnered with their mother, who is also an entrepreneur in her own right, to combine her food with their wine and dessert pairings in a permanent location.

Now their brick and mortar location offers guests exclusive wines and pairings with sweet treats and food, celebrating the flavors of each element of the experience.

“What I love most about wine is that it can tell a history, it can tell a story,” Niesy Gaul told the Mirror.

The sisters have traveled all over North America and as far as South Africa to deepen their knowledge of wine and hold a variety of expert wine certifications.

Even narrowing it down to Washington, each wine can be very different, Niesy said, explaining that from “Eastern Washington, if you go over to Columbia Valley, if you go to Yakima Valley… it doesn’t taste anything like when you start to go out to Anacortes or Woodinville because the climates are so different.”

Exploring the stories behind each variety connects the sisters to a vast community of wine experts, and they love to share.

Niesy and Victoria grew up helping out their mother with her catering business in Seattle. From Louisiana originally, Kathy McQuarter (known as “Ms. Kay”) delivered her signature soul food lunches at beauty salons and barbershops around Seattle.

“I can’t express how proud I am,” Ms. Kay said of her daughters. She had always said she wanted a food truck someday, but she said now her daughters have “taken it a step further.”

While the menu changes frequently, guests might get the chance to taste fried catfish or chicken or potato salad. No matter what is on guest’s plate, they can ask Victoria or Niesy for a suggestion on what wine to pair with the food.

The dream for the brick and mortar location in partnership with their mom really took shape during the height of the pandemic.

“With 2020 hitting, it slowed things down, and that gave me and my sister the opportunity to actually sit down and come up with a business plan … create the foundation and strategize on getting this spot that we’re currently in right now,” Niesy Gaul said.

In addition to small boutique wineries, they also look to feature BIPOC winemakers.

Wachira Wines, for example, are created by Dr. Chris Wachira, who shares on her website that “each bottle is a tribute to her family’s Kenyan-American story, blending tradition with innovation, and reflecting a journey of passion, heritage and artistry.”

Local winemakers are also featured at their frequent themed events, like a Dia de los Muertos event featuring Martinez and Martinez winery in Washington. The Martinez and Martinez winery is a family owned business highlighting “Mexican heritage in grape growing showcase the fruits of our labor in wine,” according to their website.

These themed events typically include partnerships with local artists and a special menu that adds an element of wine education to the fun.

“We pretty much took our lifestyle and turned it into a business,” Niesy Gaul said.

Victoria Gaul, Ms. Kay and Niesy Gaul own the PYC Sweets and Wine Bar in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Niesy and Victoria Gaul love sharing their wine expertise through the PYC Sweets and Wine Bar in Federal Way. Photos by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror