New Wine Shops Are Like Grungy Record Stores
There is a new wave of wine shops braking rank with the typical “bland elegance” you find in new wine shops. At least, that’s the point that The Pour is making. In the process, writer Eric Asimov puts into words something that I’ve been trying to figure out how to articulate.
Americans today are bombarded with opportunities to learn about wine. New books approach the subject from every conceivable angle, culinary schools offer classes at all levels, and the Internet, well, it just won’t shut up. But the most influential voice many people will hear belongs to their local retailer.
Lily Peachin, owner of Dandelion Wine, commented that…
“I wanted to be kind of a non-wine shop wine shop,” she said. “There’s soul here. You can tell good times have been had in the shop. You get that in restaurants and bars, but a lot of wine stores lack that.”
This is how a lot of wine shops feel overseas. Many of the shops I hit in Italy were cramped and stuffy, sometimes located in the basement of something nondescript like a Post Office. They all shared one thing in common: great wines and great people willing to help. Most wine shops here look like hotel lobbies, trying to look classic and elegant but end up bland and sanitary.
Link to post on The Pour.
Sponsored offer from WineChateau.com: Get 50% off shipping when you buy 6 or more bottles of French wine with coupon code “vino29″
April 2nd, 2010 at 5:12 am
Ignoring large wine superstores…while there are exceptions, the nicer the shop, the more worried I tend to get about my ability to find good wine there. Since I mostly buy direct from wineries after tying a wine, when I do buy from a shop I’m even more nervous, because I’m back to buying blind. Therefore, I rely very heavily on the staff at the shop to listen to what I like and don’t like and help me find a good wine, at a price I can live with, in the category that interests me that day. Often the hole in the wall shops are those with the most knowledgeable staff and most loyal customers. I want to be able to chat with staff and patrons and not feel like I’m wasting someone’s time if I don’t leave with a case (after all, I may do that another day if I have a good experience this time).
April 7th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I’d settle for a good wine shop within a 10 mile radius of my house. Seriously we’re stuck with Wine Styles and a tasting bar or two…unless you drive to the coast. There are about a million of us in inland north county San Diego, so it’s not like I live in a deserted island.
I’d love a store with a number of creeks and corners to explore over time (not to mention wines that I wouldn’t think to try on a tasting trip) but that seems to be asking a lot out in the burbs!