Saturday, February 23, 2008

Wine Styles

My dream: be in the wine business. Not sure I'd want to run a retail store like Wine Styles, but it's good to see them in the Anchorage market. We needed a store like this, not because they provide great value, but it raises the general marketability of wine in an area.

Mrs. Frogged and I went to dinner at the Thai restaurant next door and then paid a visit to the Wine Styles store. Their strategy, as far as I can tell, is to provide a nice grouping of wines - fruity, crisp, bold, mellow, etc. - and then limit the selections within each of those groupings to a few hand-picked brands. I think it is a good concept and something that works for a certain group. I'm a bit disappointed in their price - I don't think you'll find any great values - but that isn't the purpose of the shop. And, I applaud them for that. We joined their wine club. I assume we'll keep it for a couple months, get to know the shop, and then probably cancel it.

I'd recommend the shop for anyone getting into wine, who might feel a little intimidated going into larger shops (like I am), yet wants to start exploring and being able to articulate and characterize their palatte. But, I think those people will end up seeing this kind of shop as a phase in their wine tasting journey, which is okay. Enjoy!

No comments: