Well….. we’ve been open for one week now and what a week it’s been.
We opened our doors last Monday to a big lunch crowd, and an even larger dinner crowd. As a matter of fact we were so full that we had to turn away 10 walk-in’s, (which I hated to do), but when you make reservations at The Vineyard Wine Bar, the table, (or couch), is yours for the entire evening. Our reservation policy is based on the European reservation policy where we only have 1 seating for the evening, and the table is yours for as long as you want to stay…. No one is going to rush you. (The world slows down at The Vineyard Wine Bar.)
Tuesday was a repeat of Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday were the same…. packed full.
We had our ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, and we were full to capacity the entire day and evening once again.
Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening were once again full, and we got a brief break on Sunday with an “almost full” crowd that kept us hopping until closing.
One of the rewards about the week was experiencing our guest’s faces when they saw the food presentations arrive at the table. Some guests even took pictures of their food before eating.
Another reward was seeing many of the same faces throughout the week. We’ve had guests come back 2, 3, even 4 times during the 6 days that we were open. They brought different friends each time they came in, and their friends brought different friends each time they came in, and their friends-friends brought different friends each time they came in. It’s very rewarding, and you know you’re doing something right, when people come back 3 or 4 times in 6 days. Everyone has been telling us that they love the food, the wine, the service, the décor, and the music….. and it shows when they come back multiple times.
Our Retail Store:
Our retail store is now open in our lounge and wine is ready to be purchased and taken home. In fact, our retail sales have been pretty strong over the past few days. I’ve heard customers comment that they have to purchase a full case at other stores to get the price that we offer by the individual bottle. We know our prices are at least $2 to $3 to $4 dollars a bottle cheaper, and our selection is, in a word…. “AWESOME”. Stop in and see our A to Z selection of wines.
Speaking about our wine selection…. The reason we’re able to offer such a great selection is because of being in the wine business for almost 30 years. During those almost 30 years that I’ve spent as an importer, supplier, wholesale distributor, wine judge, consultant, and educator, I’ve made many “wine friends”. These wine friends, (wine makers, winery owners, etc.); enable us to have access to many of the worlds great wines that other wine shops and restaurants rarely see.
As a result of our wine friends we are able to bring you the best of what is available in the vast world of wine. As you browse through our wine selections many will be unfamiliar to you because we search out the best that is available from small family owned, and operated, “winery-farms”. These “winery farms” are operated by families who have been making wine for generations, passing down their wine making practices from father to son… or daughter.
They are artisans, skillfully working their land, and tending to their grapes like children, to bring you the best, un-commercialized wines the world has to offer.
We are proud to offer you the best, and please feel free to ask questions about our great wine selection.
Upcoming events:
In the next few weeks we will start scheduling some fun and exciting wine-events that will help us get through the winter months. We’re planning to have a few “fireside chats” with winemakers as we meet them and taste some of their wines in our lounge. We’re also going to line up some “Skype” tastings with wine makers in Europe, and we’ll have a few private tasting events too. We’re also going to announce the beginning of our wine education classes, which will start after the first of the year. These education classes will be geared toward helping you understand wine, and enjoy it more. We’ll cover topics like “How to read labels and understand them”, (some of the German and French labels can be confusing), and “How to insure you’re getting what you’re paying for”, (you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get really good wine), along with “Organic wines and how sulfites affect in wines”, (this will be good for those of you that are affected by sulfites in wine). We’ll have many, many other fun topics to discuss, and of course there will always be a question and answer period so I can help take the intimidation factor out of wine. Stay tuned to email as we announce our events in the next few weeks.
Until the next email… stay well, and we hope to see you soon for lunch or dinner at The Vineyard Wine Bar… The Destination for Wine Lovers.
JL
