Our Wine Philosophy
Owning a wine store has been a long-time fantasy of mine. I have been a wine enthusiast for nearly 25 years. Most of my vacations have been
wine-related and the books I choose to read are primarily about wine.
I decided five years ago that it was time to stop dreaming and do something. I spent many months traveling around the country visiting wine shops
to gather ideas on how my wine shop should look.
I found that wine stores can be very intimidating. First off, most are either too big or have too much merchandise. Therefore, I wanted a store that was boutique-sized.
Most of the stores had big fluorescent lights and vinyl flooring. I chose softer lighting, carpeted floors and brightly colored walls.
Very few of the stores provide any information about the wines. Customers had to guess or rely on the sales clerk to make choices. I decided to
put into play the concept that "the wine sells itself" at Wine Sense. We have description signs on all our wines and we even suggest
foods to pair with the wine.
I also found that very few sales people knew anything about wine and
rarely tasted any of the wines. I taste every wine before I bring it into the store. I also encourage my sales clerks to taste.
— Kristin Vanden Brul
Proprietor
