Anyone been to a WineStyles store? Experiences?

A WineStyles store is opening near me. I was wondering if anyone has been to any other locations and what your experience was.

http://www.winestyles.net

Thanks!

Christine

I was at a tasting at the store in Frankfort, Their schtick is to organize wines by style rather than country or origin or grape. There seemed to be a pretty thin selection. I dont know much about wine but the guy running the tasting didnt seem to know much either, and what was more distressing, seemed pretty bored. My insurance agent has more passion for his products than this guy did. Now that I see this is a franchise operation, that makes sense. Even out here is the far suburbs I drive past better stores to get there. While the operator of your local store may be better, I can't think of a reason to ever return.

After looking at the website for Winestyles, it reminded me of Joshua Wesson's store in NYC, Best Cellars. The stores seem to be organized in a similar manner, but for Best Cellars, the price point is under $15.

Of course, it matters who the seller is, and Joshua Wesson is a well-regarded (and fun!) sommelier. When he started, his intention was to open other stores, but it doesn't look like that's happened.

Since I like to read, think, and talk about food and wine (and then eat and drink), I want someone knowledgeable and approachable behind the counter. If I just want to buy a bottle of wine like a quart of milk, I'll go to the Jewel.

http://www.bestcellars.com/

While each store is a franchise, the individual franchisee has the ability to select wines from a master core list that includes some pretty decent stuff. The experience will range from store to store depending on the knowledge and passion of the owner so you probably have to go in and check it out at least once to see if its worth shopping at.

Walking on Sherman street in Evanston this morning I noticed signage announcing a new "WineStyles"

The posters were window-blocker types, with a verbose paragraph of wine-aficionado-ese ("hints of x and y with a z finish" and so forth) and a photo of glass followed by "We call it smooth"

I can't imagine why I'd go here when I could go to Evanston First, and I'm a wine lightweight, so it's not like I know what I'm shopping for there. That reminds me, I'll have to find out when the next EV1 wine tasting is and post it on the events board.

WineStyles - Evanston #194
1741 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, IL
(312) 404-7624
OPENING WINTER 2006

WineStyles Illinois Locations

Evanston First Liquors
1019 Davis St
Evanston, IL
(847) 328-9651

Do we need to do a LTH wine tasting?

I'd swear we've had the discussion before, but for some reason it dies on the vine, as it were.

I'd love it, but my experience -- outside doing in-store tastings - is limited to about 4 friends and 8 bottles around the diningroom table. The logistics of an LTH tasting seem potentially nightmarish without the resources of a store or restaurant behind us. (All that glassware, all those brown bags, etc.) Ensuring we have the right number of bottles of each type for the number of tasters and space enough to all gather. I suppose it depends on how "serious" we want to be about it.

Just spitting out some ideas:
Any chance of renting a bar or restaurant's back room and glassware in return for ordering food?
Or asking a local wineseller if they'd be interested in hosting an event and doing some education in return for our purchasing the bottles from him/her? Depending on our numbers, it might be worth their while.

If we keep it private, then perhaps people could just bring 1 bottle per couple and byo glassware as well, to keep it simplest.

Then of course there's the issue of defining the parameters. But, in any case, I'd certainly be up for if anyone wants to start sorting through the structure. (Anyone have experience with organizing a large tasting?)

I think it just takes the will -- look the whole GOOT triumph. That, and perhaps the willingness to cap the guest list before it gets out of hand.

Re the idea of renting space, it recalls to me the mid-90's hey-days of microbrew and home brewing. For a couple of years, Evanston First hosted a semi-annual beer tasting event in Carmen's, which is across the back alley from them. For $10, you had four hours to taste all the beers you wanted, and Carmen's kept the pizzas coming. We had some fun at those. Alas, that party room space at Carmen's is now Asado.

I suspect that most places would want to sell you the wine as well as the food if they were going to barter a private room, but maybe on an off night, or for goodwill. (Where are those shills when you need 'em?)

Evanston First still does wine tastings 3-4 times a year. They bring in about a dozen merchants, each of whom pours four or five styles, and there's a modest discount on wine purchases that night. It's usually pretty crowded, but as much because they hold it in the store (not at Carmen's or anything) but it can be a pretty good time. Not the same as sitting in someone's living room and savoring and interacting. I called them yesterday and they said that they don't currently have one scheduled, but as best I recall, their last one was in April, so it seems like another should be coming around pretty soon.

I'm really much more a beer and spirits guy, but my brother did give me a wine cooler for Christmas, so I've been feeling like I ought to figure out what to put in it...

We visited the WineStyles store in Arlington Heights a couple days before they opened.

The owner invited us in, and while he seemed to be a really nice guy, he wasn't overly knowledgeable about wines. The guy who bought wines for the whole chain was there, and he seemed to know what was what.

My preference is still a couple blocks away, Tuscan Market.

germuska wrote:Walking on Sherman street in Evanston this morning I noticed signage announcing a new "WineStyles"

FWIW, this place is now open. Just in time for school!

From looking in the window, I continue to expect that I'll be going to Evanston First if I'm buying wine in Evanston, but YMMV.