The Wine Shop at Rivergate.

After driving past this small and unassuming place, located on a corner in the Rivergate shopping center, I thought I’d drag my husband to one of their free wine tastings on Saturday afternoons. What did we have to lose? Free wine on a Saturday afternoon sounded like a great idea.

As we entered, we were immediately greeted by Justin, our wine steward.  Justin is awesome! He definitely knows his wines and wineries. Best of all he is not a hmm …..wine snob! We talked about what we liked and what we didn’t and he suggested a perfect bottle. I’ve been to wine tastings before and I have never had this type of attention or interest.  So far, so good.

After the wine tasting we wandered over to the cooler and discovered the Wine Shop not only carries a large selection of wines, it has an extensive selection of beers. Over 150 beers in fact.   Not too shabby. Oh, I almost forgot, they also sell cigars. Their smoking room is located on the outside patio, in case you were wondering.

They also serve food, a Sunday Brunch and on occasion, special Wine and Beer dinners. I have never eaten here, but am sure it would be delicious. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they do feature live Jazz music. This is a great way to enjoy the wine you tasted on Saturday!

What makes this place different from the other Wine Shops in town? Several things, but the most important, this is more than a sit down drinking/eating establishment. This is a place where the staff is knowledgeable about both beers and wines. It seems their sole purpose is to focus on enhancing your wine and beer experience. They truly are educating the public and that’s refreshing.  If you have been or are playing on going, I’d love to hear your comments!

Please check their website for more info www.TheWineShopatRivergate.com.