For the retail shop analysis, I went to Grand wine liquor store which is located in Astoria on 31st Street. the store is easily accessible as it is located right off the 30th avenue station on the N and W train. I had the opportunity to speak to Richard who manages the store. he told me that his great grandfather opened the store in 1933, and it had been passed down to him. Having been born into the business it’s no surprise that Richard has great knowledge of wine. The family business is also proud of their Greek heritage, which one could notice from the large Greek flag hanging from the window and their assortment of Greek wines. Upon entering the store, the first thing I noticed was large banner that said “75 years of proudly serving Astoria”. I also noticed that the wines were arranged by country by large signs hanging from the ceiling, except for sparkling and sweet & fortified which had their own separate area. Richard further explained to me that they then sort the wines by type and grape variety.
One of the things I found interesting was that next to each section there is a wine map of that country. These maps are the same ones that can be found on Wine Folly, which we use to study. Their best-selling wine is Mionetto Prosecco Brut that comes from Italy. Italy also happens to be their best-selling country along with the USA. However, their most expensive wine is a red wine from Burgundy which is priced at $1300 for a 750ml bottle. Although this wine is incredibly expensive the store does offer a vast amount of affordable wines with some even under $10. One thing I liked about the store was their method of recommending wine to someone who is new it. Richard said that he would ask the person what they like to eat and then recommend a wine that pairs well with it. I thought this was a clever method and extremely helpful for someone like me who doesn’t know how to pair wine. The store also has great discounts such as 15% off on 3 bottles of wine or 20% off on 12 bottles or more. They even have a 15% senior citizen discount. Besides the grand variety and great discounts this store has to offer, they also hold wine tastings on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend because I am underage but once I turn 21 I will return for the wine tastings and discounts.
   
“Shelf Talker”
A few of the wines had descriptive labels such as this one. It provides the customer which information regarding the viticulture and the taste.
Map of Australia from Wine Folly
“Wine from Chile”
The producer is Frontera, and the vineyards where this wine produced is Concha y Toro in Chile. The grape variety is Merlot. The label on the back of the bottle describes its taste and offers food pairing suggestions.
“Wine from France’
This is a french wine which is 100% made from the grape variety Grenache. Although the label does not say it infront it is indicated on the back. It is a Rose and on the back it says to best enjoy it between 8 and 10 degrees.
“Sparkling Wine”
This wine is from California and is a Brut Rose or a Rose Champagne. However, because the wine is not produced in the champagne region of France it is labeled as Methode Champenoise. It’s alcohol content is 12% and the producer is Korbel.
Your captions about the wines are really descriptive and it’s great to know that they include maps to indicate wine regions and certain geographic features. Did you happen to indulge into a piece of baklava after learning about Richard’s Greek heritage?
I like how you include the pictures of the country banners and the maps. It’s amazing that every country makes wine because I’ve never heard of Greek wine before.
It seems like you found a hidden gem, the outside seem dull and uninteresting but the inside was filled with diversity, history and information.
I like that they include maps, “place” is so important when it comes to wine.