One night while getting off of a mid shift, I decided to visit a local wine shop in Downtown Brooklyn. I chose to explore Heights Chateau, 123 Atlantic Avenue. A fifteen-minute walk from the Barclay Center. I had a few options for transportation. I could take the B63 bus, the four or five trains one stop, a $4 uber or preferably walk. All being around twenty minutes of travel time. I walked down Atlantic Avenue to get a feel of the neighborhood. There were a few medical centers, old churches ( even an abandoned church that creeped me out), and thrift stores. These places were mixed in with new restaurants, a Trader Joe’s, and clothing stores like Urban Outfitters. As I reached Heights Chateau, the shop was the brightest on the block, the header is big and bold, and the outside was a mix of glass and black wood. As I walk in my focus is directed towards the big round counter that is in the front center of the store. To my right side, there are Italian wines going up the wall and down throughout the Aisle. To my left is the same set up of a different region of wines. I am approached by Lourel, an employee at Heights Chateau. I explain to her that I am a college student analyzing wine shops and if it was okay if I asked questions and take images of the store. She was aware of the project already and gladly assisted me. We started off with a brief background of the store. The owner is Italian, hence the display of Italian wines in the front of the store, he opened the store 30 years ago by converting it from a furniture store into a wine shop. The vineyards they would purchase from are M.S. Walker, Touton, USA Wine Imports, and etc. The store has a wine cellar downstairs that store more of the expensive wines, ranging from $100- $1,000. The store has a Wine of the Month Club, where you can receive two bottles of wines a month. Membership varies by the number of months you wish to join for. Ranging from a three-month plan to a twelve-month plan. The store is broken down into regions and then grape variety/appellations. Prices are shown below each wine. The store layout reminds me of a supermarket with the aisles and region signs posted.  The shop carries regular liquor as well. The store is targeted towards customers who either study wines or know what wines they like to drink. Not much interaction is needed towards employees unless it’s for minor questions and suggestions. The shop is a mix of traditional, industrial, and french country theme. I found interesting is that they had a Sake section with over 10 varieties. For those who may not know, Sake is Japanese rice wine and the places I’ve commonly seen them are in Japanese restaurants. Before saying my goodbyes, I purchased a 2015 Trocken Riesling from Germany, which I’m excited to try. I would go back to Heights Chateau because the atmosphere is quiet, the employees are knowledgeable, and the set up is mid modern which made me enjoy my experience. 

This is Lourel a shelf talker. Her future goal is to become a Sommelier in a restaurant. In Heights Chateau their shelf talkers are wine advisors. They taste every new wine that the store has. They assist customers by asking about price points, pairings, and wine preference.

A 2016, Llenca Plana, Montsant. Red wine from Spain. Priced at $14.99.

2015, Mountain Red, Thelma. A South African red wine. There are six grape varieties in this wine. Priced at $14.99.

2016, cava, Raventos i Blanc, de Nit. Sparkling wine from Spain. Priced at $21.99.