Daily Archives: October 17, 2017

Ambassador Wine and Spirits

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The place I decided to use for my retail wine assignment was Ambassador Wine and Spirits on 54th St. and 2nd AV in Manhattan.  This Store is located around the corner from where I work and the person I spoke to is a regular customer where I work so it made it easier to walk in there and ask the questions I needed to ask. A friend and I stopped by on a Monday around 2:30 in the afternoon. We spoke to Lenny and we were told by him that they weren’t allowed to answer questions based on the store itself, however when I showed him my questions and he could answer 2 out of the 3 questions I had. The one question he couldn’t answer was “what is your typical client like.” However, based on the type of people I see/ saw that went into the shop it seems like there clientele is mostly aged from 30- 60.

The two Questions he answered was how he got into the wine business and what sort if wine they specialize in. Lenny explained that the reason he got into wine was that all of his family has been in the wine business in one way or another and he grew up watching and experiencing with his family and so naturally it just became something that he was interested in and it helped that he is a Biochemist by trade.
As for what kind of wine they specialize in he said they specialize in everything, there’s no specific type of wine they focused on. They have wine from Japan, France, Italy, Spanish etc… they also have Vodka, Tequila, Bourbon, Gin and Sparkling wine. He said they have one of the largest selections of wine since it was a 2-floor shop, he said we could have a look around downstairs as well and if we had any questions he could answer he would to the best of his ability. My friend and I went down to the basement we toured the whole place took pictures and we saw that they had some large designated rooms for different kinds of wine. There is a whole room designed for special champagne that one can make an appointment to have it all explained and shown. Lastly there most expensive wine that I saw was also downstairs with a locked shelf and it was a 2003 Ch Mouton-Roth Pauillac at $700 and they also provide wine tasting Thursday-Saturday from 5-8 pm

Spanish Region Wines

French Margaux

$700 2003 Ch Mouton-Roth Pauillac

Coessens Rose Sparkling Wine

 

Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits

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“Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits” located at 123 Atlantic Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11201 has a remarkable reputation providing its customers over 2,000 different types of wines to select from and contributing over 30 years of service and experience. The shops unique style is able to lure customers in and experience the different types of wines from around the world. The shops environment is quiet and dim lights which gives a peaceful and calm feeling. The shop continues to pursue a successful business and service to its visitors and customers.

My experience at the “Heights Chateau” was amazing. Once I arrived at the location, I was impressed with the design of the shop, it was all black with gold, bold capital letters that spelled out “Heights Chateau Fine Wines & Spirits” it also had open windows which give the visitor a glimpse of what they are going to expect inside the shop. The only thing that threw me off was the decorations that were displayed on the windows. It could have been well thought out and look more presentable but in general, it is an amazing wine shop. I have gotten the opportunity to meet Chris who has worked in the shop for years and has experience in the business as well. Chris was very informative and profession and knew particular words that have been used in class such as vinification, vitification etc.

Some of the questions that I asked Chris were, What is the most popular wine sold? And he answered, “There are several popular wines that customers buy such as the, Sacha Lichine Single Blend Rose Vin De France, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Oyster Bay New Zealand, D’Esclans Whispering Angel Rose and J.Lohr Riverstone Arroyo Seco Chardonnay.” How is the shop/products advertised? “The shop has a website where we coordinate customer guest list and subscription as well as web promotion such as social media.” Are wines displayed depending on change of season or trends? “No. Different sections are organized by country such as the U.S, Europe etc. for an example France is organized from northern through southern, white wines first, regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley and then the southwest.” Are most wines selected from local or international vineyards? “Yes. We work close with distributors and sell representatives who we believe are the best for our shop, we send staff to sample and taste wine who a few have experience in the business for years. Mathew LaSorsa who is the owner of Heights Chateau have four consultants who taste everything that’s going to be displayed in the shop.” I actually was lucky enough to meet the owner although he was busy at the time, so I could not ask him questions but it was an inspirational moment to see a successful entrepreneur and learn about the different strategies he uses when making decisions of the particular wines are being selected and sold in his shop. Do prices range depend on the age of the wine or its geographic? “Reputation of the wine, its quality, case production and vinification are all aspects that are contributed into pricing.” How is the Heights Chateau unique and different from others? “We have a small staff who are well educated and dedicated for the success of the shop. Our staff has 150 years of experience. Myself have 32 years in the business and the owner has over 40 years, solidly has been drinking wine for 25 years. In business people are use to creating supply and demand but our goal is to create demand where we are able to sell quality wine from all over the world.”

In conclusion, Heights Chateau is able to stand out due to their high-quality wines as  well as high experienced staff. Their wide variety of wines from all over the world in their small shop is a perfect fit for  marketing purposes especially in the hospitality industry. Heights Chateau is able to provide quality and quantity for their customers  and I would highly recommend for family and friends to visit Heights Chateau  Fine Wines and Spirits and experience the different types of wines with different features such as flavors, geography, design, age and many more.

As stated in the picture”Staff Selection Wines $12.99 & Under” displays several wines at a affordable price.

Some wines such as Alsace Joseph Cattin Riesling and Vin D’Alsace Jean Rosen Pinot Blanc 2016 are displayed under France.

Some wines that are displayed under Spain are, Tres Picos Borsao Garnasha 2015 and Mercedes Eguren Shirag Tempamillo 2013 and many more.

This picture shows U.S Sparkling Wines such as the Schramsberg Blanc De Blancs and Sea Smoke Sea Spray.

G&I Wine Spirits

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These are wines from New Zealand, one of them came from Oyster Bay and is a Chardonnay and there is Sauvignon Blanc as well.

I visit a retail wine store called “GI Wing Spirits.” It is located at Willoughby St, Brooklyn. The store itself looks like a local retail shop, not a very big one but they have wines all from different part of the world. Some of the wines that I found interesting are the one from New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Africa, South America and even Brooklyn. When I first walked in, I told them that I studied Wine from New York City College of Technology. The worker asked their manager outright the way because they said he has the knowledge and he is a wine professional. I was very excited to meet him.

Wines from France there are Pinot Grigio and some of the wines are from Vallee Du Rhone.

I though a listed of questions that I wanted to ask him but because he has a costumer I asked a few that I’m really interested in. I asked him what is the best wine your store offers he react immediately, he said “there are no such thing the best because everyone has a different taste, you might like it sweeter than the others it was really hard to say what’s the best. But we can say what is a high-quality wine instead.” Then he talked about what the local market, he told me because the area becomes a very diverse place they included a lot of different wine from the different part of the world. People in this area came in to purchase all type of wines, some people are daily wine drinker which they liked cheaper wines. He didn’t mention about a fine dining restaurant, so I assume that most of his business are mostly focus on local daily drinkers. I asked him I love Chardonnay which one you prefer. He told me there are Chardonnay from different places for examples Brooklyn, New Zealand, and France. Every place has their unique characteristics. I told him I tried Naudin Varrault, Chardonnay, Mâcon-Villages, Burgundy, France, 2015 the other day from a restaurant it was amazing I paired with Maine lobster it made that lobster when to a whole other level. Unfortunately, they don’t have that one in store but he shows me another interesting one that is from France. I had a great time talking with him but I didn’t have a chance to ask his name and business card because he had other business to take care.

Wines from Spain and some of the Spain region that I discovered is Rioja.

Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

I think one of the weaknesses of this store is their location.  Its located in a business area and a lot of schools are around, so I think in terms of marketing they only focus in daily drinkers around the area. I think it would bring them greater business if the store is open in another area. Also, I realize that there is only one person which is the manager has knowledge about wines and when I walked in I have to wait for him, he is super busy it was really hard to focus on every customer, they should have at least one more person that has the knowledge.