The storefront of Hunter’s Point Wines & Spirits had a very beautiful and simple look to it. There is a window bench seat with pillows at the front of the store and a couple of potted plants that that relaxed vibe. The walls are lined with shelves and when you walk through that front room you enter a short hallway or corridor where they have crates set up where they have a few varieties of sparkling white wines from different countries. The next room is larger with more shelves and at the tops of the shelves are small metal signs signifying where the wines are from. They had the major wine countries represented at the beginning of the shelves like France, Italy, and Spain; then there was a small section for wines from the United States. Next are a set of unlabeled shelves that hold wine from an array of different countries that may not be typically known for their wine like Serbia, Croatia, Republic of Georgia, South Africa, and a few more. The two men were very helpful making sure I knew I could ask them any questions I had.

When I finally took them up on their offer for questions I spoke with Marco. I asked him how the store was organized and he explained that they actually organize the shelves by country rather than type or grape. I thought that was very interesting; it was different than I had seen before. He explained that they do this so that the customer can see more of the variety of the store. If they organize the store by type the customer is limited to what they come in for. If they are looking for a chardonnay that is all you will look at. You will come into the store grab a wine from that section and proceed to the register rather than browsing all the interesting things they have to offer. He also explained that at the front of the store they shelve the everyday wines that regular customers will come in and grab for a regular night, while the pricier wines are shelved at the back of the store. I asked if they every change that set up for any reason and he said no. Maybe if there is a new product, but typically it’s kept that way. I asked him if there is a wine that he finds sells most, but he said that they have such a variety that there isn’t just one kind that sells best. I was happy to hear that because that means the organization that they went with for their store is working; people are seeing all they have to offer. He also explained how they pick the variety that they have in the store. He said that they don’t really have much from the United States because they quality of wine you can get from oversees for an affordable price point like $20 for a bottle is nowhere near the quality you will get from let’s say California for the same price. What you get from the U.S. for $20 will basically be a bottle pf expensive juice. That was a very interesting point to make. Over all it was a great experience. Will definitely go there again.

This is a red wine from Spain

This is a sparkling wine from Croatia

This is a wine from Georgia Country. More interesting to me because I recently met someone from the country.

This is a hand-written shelf talker for a wine from Austria

This is a wine that I bought to try at home. It was described as a semi-sweet with vegetal notes from South Africa.

Retail Wine Shop Assignment

For this project I visited the Astor Wine and Spirits at Lafayette Street. My visit lasted around 40 minutes.   It was an incredible experience, the staff and the manager were super friendly and patient. I really recommend this wine store to all my classmates.  This was my second time going to a winery store. And since I walk into the store I was super surprised by looking at all the types of wines that they have.  Mr. Bill who is a retail customer service representative was super friendly and knowledge about his job. He showed me how the wine store is designed, which is from old to new wines, what type of wines they have, I also asked him why he is working in a wine store.

The Astor Wine and Spirits store is designed by old and new world of wines. Their wines are also organized by regions and geography. Which I think is a good idea because you can see and explore the old world first and then see the new world of wines. They also sell organic wines which also interests me because I have never tasted an organic wine before. Mr. Bill walked me through all the entire store, and the region that more cough my attention was California.  I didn’t know that in this region produce wine until I found it at the class. 

This was an amazing experience, I really learned more about the different types of wines, and how a store can organize their wines. 

Shelf Talker:

This is a wine made from grown organically using natural compositing techniques and special preparations of herbal sprays.  It is vibrant and fresh on the palate. Provence has some of the best vine growing territory in the world, with a perfect mediterranean climate tempered by the cooling effects of the sea.

Red from Spain:

When we got to this region, one of the things that I remember that Mr. Bill said was that the most famous region of Spain is Rioja because they make the best wine. This a 2016 red wine from Spain.  

Sparkling wine from Italy

This is a sparkling rose made from Lambrusco di Sorbara grape that was harvested earlier to preserve acidity and freshness. Moreover, this Lambrusco rose is full of red berried fruit on the palate, and off dry and sparkling.  Its price is $9.96 and I think is affordable.  

                    Red wine from California:

The region I didn’t know was California. I discovered it in class. California has been making wine for decades. This is a red wine 2017 made with Pinot Noir grape; This wine has a good taste and a perfect balance in the mouth.

The Retail shop that I visited was the “Quality House Wines & Spirits” shop which is located at 2 Park Ave in Midtown Manhattan; This establishment has been selling wines to the public for over 80 years starting in 1934.

Upon my arrival I immediately noticed that they had a “featured wines” display rack for wines that were popular at the time and or sold way more appose to the others; the display rack was divided into rows by countries that the wines originated and segmented from top to bottom based on popularity. for example French and Italian wines are more popular so they were at the first row, the middle rows was Spanish wines, and last two rows were new world wines.

To the right side of the shop closest to the entrance was the racks for sparkling wines which was finite compared to rest of the catalogues of wines on the taller racks in the rear of the shop passed the display rack. on the left side of the shop closest to the entrance was a clerks desk where you made your purchase if you were to buy a bottle.

I was then greeted by the clerk when I approached the desk; then I introduced myself and requested a tour after explaining my objective. as I was guided through the shop I expressed my observations to the clerk while he explained to me the origins of the shop. He also gave me recommended  selection list of wines that other consumers enjoyed as I explained to him my wine preferences. The last thing that stood out to me the most was the overall cleanliness of the shop and how well maintained to wines looked on the racks for a over 80 year old shop; from the renovations and the attention to detailed by the employees you wouldn’t think that this shop isn’t new. Overall I enjoyed my visit as I was treated very nicely by the clerk and the other employees; before I exited I requested a business card and was informed that they didn’t have any at the moment and referred me to their website if I had any more questions.

established 1934

Best selling Italian White Wine of the shop
Italian Pinot Grigio
Lighter, Easy Drinking, not complex.
is Most Selling Italian White Wine

One Best Selling French White Wine of the shop
Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp tasting and less toasty than Chardonnay with a even smoother taste

Best Selling American Produced wine of the shop
Pinot Nior
fruity flavors, medium acidity, low to medium tanning,

Malbec Wine from Argentina made from sangiovese grapes
Very Popular among consumers
full body flavor with high volume of tanning
Most requested red wine after Pinot Nior

The first ShelfTalker is Weingut Brand. It is a German white wine that is a blend of Sylvaner and Chardonnay

The second picture represents a red wine from Spain. It made from Alicante Bouschet grapes and the vintage is 2017.

The third picture represents a wine from a region I did not know they were making wines. It is a 2017 Chardonnay that was produced in South Africa in a region called Western Cape.

The fourth picture represents the sparkling wine that is not from France. It is Gruet which was produced in United States in New Mexico in a region Albuquerque. It is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

The fifth picture represents a white wine that I purchased that day. It is a 2017 Pinot Blanc that was produced in Alsace, France. It was very refreshing wine, with lemon and green apples notes.

For the Wine Retail Shop Assignment I choose to go to Bottlerocket that is located at 5 W. 19th Street, New York, because it was close from where I was working that day. I went there on Friday, November 22nd around 8:30PM. The location was not hard to find as the store is on the corner.

As I enter the store, one lady that was giving out free samples of Tequila, she greeted me nicely and asked me if I wanted to try a sample of a tequila that they had discount on that night. Even though I went to the store looking for wines, I could not refuse a free sample. After that I went to look for wines. As I looked around I realized that this store is well organized and clean. After few seconds a manager of the store came up to me asking If I need any help.

I introduce myself and claimed that I’m a hospitality management student and that I have an assignment for my wine class. I asked him if he could help me by answering a few questions. He was happy to help so first he gave me a little tour around the store. First he showed me every shelf one by one, country by country. Every bottle of wine on the shelf had written description which I thought was amazing because even without any help you can find a wine that matches your preference. The store in general looks colorful, the big shelfs with wines categorized by country were located by the walls. On the middle of the store they had smaller shelfs with a wines but each shelf had different food pairings, such as one shelf was with wines that pairs well with pasta, other was for seafood, beef, Chinese takeout, poultry etc..

I wanted to purchase a wine for myself so I asked him for help. I explained him that I like dry white wine that is smooth to drink. Right away he pointed me to a 2017 Pinot Blanc that came from France, Alsace.

I would highly recommend this store to anyone who loves wines. This was the best wine store I have ever seen. The staff there was super friendly, the store was clean and everything had it’s own description which made my investigation much easier.

This first picture is considered as the “Shelf Talker.” It is also their best selling wine, because customers love it, and it is cheap to purchase.

This second picture is the red wine from Spain. It is 60% Bobal, and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vintage is 2018, and it contains 13.5% alcohol. The label in the front and back is mostly in spanish, but it was the Cabernet Sauvignon that interested me.

This third picture is the sparkling wine that is not from France. A lovely, rosy watermelon hue, dry and frothy, with deep delicious flavors of raspberry, orange rind, and herbs. It is from Spain, and it contains 12% alcohol.

This fourth picture is the red wine from a region i did not know that made wine. The design of the label drew my attention with its color, font style, and the flower. It is a 100% Syrah wine, and it contains 12.5% alcohol. The vintage is 2018.

I went to Chamber Street Wines, which is located at 148 Chamber Street, New York, NY 10007. I chose this retail store because it is near to the place I was going to work at that day. Unfortunately I was unable to call in advance to schedule a meeting with a manager or a store employee, due to the lack of free time I had before, and if I am being honest with you, I was procrastinating on picking a retail store to do this assignment. I went on Saturday November 16^th 2019, at around 2:15pm after work. The place was not hard to find. I would say that my experience there was great. I did not get any hostile attitudes or behaviors from any employees of the store.

As I enter the store, I saw it was filled with bottles and bottles of wines. At first I felt like the few employees there would not have been able to help me because of the limited time, but it was not so. It was kind of busy on that day and time, with customers asking for help to purchase wines. Unfortunately, I was just a student who came to visit for my assignment, and I am under the age to legally purchase alcohol. The store was medium in size, and it felt like there was not much space to fully move around through the aisles, with the hundreds of wine they had. I was being super careful with how I was walking and picking up the wines, feeling nervous that I would end up dropping a bottle on the floor, having the glass shatter to pieces and wine all on the floor.

First I spoke with a woman and explained to her that I am a student of New York City College of Technology, who is taking a Wine class this semester. I am required to take pictures and ask an employee questions for an assignment. She said it was okay to do so and she was happy to help. Then I asked her if where are the shelf talker, and she stated that since the store isn’t that big to officially have one. Therefore, theirs were shown with a laminated paper detailing the wines in a box. But then customers came in and asked for her assistance to purchase wines, so she told to give her a few minutes before she continues helping me out. I started walking around, wondering and trying to figure out what was what to get the rest of pictures I needed. I asked the employees who was shacking and packing, but they did not have any knowledge. Then a very welcoming employee called Ben Fletcher came up to me and asked if I needed assistance. I told him the same thing I told the woman, and he showed to the wines to get my pictures, which he gave a few minutes to analyze on my own. Then came back to me to answer my questions, when there were a few customers left in the store.

He grew up in Virginia, and been living in New York for four years now. He said that it really likes it here. Although he mostly studied geography and history, he figured that there was a way to have that work into this business. There was also something that grab him to work with wines, besides being passionate about importing them, and wanting to focus on Spanish wines. But he had done wine education in 2015, which prepared him for a test called WSET, and thought it was a great way to start in this business. The best part of his job is getting to be around intelligent workers in learning something every day, and the customers that are excited to purchase the wines. The worst part of his job is working six days a week, especially on holidays, which are the really crazy and busy times. But he said that once you are totally committed, then you can get through it.

The wine store that I went to is “Ninth Avenue Vintner.” It located on 699 9th Ave in Manhattan. When I first entered the store, I got a greeting from the staff. He spoke to my friend and me directly that if we have any questions or need any help, he would be right here and ready to help us with the wines. I went over the store to find those four requirements, but I couldn’t find the sparkling wine, so I went to him and asked. He was accommodating and gentle. After that, we got to talk about wines. He also helped my friend to find wines from France. He gave my friend many recommendations and information. The store is clean and well organized. They have a list of each country on top, best sellers sections, and some have the name of the region. It was so lovely to be there, the place is well clean, and the staff was helpful and knowledgeable about the wines.

The first shelf talker wine is OTTO’s Constant Dream, from New Zealand. This wine is a white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc, and the region of this wine is Marlborough. The price is not high; it’s $12.99 per button. It describes the wine as medium-bodied, dry. An aromatic wine with a perfect balance of minerals, gooseberry, citrus, and acidity. Not overwrought with cat-pee or ripe fruit. Pair with scallops, oysters, lobster, clams, and light creamy cheeses.

The second wine is a sparkling wine from Italy. It is a rose sparkling wine, and it was the one I decided to buy. It’s an extra dry wine with only 11% of alcohol.

The third one is red wine from Spain, and the name of this wine is Marques de Caceres. The main grape variety is Tempranillo from the Rioja region. The vintage year is 2014, and the price is $19.99.

The last one is red wine from the region that I do not know. The wine is called Josh with the producer name Josh cellars. The main grape of the wine is Cabernet Sauvignon.

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region I was unaware made wine

South African Red Wine

Red Wine From Spain

sparkling wine from USA

At this retail store this was their version of a shelf talker. I believe the owner thought it was clever to just take an excerpt off a website, rather than speak on his own words about the wine on the shelf. 

Gertdrude Tuscana is a red wine that is an affordable table wine from Italy. I found out that its smooth and aged in stainless steal barrels. From what we know, it not being aged in wood barrels may result in a less smoky or vanilla flavor. The cartoon pig was a cute touch.

On this shelf holds slightly more pricey wines. For example this Benefizio Riserva Pomino Bianco holds a price of 47 dollars. I searched online for this exact same bottle and nothing was changed or different. This retail store is selling this bottle for the same price. At first glance I believed it to be a red wine, fooled by looks I picked it up and was surprised to see it was a white wine.

Here we have Domaine Saint Eugenie Corbieres Rogue. I enjoyed the look of wood chips at the bottom because it looks aesthetically pleasing. This is wine is known for having a mix blend of Syrah and Granche. Another great value for the price.

Another simple red wine having all those notes of red berries and slight pepper. This was another very affordable wine going at around 9 dollars. Suggested to buy for someone interested in getting into the large world of wine.

I will not name the wine retail shops for the sake of not having to waste anymore time with them.

The first retail store at first seemed to be interested because I assumed he thought that I was a customer. When I told him I was a student at NYCCT in Hospitality Management studying wine and asked for a little assistance in questions he gave me the cold shoulder, told me to do what ever i have to do and get out. I decided to just leave.

The second retail store I went to said they would be open at 12, but they weren’t so I waited. I checked online to double check the scheduled hours; they were still not opened.

The last and final retail store seemed normal, except the owner. The second I mentioned I was a student at NYCCT studying wines and NOT a customer I was met with hostility. I understand getting irked about not being informed ahead of time of my arrival, but still treat me with kindness because the best advertisement is WORD OF MOUTH. Pictures were fine, however when I asked for just FIVE minutes maybe less for two or three questions they couldn’t due to being too “busy” when right before I approached him he was just playing games on his phone. I could see now why your store was empty and I pray it remains this way.