Najja Hennix Retail Project

I visited two retail wine stores this week. Both were very nice and had friendly and helpful workers. The first store I went to was Chambers Street Wines on 148 Chambers Street. Quiet jazz music was playing creating a nice ambience. Although it was two in the afternoon on a Monday the store was pretty busy. I spoke to a worker, Andrea, and she gave me a tour and helped me through my experience. The store is cramped with wine and did not a lot of space to move around. There are hardly any ShelfTalker, Andrea told me to check their website for them. Andrea also told me the store was so crowded because they where having a wine tasting later on that day. They will be pouring six wines from these great estates: Domaine de la PĂ©piĂšre 2014 Muscadet “Gorges” and 2015 “Clisson,” Domaine Luneau-Papin 2014 L’ d’Or and 2017 “Terres de Pierres,” and Champagne Tarlant “Brut Zero RosĂ©” and “CuvĂ©e Louise” NV (base 2000). I found this aspect of the store very interesting. I was very tempted to stay for the tasting. Sadly in order to navigate this store you would either need a store assistant or have studied wine. I think this store can have a better flow for customers to browse. I also think labels of regions could help the store tremendously.

 

The second store I visited was Sea Grape Wine Shop on 512 Hudson Street. This store was also cramped but it had a much more cozier feeling to it than Chambers Street Wines. Despite its cozy feel, it was much smaller then the first store and there was no music playing in this store. There were only the two workers in the store and there was no crowd. I spoke to a worker, Eric, and he also gave me a short tour of the small shop. This store also had no ShelfTalker. The price range in the store was much more affordable then the first store I visited. The flow was also better in this store. They had small label for all their wines and had a large selections of wine and champagne.

 

In both stores I was able to find red wines from Spain, sparkling wines that were not from France, and red wines from a region I did not know made wine; Australia and Brazil.

 

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed both experiences. Both workers were very kind and knowledgeable. Both stores could work on a clearer system of organizing the wine but that challenge is understandable. I would suggest Chambers Street Wines for catering, a tasting, or an expensive quality wine. I would suggest Sea Grape Wine Shop if you and your friend are walking around and want to visit a cozy store to learn a little about wine. You will walk out with something to your taste that will not hurt your pocket.

The First Location version of Shelf Talker

First Location: Red wine from Spain

First Location: A Germany Riesling-
Hofgut 2015 Saar Riesling Sekt Brut

First Location: Jour Fixe Riesling Brut Nature 2015
A sparkling Wine from Germany

Second Location: Red Wine from Spain- Tempranillo Viñas Viejas Milcampos Ribera del Duero

Second Location: Red Wine from Brazil

Second Location: Sparkling White Wine from Italy

Second Location: A light red wine from Australia

The Second Location sadly did not have any Shelf Talkers.

Najja Hennix-Production Experiential Learning Analysis

For my Beverage Production Experiential Learning Analysis I visited Torne Valley Vineyards, which is in the New York AVA. I truly enjoyed the day. Although we had some trouble getting there, needing a jump-start from another car was worth it. I went with my mom and my grandma and it was a nice bonding experience. The Torne Valley Vineyard is a family run business. The family’s last name is France, which I think fit perfect for their business. Debbie France greeted us as we walked in. She let us know about their wine tasting and also let us know they had great lunch specials with wine pairing to the meal. Linda France was our wine master

 

We had a tasting of nine wines. The first was a Chardonnay. It was a classic golden color, with vibrant overtones of melon, grass, and vanilla. It would go great with a creamed sauce over poultry or fish. The second was a Traminette. It had a lovely balance of sweet and dry. It had a honey, apricot and citrus trait with a subtle, fragrant aroma. It would go great with seafood. Seyval Blanc. Followed the Traminette. It was very clean with a crisp taste. It was very summery and would pair nicely with a fruit salad. Next was the Riesling, which I liked a lot, but my mother thought was too sweet. It had subtle notes of apples, peaches, and honey. We also tried the Sweet Summertime, which was a well blend of Cayuga, Vidal Blanc and Vignoles grape varieties. It was crisp, clean, and refreshing with notes of peaches and citrus. The Gewurztraminer was the sixth wine we tasted. It was sweet with notes of cantaloupe. I would good nice with tuna. The Cabernet Franc was fruity. It had raspberry and violets note. It would pair nicely with pasta. Lastly there was the Kimmie’s Crush. This wine is named after the winemakers’ wife. It’s a classic Bordeaux style with a touch of Catawba, this unique marriage of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon gives off strong flavors of plum, cherry, and blueberries. All of the wines were made in their barn.

 

Torne Valley Vineyards was founded in 2009 and has the proud distinction of becoming the first fully functioning winery in Rockland County New York. It is seated on an historic 19th century country estate, the property and its’ Victorian mansion have been lovingly restored to provide visitors with a profoundly “retro” experience. From the iconic stone gate, which makes you to want to explore their beautiful landscaped grounds, to the incredible Ramapo River views, to the warmth and elegance of their period, interior event space, I felt as if I have stepped back in time, yet it is just forty miles from New York City.  They get most of the other grapes from the Finger Lakes. The family is still working on the vineyard and they let me know that their grapes will not be ready for another three to five years. The wine that they do serve is aged, bottled, and labeled in their barn. A special attribute about the vineyard was their wine has very low sulfites. Meaning you most likely will not get a headache after drinking too much of their wines. Currently the grape variation grown in the vineyard is Gewurztraminer and Syrah.

 

I got a chance to talk to the winemaker briefly and asked him about his viniculture and vinification practices. He simply told me he followed standard methods. He informed me the previous owner of the property was a wine master and taught him everything he knows. Overall I really enjoyed this project. Although we were not able to see exactly how the wine is made at this location, it was still very informative. My mother and I ended up buying four bottles.

My lovely Grandma that drove me and my mother there

The House

Debbie France Getting us ready

The Winery Lunch Menu

The Tasting!

More tasting

Tasting

The Vineyards

AND ME!