I’m not going to lie, when I walk into The Liquor Store my eye goes straight to those little yellow tags. It’s not that I mind spending a few bucks more for good wine, it’s that those sale tags mean that my purchase is a far less risky proposition. If I don’t like my $10 bottle, oh well, after the second glass it starts tasting better anyways. If I am $20 invested into this situation and not liking my decision, it’s a little different. I start wishing I just bought two of those $10 bottles I bought the night before instead.
The Liquor Store and Wine Loft has a solution for those risk- adverse wine drinkers like myself that don’t have the time to do the research on our own. Most of you will think to their Friday night wine tastings, however your tasting hours don’t have to be limited to Friday evening. As some of you may know, TLS has wine on tap that can be sampled any day of the week. The wine tapping system allows for wine to be held in a temperature- and oxygen-controlled environment, minimizing risk of spoilage and maximizing my enjoyment.
Upstairs at TLS
The wines that TLS offers on the eight-spout tap change regularly depending on what they have and the time of year. Another awesome perk of their setup is the fact that you can even sip a glass while you shop. The trend is definetly catching on, too. The new Whole Grocer has installed an eight-bottle tap as well in their liquor store and sell both tasters and glasses that can be enjoyed in the store.
Wine has always been slightly intimidating to me, so it’s no surprise when I’m shopping at TLS that I tend to stick to the bottom half of the store, sometimes forgetting about the amazing selection of wine there is upstairs. As I had no immediate plans for the rest of my day, I decided I would enjoy my shopping experience and grabbed my glass and headed on up the stairs to the land of no beer. What used to be an intimidating staircase was no longer. There were plenty of options that were still in my price range, along with others that might be in the special occasion category, all arranged by region and type. I ended up settling on a bottle of syrah from Cinder, a winery located in Idaho. I might balk at the bottle on previous shopping trips, but after trying a taster I decided that I would pull the trigger. Shopping while drinking can often lead to large grocery bills and lots of random food in your basket, but in this case I would encorage having a few sips while you shop.
