Page 52 - Wine Spectator (January 2020)

“We need to look at how things are done

in a different light,” says Navarro. “The
world’s getting more and more complex; we

don’t leave our offices or our homes as much
as we’d like to. But people are hungry for that
human connection, and so [at Wally’s] we’re

trying to create that bond.”
Navarro reports that Wally’s locations

boast between 700 and 1,500 visitors each
day, “shopping, eating and drinking.” Even if
your local wineshop doesn’t have all the ame-

nities that Wally’s does, a good store works
hard to engage and connect with its custom-

ers and to offer a better buying experience.
So first, it’s worth it to spend some time vis-
iting a few local stores before settling on one

or two that seem likely to suit your wine-buy-
ing needs. And don’t be shy about asking for
those bells and whistles.

Learn the lay of the

land

On most trips to the grocery store, you walk
down almost every aisle. The signs hanging

overhead are important guides, but you have
a rough idea of where to head for the next
item on your list.

Develop a similar familiarity with your
wine store. You’re not going to remember

each and every row and the placement of so
many bottles. But by walking up and down
the aisles and really looking at what’s on the

shelves, you can gauge whether or not the
interests of the store’s wine buyer align with from the entrance to wines with strong critical reviews. “We want

your preferences. to immediately show customers a good sample of highly rated wines,
A typical wine store offers sections organized both by grape selected from different areas across the store, and rotated on a regu-
variety and by region. If you love Napa Cab, head to the Cabernet lar basis,” says Troy Rice, chief stores officer for Total Wine & More.

section and see if you recognize a few of your favorite labels in the Total also offers a “Wine Buyer’s Set,” a themed group of wines
mix. If you’re a fan of Old World regions, check to see if there’s brought together to showcase the diversity within a given grape

good representation across top appellations and producers. Even if variety or wine region, and “Team Picks,” bottlings selected by
you don’t end up buying the wines you recognize that day, their members of the staff as their personal favorites. Both these ap-
presence is a confirmation that you’re in the right place and that proaches are relatively common techniques employed by savvy re-

you will likely find other bottlings to enjoy. tailers looking to offer recommendations to customers who want
suggestions quickly or without a lot of one-on-one interaction.
Get clued in A last word of advice on signage: If it includes independent crit-

Many retailers provide signage and visual indicators for wines they ics’ scores, don’t hesitate to pull out your phone and double-check
want to highlight in some way. It’s not all about moving inven- on that reviewer’s app or website that the ratings are accurate, and

tory—it’s something that the store puts a lot of thought and energy specific to the vineyard or vintage on offer.
into creating for the benefit of their customers. Understanding these
cues can help to fast-track your buying experience when needed, or Ask for help

guide your exploration if you’re looking for something new. Signage aside, verbal communication is undeniably the best tool
Each of the more than 200 Total Wine & More locations across to make buying wine easy. But it’s also the component in the retail
the country dedicates about 15 to 20 feet of wall space directly across model that many consumers fail to take advantage of, often because

they feel they “don’t know enough” to talk about wine.

GET THE MOST OUT OF SHOPPING FOR WINE Take a deep breath and remember: If you know what tastes good BOTTOM RIGHT: SHANNON STURGIS
Quick tips and more for talking to your retailer to you, you know enough to have a productive chat with your wine-
WineSpectator.com/WineBuyingVideo
shop clerk. (For tips, see “Wineshop Talking Points,” opposite.)

48 WINE SPECTATOR • JAN. 31 – FEB. 29, 2020