WineStyles Wine & Gifts part owner Anthony Rodriguez sells gift baskets geared toward wine lovers, chocolate lovers or just those looking for a little relaxation with lotions and bath salts.
Taking the guesswork out of wine buying is the goal of WineStyles Wine & Gifts shop part-owner Anthony Rodriguez in Naples.
He along with his wife, Celina, and relatives Doug and Denise Kay opened up the 1,600- square foot store on Immokalee and U.S. 41 to show customers that selecting wine can be easy — no matter your palette.
"I can help them based on what they like in particular whether it be new world or old world," said Rodriguez, who will refund or exchange a wine if it doesn't fit a customers flavor.
And getting that flavor right is possible for Rodriguez who offers 152 selections that are categorized by style and food pairing.
"We arrange our wines by style or palette, not region ... we have demystified the wine buying process," he said of the store that has been open for eight months.
Rodriguez says wine buying can get confusing because there are so many options from vintages and regions to what is popular at the time.
"For me it's easy to sometimes give customers what they want because we have the more boutique reds, whites, sweets but also carry some of the brands people really like," he said.
Rodriguez's store, which is the latest to open in a franchise of 160 stores nationwide, includes a wine bar in which customers can sample wines before purchase.
"We strived for a warm feel where people could come and spend time," said Rodriguez, whose wife helped decorate the store that includes seating areas. "There are feminine touches in here that Celina and Denise put that just make the customer say 'wow' when they walk in."
And that wow affect combined with Rodriguez's hospitality background and customer service keeps customers returning.
"We specialize in wines that are $10 to $25 but its the service we give to our customers that they like," said Rodriguez who will hold cases of wine for customers who call in or special order wine free of charge.
The store also offers wine tastings that are open to the public twice a week, every week with light hors d'oeuvres. Customers may also host private wine tastings at homes or visit the shop for happy hour every day.
"We are a one-stop shop because we offer all types of services and even have the most wine accessories that no other wine store in southwest Florida," said Rodriguez about the store that can also special order accessories.
"There is a lot of history, tradition behind wine and we are here to show that it's not difficult," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment