Frank W.
Yelp
This is a business I want to patronize.
My wife and I used to live a few blocks away. This was the neighborhood liquor store. You become accustomed to the convenience without realizing the quality. This isn't a neighborhood liquor store. This is a high end customer oriented shop.
We moved to San Francisco a decade ago. But we were in town this weekend, and we needed a bottle of wine to bring to dinner with a friend who had major medical treatment and is on the mend (enough that we want to bring a nice red to accompany the fancy take-out food). So we went out of our way to Calvert Woodley. We could have ducked into any place en route.
I'm glad we did. Beforehand, I said to my wife the two things I really like about this business are: first, it has this cozy, disorganized appearance but it's actually well organized, meaning it succeeds in making you feel at home; and, second, it has the smell of wine, cheese, pate, and stuff you want to consume -- it is redolent of a good time, but a tasteful, mature good time.
When we went in, my wife requested the advice of one of the proprietors. Two actually helped her. We needed a wine to pair with dinner from Lebanese Taverna. They were expert and polite, and they inquired with the perfect tone that communicated any response was fine, what price range. I said $45. They did better, meaning they recommended favorites for far less. We ended up with three bottles, each well below our price point. So they didn't upsell on the winery. They chose well and had insights to offer. My wife had a lengthy conversation with the sommelier about terroir. (I was taking photos to accompany this review.)
Then we were browsing at the cheese counter. The cheesemonger, Geoff, overheard my wife and me talking -- she was wondering if we should buy something, and I responded, nah, we're headed home. He offered to give us a taste of anything, gratis, and chatted us up. Sometimes, I feel guilty, and no doubt marketing gurus know this, and a sample prompts me to purchase. In this case, however, after multiple slices for each of us, I was happy to change the plan: we could take small amounts on our upcoming flight, with crackers, for a light lunch. Geoff guided us toward what would be good after two hours out (not anything too runny), with contrasting flavors.
The bottom line is this place is not what you might think. It's a premium establishment that has loyal clientele for a reason. It deserves the patronage. My wife and I will be back.