Pritha R.
Yelp
I spend a lot of time drinking wine. (IDK...is that an okay thing to write out loud on Yelp?) So imagine my joy to find a wine store that actually cares about the wine I drink.
I love this place because for the past couple of years I've been switching over to natural wines and the staff here are like a bunch of mellow Obi Wine Kenobis (see what I did there?) who have been a guiding force (Whoops. I did it again!) in my palette development and preference. Listen: buying wine can be a trying experience for someone like me whose knowledge essentially can be summed up by color categories. Because after Red, White, Pink and Orange I'm sort of tapped out. Champagne means Pol Roger. And pet'nat is mostly a mystery, still. I know, I know: blasphemy. And not very efficient natural wino-ism.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Queue the brilliant staff at Thirst Wine Merchants (and the sweet owners, Emilia and Michael) who are all quite serious about helping their customers discover delicious natural wine of all colors without being pretentious, off-putting or condescending. Because when one is trying to get one's wine on, anything else is really not welcome, is it?
They know that I favor pretty labels (This. Is. A Thing. Don't laugh. Please?), like my whites mineral-ly, my reds light, and prefer to adhere to a prescribed plonk budget. I trust them enough to veer me towards bottles I've not had before AND I very much appreciate their section of super affordable quaff, lined up neatly, to the right of the entrance. For in this shop, affordability correlates easily with excellence. Wouldn't it be cool if insurance premiums did the same? Hahahahahaha! Oh. Wait. :|
Also, because one can't live on wine alone and sometimes a cocktail is needed, there's a tightly edited selection of artisan spirits on hand. Think Campari, colored with beet extract; or special Gins and Vodkas, made by folks who've given their lives over to craft. Think about that: regular people with regular jobs who suddenly say "*&^%$ IT! ALL I WANT TO DO IS MAKE THE BEST HANDCRAFTED VODKA OR GIN IN THE WORLD PRICED RIGHT FOR ALL THE NICE PEOPLE! That's sort of selfless and really generous isn't it? And you'd think that these bottles would cost a utility bill or two, right? Not the case, my friends. For all of these are affordable as well.
Lastly, this is a "shoppe" in the old-fashioned sense of the word. One pops in, has a chat about work, pets, kids, recent meat loaves made, books-to-read, etc., and then walks out with one or two or several nice bottles. Planning a party? Drop in before hand and discuss the occasion while plotting out the menu and suitable dranks. Sorting a gift? Buy the wine-of-the-month option and rest assured you will be deeply loved. If you're looking for a drive-by experience go elsewhere. Please. In a city like ours, with ever-more big box retailers supplanting small businesses, personalized experiences should be treasured for what they are: increasingly rare and welcome.
Thirst is my go-to! Give it a try!