Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet, a new wine store in Melrose, is now open! Last month, I told you about this forthcoming store, and it sounded very promising. They officially opened yesterday, and I stopped by to check it out. I was very pleased by what I found.The store is owned by Gene and Rebecca Beraldi, the owners of Beacon Hill Wine and Spirits in Boston, and I got to speak with both of them at the Melrose store. Both were evidently passionate about this new endeavor, and have high hopes for the store. It is still a work in progress, which will adapt to its clientele.
The store is elegant, yet welcoming, with large windows looking out onto the street. It is very aesthetically pleasing and certainly looks like an intriguing boutique wine store. Near the entrance, is a glass case of Riedel glassware.
The wooden wine racks were quite full, and the store has over 440 different wines. At the top of the racks, in the middle, are five high-end wines locked into the display. The wine selection ranges from Yellow Tail to expensive Bordeaux, from big commercial wines to small producers. They have a strong French presence and also carry Sherry, Port and Sake. Plus, they are open to suggestions as to wines they should carry. Prices are average, and actually less than what you would find in Boston.
Behind the cashier is a display with lots of half bottles of sparkling wine, something you don't often see.
The coolers stock plenty of different beers, as well as keeping some wines chilled.
Though they currently cannot sell cheese, their cheese counter is in place, and I eagerly await its opening. Cheese and wine are such a delicious combination and being able to buy cheese where you buy wine is very convenient. The store sells other gourmet foods as well, from ravioli to sauces. I am sure they will continue to stock even more foods over time. Overall, I really liked the store. It has a cool look, a good variety of wine, some interesting gourmet food, and a couple passionate owners. It is a destination for wine lovers and I recommend you check it out. The store is open Monday to Thursday, 10am-8pm, Friday & Saturday, 10am-9pm, and Sundays, 1pm-6pm. They have free wine tastings on Friday evening and a full tasting schedule will soon be available.
I'll keep you update on the status of the store.
Thanks for taking me here, Rich. It's a really nice looking place with a good selection. I picked up some Tavel! Great to meet Gene and Rebecca also!
ReplyDeleteIt's my dream to open a similar wine shop. It would be full of Kosher wine, 'cause I really like its taste and admire their tradition.
ReplyDeleteI visited last week as well and found things I liked and things that gave me pause.
ReplyDeleteI liked the atmosphere and the very wide selection of wines. If customers appreciate good wine and enjoy trying a wide selection then I think they won't be disappointed.
I was puzzled by one thing in particular, though. They have some of the best windows in Melrose and they've put the backs of their wine racks against them, completely covering the lower five feet of windows. So for all the people driving or walking past all they see is the ugly backs of wooden shelves. I understand that it was done to display the wine to the customers who are already in the store, but I thought it was a steep price to pay. I hope that they consider changing the layout in order to better take advantage of the prime real estate and architectural benefits of those great windows.