Greytown Wine Merchants
The most cheerful little wineshop
New Wine Shop in Greytown: Greytown Wine Merchants
After a career working in hospitality and the arts Brian was led by a desire to work for himself and in the community where he lives. With a passion for fine wine and living in a wine growing region it just made sense to ditch the commute to the city and open a small wine shop locally. Brian acknowledges the amazing support from the local wine industry and wine experts he has met along the way. Winemakers are passionate people who love what they do, and their love and enthusiasm for wine is catchy.
The shop sells 50% international wine and 50% New Zealand wine, and that portion includes an extensive range from the regions including Waiheke Island, Bay of Islands, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, North Canterbury, Central Otago and of course plenty of local wines from Gladstone, Masterton and Martinborough. A highlight for the shop is supporting small scale producers who are making interesting or diverse wines – that’s where the gems are to be found.
Brian had fun working on the interiors (another passion) and bought a large Persian hand knotted carpet from Antiquities in Carterton that covers the entire floor area and an antique French shop counter from Country Traders in Greytown. With the shop being only 3m x 4m Brian said “it’s the scale that helps define our offerings and point of difference. There would be no point trying to replicate bigger stores. We need to be very selective and make sure we cater for both serious wine buffs and those who just want to grab a bottle of local Rosé or Pinot Gris to take back to their B’n’B”.
The shop has lots of interesting French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Californian wines under $30 which represents a great price point for those looking to experience new wines or learn about new wine regions, there is also a range of Vermouth’s, Sherry’s, and Port’s alongside a small selection of handpicked local and international spirits. Brian notes they only have one type of beer, as he is more interested in wine right now and giving serious consideration for organic, biodynamic, and natural wines is a real area of focus, there is a genuine upsurge in interest in this area of wine production and consumption.
There are always new stock lines being introduced and over the coming weeks you will see new wines arriving from Lebanon and Portugal and a great range of Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and Sparkling New Zealand wines for Christmas.
Brian is looking forward to serving the local community and will be hosting some ‘tastings’ in the courtyard over summer. The support and feedback from people has been overwhelmingly positive! The most popular wine with locals so far is El Payador, a Malbec from Mendoza in Argentina and for under $20 it represents excellent bang for buck.
Pop in and say hi, have a chat and add your name to the invite list or follow @greytownwinemerchants on Instagram for specials and updates.
