Tag: retail

Wine club launch and events at Jamie’s Bottle Shop

Now that Jamie’s Bottle Shop has been opened for about two months, owner Jamie Hormel and her team of sommeliers are launching their new wine club and announcing upcoming wine tasting and educational events.

A wine club for every palate

Whether you are new to wine or are a collector their is a wine club for you with four levels to choose from. To join the you can sign-up in person at the Old Town Scottsdale shop or online.

Discovery Club, $55/month 

Build your taste and expand your confidence with the Discovery Club, where fresh styles, producers and regions will be introduced each month. Perks include: 

    • A curated selection of two wines — one white, one red — chosen to inspire and expand palates. 
    • 10% off all retail wine, except Reserve Room selections. 
    • No corkage fee for retail bottles enjoyed in-store. 
    • Early access to select wines. 
    • Invitations to member-only events. 

Jamie’s Wine Club $140/month

Designed for those who love the excitement of trying something new, perks of the Jamie’s Wine Club include: 

    • Three bottles of curated wine selections that include a white, red and the sommelier pick of the month.
    • 10% off all retail wine, except Reserve Room selections. 
    • No corkage fee for retail bottles enjoyed in-store. 
    • Early access to select wines. 
    • Invitations to member-only events.

Collectors Club, Inquire for pricing

For the advanced wine aficionado, the Collectors Club provides exceptional wines from Jamie’s Bottle Shop’s private reserve. Collectors Club membership is extremely limited and currently sold out. To join the wait list, please visit the website. Perks include: 

    • Quarterly allocations of 12 rare and unique bottles from Jamie’s Bottle Shop’s private reserve, featuring legendary producers and vintages. 
    • Personal wine concierge services. 
    • Early access to select wines. 
    • Invitations to member-only events. 
    • 10% off all retail wines, except Reserve Room selections. 
    • No corkage fee for retail bottles enjoyed in-store. 

Annual Membership, $95/year

Want to choose your own wine adventure? Jamie’s Bottle Shop’s Annual Membership provides the advantages of the wine club while providing the freedom to explore your personal selections. Perks include:  

    • Early access to select wines.
    • Invitations to member-only events.
    • 10% off all retail wines, except Reserve Room selections.
    • No corkage fee for retail bottles enjoyed in-store. 

Upcoming tastings and educational events

Advanced Sommelier Katherine Janowiak hosts a weekly wine tastings and educational events every Friday at 6:00 p.m. It’s the next best way traveling to the world’s best wine regions without leaving Arizona. All events are scheduled on an ongoing basis and will emphasize individual wine regions and countries. For more information and book a class at the shop’s website.

Jamie’s Bottle Shop to open in Scottsdale next week

Old Town Scottsdale will welcome a new wine shop next Friday, March 28th when Jamie’s Bottle Shop opens at 7033 E. Main St. Owned by Jamie Hormel, she’s not new to the valley’s wine scene as she’s also the owner of the historic Wrigley Mansion and its extensive wine collection. The new shop will welcome “cork dorks” as well as new wine drinkers with more than 700 selections from $15- $15,000 that include rare wines, hidden gems and sustainable wines from around the world.

“As we crafted the vision for Jamie’s Bottle Shop, I knew that if the concept was going to have my name on the door, it needed to be a space where wine lovers can explore without the pretension — whether you’re a seasoned sommelier or just starting your wine education journey,” Hormel said. “Jamie’s Bottle Shop is all about discovery, conversation and finding that next bottle you’ll absolutely love.”

What to expect at Jamie’s Bottle Shop

Weekly wine tasting and classes will be held in the Champagne Room and The Reserve Room will be separately temperature controlled to house rare and collectable wines. Expert staff have been hired to assist guests where they can take their wine home or enjoy at the shop pairing with scratch made bites including a Pressed Ham & Cheese Sandwich, Seasonal Market Salads and Charcuterie Boards. Jamie’s covers over 2,300 square feet designed by Scottsdale’s Mendil + Meyer Design Studio and will be stocked from floor to ceiling with wines. Natural wood elements, gold and green accents and temperature-controlled lighting will give the shop a refined and relaxed atmosphere.

“Jamie’s Bottle Shop is the come-as-you-are wine destination that will combine fine wine with friendly wisdom,” said Zephan Lachowicz, Wine Director and Sommelier. “Our focus is to make our guests feel comfortable while spreading the knowledge and love of wine, whether it’s by-the-glass or by-the-class.”

Jamie’s will be open Tuesday- Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information visit their website.

AZ Lemonade Stand introduces AZ-ZERO

The new year brings out a new beverage from locally owned AZ Lemonade Stand. AZ-ZERO boasts “Zero Sugar, Zero Calories, All the Flavor” in two flavors, Original Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade. Using monk fruit as a natural sweetener for its bold refreshing taste the popular beverage is also made with real lemons and other natural flavors.

“We’re incredibly proud of AZ-ZERO because it’s not just another product; it’s the result of a challenging journey,” said Kyle Hollenbeck, Co-Founder of AZ Lemonade Stand. “Taking a product like lemonade, traditionally made with lemons and sugar, and reducing the sugar without losing that signature flavor was no easy task. Lemonade is inherently associated with sweetness, so finding a way to maintain the bold, refreshing taste we’re known for while eliminating sugar was a true challenge. By using monk fruit, we’ve achieved that delicate balance—delivering the same crisp, flavorful experience, but now with zero sugar and zero calories.”

Growth and community at AZ Lemonade Stand

Founded in 2020 by Hollenbeck and Aioli Burgers founder Tommy D’Ambrisio, AZ Lemonade Stand has sold over a million jars of its high-quality lemonade and continues its growth partnering with Hensley Beverage Company for distribution in Arizona. The brand is also community minded with charity sponsorships with groups such as #LOVEPUP, JoyBus and Malama Maui.

“Community support and giving back have always been essential to our business practices. We’re thankful to our local community for supporting our businesses, so we give back as much as we can,” said Hollenbeck. 

For more information and where to find AZ-Zero and the original lemonades visit their website.

 

 

Arizona wineries partner with The Wine Collective of Scottsdale

Four Arizona wineries have partnered with The Wine Collective of Scottsdale to use the Old Town Scottsdale wine bar & shop as a tasting room. Two weeks ago owner Zoya Vora-Shah started pouring started pouring and selling wines from 1764 Vineyards, Omphalos Winery, Soaring Wines and Vino Stache Winery.

“We opened our doors with a mission to support Arizona wine and are so proud to be partnering with four amazing local wineries who don’t currently have a home within the greater Phoenix market,” said Shah.

Arizona wine drinkers will have four new flights, one from each new winery, to choose from in addition to other wines from Arizona and around the world. Guests who purchase any three bottles from the new wineries will not have to pay for their flights.

“Having the Wine Collective as a satellite tasting room and now being a part of the Scottsdale Wine Trail is going to be a huge asset in not only helping boost in-person sales for our winery, but also allowing us to educate so many more people on the amazing things the Arizona Wine industry has to offer,” said Brooke Lowry Ide, Owner and Winemaker of Vino Stache. 

For more information visit The Collective’s website.

Dead Zed Red still going strong in 2024

The last five and half years in the wine industry could feel like fifty years with the ups and downs of the industry and the world we live in. I was glad to hear from John Burke, the vintner of Dead Zed Red, that the brand was going strong since my February 2019 featured post as he was releasing his first vintage.

He and winemaker Leon Tackitt have continued to produce the red blend with grapes from Swiss Colina and Tackitt Family Vineyards located in the Estrella District of Paso Robles. What does change from year to year is the grape blend and the current 2021 bottling is 50% Petite Sirah, 42% Zinfandel and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 6 months in 2nd and 3rd year American oak.

New distribution in Arizona and surrounding states have given Dead Zed Red and events with Fountain Hills’ Batchelor’s Pad BBQ have brought the wine new fans and Big Chris’s haunting label make it scary enough for Halloween. The full-bodied wine has a good balance of fruit and acidity with hints of cherries, blackberries and cassis making for a good holiday drinking wine. To stay in touch with Dead Zed Red and find out about upcoming events head to their website and sign-up for their newsletter.

Liquor store looks to revolutionize the customer experience

Trevor’s Liquor, popular south Scottsdale liquor store and beer & wine bar opened its second location recently and its owner are looking to give customers a more engaging and unique experience. The opening of the new Mayo Blvd. store come less than 3 years after the opening of their McDowell Rd. store.

“We are eager to build a community around our store, whether people come to Trevor’s to shop their favorite products or just to have fun,” said Jeff McDonald, owner and partner of Trevor’s Liquor. “Our team is proud to shake up the liquor store industry in Arizona to become more immersive and add elements of fun.” The Mayo Blvd. store comes after a very successful three years in which sales increased by over 28% in 2022 over 2021 sales despite opening during the pandemic.

The new 15,000 square foot store has not only a large selection of beer, wine & spirits but a tasting booth, a full bar offering beer, wine & cocktails, games, a luxury champagne room and two golf simulators. Cigar enthusiasts will find a walk-in humidor and a trendy cigar lounge along with a collection of rare and hard to find spirits.

Unlike their first location, the new location has an artisanal pizza kitchen where Executive Chef Parker Rosbrook will dish -up made from scratch pizzas and salads. Award winning mixologist and beverage director Jordan Chandler crafted their signature cocktail list using high quality ingredients and spirits. Both locations have a full calendar of events and online shopping is available on their website.

Check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

Sips & Bites: News from the Phoenix restaurant community

Events & news about what’s going on around the Phoenix restaurant community, breweries and wineries.

Get a Lox Box for National Bagel & Lox Day at Chompie’s

Thursday, February 9th all 4 locations of the Jewish deli will be offering the favorite breakfast to-go for $24.99. The Lox Box includes 6 bagels (2 plain, 2 sesame & 2 everything) 8oz. of cream cheese and 8oz. of smoked salmon. The special is available all day.

Source Restaurant grand opening in Gilbert

Tomorrow Saturday, February 24th the new fast fine dining concept celebrates it grand opening from open to close. The new Mediterranean inspired restaurant, bakery and market at Gilbert’s new Epicenter mix used development will welcome guests with 20% off everything and a DJ.  The best part is you can enter to win a year’s worth of artisan bread.

The new Papago Brewing Company opens today

Friday February 3rd marks the re-incarnation of the popular taproom and restaurant at its new location at Mesa Riverview. Leah and Jeff Huss of Huss Brewing Co. brought the popular Scottsdale taproom back to life after the original location closed for re-development. Read the full story at my feature post from November.

Valentine’s Day inspired drinks at Stemistry in February

The Gen Z version of a flower & coffee shop from 16 year old Dylan Capshaw opened last year combining his two passions, flowers and coffee. The Scottsdale location is at 90th St. & Via Linda with a new downtown Phoenix location opening soon. Three lovely coffee drink specials are available all month long.

  • Red Velvet Mocha- Rose and dark chocolate latte
  • Love Bug Latte- Fresh rose petals, rose cold foam
  • Cupid’s Cappuccino- Dark chocolate coconut cappuccino

Ask Dylan about his Valentine’s Day flower specials.

Morning Squeeze opens The Catering Kitchen

To meet the demand of office and group catering functions the breakfast and lunch spot has opened a separate kitchen. The Catering Kitchen offers a similar menu at the 3 locations and caters to groups of 10 or more. Breakfast items include breakfast burritos, bagel & lox, sandwiches and lots of coffee. They serve over 100 gallons of coffee per month through their catering operation. More information and to order from The Catering Kitchen visit https://morningsqueeze.com/

Check out my podcast Pulling Corks & Forks: The Podcast with Sandy Wasserman to hear from those in our community. Please subscribe, like & comment.

 

Sprouts Farmers Market & PRESS Coffee partner to open in store coffee shop

Coffee drinkers will have a new place to get their coffee while they shop as Sprouts will open a PRESS Coffee inside the store. The store at 3320 N. 7th Ave. in Phoenix will be offer a full drink menu including specialty drip, cold brews, hot & cold teas and more. The two locally owned companies announced the new pilot program will have a workspace along with limited supplies of whole and ground coffee beans retail items.

“PRESS is very excited about this location and serving the surrounding community,” stated Jason Kyle, co-owner of PRESS Coffee. “Growing up in Arizona I have always been a Sprouts customer. Seeing the commitment from the Sprouts team to providing a quality experience for the customer makes it a perfect fit for PRESS and our ‘Quality Driven, Community Focused effort.’”

Both are passionate about their communities and wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere and neighborhood gathering space.

“Choosing to partner with the Arizona-based PRESS Coffee was an easy decision,” noted Dave McGlinchey, chief strategy officer of Sprouts. “PRESS and Sprouts have a shared mission of providing people fresh, quality, sustainable and ethically sourced specialty products. We are proud to open our first pilot location in the Phoenix community for all to enjoy.”

Arizona Stronghold Vineyards opens Scottsdale tasting room

Phoenix area wine drinkers now have the opportunity to taste and buy award-winning wines from Arizona Stronghold Vineyards. This Friday January 7th the doors to their new Scottsdale tasting room will open welcoming Archive Club members and the public starting at 11:30 a.m. They already have a popular tasting room in Cottonwood and the Scottsdale location will be the 6th tasting room along the Scottsdale Wine Trail in downtown and Old Town Scottsdale.

Winemaker Jason McCluskey uses grapes from the winery’s Bonita Springs Vineyard near Willcox for their red, white and rose wines. Two newly released wines are being poured for the grand opening and select food items will be served along with specials on charcuterie boards. In addition to Arizona Stronghold wines, the winery makes Provisioner Wines in white and red.

Arizona Stronghold Vineyards’ Scottsdale tasting room is at 4225 N. Marshall Way 85251 and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. For more information visit their website.

Firecreek Coffee Company opens first Phoenix location

Flagstaff’s Firecreek Coffee Company has opened its first Phoenix area location and fourth in the state, this week on Thomas Rd. and 46th St. It’s Founder’s Mike Funk’s second go round in the Phoenix coffee community after he opened Cafe Tech in downtown Phoenix in the early 1990s. He gained his coffee “know how” in the 1980s when he was in the coffee industry where else, in Seattle. He moved to Flagstaff to open his first location in 2008 with locations in Sedona and Cottonwood soon following.

“It’s extremely rewarding to be back in the Phoenix area and to be continuing the Firecreek Coffee legacy here in the Valley,” says Mike Funk, founder of Firecreek Coffee Company. “We can’t wait to introduce our unique culture to the Arcadia neighborhood and look forward to becoming a part of the community for years to come.”

Funk has been in every aspect of the coffee industry including building espresso carts, importing coffee machines, opening coffee bars and supplying hotels & restaurants with premium coffee. He plans to open other Phoenix area locations and a roasting facility at 16th St. & McDowell Rd. which will also double as event and concert venue. Firecreek Coffee Company

Firecreek offers small batch coffee, small bites and sweet treats made by pastry chefs in the morning and afternoon. Guests can enjoy quiche, toast options, salads, Paninis and pastries with their coffee drinks. Consumers have been buying whole beans at AJ’s Fine Foods and Whole Foods throughout Arizona and Firecreek supplies other coffee shops with their beans.

The Phoenix location is opened from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. with plans for longer hours in the future to offer craft cocktails and more. For more information visit their website.