STEW LEONARD'S EXPANDS YONKERS WINE SHOP

STEPHANIE FAGNANI

YONKERS, N.Y. -- Customers who have been lining up to get into Stew Leonard's Yonkers Wine Shop since it opened five years ago will now have less of a wait.

The retailer has increased the size of its store for the third time, and a redesigned 8,000-square-foot shop was unveiled just prior to the holiday season during a grand re-opening ceremony that featured wine tastings, special savings offers for customers, and an official cork-cutting ceremony.

Ideas for the shop's new look were cultivated by Stew's wine buyers during visits to wine shops around the world. The best concepts were then folded into the layout of the new Yonkers store, which is adjacent to the Stew Leonard's supermarket here. Wine barrels were placed throughout the interior for aesthetic purposes and to complement the all-wood flooring. Register booths were carved out of wine crates, and an expanded wine selection is displayed on all-wood shelves.

"We had about $1 million worth of wine in the store [before]. Now it's up to $2 million," Stew Leonard Jr., president and chief executive officer of the three-store chain, told SN. "We have a huge inventory here, which [includes] wines from around the world at great prices."

One "straight-out crowd pleaser" is a low-priced wine called Stone Valley, which sells for $6.99 a bottle, or three bottles for $18, he said. Stew's offers the wine in Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varietals. While the bulk of the store's business has always come from wines in the under-$20 range, Leonard said the store's selection runs the gamut and includes some Bordeaux wines that retail for $699 a bottle.

The shop employs a staff of 17; more workers will be brought in to assist the holiday crowds. Among the current staff are buyers and managers who have received degrees from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust in New York City, as well as two sommeliers in training.

Having an educated staff is crucial for any retailer selling wine today, Leonard said, due to the increased level of consumer awareness.

"The customer that comes in today is not just saying, 'I want red, white or pink wine.' They are more knowledgeable and sophisticated, and now they are asking for wines from Italy, France, South America, Australia, Oregon, New Zealand and Washington," he said.

Better-educated consumers have caused a ripple effect down the supply chain to winemakers, who've had to improve the quality of certain wines, he said.

"Now if you buy a bottle of wine, there is no such thing as, 'Yuck, I don't like that.' They have really turned up the notch on the whole fermentation and vinification of wines," Leonard said.

Pinot Grigio is "on fire" as the varietal of choice at Gallo of Sonoma Wines, according to Gina Gallo, winemaker, who was on hand to autograph bottles during the re-opening ceremony.

She also pointed to the increasing education of consumers as the main motivator driving them to experiment with different wines.

"Everyone knows chardonnay a little more, so they are looking for another interesting white for different dishes," Gallo said. "[Consumers] are much more savvy and going on their gut feeling. You see a lot more wine parties at people's homes. The food revolution is really coming into its own as well. Food and wine is just a natural pairing around the table. It's a good reason to bring people together."

Approximately 300,000 customers are expected to frequent the Yonkers Wine Shop annually, according to Leonard.