Wine Emporium

When is a cliche no longer cliched? When it’s true. I asked Bob Varney, proprietor of Wine Emporium, to tell me a little about what brought him into the wine business. He answered without hesitation, recalling the old saw, "if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right." A version of the same sentiment surfaced again in the middle of our chat, and it also wrapped up the interview - a glass of wine and some laughs later. Worse things could happen than to be bookended by a truism that delivers something special out of something as mundane as an errand for a bottle of wine. Getting your goods at Wine Emporium is simply unique.

Bob spent fourteen of his formative years in Europe, which sparked his appreciation of wine. That would later meld with his easy manner of being friendly. The idea was sparked after a celebratory trek to an Orlando wine shop left him cold. “I can do better than that.” And could he ever. Asheville would benefit.

Bob’s wife, Jill, was a wine enthusiast before the idea for Wine Emporium took on a life of its own, and an impulsive leap at a developing retail center deal brought their interest full circle.

“Wines, through technology, are better now than they’ve ever been in history,” Bob said to me just the other day. That being true, and mass commerce being what it is, we all know that you can get tasty wine anywhere. So why take the detour from the convenience of the grocery store? The answer is three-fold. There are good wines out there, lots of them, but among those, there are gems to be found. And it pays to know a guy whose taste and knowledge does all the work for you. The second reason is atmosphere. Convenience is a beautiful thing, and Wine Emporium offers it with its location and personal service, but in our hectic lives, some things are worth making a ritual of. Wine is a logical choice given its place in the history of civilization. The stories of the vineyards and vintages are Bob’s specialty, and gracious hosting is his mission.

The third reason to separate wine shopping from getting your gasoline, or your prescriptions, or your milk and bread, is Wine Emporium’s guarantee: if a particular bottle doesn’t suit, bring it back for a new one to try, or a full refund, no questions asked.

All of these things are yours at Wine Emporium and it won’t cost you any more than what you'd find at the supermarket. Bob says, “It’s your store, not mine.” And he’s there to prove it with his hospitality, his knowledge, and always a glass on-the-house, if you’ve got the time.

You should make the time – because if it’s worth going out to pick up a bottle of wine, it’s worth doing right.

- Jamie Mason, August 2008