Wish Lists for 2010, from Boston Wine Shop Owners

If you listen to Boston wine shop owners' wish lists for 2010, you'll start to sense that the year to come will be an even stronger year for the consumer than the year that's just passed.

Owners will be focusing on the elements that enhance consumers' wine experience, like education, value, and experimentation. Throw in some advice on building private collections and a focus on "real wine," and you've got one stupendous year on tap for wine lovers in Boston.

Cheers to you!


WHO: Kerri Platt, Owner
WINE SHOP: The Wine Bottega, 341 Hanover Street, Boston
WHAT SHE HOPES FOR 2010: We'll find new ways to present wines to people, and we'll develop more interesting forms of education. We need to find more ways to engage people, because you can't just do the same things you've always been doing.

WHO: David Gordon, Vice President
WINE SHOP: Gordon's Fine Wines & Liquors, 894 Main Street, Waltham
WHAT HE HOPES FOR 2010: I think people will continue to see better selection and better access to cool and nichey products. If you're ever going to start to collect wine, now is the time. I'd like to see a younger demongraphic start to build up cellars, so they'll have something to go to when they want to pop that perfect bottle.

WHO: Howie Rubin, Owner
WINE SHOP: Bauer Wine & Spirits, 330 Newbury Street, Boston
WHAT HE HOPES FOR 2010: I think people will continue to experiment with their wines. They'll look for more real wine, produced by families rather than corporations. They'll also continue to get more value for their dollar, especially when they see that you can get a great Carmenère from Chile for the same price you can get most supermarket wines.

WHO: Tom Prince, Owner
WINE SHOP: Panzano Provvisto et Vino and Tomasso Trattoria, 154 Turnpike Road, Southborough
WHAT HE HOPES FOR 2010: We're planning to focus more energy on education. In the past we focused more on tastings for people who knew what the wines were, but this year we'll focus more on basic education, particularly on Italian wines. We're developing a coherent curriculum that will continue throughout the year.

WHO: Lisa Miller Ryan, Owner
WINE SHOP: Brookline Liquor Mart, 1354 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
WHAT SHE HOPES FOR 2010: We want to continue to educate younger consumers. We'll hold onto the more eclectic wines of the BLM inventory but we'll also reevaluate to make the inventory more value-oriented in general.

WHO: Klaudia Mally, Owner
WINE SHOP: BRIX Wine Shops, 1284 Washington Street and 105 Broad Street, Boston
WHAT SHE HOPES FOR 2010: That customers will take advantage of educational opportunities like free tastings and classes that are also available.

WHO: Len Rothenberg, Owner
WINE SHOP: Federal Wine & Spirits, 29 State Street, Boston
WHAT HE HOPES FOR 2010: He hopes to see the decline and fall of the Euro so that he can go to France and Peter can sell Italy.