South County St. Louis Wine Shop Offers Hard-to-Find Wines, Deep Discounts
By Gail Appleson Special to the Post-Dispatch Aug 9, 2019 A small St. Louis wine shop in a south county strip mall is drawing wine lovers from the metro area and beyond.
The Wine Cellar Outlet Sappington Plaza is located at 11553 Gravois Road. The wine shop couples discounted pricing with an unusual inventory that includes small-production wines.
The store is one of 13 in 11 states owned by the Wine Cellar Group, a privately held company based in Buffalo Grove, Ill. The company partners with wine clubs, including NPR Wine Club, Virgin Wines and WSJwine, to fulfill orders.
Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices
Sappington Plaza store manager Jackie Palazzolo says their “diverse selection of boutique-style wines” are not easily found at other retailers. “It sets us apart,” she said.
Palazzolo said business has grown dramatically in the four-and-a-half years since the store opened. She credits the growth to word of mouth, a referral program, and email newsletters sent to customers about upcoming promotions and wine sampling events.
The store offers deep discounts for bulk purchases — 15% for six bottles; 35% for a case; 45% for two cases; and 50% for five cases — and frequent promotions, including 65% off on a recent Friday.
Variety of Imported and Domestic Wines
Shopping at the outlet is a bit of a treasure hunt because you never know what you’ll find. Just a few examples include a vermentino from Côtes de Provence, a red blend of montepulciano and cesanese from Rome, and a chardonnay from Sicily made partially from grapes that underwent a special drying process called appassimento to concentrate the flavors.
It also sells a variety of popular labels including such names as Veuve Clicquot, Silver Oak, Caymus, Duckhorn, La Crema, Meiomi and even Missouri’s Stone Hill.
“It’s nice because we can build relationships and get to know our customers’ tastes,” said sales associate Meagan Vorce. “It’s fun to work here because we are helping people explore new wines that we think they will really enjoy.”
Article originally posted for the St. Louis Post Dispatch
Media Contacts
Members of the press are invited to get in touch by using the contact information below.
The Wine Cellar Corporate Communications
gmartirano@winecellargroup.com
(847) 604-8745 x222
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Central Time
