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Four months in, the paint smell has finally faded, the boxes are mostly gone, and Continental Fine Wines is starting to feel a little more like home.
When I took over this summer, I knew the place had history. What I didn’t realize was how many people would stop in just to share theirs. It still amazes me how many customers have been shopping here for decades. I expected to meet plenty of folks who’d known the previous owner, Mike — but just as many have come in reminiscing about Frank, who ran the shop long before that. Considering Mike owned the store for 12 years, that kind of loyalty says a lot.
Seeing those same customers walk in week after week with their old Continental wine totes puts a huge smile on my face. Those moments remind me exactly why I wanted to take this on in the first place.
The early weeks were equal parts excitement and chaos — moving shelves, discovering four different paint colors under the racks (apparently placed very strategically to hide them), and realizing every distributor has their own opinion about how I should “manage” inventory. But somewhere between all of that, the rhythm started to click.
The shop feels different now — brighter, cleaner, more open — but the best compliment I keep hearing is, “It still feels like my neighborhood wine store.” That’s the goal. Keep the soul, just sharpen the edges.
On the shelves, a few bottles have already earned repeat-order status:
- Vietti Arneis — crisp, clean, and gone before Friday.
- WillaJory Willamette Valley Pinot Noir — our quiet bestseller; apparently everyone in Greenwich secretly loves Oregon.
Tastings have been the most eye-opening part — a few bottles open on a Friday afternoon, no agenda, just neighbors discovering something new. The conversations wander from travel to food to where to find decent bagels in town (still taking recommendations).
The next chapter? A few things are coming together. The Wine Club launches soon, the Spirits Club isn’t far behind, and the new website is almost live — so even if you can’t make it in, you’ll still get a sense of what’s happening here.
Running a small shop teaches you fast: in wine retail, having the right inventory matters — but once you’ve earned people’s trust, they’re willing to explore. That’s what I’m trying to build — a place where you might find a great bottle, but you’ll definitely find a good conversation.
If you haven’t stopped by yet, come see what’s changed — and what hasn’t. Chances are, there’s an open bottle and a story waiting for you.
