BETTER KNOW A BUSINESS
THE VILLAGE WINE MERCHANT February 24, 2014 -- The Village Wine Merchant, located on Sea Cliff Avenue in the center of the village, is not your typical wine store.
Owner Frank Scavone, who opened the shop in July, says he has sought to not only satisfy a wide variety of tastes and budgets, but also to make the purchase of a bottle of wine, for those who are interested, an educational experience. Selected for their high quality, the wines and spirits you will find here, he explains, will appeal to the most discriminating connoisseur, and with many outstanding modestly priced selections, appeal to the budget conscious shopper as well. With an educational program currently centered around both scheduled, and sometimes impromptu, wine tastings, Mr. Scavone, who can often be found helping patrons navigate the wide assortment of wines and spirits in his shop, is developing a concierge service that will help customers select wines based on their own personal tastes, and to develop and track their own individualized catalog of what they enjoy. In support of this end, he has just hired Michael Amendola as his director of sales and marketing. Mr. Amendola most recently managed Windsor Wine Merchants in Brooklyn, and previously spent eight years at Slope Cellars in Park Slope where he authored the wine and food blog "out on a Limb" and led the Brooklyn College of Wine Knowledge series of tasting classes. "Michael has tasted almost 1300 different wines in the past year alone (a tough job but someone has to do it)." Mr Scavone says, "and the Village Wine Merchant is delighted to bring such an experienced and talented member of the wine community to Sea Cliff. In his position, Michael will be charged with wine selection, conducting educational courses, hosting tastings and serving as a personal "vino-concierge" to every one of our loyal customers!" . A 1984 graduate of North Shore High School, Mr. Scavone entered the world of finance and banking upon his graduation from UCLA, and lived in a number of cities across the country, before returning to Sea Cliff in 2006. A real estate hedge fund manager today, he explains that his interest in opening a wine store resulted, in part, from a genuine appreciation of great food and fine wine that developed from having grown up in a household where the preparation and enjoyment of meals was a central part of family life, and that was furthered while living near the Napa wine growing region of California. Mr. Scavone's interests extend far beyond the gastronomic. Skilled in carpentry and cabinet making, he crafted the beautiful wood interior of the Village Wine Merchant and as a "hobby" restored two landmark properties in Sea Cliff - his own 1873 Eastlake Victorian Home located at the corner of Carpenter and Sea Cliff Avenue, and the 1877 Gothic-style house on Prospect Avenue between 12th and Maple Avenues. Mr. Scavone is also a founding member and director of Sea Cliff Community Harvest, a 501c3 charity that “was organized for the simple purpose of fortifying the special fabric that bonds the people of this wonderful village,” he said. The organization has organized meals for families battling cancer, established music programs for orphans, contributed to seniors programs, and has supported other local charitable efforts such as Mutual Concerns. This past fall, SCCH sponsored its first annual essay writing contest, for which it awarded scholarships to two local high school seniors. The Village Wine Merchant, at 252A Sea Cliff Avenue, is open Monday -Saturday 10:00 am - 8:00 pm, and Sunday noon - 5:00 pm. While the trip to the shop is no doubt worth it, they also deliver. The phone number is (516) 200-9370. On Saturday, March 1, a cash mob will be visiting the Village Wine Merchant. CLICK HERE for more details. |
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CASH MOB COMING TO VILLAGE WINE MERCHANT ON MARCH 1 (February 16, 2014)SEA CLIFF COMMUNITY HARVEST HONORS 2013 WRITING CONTEST WINNERS (Nov. 9, 2013) |