The Wine Garage shook Napa Valley upside down in 2003 when Todd Miller and his wife Joy opened this eclectic wine shop in an old garage in the funky town of Calistoga.
The rules:
No wine over $25
Everything must taste great before it goes on the shelf
No wine snob attitudes
Impecable and personal customer service
No wine questions go unanswered, or are deemed insignificant
Have fun…It’s only fermented grape juice!
Everyone thought they were crazy. Selling wine in Napa Valley that didn’t have a 3 figure price tag? Selling wine in Napa Valley that was from those “other” wine growing regions? Helping people learn about wine who were novices? Suggesting a lesser expensive choice because the customer would have better enjoyment? Ludicrous they said!
Then they started the WINE CLUB. 6 wines for $100 shipped six times per year. Hand selected by Todd after exhaustive trips and tastings in every wine growing region of California. Shaking hands. Cutting deals. No cellar left unturned. Unbelievable finds! The members were shocked at the quality to price ratios. Unknown, hidden gems were un-earthed! Every bottle was phenomenal! Labels that never made it out of California that tasted amazing but cost hardly anything.
And soon the next chapter will be revealed this Summer. The fabulous vintage of 2006 forced Todd to think about actually making wine. He applied his talents in hunting down wine deals – to hunting down grape deals. Taste the results. Three premium wines due out in August under the Wine Garage label.
On Tap: via stainless steel nozzles (similar to ones found at a gas station but cleaner), two different "negociant" wine blends to fill up your ½ gallon jug.