A small group of local wine shops are setting aside their competitive differences to collaborate through the creation of a new organization known as the Columbus Wine Collective. This group will promote the buying of wine locally and educate consumers on the value of spending money with local, independent shops.
“Wine consumers will find so many advantages with buying from their neighborhood wine shop, from services to education, and in the end, getting better wines for their dollars,” says Donnie Austin, owner of House Wine in Worthington, and member of the Columbus Wine Collective. “We have access to all the wine distributed in Ohio through our smaller distributors who focus on the local, independent wine shops, and when you shop at your local wine shop, you are also investing in your community.”
Other members of the Collective include Meza in Westerville, Sher-Bliss in Gahanna, Tutto Vino in Dublin, The Twisted Vine in Grandview and Wine on High in the Short North. These independent shops are working together as they compete with larger chain grocery stores.
The group is planning on hosting in-store tasting events and combining their buying power on products to be able to deliver better value to their customer base.
More information can be found online at www.columbuswinecollective.com.