Free spirits abound during Nicola’s first wine tasting of the winter season
‘Tis the season for spiking eggnog. And popping champagne corks and enjoying fine wine.
Joe Nicola, for one, hopes you’ll indulge your in the spirits of the season at his business, Nicola’s Liquors.
Nicola has been serving booze in Bonita Springs since 1970.
With the holiday season kicking in and Southwest Florida’s tourist season warming up, Nicola’ is hosting a series of wine tastings at his store on Tamiami Trail. The tastings are free.
Nicola hopes to aid his customers in finding their wines of choice.
“People want to figure out what their tastes are,” says Nicola. “We have at least 45 kinds of wine (at the tasting), and they can find what they like without costing them anything.”
Before this season’s first tasting on Thursday night, The Banner conducted an interview with Nicola to discuss his business. Look for the next wine tasting in January.
The Banner: What’s the best thing about running a liquor store?
Joe Nicola: “Let me put it this way. My objective back when I started in Bonita was to have the most advanced and unique liquor store when the area was small. We designed this store to be more like one in the Tampa and the Miami area. In 1983, (the Tamiami Trail store) was the second largest liquor store in the state.”
TB: When did you get into this business?
JN: “(My wife and I) opened a small lounge on Old 41 — back when Old 41 was the only road — in 1970. For about a year-and-a-half we had a lounge with food. We built a package store next to it and started to get into the packaging business.”
TB: Your store has been a staple in Bonita Springs for quite a while. What’s the secret to your staying power?
JN: “The main objective was to always stay reasonable and competitive. To compete in the market is the biggest thing you have to do. To be unique and to give them variety in their store, so it’s a one-stop store.”
TB: How often do you have minors try to buy alcohol from you? What do you do to ensure that no alcohol is sold to anyone underage?
JN: “In all the years that we’re here we very seldom have (underage) people try to do it. We’ve developed a reputation, so we don’t have a problem. Once you start carding everyone, word gets around.”
TB: What’s the most popular item these days?
JN: “Vodka is the biggest thing around. It has always been the major draw. The major thing that has changed is that gin is fading. People in the older generation are gin drinkers. The younger drinkers are into tequila. Scotches and bourbons are still popular. But in the last five years people have been buying a lot of wine. The thing with wine, they can drink a lot and hold their own. People can consume wine better than they can consume (spirits). They don’t feel like their getting woozy. Our wine business has escalated because of that reason. “
TB: What’s your drink of choice?
JN: “I can drink anything. But I drink a lot of wine at dinner. I drink red wines and white wines. And I know what I’m looking for. Once you start to learn about the wine and know how to taste them, you know what to get and you know how to enjoy it. That’s why tastings are good, because people are looking for things that are good to their taste buds and are reasonable at a reasonable price. At wine tastings you don’t have to buy the whole bottle just to taste it.”