Wine store yields fruitful first day

If the first day of opening is any indication of what's to come for Viniferous wine store, business could be bright.

A soft opening Monday sold half the store's inventory, owners Bob Kannor and Deborah Cerullo said.

"It's very exciting. When we went home after the first day it felt good. It was an old-fashioned, satisfying feeling to be kind of calling the shots, being in charge of your own life and people seem very enthusiastic about the store," Cerullo said.

Viniferous is a perfect addition to downtown, Kannor said.

"We're trying to be a downtown wine shop that's not high attitude," he said. "We don't want to portray one of those snobby wine shops. This is something no one has seen before. We want to provide something unique."

The store carries a variety of specialty beer and wines, including drinks from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Belgium and Slovakia. Easily accessible wine racks, designed by Kannor and built by metal artisan Matthew McPheeters, line the store.

"We're starting out slow. We hope to evolve," he said.

Kannor wants to educate people about wines and help them define what they like. The store will feature wine tastings and customer favorites.

"It's all about taste. We're hoping to get people to try things and evolve," Kannor said. "We're hoping to find the most bang for the buck for the customer, and those deals are out there. It's hard to spend $100 for a bottle of wine and you can get one for $9 that's close. You should be given the opportunity to try it. A lot of good wines have been unfairly shot down by certain wine critics."

Viniferous cannot be everything to everyone, but if 20 people like something, it will be available, Kannor said.

Opening the new business is an experiment -- a leap of faith, he said.

"We were told January is the worst time to open a business. That's when the place became available," he said.

Many people are depressed because of economic conditions, Kannor said.

"They are not going out to eat as much but they will spend money on an affordable bottle of wine," he said.

A retired Bechtel employee, Kannor does not consider himself a wine connoisseur, but he appreciates a good bottle, which doesn't have to be expensive.

"I'm not an expert but I think you should buy wine because it tastes good," he said.

Kannor is developing relationships with downtown restaurants that allow customers who buy a glass of wine at dinner to buy a bottle of the same wine at Viniferous.

Opening the store has been a community effort, Cerullo said.

Zo?'s Chocolate Co. offered a cash register until they got their own; jewelers Yaneth Reyes and Oscar Munera loaned a manual credit card machine and 17th-century wine vessel; Two Paws Up dog store gave treats and a water dispenser for pets; artist Jerry Johnson hung posters on the wall; Bernard Lucchino offered a mobile advertising sign; and Dave Young is helping to cut 1,896 pieces of 1-inch wood tiles for the tasting room.

Sustainable bags are on back order, and later a bar will be made from cardboard, Kannor said.

Viniferous is a dream come true for her husband, Cerullo said.

"He's always wanted to be connected somehow to the wine industry. We live downtown so we're committed to the neighborhood and downtown," said Cerullo, who is an occupational therapist.