If you are like me, it’s getting tiresome to hear about celebrity wine recommendations or which wineries they are considering for purchase. I understand that celebs can “sell” products, but let’s hear from real, unpretentious people who love to drink wine…and who are right in our own neighborhood or who may even be next door. These are the people who actually purchase the wine and help make this industry work – I’ll be profiling these real people on a regular basis…
Recently, I went to the testosterone filled neighborhood Wheaton Barber Shop to meet co-owner Bobby Lopez because word on the street was that he was ready to come clean about his love for wine. I will admit that when I walked in, the clients were surprised when I asked for “Bobby Who Loved Wine” (I could have just asked for “Bobby”, but I felt like entertaining the six men and one preteen in the getting or waiting for their haircut). There was a fair amount of chuckling, guffawing, and statements such as “Geesh! You like wine?” or “Pretty soon all of these capes will be pink”, but Bobby, being an extremely confident guy, joined in with the laughter and was entertaining, funny, and happy to share his penchant for the fruit of the vine.
G-E: So, Bobby, how long have you been drinking wine?
Bobby: I started at age 25 and now I’m a happy 42. My first wine was a French Syrah at an outside barbeque at my parent’s house – I loved it.
G-E: Which wines are your preferences?
Bobby: I like Italian Chiantis, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruffino Classico but my favorite is the 2009 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Villa Cerrina.
G-E: Do you have a price point?
Bobby: Of course when you go out to dinner and order a bottle, I expect to pay more. But for everyday drinking, I don’t go over $15.00 per bottle.
G-E: Are you willing to try different wines?
Bobby: Yes, but I always seem to return to the Italian red. And now that I think about it, I could learn to be a wine snob…
G-E: What food to you pair with wine or do you care?
Bobby: I drink wine with anything…steaks, fish, chicken…but I do love chalupas with Chilean Sangria!
G-E: Where do you buy your wine…grocery store, wine shop, big retailer?
Bobby: I buy most of my wine at Binny’s because I like the customer service there. If I have a question, they can always answer it. (Note: Binny’s is a retail chain in the Chicago area with a terrific selection of wine and beer and Bobby is correct…their customer service is fantastic.)
G-E: Do you use the internet for wine information?
Bobby: I use the internet on occasion to look up information about a wine which may be advertised or something I’ve heard about from someone else. I received one wine as a gift and looked it up to find out more about it…and saw that it was pretty expensive! I’ll be checking out your website, too, Cindy. (Note: Hey, thanks, Bobby!)
During this thirty minute conversation, other barbers especially Angelo Scardulli (aka “The Doctor”) wanted to let me know that they were wine drinkers, too. Angelo enjoys Merlot and Chianti and always has wine with dinner. Clients included the owner of a local upscale restaurant and he said that his biggest wine sales are from Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon (no surprise on my part with this info). Another client stated that he would not go over the $30.00 price point for a bottle of wine.
I don’t want to get hasty and make broad statements about trends in wine drinking with this unofficial data from one *wine lover* so I plan to talk to or hear from more *wine lovers* next door. If you are interested in being interviewed, please email me at cindy@grape-experiences.com!
Thanks, Bobby! I look forward to sharing some wine with you soon and if I could be sure that you wouldn’t give me a buzz cut, I’d ditch the high priced salon I go to and come straight to the Wheaton Barber Shop!
Cheers to the *wine lover* next door! ~ Cindy
