Valley Wine Cellar brings unique variety, atmosphere to the area
1/20/2008

Maybe you’re a wine connoisseur.

Maybe you just like something elegant and different.

Or, perhaps, you’re interested in fine wines but intimidated by those in the know and the way they present their knowledge.

Put all those fears to rest. Elegance and the ability to select from a variety of fine value-priced wines to higher-priced wines is readily available at Valley Wine Cellar, 193 Main St., across from Huntington Bank.

The effort of Mary Decker and Kim Pentes, residents of Wintersville, is the result of friendship, a love of wines and a desire to do something different for people in the area.

Judging from the success of the store in its first month of business, Decker and Pentes figure they’ve hit upon something area residents wanted: A chance to find a wide selection of wines from around the world without having to drive to Pittsburgh to make a purchase.

Add in tasting events, a selection of imported beers and various wine hobby goods from cork pullers to fine-wine magazines, as well as the ability to order gift baskets and a selection of gourmet foods and you have Valley Wine Cellar.

The friendly atmosphere is immediate on entering the store, where Mary or Kim greet visitors as friends or those who would become friends. There are comfortable surroundings with hardwood floors and well-stocked racks of an almost dizzying array of labels from the well-known to the small label wineries.

The wide selection, surely inviting to those with wine-knowledgeable palates, doesn’t have to intimidate the newcomer, either.

Decker and Pentes help customers match their tastes, and their wallets, with what they’ve got on Valley Wine Cellar’s shelves.

Pentes asks a visitor about wine preferences: Sweet or dry, fruitiness or acidity, red or white.

“I’ll ask what’s their favorite. There are so many comparable wines. And we love the hunt for a great bottle of wine at a value price,” Pentes said.

The two women got to know each other about seven years ago when their children started attending Aquinas Central School. Pentes is an area native, and Decker came to the area about 17 years ago. They often talked about their common love of wine, and both women said they wanted to go into a business when they could work it into their family lives — both have three children.

“We tried to start two years ago, but there was no liquor license available,” Pentes said. “Then one became available in August and it was like fate. The building became available and the license was available. It was perfect timing for us. There were more reasons to do it than not to do it.”

Decker added, “There is nothing like this in our area, where we could buy wine that we enjoyed and we didn’t want to drive to Pittsburgh.”

Both women say their business investment is a natural outgrowth of their home in the area. Pentes notes her husband’s business, LaBelle News Agency, has been in his family for three generations.

“The opportunity just presented itself,” Pentes said.

Together, they created Valley Wine Cellar as more than just a store but an experience for those into the fine wine hobby and those seeking to learn or try new wines.

Valley Wine Cellar is holding at least two wine tastings per month to give customers the chance to decide before they buy.

“We want the atmosphere where the customer feels comfortable if they do not know anything about wines and not to be intimidated,” Decker said.

So far, Valley Wine Cellar has held about seven tastings with a special Italian night wine tasting scheduled for Jan. 25.

“We have our regulars already. We know them and their palate and their numbers are growing,” Pentes said. “A lot of them appreciate the complexity of wines and want to know more, but it’s not a class. Maybe they taste 10 wines and really enjoyed two. We’ve opened new horizons for them.”

Decker said the wine tastings are bringing people together, too.

“People are making new friends here. It’s exciting for the area. There’s something to do on Friday night,” Decker said.

The wine tastings are about 90 minutes and begin at 6:30 p.m. Pentes said there have been couples going out to dinner after the tastings, making an evening of it.

The tastings are limited to about 40 customers. Those who stop by Valley Wine Cellar and sign the e-mail address list are informed about the tastings and can RSVP to Valley Wine Cellar if they’re interested in attending. Visitors and customers are given first consideration on signing up for the tasting events.

“We’re thrilled with the response. Our patrons have such warmth and kindness. They tell us they want us to be here and they want us to stay here,” Pentes said.

Decker said she and Pentes spent about 18 months researching about wines to bolster the knowledge they already had before opening the store. Neither woman identifies herself as a wine expert and both say they learn along with their patrons at the wine tasting events.

Their work knowledge also played a role in becoming a business team.

Decker was in retail before stopping work to raise her young family. Pentes was in banking prior to making the same move.

“We’re a good combination. We each have our strengths that we bring to the business. Mary is big on French wine and I’m a California wine girl,” Pentes said.

Valley Wine Cellar also stocks Breitenbach and Ravens Glen wines from Eastern Ohio.

For those interested in building their wine collections, Valley Wine Cellar offers a wine club with regular shipments for members and at least one tasting event a month.

Silver memberships are $50 a month; gold at $75; and platinum at $125 a month. The wine club is an annual contract, paid up front, for monthly or quarterly deliveries. A member may choose to receive red wines, white wines or a mixture. The amount of bottles delivered in a given quarter or month would depend on the level of membership and the prices of the selected wines for the month.

“They can build their collections and try different wines,” Pentes said.

Valley Wine Cellar also is available for private wine tasting parties.

In addition, Valley Wine Cellar’s beer collection includes many imported and unusual beers, including such brands as Hobgobblin and Monty Python’s Holy Grail, in addition to specialty beers from Penn, Peroni and Blue Moon, among many others.

Valley Wine Cellar is open Tuesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and is closed Sundays and Mondays. For information, call Valley Wine Cellar at (740) 264-5100.

By Paul Giannamore, Business Editor, Steubenville Herald Star.