Today we’d like to introduce you to Al Buchanan.
Al, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I opened Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room five years ago, in June 2013. It is a specialty wine retailer and wine bar located in the Berry House at 227 S. Third Street in historic downtown Geneva, Illinois, only a 2 1/2 block walk from the Geneva Metra Station on the UP West Line terminating at Ogilve Station.
What I love about wine is that it is the perfect and complete synthesis of history, culture, geography, geology, climatology, and chemistry. Not to mention its wonderful sensory aspects!
My passion for learning about, tasting and collecting wine began in the 1980s, in college. I have been reading about wine, attending wine classes and adding thousands of bottles to my personal collection ever since. People often ask me, “what was your favorite bottle of wine?” It’s an easy answer for me. It was a 50-year old 1959 Chateau Lafite Rothschild which I drank (and shared with good friends) on my 50th birthday in 2009.
In 2013, I saw an opportunity to open a wine business in the basement of a historic building in downtown Geneva. The space, including the original (circa 1854) cellar with limestone walls, had housed various wine shops for about 30 years and had recently been vacated. I noticed the “wine shop space for rent” sign while driving by on my way to catch the Metra to go to work in Chicago.
To realize my dream, I cashed in my equity partnership in a successful Chicago Loop business litigation law firm. I remained “of counsel” with the firm for the next five years, meaning I worked as an employee on as as-needed/ hourly basis. During my first two years in the wine business, I typically spent 70-80 hours a week or more in the wine cellar.
I started this business because of my passion for wine. Thankfully, I didn’t do it for the money. The adage, “if you want to make $1 million in the wine business, then start with $5 million,” applies. I have now returned to a full-time law practice in the Chicago Loop, and I continue to oversee the wine business from afar. My capable, highly qualified and extremely hard-working staff keeps the wine cellar running, and I stop by on evenings and weekends to look in on things (or, more frequently, just to enjoy a glass of wine).
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I will state the facts and let you draw your own conclusions. In one fell swoop, I went from a hefty six-figure income to the low five figures. I went from a job with insurance and retirement benefits to none at all. I went from having a large staff of professional and clerical employees who reported to me, to two part-time employees. I went from a corner office with floor-to-ceiling views of the Loop to a dark underground cellar. I went from sitting at a desk to lifting cases of wine, washing glasses and sweeping floors. And only months after opening, I was served with divorce papers. Yet, my five years spent learning the wine trade and building my business has been rewarding in other ways. I am grateful for the experience and I have no regrets.
Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We sell wine by the glass, by the bottle, and by the case. We offer hundreds of fine wines from traditional grape growing regions across the world such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and California and the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. Our French collection, including wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, Provence, Loire Valley and Champagne, is very strong.
We do not offer “local” wines or “wines” made from fruits other than grapes.
All wines are curated by me, our store manager Kris, or one of our two Certified Sommeliers, Tim and Liz. We have a very strict selection process that considers quality, value, and price. One of us has tasted almost every wine on our shelves. This, combined with each employee’s deep knowledge of wine (two are Level Two certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers) and our willingness to give personal attention to customers, is what sets us apart. We don’t try to be everything to everyone. We have very limited space (just under 1,500 square feet). Accordingly, we can’t afford to stock poor or mediocre wines.
Retail bottle prices range from $7.99 to hundreds of dollars per bottle. Because we hold a wine bar license, you can open any bottle on our shelves and enjoy it in our cellar or on our outside patio in one of our fine Riedel stems for only $10 over the low retail price. This is far, far less expensive than the identical wine served at most restaurants.
We offer tasting flights with. a different theme each weekend. The flight consists of five, one-ounce pours and costs only $10. The tasting fee is fully credited toward the purchase of three or more bottles of the wines that are being poured.
We also offer wine classes on various topics, e.g., “the wines of Burgundy,” “the wines of Sonoma,” “the wines of Tuscany,” to name a few. The classes are led by wine trade professionals such as winemakers, winery owners, and importers. They involve a multimedia presentation with photos and maps, and a tasting flight of 7 – 10 wines from the region that is the subject of the class. Light hors-d’oeuvres are served. The cost is minimal, usually only $35 per person for a 2-hour class, and all the wines that are poured are offered for purchase in mixed six-packs or cases at steep, one-night-only discounts.
We also partner with a nearby four-star restaurant to offer wine pairing dinners. The last one was a six-course/ seven wine gourmet experience featuring the wines of Burgundy, France. This year, we began partnering with a New York-based American Express franchise travel agency to promote wine-centric river cruises in Portugal (Douro River) and France (Bordeaux).
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
“Success” to me means having the admiration, respect, and loyalty of one’s family, employees and customers, and having enough money to pay the bills each month. It’s not about getting rich.
Pricing:
- Retail bottle prices range from $7.99 to hundreds of dollars per bottle.
- Any bottle on our shelves can be opened on premise for only $10 over the low retail price. This is far less than the identical wine would cost at most restaurants.
- Weekend tasting flights are only $10 for five, one-ounce pours. The tasting fee is fully credited toward the purchase of three or more bottles of those particular wines.
- The weekend tasting wines are also available for purchase by the glass. Depending on the wine, most glasses are priced between $7 and $12. We also have a super-premium/ luxury “wine of the month” on a Coravin device for tastes and glass pours.
- Most two-hour wine classes cost only $35 per person.
- Private tastings with custom flights are also available. Price varies depending on wines selected.
Contact Info:
- Address: Geneva Wine Cellars and Tasting Room
227 S. Third Street
The Berry House
Geneva, Illinois 60134 - Website: www.genevawinecellars.com
- Phone: 630-232-8888
- Email: al@genevawinecellars.com
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