Toledoans love wine, almost so much that you could hear the collective sigh of local oenophiles when The Anderson’s closed their doors.
Now what? Mancy’s Restaurant Group is ready to fill your glass with their newest concept— the Bottle Shop at Mancy’s Italian.
Opening Wednesday, September 27, the fine wine and craft beer store—complete with a wine club, classes and a tasting room— will service wine connoisseurs and newbies alike.
We caught up with the Tricia Rasar, the Bottle Shop’s wine director, who holds a certification in wine education (and she is a former wine buyer for The Andersons), to hear more about what to expect.
How long has this concept been in the works? I’d say it’s always been in the back of George’s [Mancy] mind for a few years. But the idea and actual plans began this past winter. The retail floor space is mostly wine, with prices varying from $10-$1000. We will also have three taps for craft beer. We will also fill wine growlers taps offering draft wine, which is also available in the restaurant.
Draft wine? Tell us more. From the restaurant perspective, there’s no waste. The wine won’t go bad, and since there isn’t air exposure, there aren’t any ‘bad bottles’. From a cost perspective, the larger the quantity of the container, the less it costs to package and ship, so we’re able to offer wines at a lesser cost than if we bought the same wine in the bottle.
Is draft wine new to the industry? It’s definitely newer in NW Ohio, but winemakers have been doing it on the East and West coasts for quite a while— especially the West Coast, where they offer tasting rooms and keg their own wine.
Are certain wines better on draft than others? You can do a bubbly wine, but the bubbles don’t last. We have a Prosecco on tap, but that’s not one I’d really want to send home with someone in a growler, unless they were taking it home to use right away. White wine typically lasts a couple days longer than red wine.
What about canned wines? We hear those are gaining popularity. Yes. There’s one producer that I like, so we’re going to bring some in. We’ll focus on them more during the summer when it’s boating and picnic season.
You have a lot experience in the industry. Will you share your secrets with customers? Yes, I’ve actually taught wine classes around the city for a couple of years, so we will start doing that out of the wine shop as well. We will also host regular Thursday evening wine tastings and Friday craft beer tastings.
Bottle Shop at Mancy’s Italian is located at 5453 Monroe St and will open at 5:30pm on Wednesday, September 27 with a Celebratory Champagne Tasting.
For more information about tastings, the wine club, and the shop’s offerings,
call 419-824-2463 or visit facebook.com/bottleshopmig.