Corks popping for first anniversary
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| Women come together to sample shiraz and pinot grigio at Uncorked, Buena Vista's year-old wine and gourmet shop. (CAMERON STEELE/ Rockbridge Report) |
The national economy may have dried up like a raisin, but that hasn’t stopped one Buena Vista businessman from filling up his glass.
Michael Ohleger has plenty to celebrate as he wraps up the first year of business at his wine and gourmet food shop, Uncorked.
“We have done something that is so successful,” said Ohleger, who opened shop in downtown Buena Vista last October with the help of his wife, Pat. Now, almost a year later, Uncorked features a variety of gourmet food, cheese, coffee, cigars and more than 137 types of beer. In addition to the hundreds of bottles lining his store walls, Ohleger can order more than 12,000 wines.
Tim Reamer, Buena Vista’s economic director, said he’s not surprised by the wine shop’s success.
“We’ve had a lot of nice business openings in the past year,” said Reamer, “and they [the Ohlegers] have certainly passed their first year projections.”
Uncorked is just one example of the small business renaissance that Buena Vista has recently experienced. Reamer said 17 new businesses have opened in the city just in the past year, and only four closed.
Ohleger said that he and his wife originally bought property in downtown Buena Vista as an investment. The couple operated Main Street Market, a gourmet deli in Lexington, for eight years. But Ohleger said their lease cost tripled in 2006, forcing the deli to close. At the time, the Ohlegers were catering and selling sushi and had what Ohleger called the largest selection of beer in the Shenandoah Valley. But losing their lease forced them to say goodbye to Lexington.
“We moved all of our furniture and fixtures to our building in Buena Vista; we travelled for a while and caught up on some projects,” said Ohleger, who first became interested in wine more than 20 years ago when his brother worked as a wine merchant. “And then we decided that a wine shop might work well. The only other wine place in the area was Washington Street Purveyors.”
Working “well” has turned out to be an understatement. Uncorked has brought the corner of Magnolia Avenue and 20th Street to life. Ohleger meets new customers every day, sends a weekly newsletter to more than 800 people on his e-mail list and holds free weekly tastings on Fridays and Saturdays.
A few years ago, a wine shop may have seemed out of place in Buena Vista, a town that has traditionally centered on industry rather than small business. But Reamer said that’s no longer the case.
“The perceptions of Buena Vista aren’t as accurate as they once were,” he said.
Ohleger, a self-taught wine connoisseur, said that the most difficult aspect of starting the business was the advertising.
“The hardest part about the first year was getting people to know we were here,” he said. “But the word is getting out, and new people come in every day,” he said.
The Ohlegers have been offering customers incentives to keep visiting Uncorked. They partner with other businesses around Buena Vista, keep track of customer information and host special programs to educate the public about wine.
One such program is a private wine-tasting session just for women. For a $3 cover charge, area women can gather at the store after hours to taste select wines, hors d’oeuvres and chocolate. Pat hosts these “Moody Mondays,” teaching women how to taste wine, what to eat with it and how to fix the finger foods she’s prepared for the event. And although Michael sometimes helps out with the sessions, he says he usually hires a female representative from one of Uncorked’s distributors to help Pat at the events.
“The whole idea is to get ladies together because it’s a place to unwind, to de-stress after work. They get some wine, cheese and chocolate -- and have a lot of fun,” he said.
Janet Hale, owner of the nearby Lexington Valley Vineyard, said she thinks that Moody Mondays are a good way for women to learn about wine.
“It’s a great local event. It’s a chance for women to get together and socialize, learn some great recipes and drink some great wine,” Hale said. “Women and chocolate and wine: It’s good.”
And for the men? Ohleger said he wants to begin cigar and port nights. But those won’t start until he completes the building expansion he has planned for next year. He wants to add a tasting room to the back of the store and a terrace with outdoor seating along the side.
For now, Ohleger is pleased with Uncorked and with the reaction he’s gotten from the Buena Vista community.
“We’re happy here. We like being Buena Vista,” he said. “People felt Buena Vista didn’t have the sophistication and taste for a wine shop, but the majority of our customers are from here, and they aren’t buying the cheap stuff.”
Produced by
Washington and Lee
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Lead Supervisors:
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Prof. Indira Somani
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Prof. Indira Somani
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