Wine & Spirits - June 2018 - 17

photos of Stanley's Wet Goods by Nicolas Gourguechon; Winker & Samuels by Jillian Barrile

4. Boston:
Common Vines

5. Los Angeles:
Stanley's Wet Goods

6. Buffalo:
Winkler & Samuels

Tucked into an office tower in Boston's Financial District, Common Vines packs a lot into less than 900
square feet. A marble counter, used for daily tastings,
dominates the space, backed by a couch and a children's nook. Floor-to-ceiling racks line the walls, with
450 selections especially strong in smart finds in the
$15-to-$25 range, like Gen del Alma's Ji Ji Ji, a blend
of pinot and malbec from Mendoza, at $17. There are
also plenty of off-the-beaten-track finds like Kiralyudvar's dry furmint from Tokaj in Hungary, and Bisson's
Marea from Liguria's Cinque Terre. The shop is run by
Jennifer Scott and Chris Hsi, who live across the street
with their three children; they also run Taste Wine Bar
& Kitchen around the corner form the store, where you
can taste the wines over a plate of charcuterie and
cheese before you commit to buying a bottle.
-Jeanne O'Brien COffey

Stanley's is the brainchild of John Stanley, an aerospace expat who wanted a clean, well-lit place for
wines near his Venice Beach home. He settled on the
edge of Culver City, transforming a dramatic loft-like
space into a wine bar and retail shop. With its high
ceilings, huge windows, natural light and muted pinewood shelves, it feels as serene as a library-when the
bar's not bustling, that is. His selections reflect what
he likes to drink-"lighter bodied wines with power,"
he says-like Bichi's Pet-Mex, a sparkling wine from
Baja, or Golden Cluster's "Ode to Chuck" Coury Semillon, from an Oregon vineyard planted in 1966. You
can try as many as 60 of the retail selections at the
spare, streamlined bar at the front of the shop, or purchase a bottle and open it there for $20 corkage.
-P.J.C.

Melissa Winkler was traveling through Europe studying ceramics when she took an introductory wine
class at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris on a whim. She's
since spent more time exploring clay in soils than
sculpting it, working in retail while studying with the
Court of Master Sommeliers. She opened Winkler &
Samuels last summer in a 1901 paper-box factory in
downtown Buffalo, making the most of the industrial
space, with its exposed ductwork and bare brick, to
create an airy gallery for her 700-plus selections. Her
tastes run toward the Old World, with classics like Giacomo Conterno Barolo alongside new names like Cap
ô Sud, an old-vine carignan from Beaujolais master
Jean-Louis Dutraive. Her selection of new-wave Californians is locally unmatched, and includes bottles
like Martha Stoumen's Nero d'Avola from Mendocino,
Dirty & Rowdy's Skinner Stoney Creek Mourvedre, and
Duke & Ella, an unusual blend of riesling and viognier
from Amplify Wines in Santa Barbara. Drop by on Fridays to see what she's pouring, or sign up for one of
her frequent wine classes. -Kristy Mangel

Common Vines, 100 Summer St., Boston;
617-800-6189, commonvines.com

Stanley's Wet Goods, 9620 Venice Blvd., Culver City;
424-341-2870; stanleys.la

Winkler & Samuels, 500 Seneca St., Buffalo;
716-235-8121; winklerandsamuels.com

WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2018

http://www.stanleys.la http://www.commonvines.com http://www.winklerandsamuels.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2018