How Great Wines & Spirits in East Memphis is making wine 'fun and engaging'

Great Wines & Spirits doesn’t want to be just a liquor store. It wants to be a place that you come to buy a bottle of wine — and learn about wine (and spirits) and try something new.

The shop was bought by Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt last fall. The duo, who also own the shopping center that the wine shop is in, wanted to elevate the shopping experience at this East Memphis liquor store.

Their goal is to give consumers in the Mid-South better choices of everyday, hard-to-find, unusual and cutting-edge wines and spirits, as well as to have knowledgeable staff willing to share their experience and information.

To help achieve that goal, Fogelman and Jarratt brought on Richie Lewis to run the shop. Lewis had worked for Great Wines & Spirits when it first opened, before spending almost two decades working in various roles in the beverage industry.

Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.
Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.

In addition to an extensive remodel of the sales floor, Lewis has also remodeled the ethos of the wine shop.

“We want to take an unapproachable product — wine — and make it fun and engaging,” said Lewis. “There is something transformative when you empower employees. Our staff gets to bring in their favorite wines and be invested in the shop. When you fully back your employees, the customer is fully backed as well.”

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Not your everyday liquor store offerings

With a name like "Great Wines," it is no surprise that 60% of the 4,000-square-foot store is dedicated to wines. Lewis said they offer familiar wines, as well as ones people may not be as familiar with.

“We try to find wines off the beaten path,” said Holden Mize, the shop's wine club director. “Like the Black Wines of Cahors. These Malbecs from the south of Bordeaux are dark, earthy and mysterious — nothing like Malbecs from Argentina.”

The shop also offers one of the most extensive selections of sake in the city — with more than 130 different sakes from which to choose. They also carry one of the largest collections in Memphis of wines from Memphian-owned wine importer North Berkley Imports — which was named importer of the year by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Allysa Lance, marketing and event coordinator at Great Wines & Spirits, shows a bottle of Japanese sake on May 23, 2023. Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.
Allysa Lance, marketing and event coordinator at Great Wines & Spirits, shows a bottle of Japanese sake on May 23, 2023. Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.

Great Wines & Spirits also offers a wide selection of spirits on the shelves. As with the wine selection, expect well-known brands in addition to unique boutique offerings you might not see elsewhere.

“Our bourbon selection is now almost double where it was last year,” said Lewis, adding that single barrel bourbons are coming soon.

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A place to learn

More than just a place to shop, Great Wines & Spirits regularly hosts a variety of tasting events to help educate its customers on wine and spirits.

Its twice monthly in-store Vinyl & Vermouth series focuses on various spirits paired with records played on the shop’s refurbished 1978 Ardent speakers and record player. A recent one featured smoky scotches and Tom Waits.

Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.
Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.

Blind tasting events are also hosted monthly. Attendees vote on their favorite wine at the tasting, and the winning bottle is offered at a 10% discount until the next blind tasting.

Larger in-store events happen monthly, where guests can taste wines paired with food.

On June 24, Great Wine & Spirits will host what they are calling a “Cork 'n Tin Tasting.”  They will be presenting more than 50 wines to showcase the diverse landscapes of Spain and Portugal alongside specialty tinned seafood from Jose Gourmet.

Educational opportunities are not limited to in-store events. Twice a year the shop hosts what they call a “Deep Dive” tasting event. The next Deep Dive is focused on French wines. “The French Deep Dive will feature over 160 wines from France,” said Lewis, adding the event will be Aug. 24 at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms Park.

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It’s all about the customer experience

If you are not sure what to pick, you will find that the staff is not only knowledgeable — but eager to talk to you about your options. Each team member's enthusiasm about the topic of wine and spirits is contagious.

Holden Size, Wine Club director at Great Wines & Spirits, poses with a bottle of Chateauneuf Du Pape on May 23, 2023. Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.
Holden Size, Wine Club director at Great Wines & Spirits, poses with a bottle of Chateauneuf Du Pape on May 23, 2023. Great Wines & Spirits has new owners, Robert Fogelman and Joe Jarratt. The shop, at 6161 Poplar Ave. in Memphis, not only offers wine, but also wine tastings, a lounging area and a wine club.

In addition to tastings, the shop offers a monthly wine club experience as well as delivery services to enhance the shopping experience.

“This is a more modern version of Great Wines & Spirits,” Lewis said.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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Great Wines & Spirits

Where: 6161 Poplar Ave.

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

Phone: (901) 682-1333

Online: greatwinesmemphis.com

For event information: Visit @greatwinesmemphis on Instagram and Facebook

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Great Wines & Spirits in Memphis: What to know about changes at shop