Perrine Winery

The Lovely Spouse and I have been meaning to check out Perrine Winery ever since we saw it open in the shopping center across Harvey Road from The Tap.  This past weekend we finally got the chance.

Checking out the website for the winery it can be a little confusing knowing what to expect.  It's located in a shopping center, which is definitely not where you expect to find a winery.  And there's a sign that says "all wines made on site".  The part that confused me the most was trying to figure out if the business was one of those bottle your own wine places or if they had wines of their own or if it was some sort of blend your own places. Turns out they have the supplies so that you can make your own from pre-made juices, so no juicing all that fruit, and they have their own wines available by the bottle or glass. [I also couldn't help but notice that Messina Hof started a blend-your-own wine service soon after Perrine opened. Coincidence? I can't find it on the website, but I've received emails about it.]

We had never been there before so The Lovely Spouse and I walked up to the bar and asked what the deal was.  We were given menus.  Very extensive menus.  They have several sets of wines, including fruit-infused wines where fruit juice was added for flavoring following fermentation, and dessert wines.  They also have different series of wines based upone where the grapes were sourced. 

And we were informed that we could create out own flights.  Any 5 wines for $4.  So we made our selections.  The ones that really, truly shined were the fruit-infused selections, the dessert wines, and the whites.  We found many of the other varietals were young.  Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of if you happen to be a wine snob (I say that will affection of course).  The business has limited space and production capacity so it's difficult for them to keep wines around to age them. The owners said this is likely to change as the business expands in the future.

Their wines have won awards, with more to be displayed soon.

The decor is quite nice and we were informed that customers are welcome to bring in food from elsewhere.  Including from the new cupcake place next door and the sushi place across the street, both of which I've been meaning to try. There was a birthday party the night we were there.  They had a limited amount of food for sale: meat and cheese plates and chocolates.  And they have french press coffee for non-drinkers.

And they also have cute wine-related items for sale.

Will we be back? Most definitely.  I truly enjoyed the pomagranate melange and the blackberry wine. The malbec in The Huguenot Series was also very interesting.  And $4-5 a glass is reasonable with a nice place to hang out. Besides, there are a lot of wines on that menu we haven't yet sampled. I misread the bottle pricing while were there but upon re-reading I see they're reasonable. You'll find cheaper varieties at Spec's but those won't support local small businesses.

This place is run full-time by two people who also have regular full-time jobs elsewhere.  I'm not sure when they sleep but they're lovely people and this business deserves support from the community.

If I had to be harsh on anything it's the website. It's...cluttered and the aesthetic is dated.  As a small business making its way in the world the website is not giving a good impression. The main room in the winery itself is nicely decorated and it would be nice if the website reflected that impression.