Viniferous in Frederick - what downtown needed!

Bogdan and I love downtown Frederick (so much so that we bought a house here!). From the moment we moved into our little apartment by Carroll Creek, we've just fallen more and more in love with the historic town. The shops, the cafes, the restaurants, the historic sites, the parks, the spires, the train station within walking distance, all of it leads to living an almost European-like lifestyle. Want some bread with dinner? Walk to the bakery. Want a mocha? Head to the coffee shop. And on and on.

The only things downtown really lacked, for us, was a grocery store and a wine store. Because honestly, with both of those things downtown, we would never have to get in our car. Never.

So when we read, back before Christmas, that a wine store was opening up downtown we were thrilled. Sure there are a couple of places downtown where you can technically buy wine. I say 'technically' because the selection at these places are slim, uninspired, and overpriced. We waited for the store, Viniferous, to open and hoped that it wouldn't be another overpriced slim pickin's store.

From the first time we visited Viniferous, we knew that it was exactly what downtown Frederick needed (or maybe exactly what we needed). The owners were friendly, helpful, and not even a hint of snobby. They asked us questions about what we liked, what we didn't like and made suggestions on several bottles. We usually buy bottles that are $15 or less for our everyday wine, and the store has a lot at this price point. We also were not advised on bottles way out of our price range, which was noted and appreciated. We left with a bottle of Spanish wine that was absolutely amazing.

Then we became regulars. Every time we visit the store we find something new to try, thanks to the help of Robert and Deborah (the owners).

Bogdan and I often found ourselves in wine ruts, fearing trying random new bottles because we'd hate to have to waste (or drink) a really bad bottle. So we used to show up at a liquor store (this is not Louisiana, you can't buy wine at the grocery!) and we'd look and look, and then settle on something tried and true.

But now we're adventurous. Robert suggests something (based on either our tastes or even what we tell him we're having for dinner) we buy it, drink it, and are always shocked at how good he is at selecting bottles we like.

I truly believe that a lot of people don't "do wine" because of the pretense surrounding it all. Walk into a lot of wine stores and you'll see upturned noses and hear snooty remarks (ugh, like they would ever grow that grape in Italy, gosh) Or you'll be sized up by the salesclerk based on how much you know about tannins. That's totally not our thing, nor is it Viniferous's.

The pretentious might be the only one who is uncomfortable at this store. Everyone else will learn a lot about the wine, the growers, and the grape, and go home with a great tasting wine.

So now, we're just waiting for that grocery store...

BTW, it turns out the owners live on the same block as us, so we've also met our new neighbors. :)