A Cat above the Rest

Charles is in the US at the moment. These posts are some of his observations.

With the continued rise of supermarkets and multiples in wine trading, the conventional “wine shop” has to have a pretty inventive mindset to just to keep alive, and even better than this to do well. And so we have the breed of “specialist retailers”. In South Africa we have the likes of Vaughan Johnson, Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar and the inimitable Norman Goodfellows in Johannesburg … all provide great product and all who have managed to carve their own niche and where there wine shop becomes a brand in itself.

So here in USA much the same rationale applies and I have come across some really super “specialist retailers”, and one in particular that is a cat above the rest !

Cabernet & Company is situated in the small town of Glen Ellen, Illinois. It is magic ….. the shopping area is relatively small, but oh so well set out ….wines are seemingly scattered about, though in fact selectively placed in different groupings so that you might see single bottle of wine place in two or three different locations, but alongside other wines each time. A browser’s delight and a place for a prolonged shopping experience and where hopefully you keep dropping wines into your basket like picking apples from a tree.

Enter Ernest the Cat ….. a magnificent specimen, and together with brother Julio, and essential shop fitting.

Ernest spends his working day sleeping on the counter or displays and being admired by all and sundry. I am sure that every evening he is completely “stroked out” , but he has added value. Enter Mum and kids to buy a quick gift …. Kids get locked in with Ernest, and amidst cries of “we don’t want to go yet Mum” , Mum is left to do what she does best …. to shop .

The result….. happy cat, happy kids, happy shop-owner, and for Mum, that rare shopping experience where she could browse in peace.