The Wine Buff

smartaform

Anyone have any reports on the wine in these shops? According to their site they are everywhere...

rediguana

I go to the one in Cork sometimes. Pleasant, quiet place. Relaxed vibe. No annoying case displays. Interesting selection. I got a nice wine - Cotes du Roussillon Villages - from The Wine Buff for Bastille Day last Tuesday. Here's my review.

http://tinyurl.com/lye39p

If anyone would like to operate a Wine Buff, I saw one of the franchises for sale for about €60k a few weeks ago in the Sunday Biz Post. I think the shop was in Navan.

bestcoffee1

I went to the Naas store once - about a few months ago was pounced upon the second i walked in the door!!
I was looking for a nice Savignon Blanc - Morin Brothers from memory as i had a bottle last year and was fantastic.... i even said this and was given a sales pitch directing me to a higher priced Chardonnay!! lol
After a background story on the vineyard (i like hearing about vineyards anyway so let the man talk on) i spotted the wine i was after and quickly went to pay - not before having a few more wines thrust upon me.

Well done to the operator, i can't recall his name, but he showed enthusiasm - however, a sales person should always listen to the customer AND not be so pushy.

Will i go back, i'm not in Naas that often so i would say not, however if i'm near another store i may give it a try!

smartaform

mmmm pushy salesperson - not appealing!

Nothing worse in a store - especially a wine store in which a pitch is directed at a certain priced wine??:D

May run into one in the near future and have a look

the beer revolu

Only heard good things about the one in Cork, but I haven't been.

FusionNet

Its a franchise so your going to get all sorts of characters in them selling you wine. The wine is good quality but it can be expensive enough. Im never really mad about a shop that limits itself to old world only as there are some days you just need a Barossa or a Malbec and of cousr these shops cant provide that. Its a strange business model but the one I go to on occassion seems to be doing well. A good wine shop can build up a very good local trade with regulars getting to know the owner and vice versa by first name.

Give one a look anyways, after all any shop that just sells wine and not veg, meat, shoes etc is always worth a look..

smartaform

Ok, made it into one!!

Nice atmosphere, nice selection of wines from the Old World.. I can see where they are coming from, only supplying wines from small vineyards..
Got a nice Merlot - La Fauconnrie, will buy 6 next time in there!!

And a RIBON, a tasty spanish number... must have again...

Downside was price but taste was good and a clean-ness about it!
Also champagne was an extrordinary price - 80.00 for some thing i've never heard of - thats 2 Moet OR a magnum of MUMM, BOLLINGER OR VEUVE CLIQOUT........

Really an interesting business model, especially with all the drives on New World wine...

Niall_G

The one in Ennis is excellent anyway. They sell a champagne for just under E40 that I consider superior to Moet - certainly if you like yeasty champagne it's the business. Can't remember the name off hand so I guess I'll have to buy another bottle.....

Interestingly though, their window is now heralding the arrival of their new New Zealand range. I suppose needs must.

grenache

The one in Limerick has the strangest layout of any premises i've yet scene. Its basically like a large office off a long corridor. There's very little signage outside the shop, one would hardly realise there was a shop there at all.

dermatrov

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but just had my first experience of these guys in Drogheda last night.

Seen a wine buff just at the end of the main street, up by the big arch and dropped in.

Nice shop, chilled out atmosphere and a decent selection of wines I was not aware of.

There was a couple of people in there talking to the guy wokring there who certainly appeared to know his stff, was offering options to each person when they were describing what they were doing for dinner, why they wanted each wine etc.

I had a chat with him, his name was Anthony as I discovered, he eventually suggested a red for me, a shiraz from languadoc called Prestigi,, cost €13.99, probably a bit more than I would normally spend, but as I was having friends over, and wanted a treat, gave it a bash. What an informed choice, gorgeous wine. Exactly what I was looking for. Was just annoyed I didnt buy more than 2 bottles. (so were my guests....)


Will give these guys another try, nice to treat yourself now and then.

Thanks

Dermatrov