Carrying an eclectic selection of wines, craft beers and spirits, 5 Vines in Victoria Park holds to the credo of knowing its customer. “We kind of modelled the store around the Cheers TV show, where everybody knows your name," says co-owner Jerome Pommier with a big smile. “Our aim is to make people who come through the door feel welcome.”
That attitude extends to getting feedback from regulars on the beer or wine they've purchased the previous week or soliciting their suggestions for products they want to see on the shelves. The flipside of the client-customer camaraderie is that, in getting to know the customer’s taste, the staff can point them in the direction of a beverage that could become their new favourite; be it a half-litre bottle of craft beer with a novel, colourful label in the 5 Vines cooler or a particularly good bottle of Spanish wine that might not initially catch one’s eye among the well-stocked shelves. The store also keeps its staff picks and new arrivals for wine, beer and spirits on display.
