T
he Bottle House opened on West Main early this year, and the craft beverage and artisanal foodstuffs boutique has some serious pedigree.
Daniel Kaufman and Guillaume Gasparini met coming up “in the wine world,” Kaufman says, and the two budding restaurateurs bonded for years over their love of the vine. Kaufman climbed through the ranks of the Farmington Country Club kitchen and now owns and operates Public Fish & Oyster and pasta place Pronto!. Gasparini spent years refining his palate at his family’s acclaimed Restaurant Pomme in Gordonsville.
With Pomme closing several years ago and Kaufman feeling some COVID claustrophobia in his dining rooms, the sommeliers decided to team up on Bottle House. Their all-things-adult-beverage shop would provide the expertise and service wine lovers find in a restaurant in a convenient retail setting and delivery program.
“We have built a comprehensive selection of beer, wine, cocktail accessories, fresh foods, glassware,” Kaufman says. “We’ve curated cool stuff, things I think would appeal to a broad range of people…but also brands that are unique to our store.”
With their collective background in fine wine, it’s no wonder Kaufman and Gasparini have stocked the Bottle Shop with about 70 percent vino—that’s more than 400 unique bottlings. Kaufman says he and his partner pride themselves specifically on their French finds and local vine varieties. But the duo is also dedicated to bringing in the beers that craft geeks crave and the mixers, bitters, garnishes, and infusions that spirits aficionados savor. On the food front, think hard-to-find tinned fish, cheese, and charcuterie.
Oh, and will that delivery service go away after the virus vanishes? Not if Kaufman can help it. “We want to expand beyond these walls,” he says. “COVID just made it more apparent this is something people would be into.”
SPRING PICKS
Daniel Kaufman (right) shared with us his top Bottle House choices as the weather turns warm(er).
Domaine Famaey Pétillant Naturel Malbec Rose, Cahors, Spain
Tart, fresh, natural sparkler from southwest France.
Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Rubentis Rose, Basque, Spain
Amazingly refreshing wine of the Basque region of Spain.
Pikes Dry Riesling, Clare Valley, Australia
Complex expression of dry riesling from down under.
Edmunds St. John “Bone-Joly” Gamay Noir, El Dorado, California
Jokingly called “the 11th cru of Beaujolais,” this Gamay Noir mimics the style of its ancestral home but brings along with it the brightness of California fruit.
Einstok Icelandic White Ale, Iceland
The vikings have crafted a beautiful wheat full of orange peel and spice notes delicious on the hottest or coldest of days.