PRESS RELEASE (slightly edited)
Westport Whiskey & Wine has brought a wine-tasting device that's trendy in larger cities to Louisville with the addition of an eight-bottle Enomatic wine dispensing system to its store in Westport Village.
The self-serve, Italian-made Enomatic system dispenses wine directly from the bottle to the glass. It helps avoid deterioriation of the opened wine's flavor by filling the head space in the bottle with inert argon gas.
"Enomatic will allow our customers to sample fine wines before they buy," said proprietor Chris Zaborowski. "You can test drive a Mercedes or try on designer clothes, but until this system was developed, you couldn't taste a $70 or more bottle of wine without purchasing it."
Westport Whiskey & Wine is the first establishment in Kentucky to offer Enomatic wine tasting to its customers. "The closest Enomatic system until now was in New York City or South Florida," Zaborowski said.
To use the system, customers purchase a re-usable wine card, insert it into the Enomatic's card reader, select a wine and decide on a one-, three- or five-ounce pour size. The wine is automatically served through self-cleaning spouts, and the cost is deducted from the user's card. Prices range anywhere from about $2.50 to $4 per ounce, depending on the price of the specific bottle, Zaborowski said.
Examples of wines that Zaborowski and partner Richard Splan plan to have available for tasting in early October include Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (retail $72.99), Col Solare Columbia Valley, Washington 2005 (retail $78.99) and Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra Barolo 2003 (retail $78.99). "Of course, we plan to offer a constantly-changing selection based on customer requests," Splan said.
Officially opened on June 12, 2008 in Westport Village, Westport Whiskey & Wine offers an new twist on traditional liquor stores, because it has both a bar and a retail package license. The store has an inventory of more than 1400 wines and a selection of spirits from around the world at many price points.
Store hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday.