Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
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Martin Wine Cellar www.beveragedynamics.com May/June 2015 • Beverage Dynamics 19 Cedric Martin, David's son and the current President of Martin Wine Cellar, explains that the fi rst store sold only liquor, which was rationed during the period after the war. The store was located in a neighborhood near several other small businesses, so David benefi ted from some foot traffi c. He would put a sign in front of the store, turn off his single working light bulb, and sit outside to wait for customers. Back then, business was modest but steady. Soon David became interested in incorporating wine selections in his product offerings. He began reading about French wines and took a trip to New York City to meet with an importer. When he brought several selections back home to sell in his store, people began to take notice, and business increased. "In the early 1950s, it wasn't easy for people to get imports," Cedric explains. "My father was a pioneer. He recognized that customers would want to learn more about wine, and he had the foresight to jump into an area of the market that was vir- tually unheard of at the time." Along with offering European wine selections to his cus- tomers, David also traveled to California and formed relation- ships with proprietors of then-unknown wineries in order to gain knowledge and obtain new products. His commitment to education is something that made him distinctive in the industry, especially at that time period. "By the late 1950s, my father was holding wine tastings for the public, which was something that just wasn't done back then," Cedric recounts. Known for offering a wide array of unique products and also for his knowledge of the growing wine landscape, David helped make Martin Wine Cellar a destination point for bev- erage enthusiasts across the south. He also expanded his busi- ness by purchasing the other half of the double that housed his store, demolishing it, and erecting a new building in its place. A DIVERSE PORTFOLIO Launching into wines helped Martin Wine Cellar expand its business, but that wasn't the only other product line David ventured into. He dabbled in the Bourbon business and even- tually tapped a distiller to create two private label whiskies for him: Bourbon Town Club and Martin's NH. Cedric believes that his father was one of the fi rst retailers to offer shrink- wrapped wine gift baskets, which became a large part of the company business. Customers would request large orders of wine and whiskey baskets, which David would make himself (he purchased deluxe shrink-wrap guns and learned how to make elaborate ribbon bows). The company needed more space in order to keep expand- ing its beverage and gift basket businesses. In 1969, David pur- chased several houses adjacent to his store and expanded his retail area, also adding warehouse space and a parking lot. With the additional square footage, David began repurpos- ing old liquor barrels and turning them into garden planters, which were on display in the parking lot and became a popu- lar novelty item with customers. Several years later, Cedric began working for his father full-time. In the 1970s, the business formally launched the Thursday Tasting Series, a popular program that eventually expanded to include wine classes, educational lectures and re- ception-style events. In the early days of the program, custom- ers would pay $15 to $20 for a dinner and tasting event. The store eventually began inviting winemakers from California and Europe to run the tastings. Events could accommodate up to 60 people, and they became so popular that they were eventually offered several times weekly. Cedric also expanded the business even more by launching a gourmet food section in the store. Working with suppliers in New York City and Boston, Cedric introduced a variety of im- port foods into the store's product offerings, such as mustards and olives. In 1977, the store opened a New York-style deli- catessen counter, which offered specialty sandwiches, meats, cheeses, pâtés and salads. "We installed a long table with 16 stools, and people would sit at the counter to eat," Cedric recalls. "We also sold wine by the glass. It attracted a lot of people to the store during their lunch hour. They'd stay for lunch and then buy a bottle General Manager Will Fauquier, Manager Jonathan Morgan, President Cedric Martin.