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Wine Shop Owner Looks Back on Two Decades of Connecting with Wine Lovers
It was just a question. A natural question.
But it froze Wanita Murphy stone-cold.
I was standing in her office doorway inside the Emporium wine shop in Yellow Springs last week (10-26-05). She was seated on a folding chair, clearing out her desk of more than two decades worth of records, receipts, brochures and scraps of paper. ‘Nita was poised to sell the shop she has owned since 1983 and was tidying up. At least, she was tidying up until I asked her what she’ll miss most about running the Emporium.
She looked up at me but said nothing for what seemed an eternity, but was more likely a few seconds. Finally she said, “You’re going to make me cry, aren’t you?�
Um, well, that was not my intention, no. I stammered an apology; she waved her hand and regained her composure.
“I really have mixed feelings about this,â€? Wanita said. “To me, this feels just like …
… an empty-nest syndrome. This has been my life for the last 22 years.â€?
She says she raised her son, who is now 18, in the Emporium. It was a humble little kitchen-supply store when she bought it. She watched the wine selection grow from a few bottles of Avia (now THAT’s a blast from the past) to a carefully chosen selection from around the world. Her beers grew from one to 150. And most important, her store evolved into a community gathering place.
That’s what will leave a void in her heart.
“People coming into the store and telling me what they were going to have for dinner that night and asking what wine they should drink with it, and coming back the next day and telling me all about it. Those are the things I’ll miss most.�
Consider all the hype, the marketing, the 100-point ratings – all the snobbery and noise that surrounds the wine world. Yet all across the country, in wine shops like the Emporium, there are Wanitas and those like her, making personal connections, cutting through all of the falderal, selling a bottle to a couple to drink with dinner. And then doing it again. Making the personal connection that brings it all home.
We need more Wanita Murphys out there.
And maybe they ARE out there, in training. The new co-owner of the Emporium, Kurt Miyazaki, says he’s looking forward to carrying on what ‘Nita has cultivated (he worked at the store himself for a year or two in the late 1990s). He’ll keep the Friday night wine tastings (6:30 to 8:30, four tastes for $5, accompanied by live music), focus on the café, and look to expand his selection of Spanish wines to mirror his interests and passion. His wife teaches Spanish literature at Wittenberg University, where he also taught for a while, and the couple has spent considerable time in Spain, enjoying the cuisine and the wines.
And, he says, ‘Nita will be at his side, helping.
First, though, she’s planning a sabbatical. “I’m going to travel,� she says. “I’m going to Ireland for Thanksgiving.�
Her voice is no longer choked with emotion. She is smiling broadly.
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Comments
By Michael
November 8, 2005 12:59 PM | Link to this
This is a special story and one that has relevance to my life…I have been in the business of selling wine now for nearly fifteen years. Wanita Murphy at The Emporium was my first customer and never treated with anything but respect. She was a friend before I entered the business and I am proud to still call her a friend. I recently stopped by her house to thank her and found her reflective of the 2 decades she had spent watching the business change. Once can only imagine the changes she witnessed and the various wines that she has sold over the years (Anyone rememeber the varietal, “Green Hungarian”). It is people like Wanita and the places like the Emporium and the interesting customers they have that make this business fun and interesting. May Kurt and his partners carry on the tradition as I am sure they will and I wish Nita well in her travels.
By Roger Alexander
October 31, 2005 4:15 PM | Link to this
Nita hit the nail on the head. The thing we miss most about the wine business are the people. We too met some awfully friendly and kind folks in our five-year fling with retail. What I am sure Nita will agree with us on is NOT missing the 24/7 associated with any small business and the multiple levels of government that tell you what to do and put their hand in your pocket. Enjoy retirement Nita. Come on in the water is fine.
By Dennis Hall
October 30, 2005 6:07 PM | Link to this
Best of luck to Nita in her new life. Her shop was one of the first places we frequented when we were starting enjoying wine. We met through the American Wine Society. I’m sure Nita will enjoy the new found freedom of being away from the retail world. Just think weekends and evenings to do what you want.
By susan
October 30, 2005 12:12 PM | Link to this
What a lovely story to share with wine lovers and, yes, finding just the right wine has a special feel that is nice to share with someone who appreciates wine. I have the same experience when I buy cigars for friends … I’m relying on an ‘expert.’ That requires trust. I really like it when I come back and they ask how the selection was received. I can understand how the move is bittersweet, for her and her loyal patrons/friends. BTW, congrats on the well-deserved recognition from SPJ for ‘Flunking the Tests.’ You and Scott did an exceptional job and it’s nice to see you getting the spotlight. Well done.