“Meet the Wine Experts From Beverage Superstore” BY: Rachel Fasig
Step into the Beverage Superstore Tasting Room on any given day and you’ll most likely find wine experts Warren Dennis and Marjie Stancil sipping on wine, writing tasting notes, and talking to customers.
Marjie, a resident of Suwanee for 35 years and a graduate of Atlanta Wine School, has been in the industry for more than 30 years. Warren’s interest in wine first sparked during a wine-tasting course in college, which led him to Château Élan as a vineyard farmer and later into the retail industry.
One look into the tasting room and it’s evident that these two have a lot of fun and are dedicated to their jobs. Warren likens their work environment to that of the legendary sitcom, “Cheers,” including class-act regulars like Norm. “We’ll see customers pull up in the parking lot and we’ll have their case of wine ready before they even walk in the door,” he said.
Many customers at Beverage Superstore are on a first-name basis with Warren and Marjie, and that’s because customer service is their number one focus. They said that focus “comes from the top, from General Manager Mitch, and radiates throughout the store.” Their top priority is doing whatever it takes to make their customers happy. And sometimes doing whatever it takes means tasting 20 to 30 different wines a week. Tough job, right?
Most people are surprised to learn that Warren and Marjie have tasted each wine on Beverage Superstore’s shelves. “Our store is unique in that we hand-select every single bottle that you see here,” Marjie said. But, when asked if they have similar tastes, both of them loudly proclaim, “No! Opposite.” So, how do they make it work? Well, they know quality wine and they know what their customers like.
As Suwanee Wine Festival 2013 sponsors, they plan to hand- select more than 250 wines for the festival, which seems like an overwhelming task for most, but is an exciting adventure for these connoisseurs.
“We’re going to treat the Suwanee Wine Fest like we were opening a new store…the shelves are empty and the wine racks need filling,” Warren said.
But they know Suwanee, they know what their Suwanee customers like, and they “can’t wait to see everyone out there at the Park.” Marjie will be in the Suwanee Wine Festival VIP tent, where she hopes to share her knowledge and further educate people on their individual tastes and preferences.
In the meantime, learn more about your personal wine palate at Beverage Superstore on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd. where they host wine tastings every Saturday afternoon from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Cost is $5/ person.
