Business of the Week: Vino Latte

Wausau Pilot & Review

Editor’s note: This sponsored weekly feature shares the stories of locally-owned and operated businesses and organizations in the Wausau area, highlighting the products and services they offer and the ways they contribute to the metro area’s unique flavor. Learn how to feature your business by emailing [email protected].

This week’s featured business is Vino Latte, which opened in 2003 when Loreen Glaman purchased Café le Grand on the corner of Grand Avenue and Thomas Street in Wausau. Since that time, the business was renamed and eventually relocated to its current location at 3309 Terrace Ct., on the city’s far west side. Vino Latte is well-known for its delicious coffee, freshly-prepared menu items, terrific wine clubs and tastings, and hundreds of varieties of wine. The atmosphere is welcoming and cozy, with comfortable chairs surrounding a warm fireplace. The wonderful, dedicated staff welcome visitors with a smile and play a vital role in operations. Ron, the owner’s husband, is around to fix things, reach high places (like the tops of those wine racks) and lift heavy objects. Team leaders Sarah and Jon are joined by assistant manager Jenn, and together with the rest of the team – Bobbie, Maddy, Brooke, Addi, Rachel and Lindsey – ensure each customer is treated like family.

Here, read about what to expect at Vino Latte, why it’s a must for holiday shopping, how to join one of their fantastic wine clubs, and more about living the wine life (also the title of a regular column written by Ron for this newspaper: read the first installment here.) We highly recommend shopping and supporting Vino Latte (and other local businesses) as the giving season continues. Cheers!

Scroll for Vino Latte photos:

About how many wines do you carry, and how in the world do you go about choosing the right ones for your store?

Our inventory is constantly changing, however, we have about 500 different wines from all over the world, in different styles and at many price points. In selecting wines to carry in the shop, we do what we think is the most important thing in the process: we taste wine. We taste about 90% of all the wine we carry, and only select wines that we believe represent quality for the price, style, and region. We consider what our customers want, not what we like. We focus on lesser-known brands/wineries, or less-known wines from well-known brands – knowing there are other places to purchase wine, we want to instill confidence in our customers that if it’s on our shelves, it’s our opinion that it’s worth it.

Tell us a little bit about your wine clubs – how to join and the different options available.

We have several options for our wine club.  The base level is our “Original Wine Club” and is two bottles a month (either all red, all white or one of each) for $30.  The wines are always a greater value than $30.  The Original Wine Club has an add-on option of the Kicker Club, which is one bottle for an additional $35.  The Kicker Wine is always a special wine, and well worth the additional price.  Our second level is Double Kicker, which is a stand-alone club featuring two bottles of amazing wine; one bottle is the Kicker, the second bottle is another similar valued wine. Double Kicker is only $70 for the two bottles, and like the original Wine Club, the wines we select for our Kicker and Double Kicker are always well above the $35 (each) that our Club Members pay.  We’ve even had Kicker/Double Kicker wines which are retail priced over $70 for one of them, and they still are only $35 for Club Members. For the ultimate Vino Latte Wine Club experience, a customer can join the Original Wine Club’s All White and All Red option, as well as the Double Kicker club! One of the great things about our Wine Clubs, in addition to the incredible value, is the wines we feature are from all over the world and offer a great way to explore the wine world. And if there is a wine lover in your life, you can purchase the Wine Club as a gift subscription as well!

Does the price of wine really make a big difference? Can you taste the difference between, say, a $15 wine and a $150 bottle of wine?

This is a common question, and one that is quite personal. However, from an objective view, the short answer is yes, price can make a difference. The cost of a bottle of wine is made up of many things – most prominently reflected in the price are the location/source of the grapes and the cost of hiring the best people. Just like in real estate, the “location, location, location” of the grapes is important. Great wine comes from great grapes, great grapes are grown in better locations, and better locations are more expensive. As for hiring the best people, a talented and experience wine maker (like a talented and experienced person in any profession) may cost more, as will hiring other exceptional employees, purchasing higher quality machinery and engaging in better and more responsible vineyard practices. One way I often explain it is that a Rolls-Royce and Yugo will both get you from point A to point B, however, the Rolls-Royce is going to be a lot better experience!

Ron introduced his column, The Wine Life, last week in the Pilot. What drew you to this life, and when did you become so interested in the world of wine?

Prior to purchasing Café le Grand in November, 2003, our wine experience was very limited – but once we owned a wine store and started meeting sales reps and tasting wine on a regular basis, we discovered there was a huge (wine) world to be explored! The business was certainly the impetus, but since then we have immersed ourselves. Ron has earned the Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators as well as the Level 3 Certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. Together we have tasted thousands of wines, have traveled wine country throughout the United States and internationally, and continue to explore, learn and look forward to our next glass, bottle and trip!

Aside from wine, coffee and delicious food, what kinds of merchandise do you have at Vino Latte for holiday shoppers?

OOOOH!  We have a lot!  Everything from gift cards which can be used on anything in the store including our Wine Tastings, Classes and Wine Dinners, and Whiskey Tastings, to food, wine and retail items. We have a Happy Hour every weeknight from 4pm to 6:30pm with “BOGO” wine by the glass – perfect for relaxing after a stressful day of shopping (or work!) or for catching up with friends and gift exchanges.  On Tuesday nights we have Pizza and Free Wine Night, wherein we give our guests a free bottle of wine for every pizza they purchase.  This includes our Take-n-Bake pizzas!  Speaking of Take-n-Bake pizzas, they are available all the time and they are delicious.  

Other items we are proud to offer include specialty chocolates, gift baskets that we create and customize, espresso machines, grinders, coffee and wine accessories, and miscellaneous “gifty” items.  We also carry locally made soap and pottery from two talented Wausonians!

What is the best wine you ever tasted? 

This is a difficult question, as “best” has so many connotations. First, wines are so varied, that there are best wines in many categories, and comparing categories is difficult (for example, we have had amazing Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Sauvignons, but choosing one over the other is unfair in our view). Second, when we say a wine is “best” – it also reflects the time, place, occasion, and company. A wine can be “best” based on memory and experience, whether the wine was that great or not! We have had fabulous wines from around the world, and many in the places they are produced. Wine can be the focus, or just add to the overall experience – or both.

Rather than thinking about the “best” wine we have had, we like to think about the memorable wines we have had – a concept that encompasses those things (people, places, times, occasions) mentioned and relate to the overall experience of enjoying the wine. We have had many memorable wines, and look forward to having many more.

A similar question we are often poised:  What is your favorite wine?  We laugh and say “Whatever is in my glass!”  In all seriousness, this is a very difficult question as we like many wines for many reasons, and that reason may be as simple as an occasion or a meal.  We joke that picking a favorite wine is like picking a favorite child… depends on the time, the day and what is going on at the time!  

What’s the perfect wine to bring as a hostess gift for holiday parties? Is there a “can’t miss” option you recommend?

There really is no “perfect” wine, but if you know your audience, you can do well. If it’s a casual, less than experienced wine crowd, perhaps something a little sweet, or a bottle of sparkling wine (something other than Champagne, for example Prosecco) is always a hit. If there is a pretty serious wine crowd, ask about the food being served and then check with your favorite wine store on recommendations. But we think it’s a good idea to go with something out of the “ordinary” – maybe a grape variety that isn’t your standard go-to, or a bottle from a less popular wine region/country. If your host is a serious wine person, maybe even a collector or someone who has a lot of wine, we often suggest not bringing wine. Someone like that may really want to show off their selections and share their cellar with their guests. If you still want to bring a bottle, seek out something that is from a small producer that they may not know, or perhaps don’t know well. Or if you have a bottle from a trip you took, bring that and tell a story about your experience with the wine.  You don’t have to spend a small fortune, but be prepared to spend a little more than you might on the other situations.  Better yet, bring a bottle of some other spirit (whiskey, tequila, rum, gin) or a different type of hostess gift.

Connect with Vino Latte

• Vino Latte, 3309 Terrace Ct., Wausau
• Menu: vinolattetogo.com
• 715-849-9787
• Find Vino Latte on Facebook here.