An unexpected byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the creativity of selecting wines for people based on what they request in terms of varietals and price points for Anastasia Kohl, owner of The Wine Vault on Elm Street in Waterbury Village.
“We’re allowed to be open, which we love, and we’re doing curbside, which is really creating a new element for us. No one is really in the store although sometimes people come in with a mask,” Kohl said.
“Often people tell me, ‘I want to spend this much and this is the kind of wine we like,’ and I’m putting it together. The response has been great and I love the creativity. People are appreciating the service as well, as they try to stay home. They appreciate that they can pick up some wine, stay in their budget and also feel safe,” she said.
She either puts orders out in her hallway or in the back of people’s cars after they preorder and pay. Her shop on Elm Street has been open since last June.
“We really wanted this spot and we decided to bite the bullet even though we knew construction was happening,” she said in reference to the Waterbury Main Street Reconstruction project.
“So we had a summer and fall of construction, then a really great winter, then COVID-19 and now construction again,” she said. “But I appreciate being able to be open. It’s better to be busy,” Kohl pointed out.
Her curbside is located near the curbside for Prohibition Pig which is convenient for people picking up from both businesses.
Asked for a recommendation for a wine for this week, she offered “a delicious biodynamic Tikal Malbec. It’s a beautiful wine and goes great with grilled meats,” she said.
