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Mighty Fine Wine and More
A Time For Wine II offers some of the finest in wines, spirits, beers, cigars and nontraditional gift items. By Ray Schweibert
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E SHOULD ALL BE SO FORTUNATE as to gain a certain rite of passage allowing us to experience some of the finer things in life — a point at which picking up a six-pack of cheap suds and Swisher Sweets after work is no longer agreeable to our lifestyles. Recognizing the need to afford quality to the common man (or woman), and not letting it just be a perk reserved for those owning luxury yachts, Learjets or Lamborghinis, A Time for Wine was created by Janet Markowitz and her business associates at the Tropicana in 2010. Much more recently, A Time for Wine II debuted on Caesars’ second level and while some of its inventory of over 1,000 different wines, 350 cigars, 200 liquors and 100 domestic and imported beers cater to those with deep pockets, most of it is surprisingly affordable. “We kind of have the same philosophy as we do at the flower shop,” says Markowitz, a Margate resident who also owns Chester’s Plants & Flowers in Atlantic City, and is the volunteer chairwoman of the annual A.C. Boardwalk Rodeo. “Not everybody has a million dollars to throw a party, so our theme with our prices is that people will keep coming back if you keep
them reasonable. And you know what? All the customers who come in point out that we’re not that expensive. We’re here for the long haul and we want the return business.” A Time for Wine II conducted a three-evening wine and beer sampling in conjunction with the Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival (July 26-29), and intends to host regular free-ofcharge samplings during other future Caesars special events. One of the three nights featured samplings of several brands of an Italian grapecloning pioneer vintner called Banfi. “In the ’60s and ’70s the wine that came [to America] from Italy was very mediocre, in fact very poor,” says Vittorio Vettori, Banfi’s MidAtlantic regional manager. “So Banfi asked the question ‘How come France can produce such great Burgundy and Bordeaux, Germany such great Reisling, and even Switzerland great Pinot Noir? Why doesn’t Italy produce good wine? Back then Soave was everything that was white [from Italy] and Chianti was everything that was red. So [Banfi] invested millions of dollars in different grapes and vineyards, which back then meant you were either very naive or stupid [to invest in Italian winemaking] or you had a lot
of love and passion in wine. Banfi had the love and passion.” A Time for Wine shares that love and passion, offering not just imports from Italy, France, Argentina and around the world, but several domestics from the California Napa Valley and locally with a special section just for New Jersey wines. They also have an extensive selection of high-end spirits like Gran Patron tequila and 25-year-old Glenlivit scotch, up to Louis XIII de Remy Martin Four of the more than 1,000 wines and liquors available cognac that brings a $2,750 price tag per bottle. An entire wall is devoted to cigars, which are or cigar — that A Time for Wine does not have encased in nine temperature-controlled humi- in stock, it will make every effort to find it in a dors and feature such brands as Romeo y Julieta, timely fashion. Cohiba, Julius Caesar, Partagás and the Alec “There’s usually a diversified market [at any Bradley Prensado. Some brands are packaged casino property] from those looking for the with the tips infused or marinated in sweet very affordable to the very expensive, and liquours, like a Grand Marnier-marinated cigar. whatever they want you’ve got to try to get it “We transformed the entire store in about for them,” says business partner Dino Redzepi. two weeks [it was formerly a jewelry store that “We have an excellent selection, but if we don’t closed] and we used Spanish cedar for the cigar have it we can try to get it for you.” boxes,” says Markowitz. “One of our employees “Things can be a bit disjointed when it is currently taking his test to become a tobac- comes to finding quality cigars, craft brews conist, and eventually all of our employees will and fine wines, so putting them all in the be taking their tests. same centrally located store, and in a place like The establishment’s extensive selection of Caesars that everybody knows where it is, just bottled craft beers allows patrons to mix and makes good sense,” says Caesars public relamatch and construct their own six packs to go. tions manager Jerry Eisenband. “Plus the prices If there is a particular beer — or wine or spirit, are reasonable.” n
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