Adventures in Business

Western Massachusetts has a long, deep tradition of entrepreneurial spirit, and there is ample evidence that it is alive and well today. Across the region, people are mixing imaginative ideas with old-fashioned hard work and some support from area small business development agencies to get new ventures off the ground. In this issue, we profile some of these enterprises, with a special focus on the people who have the courage and determination to go into business for themselves.

Paul-Thierry de la Blotier says that, if he can’t do something impeccably, he’d rather not do it at all. That’s the driving force behind his burgeoning business, the Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant, on State Street in Shelburne Falls, just a stone’s throw from the historic Bridge of Flowers.

“If you’re going to specialize in something, you need to do it right,” he said, “and you need to offer exemplary service. It’s what people deserve.”

de la Blotier and his business partner, Karen Datres, opened the Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant on July 1, 2004. The shop sells a wide selection of fine wines, a smattering of local brews such as Berkshire Brewing Co. offerings and People’s Pint beers, and a selection of local specialty products; a fine-wine investment service is also offered, assisting clients with identifying, sourcing, and cellaring bottles.

The venture, said de la Blotier, is predicated on the English model of service in small, specialty stores. French and Welsh by descent, he said the Shelburne Falls Wine Merchant is his way of coming full circle, in both his professional and personal lives.

“I have a Ph.D., but I didn’t know much about running a business,” he said, noting that the Mass. Small Business Assistance Center was integral in helping him open the shop’s doors. “I think my business plan may have been more like a dissertation. But I’m learning, and I think I always will be.”

One thing he knows a great deal about, though, is wine. He holds a degree in Viticulture and Enology — a horticulture concentration that focuses on the growing of grapes and the production of wines — in addition to degrees in Japanese and Political Geography. He’s also worked in the wine trade in various positions for more than 30 years.

de la Blotier’s shop includes scores of French, Italian, and California wines, many of which are produced at small, family-owned vineyards. He said he doesn’t sell a lot of ‘branded’ wines — those that are produced in larger quantities and bolstered by recognizable marketing campaigns, such as Kendall Jackson and Yellow Tail.

“We try to find wines in limited production,” he said, noting that as a rule, he and his staff also avoid wine rating systems, such as the Wine Advocate Rating System, until after they’ve tasted and decided upon new wines to stock.

That, said de la Blotier, adds to his and his staff’s knowledge base, and thus helps in providing the top-notch customer service he strives for.

“When someone comes in, we first ask what their budget is, and then proceed to a series of other questions. ‘What are they looking for?’ ‘What are they having for dinner?’ ‘Are they partial to a light, medium, or full-bodied wine?’ These are the same questions we’ll ask if they’re coming in for a $2.99 bottle of wine, or a very expensive one.” This kind of service is personal, not rushed, and customer-centered, de la Blotier added.

“We’re here to defuse the mystique of wine purchasing,” he said. “And it should be a social thing, because wine is social. A beer or a vodka? You might enjoy one of those by yourself. But a glass of wine is always shared with friends.

“Wine is a part of gracious living,” he added, “and this store is now a part of that world. Coming in here is not an escape from reality … it’s more like a parallel universe. It’s the way it should be.” —Jaclyn Stevenson