Rare labels, distinctive service sets store apart

Kelly Messenger does not just want to entice someone into her store seeking bottles of rare wines, she wants to cultivate wine enthusiasts.

Her background is in finance and she moved to Houston because there was an opportunity to open the wine store after she saw friends in San Antonio have success with a similar venture. Her dream came true in late 2006 when she opened Woodlands Wine Co. in the Sterling Ridge Village Center.

But Messenger did not just want to sell any old wine—her goal was to acquire some of the most unique wines she could find. She has succeeded in stocking 250 labels that the typical wine drinker will not find in grocery or even liquor stores.

"We have built our reputation on getting unique things not accessible in other places," she said. "One of our jobs is to help people realize that we get them."

Messenger's employees are well-acquainted with the wine the store has in stock. When patrons visit the store, they can be assured an employee knows the story behind the wines, and the customer can leave with a good bottle of wine and some knowledge about it, as well, Messenger said.

What makes Woodlands Wine stand out is its stock of "allocated" wines, meaning the winery allotted only a certain amount to be sold in the state. That could be just 40 or 50 bottles.

One notable wine is the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa, Calif.-based Plumpjack Winery—a brand in which Messenger said may have only eight six-packs allotted in Texas.

Since opening, the store has added wine tastings, classes, private and corporate events.

Gretchen Reeves, a sales representative with Houston-based boutique distributor Vintage Select Wines, started working with Messenger a year ago, and said Woodlands Wine has done well hosting private events.

Reeves remembers one private event hosted at a home in Carlton Woods where a winemaker helped pair one of its unique wines to the dinner and then gave guests an option of purchasing the wine at the end of the evening.

"Kelly is doing a lot to be 'nichey,' and is finding her customers something special," she said.

Hearing that one of her customers enjoyed a bottle of wine the store helped choose for them is one of her favorite business rewards, Messenger said. And that's why, ultimately, she seeks to create an atmosphere where customers look forward to coming into Woodlands Wine and finding the right bottle of wine to go with whatever they are doing, whether it be just getting away from the office or planning a dinner party.

"My goal is to have a store relaxed enough where people can pop in, sit down, pull out a book or open their laptops and do some work while enjoying a glass of wine," she said.

Woodlands Wine Company, 6700 Woodlands Pkwy., Ste. 210, The Woodlands, 281-419-9966, www.woodlandswineco.com