Effie Stees knows the magic of a good bottle of wine. Wine classes and romantic dinners formed the backdrop for the beginning of her relationship with her husband, Brad, who co-owns Envy Wine Room with her.

“Our love story opened up over a bottle of wine,” Stees said.

Two years ago, Brad and Effie opened the wine room attached to the couple’s clothing and gift boutique, Why Not Envy Me, on Gentry Street in Old Town Spring.

While the boutique—which opened in 2012—stocks women’s clothing, accessories, home decor and candles, the wine room extends its theme of indulgence to both men and women.

Envy Wine Room offers more than 200 wines by the bottle from around the world and sells 90 varieties by the glass, most of which she said are not commonly available in retail stores.

“We handpick our wines—we get to know the winemakers, wine producers and brand ambassadors,” Stees said. “They’ve come and visited with us and we bring them into our family.”

Stees said she wants to challenge people’s perceptions of wine drinking as a “stuffy” pursuit.

“If you come in more than once, I will remember your name and what you drink, and you are now my friend,” she said.

The owners also make house sangria, combining up to 15 different wines with fruit and letting the mixture sit to soak up the flavors.

An information card accompanies each of the shop’s wine varieties. Additionally, Effie guides customers to an appropriate wine.

Every two or three weeks, Envy Wine Room holds wine dinners in partnership with a neighboring gastropub, The Provisioner’s Tale, in which a wine expert is sometimes featured. The business also hosts a wine club to allow customers to try specialty wines. Guest can learn about the wine-making process in the club.

Stees said she wants classes, clubs and live music performances at the wine room to create a close-knit community of well-educated wine lovers.

“We want people to walk away feeling genuinely loved,” she said.

Envy Wine Room

317 Gentry St., Ste. D1, Spring 281-528-9868 www.envywineroom.com Hours: Tue.-Thu. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.,Sun. noon-6 p.m. Closed Mon.