Second Liquor Store Opens Soon

Barrington’s second liquor store is about three weeks away from opening at 24 Bosworth St.

Matthew Amaral plans to open Grapes & Grains fine wines and spirits on March 10 -- three Saturdays from now. He can hardly wait, although he’s still unsure if he will have a soft opening or a grand opening.

Amaral’s enthusiasm has not subsided since the Barrington Town Council awarded the town’s first-ever liquor license to him last fall. He introduced his general manager on Presidents' Day at an office on Water Street in Warren.

Peter Andrews was hired about two weeks ago to manage and bring his specialized knowledge of wines and spirits to the shop. He is finishing up a master’s program in hospitality at Johnson & Wales University and already holds certificates as a specialist in spirits (CSS) and wines (CSW).

“He’s bringing energy and excitement and knowledge to the position,” said Amaral. “I interviewed six people and I knew I wanted him from the start.”

Although only 23, Andrews said, “I’ve been studying wines for five years, since 18, as part of my college curriculum."

Andrews is a native of Charlottesville, Va. He earned an associate's degree from the Johson and Wales campus in Charlotte, N.C., and moved to Rhode Island to earn his B.A. from Johnson and Wales. He was working at Zooma Trattoria on Federal Hill in Providence and at a Warwick liquor store before being hired by Amaral.

Andrews also has some hands-on experience picking grapes. He worked at the Italian vineyard that produces the Iuli brand of organic wines from hand-picked grapes.

“We want to build a trust with our customers,” said Andrews. “We want to know what they like. We want their recommendations.”

Andrews said the shop will carry “not-so-common varietal wines from smaller regions in the old and new worlds,” including organic varieties. “There will not be a lot of mainstream wines,” he said.

“You won’t walk into a warehouse,” said Amaral. “This will be a much more intimate place.”

The shop’s opening inventory, in fact, is expected to change and evolve as “we cater to requests and get to know our customers,” he said.

“What can we bring that they’d be willing to try?” said Andrews, who has been doing a significant amount of wine tasting since he started.

Grapes & Grains, of course, will carry spirits -- especially “small-batch liquors that are a little different and, maybe, a little cheaper,” Andrews said.

The store also will carry a variety of beers, including “craft beers” that “customers can mix and match in six-packs,” Andrews said.

Amaral said he also plans to install a “touch-screen kiosk that will help customers pair up food with wines.” And he hopes to add a wine-tasting dispenser and a help-yourself coffee, cappuccino and latte dispenser for customers who want to browse the store’s inventory.

Amaral also is considering “in-home tasting of paired wines and foods.”

First, of course, the shop has to open. If construction goes as expected, and “I get my beer cooler on time,” Amaral said, opening day for Barrington’s second liquor store is about three weeks away.

Yes, 2012 will be quite a year for Amaral and his wife, Luciana. The store will open in a few weeks and they will see the birth of their second child in about four months.