It seems ironic that John Allen's favorite type of wine, amarone, is one that remains largely under the radar, at least in America. Allen, the owner of Vino! in downtown Spokane since 1995, says his fascination with the expressive Italian wine, made from grapes that are left to dry and raisin before being pressed and fermented, stems from his introduction to the Italian wine more commonly made from those grapes, Valpolicella, early in his "wine-curious" days. He carries just three renditions of amarone at Vino!
For the less adventurous, he also carries anywhere between 700 and 1,000 different bottlings at any given time from all of the world's top wine regions and a few barely known at all (including a pinot noir from Tasmania, which Allen describes as "one of the prettiest I've ever tasted").
In the shop's front room, there are selections from Washington, Oregon, California, Europe and South America, as well as a "ready to go" selection of wines that need no further aging and are priced under $20.
"It used to be under $15, but everything has gone up," Allen laments.
The selection is constantly evolving as new vintages come in and new wineries are introduced.
Farther back in the shop, a tasting room beckons. There, where wine-education classes once were held regularly; the programming has evolved to flights with various themes.
"Chateau Ste. Michelle has done a great job of educating people in the Northwest about the high quality of Washington wine — how Washington shares climatic characteristics with some of the world's greatest wine regions," Allen says. "So, now, it's more about expanding knowledge and creating food-and-wine experiences, although we will host classes — just not as often."
The tasting room also exhibits works by local artists on a rotating basis.
Venturing farther still into the bowels of Vino!, one encounters the heart of the operation: the space devoted to Allen's "wine of the month club." There, about 90% of the 1,000 bins for club members are currently occupied.
Allen says he is proud of the club because, each month, it exposes members to wines they'd otherwise never taste — such as the aforementioned Tasmanian pinot noir. Members may opt for wines under $15 (Award Series), under $20 (Classic Series), under $30 (Collector Series) or under $50 (Prestige Red). Further, each wine is "guaranteed," meaning that if a member doesn't like it, they can bring it back and exchange it for another bottle selected by the staff; no questions asked.
"When you get down to it, we are in the endorsement business," Allen says. "Everything we sell, we curate and endorse as a good representation of its type. People are seldom disappointed."
Like many businesses, Vino! was not an overnight success. There were other smaller locations before it settled into the space it has now occupied for nearly a quarter-century.
"I love what I do," Allen says. "We're a small but mighty team of four and a half people (four full-timers and one part-timer), and we really enjoy helping people get excited about wine."
2nd PLACE: The Tipsy Vine
3rd PLACE: (tie) Nectar Wine & Beer, Wanderlust Delicato
NORTH IDAHO'S BEST: Base Camp Wine & Co., CdA
