After bagging Best Newcomer at the Drinks Retailing Awards last month, Exposed caught up with Tenaya Wine’s Virginia Myers to hear about why this slice of California in Crookes has been turning heads in Sheffield and further afield.
First of all, congrats on the big win! How did it all come about?
Thank you! We applied for the awards last year. It’s quite a rigorous process involving a lot of forms and pictures, but through doing that, we were listed as finalists. The next step is they send a mystery shopper to experience the service and feel of the place – we still don’t know who it was – and there’s also a fairly long interview involved. We definitely had to work for it!
“The attachment that people here have to local independents – not just in Crookes but across the city as a whole – has been a massive thing for us.” image: Ellie Grace Photography
Sounds like it! And how did it feel when your name was announced on the night?
Amazing. The awards were held in London at The Dorchester and the finalists from our category were sat together on a table. It was nice just to be a finalist, of course, but to actually win the award was really exciting. It’s particularly good because when you’re your own boss you don’t necessarily get much feedback, so we now know we’re doing something right.
Sheffield hasn’t had too much nationwide attention with regards to its wine offering, so it’s nice to maybe get the word out there that there are places for great wine here.
You’ve certainly built up a stellar reputation here in Sheffield. What do you think it is that has helped Tenaya Wines stand out?
I think a big part of it is how we’ve created a very welcoming wine space. We try to ensure that it’s not an intimidating experience for customers, where it doesn’t matter how much you know about wines. Everything’s clearly labelled, and we’ve got a decent range between classic wines to a good selection of natural wines – and everything in between those. We like to think that it’s not too overwhelming for the customer. Of course, giving people a drink-in option also helps because they can sample the wines by the glass.
“It was nice just to be a finalist, of course, but to actually win the award was really exciting.” image: Ellie Grace Photography
You’ve been open for around 18 months now. How have you settled into the community up at Crookes?
It’s been great. The attachment that people here have to local independents – not just in Crookes but across the city as a whole – has been a massive thing for us. People are very up for supporting businesses like ours, so we’ve got a lovely customer base who we feel like we’ve got a great relationship with.
We’ve also got a strong relationship with other independents in the area. For example, Tom at No Name will provide us with his menu each week and we’ll recommend wine pairings in the shop for people to buy and take over to the restaurant.
Now that you’ve recovered from the awards celebrations, what’s on the agenda for the remainder of the year?
We’re going to continue with the Wine Club, with the first one beginning in March and then running quarterly. It’s a subscription service where you can get three or six bottles of wine, which we’ll curate around a certain theme, so the upcoming selection will be Spring-related. We do pick-up events when the wines are ready to collect, and you also get a tote bag or t-shirt when you join, plus 5% discount in the shop throughout the subscription. It’s a fun way to keep people connected to the shop.
“I think a big part of it is how we’ve created a very welcoming wine space. We try to ensure that it’s not an intimidating experience for customers, where it doesn’t matter how much you know about wines.” image: Ellie Grace Photography
Crookes Festival is coming up in May, where we’ll be doing a ‘Wine Walk’. People will be able to get a glass from us and go visit the other independent shops and businesses. There’ll be plenty of other bits going on that weekend, so it’s something we’re really looking forward to.
We’ve recently been on the hunt at tastings for a selection of new wines specifically chosen for the spring months, so keep an eye out for those arriving on the shelves soon.
Tasty. You do regular themed nights at the shop too?
Yeah, every month we’ll have wine and cheese tasting on a particular theme. Next month it’s a Spanish theme, and then in April, we have the Loire Valley. These are an ongoing collaboration with Porter Brook Deli on Sharrow Vale Road.
We’ve also got a ceramics workshop coming up soon. We want to make sure we’ve got a good range of events going on, not things that are learning just about wine but a range of crafts – and, of course, you can enjoy a glass of wine while you do it!
Follow @tenaya_wine or head to tenayawine.co.uk for the latest news on events and additions to the shop’s range of wines – curated with a focus on female producers and sustainability.
