The brown paper taken down two days ago has revealed a handsome new wine shop, The Finer Winer, set to open in Katonah next week.

If you’ve been wondering, as I have, what’s been going on behind the sealed windows the last few months, the answer is the most prominent feature of the store—handmade cabinetry, constructed from Washington redwood, lines both walls and fills the center of the room, ready to be stocked with wine and spirits.

“We’ve been building it for the last four months right here in the store,” said Dino Turchioe, co-owner of the store. Turchioe designed the wine shelving and he and his partner, Fabio Ricci, completed the installation.

In addition to being a wine enthusiast—as his business card describes him—Turchioe has had a varied career including owning a construction company and a wireless deer fencing company. Ricci has restaurant experience and formerly owned the Carvel ice cream shop in Bedford Hills. The two men live in Valahalla and their children grew up together.  

When asked why Bedford needed another wine shop, with Fountainhead and Katonah Wines nearby, Turchio said their approach is personal and they were committed to the community.

“We’re here for at least 15 years, so we want people to like us and trust us,” he said. “We think our presentation is different.”

Floor-to-ceiling murals of wine landscapes set off walls painted burgundy and white. Five flat-screen televisions broadcast soft music and images from vineyards in France; Turchioe said that he’d vary the video selections to feature different growers from around the world with whom he works.

A wet bar with two sinks and a refrigerator is set up in the back of the store. The owners plan to host wine tastings and classes, taught by sommelier Lawrence La Manna.

Turchioe said their inventory would include a global selection of wines plus spirits.

“Some new retailers purchase a database to open a store—we’ve tasted and hand-selected over 900 wines to sell,” he said.

While they don’t plan to specialize in any one region, he said he thinks New York wines are underappreciated and plans to have a solid representation of state wines and local scotches.

“New world” wines will be featured on the northern wall and “old world” wines will fill the center of the store. Selections will be available at all price points, said Ricci. “We know the $10 to $20 range is popular so we’ll have plenty of brands there, like Blackstone,” he said. “But we’ll also carry higher-end wines, like Cakebread and Opus One.”

For the next week or so the two men will stock the shelves, and continue to meet with vendors and anyone who walks into the store to say hello. They plan to be active members of the business community and support local causes, said Turchioe, who had already collected a stack of business cards from organizations in just a few days.

The Finer Winer is located at 134 Bedford Road in Katonah. Beginning next week, the hours will be Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday noon – 6 p.m. The phone number is (914) 232-1900.

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