Wines, Wines And More Wine. Specialty Wine Shop Arrives At Lawrenceville’s Historic Square

Niko's Wine Corner located on the historic Lawrenceville downtown square offers wine by the glass in house and for purchase to go. Owner Niko Patel said they will soon carry more than 1000 labels.

LAWRENCEVILLE — For those who appreciate and enjoy tasting and buying bottles of fine wine, Gwinnett County’s historic downtown Lawrenceville square just got a fantastic new addition — Niko’s Wine Corner, located at 178 E. Crogan St., Suite 210.

For Niko Patel, a 12-year veteran of the industry who also owns a package store in Snellville on Scenic Highway, the opening of his new specialty wine shop along with partner Leslie Maske is a dream come true. 

What makes the new store unique to Gwinnett County and different from his other store, Patel said, is the ability to offer patrons a “try before you buy” experience, meaning besides selling bottles to go, wine by the glass is also available to those who visit.   

“I’ve always wanted to do this kind of set up where you can sit down and can drink and try different wines because there are so many good wines out there,” Patel said. “Not everyone knows all these labels so people can expand their palette and knowledge of different wines. It also helps me to understand my customer’s taste when they try it so the next time I can recommend something else.”

To commemorate the store’s opening Friday, hundreds showed up Saturday afternoon for a wine tasting and to nibble on fruits and cheeses in order to sample some of Niko’s 500 selections currently available. Patel said like his store in Snellville, he’ll soon have more than 1000 labels on hand in Lawrenceville. In the coming months after a city ordinance change, he’s also expecting to sell craft and high gravity beers. But he said the selections you’ll find at his shops are different from that of typical package stores or supermarkets, which he said oftentimes, carry many of the same, well known labels that you’ll find in many stores.  

“Most of the typical package stores you find won’t have the selections I have,” Patel said. “The beauty of wine is that you don’t have to buy a good bottle of wine and pay too much money for it. There are a lot of quality wines that are inexpensive,” Patel said. “Most package stores also focus on liquor, on alcohol. My focus is on wines, and on unique wines and quality wines. I try to find labels that got better quality than what you pay for. My labels are not well known and I like to offer many choices.”

Patel said finding the right location for the store was integral in why he chose locating at the historic downtown square. He specifically mentioned the neighborhood’s vitality, the tourists that visit and the niche small businesses popping up all around it. To hear Patel in his own words on why he always wanted to open a specialty wine store, what he referred to as “his library,” click here.

From left, Shane Hill, Jason Lancaster and Joyce Harvey prepare to sample one of Con Vinum's samples as wine consultant Bill Reynolds looks on and waits for their reaction. Con Vinum currently has four labels for sale at Niko's Wine Corner and their Cotes Du Rhone was a big hit at Saturday's wine tasting.

Wine Consultant Bill Reynolds of Con Vinum Wines was one of a few people on hand Saturday pouring glasses for sample. One in particular that many seemed to enjoy was “Ferraton’s Cotes Du Rhone,” a 2007 French red blend that seemed to have everyone talking as they sampled.  

“People really have shown a fondness for that one,” Reynolds said.

“I think it tastes very good,” said one taster. “It would be very good with pork.”

“And barbeque,” Reynolds added. “McCray’s Tavern carries it and it’s great with a hamburger off the grill, too.”

The wine was rated 89 out of 100 by Robert Parker.

“The Cotes Du Rhone is excellent,” said Al Brochu, who came out in support of Patel after having been a customer at his other store. “It’s smooth, light and refreshing. It’s a great wine.”

 The wine consultant Reynolds agreed with Patel about the advantage to wine shopping at a specialty shop as opposed to a package liquor store or supermarket.

“This store offers a lot greater variety of hard-to-find-wines, smaller producers and wines that you may not find anywhere else,” Reynolds said. “I think it’s fabulous and that they are off to a great start.”

Reynolds also had a great answer that could sum up the experience of shopping at a wine specialty store like Niko’s. When asked how he became a wine consultant, Reynolds said, “First you learn to fall in love with wine and all the things that it adds to life, in terms of knowledge about the world, in terms of friendliness with food and in terms of making new friends,” he said. “Wine adds a lot to life.”

Stop in at Niko's Wine Corner for a glass of vino or a bottle to go.

Niko’s Wine Corner is currently open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. For more information, on the Web visit www.nikoswinecorner.com or phone 770-962-0348.

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