By Jane Keller Gordon, Contributing Writer
Westborough – Experienced retailers Dan Lepore and Darrald Mitchell have carefully crafted their new wine, beer and spirits store, Cork & Grain, on the Westborough rotary, in the space where the Westborough Package Store was located for nearly a century. Featuring well-priced local spirits, smaller-production wine and beer, weekly wine and beer tastings, and a “Cork Club,” the immaculate, well-designed store is open daily for long hours.
“Customer service is our first priority. We hand-select our products, and help our customers make great choices,” Lepore said. “Either Darrald or myself are always here.”
Lepore and Mitchell met at the Framingham Walgreens, where they both worked in management. Lepore also had experience in restaurant management, and Mitchell in a package store.
Wanting to go into business together, they took a lot of time to figure out a direction.
“We know retail, so we decided that a store would be our strong suit,” Lepore commented.
After deciding on opening a wine, beer and spirits store, it took over a year to find the right location. Lepore lives with his family in Woburn, and Mitchell lives with his in Auburn. Westborough was the right spot.
Lepore and Mitchell, along with their wives, spent hours combing the internet for design ideas for the store.
“We had lots of pins on Pinterest,” Lepore said.
The results are seen in the fine wooden wine racks and the whimsical slogans written on the walls. Lepore’s favorite is by Homer Simpson: “Beer is the cause and solution of all of life’s problems.”
Helping customers find a solution is key to the concept of Cork & Grain.
“For example, when customers stop in looking for Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, we introduce them to New Zealand’s Tokoeka Estate Sauvignon Blanc. We see a lot of repeat purchases of Tokoeka,” Lepore said. “It’s become one of our best selling wines. As a boutique store, we’re able to carry more unique, high quality wines.”
As for spirits, the store is stocked with a variety of local options. V One Vodka, for example, is a favorite. This Polish vodka, in several flavors, is bottled in central Massachusetts, and sold in a limited number of stores.
The store features lots of options for cold beer, both craft and mainstream. There’s a walk-in cooler with cases, and a wall of coolers with 12 and 18 packs.
Wine tastings are held every Thursday night from 5-7:30 p.m. On Fridays (from 5-7:30 p.m.) and Saturdays (afternoon to early evening), the store alternates between wine, beer and spirit tastings. They can also host wine tastings events offsite or at the store.
The Cork Club offers discounts on wine.
“If you buy 12 bottles of wine and bring in signed corks, we’ll give you a 15 percent discount on your next wine purchase,” Lepore said.
Signed corks are starting to fill up a clear display in the front of the wine tasting bar.
The store is located at 3 South St. It is open Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more information, call 508-329-1571 or visit www.corkandgrain.com or their Facebook page.