Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Einstein.
Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
When I turned 21 ,I was determined to understand why people love wine so much and began my lifelong journey of tasting, drinking and pairing wines. I’ve had the opportunity to drink wines across Italy, France, Greece, Oregon, California and other lesser-known wine regions. This all resulted in a retirement dream to open my own wine retail store.
My previous career was as an HR Executive. My role changed a lot during the Covid years and I lost the joy that used to accompany my career. I like to joke that I was drinking so much wine to cope with HR, I decided that should be my day job. My wife encouraged me to start my own wine business and we embarked on opening Winestein’s Tasting Room in Grapevine, Texas – a city with an incredible wine culture.
We focus on small & boutique wineries from around the world serving delicious wines with a focus on value and a side of education. We’re a place where you can relax with a friend over a glass of wine, taste a wine before you commit to buying the bottle, or try different wine flights comparing wines across locations or varietals. We offer regular events hosted by wine producers and others in the industry to taste and learn about wine. The only thing better than a glass of wine is great people to share it with and knowledge about the wine you’re drinking. Winestein’s provides the place for all of that.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s challenging starting a small business from scratch – especially when it’s a unique concept like a “tasting room.” We’ve been fortunate to have great support from Grapevine city leaders and the community.
Our biggest challenge has been getting the word out about our place and product. Marketing, online and traditional, offers a lot of opportunities to throw money away. Our members have done an amazing job of spreading the word and volunteering for our events.
We certainly didn’t have a finished product when we first opened our doors, but listening to our guests and bringing them value has helped deliver a great space and membership club.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Winestein’s is a wine-focused tasting room offering wines by the glass, wine flights, special events and wine retail. I am a Certified Specialist of Wine with a robust experience in the restaurant service industry. We are known as having the best wine menu in town. We want to make sure our guests know about the wines they drink. We cover each wine in a flight so guests understand what makes them unique from each other.
Our food options have been a big hit since we opened. Our customers love our charcuterie boards chocked full of meats, cheeses, and other foods that pair well with wine. We make our own olive-oil crackers, cheeseball, house nut blend, and pickled vegetables.
We’re most proud of our club membership. Members get to taste 12 wines each month and select 2 bottles as part of their membership. It’s a great opportunity to try wines you’ve never heard of and you’re guaranteed to get wines you’re excited to drink each month. Members also receive additional discounts on bottles, food purchases and tasting events.
We’re unique in delivering value-forward wines with information people want to know about the wines. While we provide tasting notes for all our wines, we trust our guests to know what they’re tasting and how their enjoying a glass of wine. We let them know where the wine comes from, why that matters and how that impacts what they’re experiencing in the glass. Most people who enjoy wine want to know more about wine, but without being talked down to. We talk up our guests and inform them about the wine at their leisure while providing outstanding service. Exceptional Service, Delicious Wines, Relaxed Atmosphere, that’s Winestein’s in a nutshell
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My wife is my main support and business partner. She’s an amazing entrepreneur, cheerleader and help around the business. It was she who suggested we pursue an SBA loan, which connected us with Rex Steele, a SBA advisor in Tarrant County. He really helped us hone our business plan and find funding for our dream.
P.W. McCallum and Dan Weinberger and community and business leaders in Grapevine and really helped us get started successfully and provide outstanding advice. I can’t name every single one of our club members, but we have some amazing members who have made it their mission to advance our cause. We wouldn’t be anywhere without their passion and support.
Pricing:
- Wines by the glass priced between $10-$25
- Bottles priced between $20-$150 with the majority between $30 and $60
- Events range between $20-$89
- Memberships options are $65 or $85 month
- Private party options starting at $25/person
Contact Info:
- Website: https://winesteinstastingroom.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winesteins.tasting.room/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winesteinsgrapevine/
