Downtown Wine and Gourmet

Photo by Matt Styer

Jay Monger displays a sample of his merchandise in the shop he helped to start, Harrisonburg Downtown Wine and Gourmet. Monger graduated from EMU in 2002 with degrees in Economics and JPCS.

EMU and the greater Mennonite community are known for being against alcohol, at least publicly, but this didn't stop three EMU graduates from opening Downtown Wine & Gourmet. This humble shop, located at 20 Water Street near Finnegan's and Spanky's, is packed wall-to-wall with a wide selection of wine, beer, and gourmet food.

While acknowledging that alcohol is still a touchy subject within the Mennonite community, co-owner Amanda Monger is proud of what she and two other EMU alumni are doing.

"I completely agree with EMU's policy of no alcohol on campus, but once students are of age and living off campus I don't think there is anything wrong with it if people use it responsibly," said Amanda. "In my opinion, it's harmful that so many people are brought up to think alcohol is such a bad thing. In many ways I think this attitude makes it more desirable and tends to lead kids to use it irresponsibly when they get their hands on it."

It all started when one of the owners spent part of his EMU cross-cultural in France, where he learned to appreciate wine. There he learned that wine was about spending time with friends, sharing and discussing flavors and combinations of food and wine, more than it was about drinking.

When he returned home, he and his friend realized that Charlottesville was the closest place they could buy their favorite wines. They decided to start their own store.

Jay Monger (husband of Amanda) had a full-time job with his family business, Monger Lumber, but Amanda was able to work full-time on the project.

Very soon after they began to look for a location, they found out that the old record shop downtown would be leaving and the building would be available.

"We felt very lucky that we were able to find this location. It was very important for us to be downtown," said Amanda. "We did a lot of the work ourselves, which helped us to save money. We were fortunate that we had access to supplies and could borrow tools from my husband's work as well.’Äù

A review:

The shop has a small, cozy feel with most of the wall space dedicated to wine racks. As I am by no means a connoisseur of fine wine, it is often fairly daunting to go into a fancy wine shop where I feel like I'm out of my league and shouldn't touch anything. However, this shop maintains a casual atmosphere despite its classiness. The people there won't scoff at you if you stumble over the pronunciation of Beaujolais Nouveau.

While some bottles of wine were in the $30-$50 range, others were priced under $10. I told Jeb, the other owner, that I wanted to spend $10 on food products and I had a $20 gift certificate to spend on beverages. When he left his stool behind the counter and ventured out into the store, I could see he was in his element. This wasn't just a job for him, but was something he was passionate about. Jeb gave me information and stories about the many varieties and styles of wine and beer in the store. By the time I left I was quite excited about the products he suggested.

For food, he suggested that I get the Emmi Fondue for $7.99 and a locally made Warfel's Peppermint Patty for $1.50. With tax, this came out to an almost perfect $9.97.

I started out with the peppermint patty since I could hardly stand looking at the dark chocolate without eating it. It was hard to judge the quality of the chocolate itself since the strong minty center was overpowering, but it was good nonetheless. I made the fondue later that same evening for a group or friends. The cheese was premixed along with the other ingredients and sealed in a foil pouch, which made it very easy to prepare. Judging by how fast we went through the baguette and crackers I had accompanying it, it must have been pretty good.

As for the alcohol, I asked him to suggest beverages with a focus on variety and value as opposed to top-shelf quality. I told him that I tend to favor beer over wine, so he made sure to include some in the mix. He picked a Spanish red wine labeled Protocolo by Domino de Eguren for $5.99, and an Italian white wine called Colobello VDP. Since they have recently started offering single bottles of beer that are individually priced, he made me a four pack of 12-ounce bottles that included The Mad Elf Holiday Ale from Troegs Brewing Co. in Harrisburg, Pa, Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale from North Coast Brewing Co. in California, 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head in Delaware, and Original Munich lager from Paulaner in Germany. With tax these items came out to $22.02.

As for wine, I really enjoyed the Spanish wine that Jeb recommended. It was a dark ruby red color and it smells like, well, red wine. The most prominent name on the label was Protocolo. I am unsure whether Protocolo is the variety of grape or the name of the guy who squeezes the stuff. The flavor is fairly sweet and fruity but dry enough to separate it from some of those sickly sweet dessert wines.

I was eager to try the 60 Minute India Pale Ale (IPA) because Dogfish Head is one of my favorite American breweries. The 60 Minute poured golden in color with a light, lacy head. The beer had a mild woody aroma with a telling smell of hops (bitterness). The 60 Minute had an intense hoppy flavor with a crisp, highly carbonated texture. The highly bitter hops flavor usually is disagreeable to my tastes and I prefer sweeter ales with more of a malt flavor. While the 60 Minute has a strong hop flavor, the bitterness does not linger and taint your mouth like Redhook's IPA. If you are a self-proclaimed "hophead," this beer is for you.

The beer that surprised me most was the Mad Elf. Having had a disappointing experience with a Nut Brown Ale from Troegs previously, I didn't expect much. I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first taste to experience a rich, fruity Belgian double style that is usually only found in 750 ml corked bottles made by Trappist monks in Belgium. Further inspection of the bottle showed that it was a seasonal ale brewed with cherries and honey. The initial taste was the sour/sweet flavor of cherries with a present but not overpowering aftertaste of alcohol and yeast. If I had realized it was a beer of this variety I would have drank it a little warmer, so after a few sips I put my glass next to the stove.

The Mad Elf has the strangely high alcohol content of 11%. That is double the content of most beers. Surprisingly, the Elf manages to tame the alcohol and make it a pleasant drink. However, I recommend limiting yourself to just one, or sharing a bottle with an over-21 friend on a cold, off-campus evening.