Thoughts As 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits Approaches 5 Years in Downtown Minneapolis

I know that I keep talking about time flying by. It must be a function of old age, but it is true, it seems like the pace of time and change is accelerating with each passing day. For example, in a scant four weeks it will be 2020! HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???

One month from today will be the fifth anniversary of 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits’ store in downtown Minneapolis! Where did the time go? We have made a lot of new friends in the past five years and we cherish each and every one of you. THANK YOU!

I think I just got ahead of myself.

Before we get to 2020 (and our Anniversary Sale), let’s get through the parties and celebrations big and small that lead up to and include Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, New Years Eve, and, of course, the Gophers’ Bowl Game! For all of those celebrations we would like to remind you that NOBODY returns the gift of alcohol. In fact, you can even try some of the craft beer, wine and spirits during our in-store craft beer, wine and spirits tastings every weekend - JUST to be sure that the adult beverages you buy will be to the liking of your loved ones.

We hate to bring this up, but by now everyone knows that the President has imposed some tariffs on wine from the European Union as well as distilled spirits from Ireland, Scotland and the EU.

We have not yet reflected these new taxes in our pricing at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits as our suppliers have not yet passed them on to us. Once they do, however, we will be forced to do so. This month may be the last chance to stock up before prices go up! It doesn’t hurt that the next few weeks are a happy time that calls for convivial get-togethers and holiday meals…we are just suggesting that this might be a good time to stock up on your favorite wine and spirits and save some money.

For the past five years, Rob Bonelli has run our fine wine department. Rob has done a fantastic job curating the store, however we have decided to part ways. While we will miss him, we wish him only the best in his next endeavor. We are going to have to work very hard to maintain and improve upon the base that Rob has built for us.

Just a few thoughts on the weather after the snowstorms of the past week. We have indoor parking at 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits. There is no need to park on Washington Avenue , or around the corner on 10th Avenue South and negotiate the parking meters and snow banks. There is an alley on 11th Avenue South that leads into a heated parking area that services all the retail businesses in the Bridgewater Lofts. It is FREE! We appreciate that it might be hard to find the first time, even though we put a big sign out every day to mark the alley. Once you have found it the first time, however, it is pretty easy.

We contract delivery throughout downtown with Rock-It Delivery Systems. These guys are amazing! They deliver almost any size order on bicycles. There is a nominal charge, and of course, they accept gratuities, but it’s a convenience that is also cheaper than calling a cab or an Uber, and deliveries are generally made within an hour.

Have a wonderful, safe Holiday Season! Thank you for your business. Thank you for your friendship these past almost five years. Thank you for your advice and counsel. Thank you for reading this.