Winecast 25: Nick Vorpagel, Lake Geneva Country Meats

Nick VorpagelHow do the best independent retailers do it? That’s the idea behind today’s podcast with Nick Vorpagel, the third generation at one of my favorite independent wine shops (and the brats aren’t bad, either), Lake Geneva Country Meats in the Wisconsin resort town.

And how does a a butcher shop evolve into a a top-flight wine retailer? We talked about that, as well as Nick’s very brief time in law school; which parts of the world offer the best wine value; and the increase in interest in a Wine Curmudgeon favorite, chenin blanc. Nick also offered some of his best wine values and the best piece of advice for wine drinkers: If you want to learn about wine, you need to drink it. And don’t miss the bit about cutting red wine with water.

Finally, what makes a great wine shop? Nick’s answer is simple: It’s about selling the customer the wine that makes them happy, and not the wine that makes the retailer happy.

Click here to download or stream the podcast, which is about 13 1/2 minutes long and takes up 13 megabytes. The sound quality is good, though there are a couple of spots where it fades in and out and Skype wasn’t up to its usual standards (had to record the podcast a second time, in fact).

2 thoughts on “Winecast 25: Nick Vorpagel, Lake Geneva Country Meats

  • By Nick Vorpagel -

    Thanks for having me on Jeff, I appreciate it!

    • By Wine Curmudgeon -

      Always a pleasure, and you are spot on about the Banfi Collepino

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