New Wine Shop for Bay View

A new specialty wine retailer could make its home in Bay View sometime this summer.

Husband-and-wife team Bradley and Allison Kruse hope to open their new venture, called Nonfiction Wine Company, at 800 E. Potter Ave. by early July. Bradley Kruse says they still have at least a month of work to do, and they are currently amidst the licensing and inspection processes. “If everything comes together, we would like to open sooner,” says Kruse. “We would like to be up and running this summer.”

The new shop will be a culmination of the couple’s interests. Nonfiction Wine Company will focus on “natural, organic and biodynamic wines,” according to Kruse. “That’s our big passion,” he says. “We’ve both been really into this for years.”

The couple developed their love of wine slowly over time. Both have experience in the service industry, and partially learned about wine by through work. To Bradley Kruse, part of the allure of wine is the process of honing one’s personal taste. “It takes you to a different place trying to find what you like and why,” he says. “You go into different directions and learn more every time.”

A guide may not be necessary, but is certainly helpful when it comes to exploring one’s palate. “When you find shops with someone really passionate they can give you tips and tell you about the wines,” he says. “There’s not a place in Bay View to really get that experience.”

The focus on natural and organic wines promotes companies that care about how their product is made. Kruse says wine labeling is often mysterious and it’s difficult to tell exactly where a wine is coming from and what ingredients are in it it. According to Kruse, natural and organic wines stand out because there is “a lot of respect into what goes into [them],” and their ingredients are not heavily manipulated. “It’s all about how they farm it and how they treat the grapes,” he says. The process also allows batches of wine to have a unique taste every time. Organic production lets the wine “express what it actually wants to instead of forcing it into what they expect or want it to taste,” he says.

Nonfiction will make it more convenient to purchase these types of wines. Kruse says that while more people and restaurants are getting into the natural and organic movement, there still is not enough accessibility. Some shops have started to carry natural and organic wines, but it is typically a small selection. “It’s already kind of an up-and-coming movement, and we’re happy to have a chance to bring it to people and show them what we love.”

Nonfiction’s selection will be ever-changing, and will feature small producers. Because small producers make batches in limited quantities, Nonfiction will also be mindful of what other businesses nearby are carrying. “We want to carry something for everybody, but we don’t want to step on the toes of anyone around us,” Kruse says.

Legally the company cannot do “huge” tastings, but Nonfiction plans to do small tastings on a regular basis to bring people in to try new samples. Kruse says they are also open to doing larger, off-site tastings, special events and partnerships with nearby businesses.

While no extensive renovations are planned, Kruse says they will be working on making the space “clean, open, comfortable and welcoming.”

Tentative hours for Nonfiction Wine Company will be 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. The shop will be closed on Monday.

800 E. Potter Ave.