Oliver T's in Michigan Adds Taste Testing Room for Wine

Oliver T's is everyone's favorite deli and spirits store, located on Hill Rd. in Grand Blanc, Michigan. It specializes in fine drinking and desserts that are made right in the store. Now in addition to the store, they have added a room for tasting different drinks before making your purchase for a smaller price.

Instead of paying $160 for a bottle of imported wine, you can sample an ounce of the wine for $6 instead. This makes it easier in deciding on what to purchase and if it will be worth the investment made. It gives locals opportunity to taste wines and scotches that they have heard of and never invested into them. Many people have probably tasted their new favorites from a friend or ordered it a bar.

Many other wines that retail for about $40 can be tasted for less than $5, some less than $2. Taste is the important factor.

The owners of the market worked with a local architecture firm to transform the back storage room into a "tasteful" intimate area to test the liquors. It's not designed as a wine bar, but a service to the store to help market their products.

It wasn't an easily planned project. Oliver T's had to first obtain a Class C license in order to set up the backroom and market the samples. This is the same license that is required for bars and restaurants to sell liquor. The state Liquor Control does not issue many Class C licenses to retailers. In the state of Michigan, there are only seven. It took over two years for the license to be granted as one establishment went bankrupt. The license was then granted and transferred to Oliver T's.

It's an expensive ordeal, but in the end, the store is confident that they will get back the investment and then some. Since the open house, they have sold more than 200 samples of different wines and spirits.

In order to sell the samples of more than 80 wines and 40 other alcoholic beverages such as vodkas, a special use permit was also required by the township in which Oliver T's resides. The permit was granted with instructions to only allowing testing to be done between certain hours. Sampling can be done only on weekends. Friday, the testing hours are between 6 and 9 p.m., Saturday is an all day affair, and Sundays only offer noon to 6 p.m. hours.

The plans for the testing room include rotating different beers as well. In the second weekend of December, wine samples will be poured by a specialty wine import company. Throughout the year, the store will also feature winemakers. Each weekend, a new variety of drinks will be rotated and wines will be offered with different seasons and holidays.