Beer, Wine & Spirits in Oswego

Following layoffs from corporate jobs, Jeffrey Durbin and Michael Banko decided to pursue their passion for wine. Drawing on travels to wineries all over the country, they opened The Gourmet Grape in 2003. During weekly two-hour tastings, they guide customers on a culinary tour across the globe, with stops including the United States, Chile, and New Zealand. Racks of fine international wines stock the shelves, as well as gourmet olive oils, vinegars, chocolates, tea, glassware, and decorative tableside accents. Like the stork when he’s in a pleasant mood, the duo bundles its wares in gift baskets, which cradle wines, chocolates, candles, and specialty flavored cheeses.

Food & Wine magazine has drawn editor-in-chief Dana Cowin's expertise of all things edible for 17 years. The monthly publication introduces readers to unique ingredients and up-and-coming chefs, as well as home-entertainment tips and wine-pairing advice. Restaurant reviews suggest new eateries to try when you don't want to dirty your dishes or attempt to pronounce “worcestershire sauce,” and articles about international food provide constant culinary inspiration.

"Travel + Leisure is a celebration of travel," says editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod. Browsing the magazine's table of contents reveals the truth of this statement; an affection for the road shines through in articles about domestic and international destinations, tech tips for sightseers, and glossy photos of stunning locales. Writers bring to life seasonal festivities around the world and weigh in on the best hotels, resorts, and wax museums with unobservant guards. Themes covered include adventure vacations, eco-travel, and kid-friendly trips.

WineStyles’ inspiration for its wine-tasting parties began, of all places, at a backyard barbecue. Some friends at the barbecue found themselves with too many bottles of wine. As an experiment, they decided to taste the wines blindly, so as not to be influenced by price or packaging. This impromptu tasting became the template for WineStyles, a boutique designed to help you choose a wine simply by taste. That is, wines here aren’t categorized by varietal or region, but instead by one of eight taste profiles: crisp, silky, rich, and bubbly for whites; fruity, mellow, bold, and nectar for reds. However, patrons interested in knowing more about their selected bottle can still do so—each bottle comes with a description of its characteristics and suggested food pairings.

Those looking to learn even more about wines can attend one of WineStyles’ weekly tastings or discovery classes. During these events, certified specialists explore everything from the history of different varietals to current trends in wine drinking, such as which wine goes best with texting. Different levels of wine-club membership give participants two to three bottles a month (each selected by a Masters Wine Panel), invitations to private tastings, and discounts toward additional purchases.

What was supposed to be a vacation to Napa changed Christopher Libby’s life. Visiting California's thriving vineyards made him realize that life was too short to dislike his career, so he quit his job. He then enrolled in school, became an executive sommelier, and beat Liza Minnelli in a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to win the right to name his wine shop Life’s A Cabernet. Inside, floor-to-ceiling cubbies highlight Libby's main fare—500 unique bottles of wine—though his shelves also display a collection of 75 craft beers, small-batch scotch and whisky, and handcrafted gin and tequila. In the spirit of wine appreciation, Christopher leads a club through which members receive a bottle of wine each month that he chooses, often a white, red, or bubbly vintage that pairs with the seasons.

In order to manage a collection of almost 10,000 libations, the staff at Sal's Beverage World must know their stuff when it comes to wine, spirits, and beers. The massive shop stocks shelves with bottles of wine from popular labels such as The Naked Grape and Snap Dragon, as well as 90+ point wines from Chateau Angelus. The inventory also boast more than 2,000 beers artfully brewed by domestic and foreign companies including Hoppin' Frog and Bear Republic craft breweries, while down the liquor aisles shelves are lined with a hearty collection of whiskeys, cognacs, and aperitifs, such as the Italian Cynar and Pernod 80 Proof. Sal's drink specialists also provide party planning services, regular beverage tastings, and run the Bacchus Wine Club, which offers members access to exclusive tastings of wine and ambrosia.