Reed Street Bottle Shop at center of neighborhood revival
Susan Baldaserini and Shai Kessler took a bit of a gamble in 2016 when the former Brooklyn dwellers opened Reed Street Bottle Shop in Coxsackie.
“When we opened, there was not much activity on the street — a bank, a post office, a real estate office and the State Telephone Company,” Baldaserini said. “More buildings were boarded up than occupied, and some people thought we were crazy.
“We saw the potential and we jumped at the opportunity. Fast forward six years, Reed Street now boasts a bustling restaurant, a general store, a bookstore/cafe, a stationery shop, a toy shop, an antique shop and loads of new businesses on the way.”
Nestled in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, the shop specializes in wine from small and independent producers. Customers can also find a selection of spirits and ciders.
“Often, people come in and say, ‘Oh, wow, I’ve never seen any of these before,’” Baldaserini said.
“We have a robust collection of wines from Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe. We also have a large collection of New York state wine and spirits,” she said.
The shop’s shelves are full with wines that are produced by wineries that use sustainable and organic practices and limit the use of additives and sulfites.
“The grape does all the work. The grape decides what the wine is going to be,” she said.
Baldaserini said she and her partner strive to make customers feel comfortable exploring the shop’s inventory of off-the-beaten-path products, and that includes offering options that are affordable.
“Value is the important thing. We have a $13-and-under table in the middle of the shop,” she said. “Our greatest objective is that customers leave the shop feeling confident that they got a great bottle at a great value. We try to take away all of the pretentiousness that can sometimes be associated with buying or choosing wine. If we can get a customer to be curious about a grape varietal, or try a new wine region, or come in the next time to tell us the wine was a perfect pairing with their cheese board, or Moroccan stew, or Sunday brunch, then we've done our job.”
Baldaserini is a graphic designer who formerly worked for a cookbook publisher as a designer and creative director. Kessler worked as a chef in several New York City restaurants.
“Food and beverage has always been a thing for us,” she said.
The pair realized their shared dream of bringing specialty wines to consumers after taking classes and attending wine tastings. Kessler left his restaurant job and took a job in a Brooklyn wine shop to learn the business.
Four years after launching the business, the shop felt the pandemic’s impact.
“Like most small businesses, 2020 and 2021 were a bit of a roller coaster for us,” she said. “There are some pivots we made during the pandemic that we'll certainly hold on to, such as an online store and slightly reduced hours. There are other things we'll want to grow and expand into, over time, like informal wine tastings, and possibly structured classes based around specific wine regions or varietals.”
Meanwhile, the shop owners enjoy providing a high level of customer service and building a loyal customer base.
“We love our customers, and we have many local patrons who have been our champions and supporters from day one,” she said.
For more information, visit reedstreet
bottleshop.com.
327 Main Street
