Myriah Pahl and Jason Merritt check off Big Tree Bottles’ first wine delivery. — Photo by Jeremy Sapienza
Tonight another piece of the Bogart retail puzzle is popped in place as Big Tree Bottles, the neighborhood’s newest wine shop, opens at the corner of Moore Street.
Myriah Pahl and Jason Merritt, 26, began their entreprenuerial journey almost on a whim.
“My wood shop was across the street, and when they started converting this warehouse into storefronts, we thought, someone smart could really do well with a wine shop there,” said Merritt.
“A couple days later,” continued Pahl, “we thought — we’re smart!”
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Merritt, a woodworker, built all the shelves in the store from reclaimed beams, which together with the corrugated metal light fixtures and stained concrete floor, remind customers they are very much in an industrial neighborhood. Wine barrels, burlap-covered surfaces, and taupe-green walls, along with some plants and a fabulous-70s thrift-store sofa keep the space from feeling too warehouse-like.
When I visited on Wednesday, the shop still smelled of fresh varnish, and the couple were receiving the store’s wine and liquor stock and politely arguing with the deliverymen about a missing case of Sangiovese. “We’re still getting to know our vendors,” said Merritt.
Pahl and Merritt confess their licensing process was quite easy, as these things go. “It can take up to 11 months right now to get a liquor license,” said Pahl. “We were lucky for only having to wait 8 months.”
Big Tree Bottles — named for the large tree growing almost out of the foundation of the building — will stock wine from all over the world without favoring any particular region. “The only thing we will like to focus on a bit more than normal is local and naturally fermented wines.” Natural wines are fermented only with the yeasts present on the skins of the grapes at the time of crushing.
“We discovered there are some excellent Long Island-produced wines, and we hope to carry bottles from several North Fork vineyards,” said Merritt.
The shop will have more wine than liquor, and most bottles will be under $20. “Actually most of those will be around $15, and we will always have a value section around $10 or so,” clarified Pahl. Requests for products will be entertained and delivery will be available within the month.
Visit Big Tree Bottles tonight for the opening wine tasting, 5pm-12am. Snacks will be served and a DJ will be spinning. “It’s not a big party, we just want locals to come meet their neighbors and try some of the wines.” You can even buy a few bottles while you’re at it.
Big Tree Bottles
43 Bogart | 718-894-9463
Ang April 24th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Yes, so excited for this new spot, I feel like we’ve been waiting forever for them to open :) Good to know they will have some moderate priced selections.
Professional Alternative April 24th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
So happy about this, will make getting wine on the way home so much easier!
midge April 26th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
FINALLY!
stopped by for a couple bottles on friday. i’m really psyched about it. most of the bottles seemed to hover in the $15-$18 range though; i’d love to see a bigger selection in the $10-$11 region, but i guess i can’t blame them for trying to get more, since obviously Brooklyn’s Natural proves that all of us are willing to blow a lot of money on the basics. it’s worth it to have them this close.
Andrew April 26th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
It’s great that these guys are open now.
For people within a reasonable distance of the Montrose stop, the “Liquors” store on Bushwick Avenue and Johnson is really, really good for wines, though it doesn’t necessarily look like it from the outside. They have a lot of excellent stuff in the $10-11 range (they give good advice on selections, so just ask). And they probably have the best quality/value mix I’ve seen outside of Trader Joe’s.
Just thought I’d mention that. I don’t know the owner particularly well; I just go in there from time to time.
midge April 27th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
andrew,
yeah, that’s been my go-to place for wine thus far, and it’s a 10-minute walk (not too bad). i live literally around the corner from big tree, though, so i’ll probably be going there a lot more often for wine.
but for liquor, i will probably keep going to the one on bushwick and johnson. i particularly like the McIvor scotch, which is much smoother and nicer than Red Label and only $18.75 per liter. (i noticed the liquor selection at big tree is limited and they didn’t seem to have handles of stuff.)
virginia transplant April 27th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
all I can say is, i’m glad someone in this neighborhood has some balls. good for you guys for getting this place open. its gonna change everything I have no doubt.
Andrew April 28th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Yes this was sorely needed around the Morgan stop. I wish them luck.
Myriah April 28th, 2009 at 5:33 pm
I just wanted to chime in here to let you all know that our stock will have more in the 10-13 dollar range. We were delayed on some shipments last week, so there is more to come soon.
Thanks for all the good wishes!
-Myriah
Dresden July 20th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Sort of left feeling like they treated a well-intentioned local like shit. Tonight. July 20th, 2009. So, uh, fuck you too. I’ll go to the Russian on Graham.