Wines And More Milford: Serving Up Spirits and Community Cheer

This Patch article is sponsored by Wines and More Milford.

Wines and More is a family owned and operated wine and spirits shop. We differentiate ourselves by taking tremendous pride in providing our guests with a very “high-touch” experience that is consistently delivered by our friendly and knowledgeable team of experts.

We are proud of our extensive selection of professionally curated wines, spirits, beer, and vast array of seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages. We offer extremely rare wines, have over 200 bottles of wines and spirits available for you to taste before you purchase, and we have our very own barrels of whiskey selected by members of our Whiskey Lovers’ Club.

There is also “More” in our name, and we have a wide selection of special treasures for gifting and to help take your entertaining to the next level. Our strong focus on community led us to commission an artist to create a special Milford Collection, which includes iconic images on high-quality products such as handbags, towels, wine totes, coasters, glasses, and other special items and barware — we love ‘em and think you will too. We are all about celebrating community and are extremely fortunate to be an integral part of the fabric of our fine town. We regularly donate time and money to large and small charities and organizations that help strengthen our community, including the Milford Chamber of Commerce, Milford’s Boys and Girls Club, the Milford Arts Council, Coop’s Organization, Milford Fireworks, Rotary Lobster Bake, and many others…

Patch had a chance to talk with Jeffrey Wilson, owner of Wines and More Milford.

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?

Wilson: Established in 2005, Wines and More at 242 Boston Post Road (Aldi’s Plaza) is a quintessential family owned and operated business that employs between 11 to 15 team members, the majority of whom have grown up, currently live in, and have strong ties to our town.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Wilson: In 2012, I left the “corporate world” behind to pursue wine, one of my many passions. This has been a fun, interesting, constantly evolving journey that is heavily people-centric. I love interacting with our guests and helping them discover new libations.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those words be?

Wilson: Community, Customer Service, Knowledgeable & Friendly Staff, Vast Selection.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Wilson: The pandemic era has presented the most challenges as a business owner as we were, and still are, in largely uncharted territory that is fraught with uncertainty. We have been extremely fortunate to have been deemed “essential” throughout the pandemic, and even more fortunate that our entire team remained healthy.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Wilson: I thoroughly enjoy helping our guests find wines, spirits, and beers to expand their palates. It makes me feel good when our guests share how friendly and knowledgeable our Wines and More team is and how it makes for a truly unique shopping experience. We at Wines and More also take tremendous pride in being very good, and active, members of our community.

Patch: How would you say your business distinguishes itself from the others?

Wilson: As expressed earlier, we here at Wines and More go above and beyond for our guests, from the friendly atmosphere the moment you step into the shop to the care our team members take in assisting each and every shopper. No other wine and spirits shop offers a Tasting Library where guests can try over 200 wines and spirits before they buy.

We love to educate and expand palates, introduce folks to interesting and unique new products, and get something different into their hands. Our staff are experts in their fields, and countless times I’ve heard guests express how impressed they are by the level of knowledge and information we are able to provide about our products, whether it be craft beer to unique wine regions, gin to Single Malt Scotch.

We love working hard to bring you the very best out there. While we have thousands of terrific products on offer, we are always more than happy to bring in something new or make special orders!

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Wilson: Two things come to mind: 1. The more you give in life, the more you get. 2. Do what you like, and the rest will take care of itself.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community? If so, tell us about them:

Wilson: On Thursday, Sept. 2 from 4-7 p.m. we are hosting an Arts & Tasting Festival at the shop. In partnership with Collective Arts and Fever Tree, we’ll have live music along with craft beer, wine, and spirits and mixer samples to sip while you admire the local artwork available for purchase.

From Sept. 24 to Oct. 3 we are partnering with Barr Hill Gin for The Bee’s Knees Week! This is a “Save the Bees” event to raise money to plant more bee friendly habitats. For every bottle of Barr Hill gin you purchase, make a ‘Bee's Knees’ cocktail and take a picture and post on social media with #beeskneesweek and tagging @barrhillgin and @winesandmore, and Barr Hill plants 10 sq. ft. of pollinator land for every post! Also, each purchase of gin comes with a jar of Vermont raw honey (while supplies last).

We also have two more Wine Dinners in 2021 partnering with local restaurants! Monday, Oct. 11 we’ll be at Stonebridge and Tuesday, Nov. 16 we’re back at Bin 100. These are always fantastic evenings full of great food and delicious wines — you won’t want to miss the fun! Tickets for the October dinner are available here.

We also have weekly in-store wine, beer, and spirits tastings that are open and free to the community. Join one (or all!) of our special clubs - Whiskey, Gin, Wine, and Beer! Stop into the shop or see below for more information. Julia, our new wine director, and Steve, our new beer director, will also be hosting a variety of exciting events in the near future, so be sure to be in the know by signing up for our newsletter below!

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Wilson: People can contact us at: 203-876-1600. We are located at: 242 Boston Post Road, Milford, CT 06460. Visit our website: www.winesandmoremilford.com; find us on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our mailing lists and be the first to know about Wine Dinners, Tastings, Specialty Events, and much more, or email us for more information.