ELLEN'S WINES & SPIRITS-A New Shop in Queens

Editor's Note: Stay tuned to Broadwayworld Food and Wine. We will soon have a "Meet the Sommelier" feature for the owner of Ellen's Wines & Spirits, Debbie Jones.

Located in Ridgewood, Queens on the border of East Williamsburg and Bushwick, Ellen's Wines & Spirits is a new wine and spirits store from Sommelier Debbie Jones. Highlighting selections from women and minority-owned producers, producers based in New York State, and organic and biodynamic wines, the globally curated selection of wines are superior in taste and approachably priced. Jones, who is the Head Sommelier at the internationally acclaimed, two-Michelin-starred Jungsik and holds a diploma from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, has reimagined the wine shop experience in her customer friendly, fun, and educational concept. She named the store Ellen's as it is a family name, representing the strong and independent women in her family.

Ellen's Wines & Spirits eschews big name producers in favor of supporting those in the wine and spirits industry who are typically not well represented, including women and minority owned producers, who only make up roughly five percent of the industry. The wine is organized first by price then type of wine and broken down into categories of $14, $20, and $28 along the wall with wines priced over $30 occupying the center of the space. Each wine stocked in the store is displayed with a card labeling the tasting notes, grape variety, region of origin, whether it has been made by a women or minority-owned producer, and whether it is an organic or biodynamic wine, Kosher, or produced in New York. The wine shop features white,rosé, red, orange and sparkling wines along with selection of spirits,aperitifs, and dessert wines.

Due to her experience at New York City's top restaurants and relationships developed with wine producers and distributors, Debbie can conduct one-on-one consultations and acquire a specific wine a customer desires.

Jones conceptualized the store with her own educational experience in mind, as buying wines to taste for her sommelier training was both expensive and overwhelming. The store's organization is also geared to help consumers who know how much money they are willing to spend on their wine but are not as knowledgeable on the subject. To help further her goal of educating the customer, Debbie will be releasing videos on TikTok and Instagram explaining the history of and differences between wines as well ashosting complimentary in-store tasting every other Friday from 6 pm to 8 pm. Located in Ridgewood, Ellen's Wines & Spirits can deliver throughout the entire city of New York, with delivery minimums imposed outside of a three-mile radius, via UberEats, Grubhub, and an in-store delivery person.

Design: Ellen's Wines & Spirits is located in a newly remodeled warehouse space that features exposed wooden beams on the ceiling, white bricks, and a green wall with a neon sign displaying the store's name. Upon entering the store customers are met by the checkout counter, a selection of soju, sake, and canned wine, and the $14 wine selection. As customers move to the right, the price of wine increases. Opposite the checkout counter is the neatly organized orange and sparkling wines along with selection of spirits, aperitifs, and dessert wines.

About owner Debbie Jones:

Sommelier Debbie Jones began working in professional kitchens at a young age, which helped her to develop her passion for the culinary arts. She went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America and during her studies, she completed an intensive three-week wine course that changed her career trajectory, clearing a path for her to the fine dining industry. Upon her graduation from the CIA, Debbie moved to New York and began her career atGramercy Tavern before moving on to The Modern.

She then began working at Del Posto where she remained for four years. During this time, Debbie obtained her diploma from the Wine Spirits Education Trust and became a Certified Sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Then, she became the Wine Director at Michelin-starred Musket Room before joining the Jungsik team in August 2020. It is Debbie's passion and experience in all facets of the culinary arts that truly set her apart as a sommelier because by drawing from her background, she is able to develop unique wine pairings for each dish.

LOCATION: 50-05 Metropolitan Avenue, Queens, NY 11385

WEBSITE: https://ellenswinesspirits.com/

PHONE: 929-614-7310

INSTAGRAM: @ellenswinesspirits

TIKTOK: @EllensWinesSpirits

STORE HOURS: Mon - Sat: 12 pm - 12 am; Sunday: 12 pm - 9 pm

DELIVERY HOURS:

Mon - Sat: 4 pm - 11:30 pm; Sunday: 2 pm - 8:30 pm

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ellen's Wines & Spirits/Debbie Jones