Oenophiles in Cazenovia now have a second option in the village on where they can purchase their wine, as well as liquor, with last week’s official opening of J.S. Hight and Sons wine store at 58 Albany St.
“My tagline is ‘Extraordinary wines at everyday prices,” said owner Judith Hight. “I want to offer hand-selected wines of high quality at a variety of prices for everyday enjoyments.”
Hight, a Cazenovia resident with two sons in the Cazenovia school district, is a longtime worker in and owner of restaurants and bakeries, first in Nantucket and then with the restaurant Provisions in Armory Square for about 10 years. She also worked in human resources and special education for about 20 years.
“I decided I wanted to work where I lived,” she said, when asked why she opened J.S. Hight and Sons in Cazenovia. “I love to cook, and I love food and wine pairing, so there’s going to be a lot of that here. I don’t want this to be a traditional wine store, more like a restaurant — someplace inviting to customers where they can come in and we talk about wine and food and have a good time.”
Hight, who has a penchant for Italian wines, said her offerings will be primarily Old World wines, but with a good representation of California and Oregon vintners and a few New York wines as well. She said she will have “unique offerings” for the Cazenovia area, with wines customers cannot find in large chain stores.
Her prices will range from $8.99 up to $50, Hight said.
“The great thing about tasting wines from another place is that the wine takes you there,” she said.
In addition to wines, J.S. Hight and Sons will also sell specialty liquors, such as small-batch production vodka, gin, rum and bourbon; amaretto, port, cognac, armignac and grappa.
Hight said she plans to hold wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays, and hopes to do some events with “local celebrities” doing the pouring. She also plans to take advantage of her proximity to the busy downtown restaurant to-go business by offering a “grab and go” special every week — one bottle of white and one bottle of red, each priced at $10, that will be seasonal favorites that pair well with food or can be drunk alone as an aperitif that people can grab on their way home from work at night.
Hight said her neighboring merchants have been “incredibly supportive” of her new endeavor and she has so far received a very positive response from customers.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity to live where I work in a fabulous community,” she said. “I’m very happy to be a part of such a strong, thriving retail neighborhood of creative people. I hope my store will fit in with the really unique retail spirit.”
J.S. Hight and Sons is still in the process of creating an online presence, but anyone seeking more information can call the store at 815-4389 or email [email protected].
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
