La Villa Has a Neighbor
by Rowan Beck,
September 8, 2011, page 19.....

Enoteca, a new business, is now open next to La Villa on Shelburne Road north of Shelburne. Owner Jill Spell describes it as a place where “you can go to purchase and sample wines and things that would accompany them.” Enoteca is an Italian word that typically describes a “wine library,” a place where people can go to try the wine and purchase small quantities at a reasonable price. Often local foods are sold there as well. Jill has taken that idea and evolved it.
Jill and her husband, Adam, who live in Charlotte, are the chef owners of La Villa Bistro. They had been mulling over the idea over for quite some time when space next door became available. La Villa needed to expand. Not all of the space was needed for the restaurant, so Jill and Adam decided to create Enoteca. La Villa expanded into the rear, making a larger kitchen, and they were able to create a small retail space in the front. Here Jill plans to host monthly wine tastings and sell “everything you need to make a party, even chocolate!” By December she hopes to have a “wine of the month club” where, for a fee, once a month the customer will receive a pre-selected bottle of wine. “The customer then just comes in and picks it up. Depending on how much they want to spend, it could be done weekly.” Her goal is to find deals on good wines and pass them along to the customer.
Enoteca will also carry specialty beers from local brewers, oils, vinegars, glassware and food. They plan to have a large wheel of cheddar on top of the deli counter from which wedges can be cut. The picture of an old-fashioned European market comes to mind. The deli case will be filled with meats, cheeses, olives and specialty salads that would not be available at La Villa. Customers will be able to call in orders for specialty picnics.
The grand opening is scheduled for mid to late September, but they’ve already received a fair number of customers who have come in after dining at La Villa. “Some have had a nice bottle of wine at dinner and then come in to purchase it before going home.” Jill has taken the definition of Enoteca straight to heart as even the art work and furniture in the store can be purchased. Her sister has created several paintings, which decorate the warm buttery walls. In the middle of the room sits a refinished farmhouse table made by Jim Dickerson, meant for tastings, which can also be purchased. Enoteca is more than just another wine specialty store: it has a little bit of everything.