HARBOR SPRINGS — Harbor Cellar officially opened within the Harbor Springs Market at 300 W. Lake St. on Wednesday, March 23. The 2,000 sq. ft. space has natural wood lining the floor and ceiling and shelves full of wine and spirits.

Store manager Scott Brown said the space can hold around 2,200 varieties of wine and 2,000 varieties of liquor. The store website boasts that it now holds one of the largest wine and spirits selections in Northern Michigan.

“We've been expanding our wine and liquor section for the last three or four years,” Brown said. “So I just felt like it was something that would go over really well.”

Work on the cellar began last December after two years spent trying to find a contractor. The cellar is open but is still working on a bar area where there will be beer and wine tasting over the summer.

The store carries cigars, wine and spirits from low end to high end, with a collection of Michigan-made products. Once the finishing touches are done on the store, Brown said he would start reaching out to local beverage producers about selling their products in the cellar.

When deciding what products would be sold in the store, Brown brought in a wine expert who decided what would be sold and where it would go within the store. He also brought in liquor representatives from across the state who brought the bestselling liquors and decided where they would go on the shelves. These experts will come in every three months to look at sales for what is selling well and what isn’t, then they will swap out low-sellers to keep the selection fresh.

During the summer wine tastings, there will be a wine and beer of the day for customers to come in and try. In the future, Brown said he hopes to do other events as well.

Currently, Brown has three people who will be working in the cellar full time. They are taking classes to prepare for tasting events and helping customers.

“Harbor Springs Market has always been a huge part of our community,” said Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bonnie Kulp in an email. “They will now be able to better serve more year rounders and visitors alike. We are super excited for the remodel and its reopening. We wish Scott and the crew much success.”

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Cellar officially opens selling wine, spirits