Wine Beginnings pours new options into Superior

Jan. 25—SUPERIOR — Wine Beginnings, a one-stop shop for wine at 1413 Tower Ave., has expanded its options.

As of Jan. 1, visitors can now sit down at a table and enjoy a glass of wine. The city council in December approved a liquor license for the business.

"So you can sit and have wine; you can have flights of wine; you can get a glass of wine; you can come in and buy a bottle of wine and drink it. We have games all over that you can play. You can order food in. You can have a meeting here and wine," said Kim Moen, who launched the business in 2010.

The wine is made in-house and stored in the vino vault, a section of the building that was once a bank vault. The move to serve wine comes as the shop changes hands. New owner Donna Lorenz, Moen's cousin, bought the business Jan. 1. She's watched Wine Beginnings grow and wanted to take it to the next level.

"The opportunity came up," said Lorenz, a former chiropractic assistant for Twin Ports Chiropractic. "Kim wanted to expand and didn't want to take all that on."

Groups have gathered this month to hold meetings over a bottle of wine; others have taken seats at the tables to chat and watch traffic pass along Tower Avenue.

"I see new faces every day," Lorenz said.

Artist Mary McMahan of Duluth stopped by the shop Friday, Jan. 20, to pick up some of her pieces. She took a seat at one of the tables facing Tower Avenue, enthusiastic about the changes.

"I can sit here and drink wine amongst art? I would love to," McMahan said.

Moen will remain on staff for a time to help smooth the transition before turning her attention to building a garage, creating a wine bottle pergola and traveling. In addition to new ownership, the business has merged with Art on the Planet, the art consignment store that has shared space with Wine Beginnings since 2016.

"When I first opened, Donna was there to help me set up the store — her and my sister — and then she's filled in and worked for me once in a while. I was going to sell the business in another year or two. Then I guess the stars and moons aligned. Donna said she wanted to buy it, so it just went fast," Moen said.

A soft opening took place Jan. 7, and a ribbon cutting ceremony is slated for 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. Business hours are currently 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

"The next few months will tell us if we're going to have a late night or if the weekend is going to expand," Lorenz said, and feedback is appreciated.

According to Lorenz and Moen, the only two wine bars in the Twin Ports are located in Superior — Wine Beginnings and Wine Seller Winery on Belknap Street.

In addition to serving and selling wine, Wine Beginnings offers an array of wine kits, wine making equipment and accessories for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. Moen said wines made from the kits have minimal sulfites, which helps prevent wine headaches. Customers can have their wine made in the shop, as well.

"When people make it here, you can actually come in and exchange bottles of wine, up to five per batch, for different flavors," Moen said. "So if your significant other likes whites and you're making a red or you made some sweet, then you can exchange up to five bottles per batch. But everything is made on-site here."

Wine Beginnings opened June 23, 2010 in an 800 square foot space at 1705 Tower Ave. The business moved to its current location, 1413 Tower Ave., in 2016. For years, the shop shared the 5,000 square foot space, which includes a painting classroom and event area upstairs, with Art on the Planet.

It's been exciting to watch the business grow and expand, Lorenz said.

"It's a one-stop shop," Moen said. "You can get your own equipment to make it, you can make it here, you can come in for a flight or a glass or a bottle. We're doing everything."

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