Walking into The Wine Nest it’s hard not to fall in love instantly. There’s home decor-galore on just about every surface of the floor plan, you can smell an abundance of candles waiting to be selected, there’s at least one hundred kinds of chocolate welcoming you at the door, and that’s not even the best part.
Christi Henderson, owner of The Wine Nest, is a spit-fire of personality. As I’m waiting for our interview, she’s meeting with some local wine representatives at the usual wine tasting section in the store. Her partner in crime and basically manager, Charles Yancey, instantly walks over to greet me. He informs me that Henderson is meeting with wine reps and will be with me shortly. I browse the store and basically want everything, but I refrain with much restraint.
All of the sudden, I hear Henderson asking me how old I am. I tell her I’m 22, and before you know it, I’m sipping a red with the rest of them. I’ve never felt more unqualified to sample wine in my life.
“You know what this is,” Yancey asks me as he smells the aroma of his wine. “This is a smoked brisket, or me enjoying some form of barbecue on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.”
Oh. I just tasted deliciousness, thank goodness I’m surrounded by experts. And, it’s no wonder Henderson and Yancey know their stuff. Even though Henderson started the store only a year ago, The Wine Nest carries over 300 wines at any given time.
Henderson said she usually looks for wines that are considered small production. She said sometimes they are restaurant-only wines that can’t fill huge orders. Henderson said she’ll never be on a Costco scale, but she didn’t want to compete with that in the first place. She said she knows her business is a boutique wine store, but in her opinion, it was what Lubbock needed.
From left to right: Henderson with a wine club member.
Asked if this is what she’s always wanted, she’ll tell you no. She said she originally wanted to go into medical device sales. Henderson said she got her degree, and graduated at 43. She said many of her doctor friends talked her out of the business she had planned on going into, and instantly thought, “What should I do now?”
She said instead she decided to buy an existing business and add wine to it. Henderson said it wasn’t originally her plan A, but she said plan B could not have been better.
Henderson said she is beyond blessed by her current staff. She said Yancey is her right-hand-man. Henderson said he worked at CapRock Winery in Lubbock originally, which was a huge help to her and the business. She said Yancey has a vast wine knowledge and was used to the crazy hours of retail. Henderson said the two are complete opposites. She described Yancey as calm, and she is the opposite, but they balance each other out.
So, how does one turn a passion into a career? Henderson will tell you she learns new things about wine every day, but it’s another element in the mix that makes her business so successful.
“We have the best customers ever,” she gushed. “We truly love them. When they walk in the door I love them. They make this entire experience worth it, and majority of them enjoy coming in here.”
Yancey said even though Henderson considers him the wine expert, she has a specific talent of her own. Yancey said Henderson is not the best with remembering people’s names, but when one of her customers walks into the store, she remembers what kind of wine they like and what flavors work best for them. He said she might not know your name, but she’ll definitely know what wine you’ll drink.
Henderson said wine is definitely the highest selling item in her store, but after that is the firecracker chocolate. I have to say, I have personally tried the Chuao Chocolate and it’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before. The one Henderson describes is a jalapeño chocolate bar.
“It is stupid good,” she said, smiling. “It’s so hot and definitely not for children.”
What else is “hot” about the chocolate is Henderson used to be the only provider in Texas of the gourmet bar. She said she first had the chocolate in Arizona, but couldn’t find it in Lubbock, so she decided to start selling it in her store. She said occasionally the candy bar sells in Whole Foods, but besides the grocery store, she is the only carrier of the sweet treat.
Another thing that’s super exclusive in Henderson’s store is being a part of the Wine Club. She said by being in the club, members get monthly discounts that other people do not receive. Henderson said every month is different when it comes to the types of mark-downs and items. She said there are also special events for wine club members only.
Inside of The Wine Nest.
Henderson said even though the store has been successful, it didn’t start off so easy. Henderson said if she could give anyone advice to starting their own business, you have to really, really, really want it. She said her customers make it all so worth it, and it’s because of them, The Wine Nest will be making some changes within the next four months.
“We’re doing this because of requests from customers,” she said. “People want their bridal showers and birthdays here. So, instead of the weekly tastings, the glasses we have will be a situation where you can sit down and have a full glass of wine like any other tasting room.”
Henderson said she is excited for her store to expand, and hopes The Wine Nest could become a franchise in the future. But, Henderson will tell you she is thankful for her business, and her staff has been a godsend. When asked what helped her business get to where it is today, Henderson replied with a simple statement.
“A lot of prayer,” she said.
The Wine Nest is located on 98th Street west of Slide Road in the shopping center that includes Nothing Bundt Cakes and Rain Uptown. The wine boutique is open Tue-Sat from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
About Lauren Estlinbaum
