By John Kriz
You can tell much about a person from how he or she approaches wine. Is the focus technical, on yeast strains and the type of oak barrels used? Or is it about the terroir, delving deeply into weather and soil types? Maybe it’s the filtering, or lack thereof, and the proper way to decant.
For Carl Franco, the avuncular owner of Elm Street anchor Franco’s Wine Merchants www.francoswine.com the focus is on pairing wine with food, and matching the wine to each course. It’s about maximizing enjoyment of the meal, in the company of friends. Conversation and conviviality. Community.
Franco’s started as a grocery store in the 1920’s, founded by Albert Franco, Carl’s uncle. “The day after Prohibition ended, my uncle drove up to Hartford and got a liquor license, so officially [we] became a liquor store in 1933,” he notes. Albert was later joined by his sister Lydia, his brother Emil and his brother Dick (Carl’s father). In the 1980’s the older generation retired, and the store was turned over to Carl’s brother Rick and his sister Anne Franco MacAndrew. Carl joined them in the early 1990’s, and is now the family steward of the business.
The Franco family has a long history of involvement in the town. Carl’s sister, Katie Franco O’Neill, is on the Parking Commission, as was his brother Rick and his father. His sister Kelley was on the Waveny LifeCare Network board, and his sister-in-law Mary is a current vice-chair. “We’ve always done our best to support many of the local charities such as the NCHS Scholarship Fund, the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, Town Players, Staying Put and many of the local churches.”
Running a Liquor Store
The best aspect of running a liquor store? “The most interesting part is just really the day-to-day interaction with customers, and just conveying my knowledge and trying to garner from them what is it that they might be looking for, or what their taste would be if they’re not quite familiar,” he says. Some customers are novices, wanting to learn about wine. Others just want a nice bottle for dinner. Still others are connoisseurs, seeking a specific region or grape variety. No matter. Carl is there to assist. Plus, he personally tastes around 90% of the $50 a bottle and under wines, so most of his tasting and food pairing comments are based on his direct experience.
Customer Service
Service is a watchword, and Franco’s has always been service-oriented, Carl stresses, noting the store’s free delivery. Since Uber, Carl says people think delivery is a new thing, but Franco’s has been delivering “since the 1920s when it was a grocery store. And so it’s just part of who we are. It’s helping the customers out.” He goes on to says that “it’s just the hands-on customer service as well, and not just the knowledge. We get to know our customers and we know them. We know their children. It’s a whole small town interaction thing. How’s your mother doing? I know she was sick. How’s your kid doing at college? I know it’s his freshman year and it’s… it’s not a selling point. It’s just what we do.”
What’s New?
Wines to try, according to Carl, include German and Alsatian whites, such as Rieslings and wines from the Mosel. He says they’re ignored too often because people assume they’ll be very sweet, but that’s not always the case. And then there are wines from lesser known areas of the Loire and Burgundy, plus southern France. “I think people have preconceived notions,” about areas, and he tries to open customers’ vistas.
Franco’s holds afternoon wine tastings on Fridays and Saturdays. “They’re all wines that I think people should try and introduce themselves to because they’re just either unusual grapes, unusual regions, where they come from, or quite frankly, just a nice family run vineyard.” Carl notes that “just having an open mind” is important. If you’ve been a red wine drinker, try some whites. And vice versa.
Spirits are also having their day, remarks Carl, going on to say that Millennials might not want to do what their parents do — but grandparents are another story. And grandparents enjoyed cocktails. This is not only driving sales of tequila, gin, rye and bourbon, but also liqueurs such as Grand Marnier, Sambuca, Amaretto, Fernet Branca and Chartreuse, which are often used in mixed drinks. He laments that categories such as vintage Port have fallen off, concluding that “with cocktails now being so big by the time people are done with dinner, they’re like, ‘I’ve had enough.’”
New Canaan Life
“I think New Cannan is a great community,” says Carl, “so the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far. People do like to support the downtown.” Newcomers to New Canaan are particularly noted. People could come from New York City, or be used to on-line shopping, and “it’s kind of nice to get them introduced into what a real village feel is like. And I try my best to do that if I notice a new customer in because it’s not just this business: it’s just so many of the other ones [downtown businesses].”
In addition, he says the downtown streets and sidewalks are always clean, and the New Canaan Beautification League’s hanging flower baskets are inviting. “People seem to take notice to know what the town needs. So right now I’m not seeing anything that’s lacking at the moment as in regards to the vibrancy of downtown.”
Parking
It seems parking is an inevitable concern for downtown retailers. Carl notes positively a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting and discussion on the topic with First Selectman Dionna Carlson. For Carl, a key issue is turnover of parking slots, with the ‘hang time’ increasing due to the growth of restaurants and loss of parking spots on Elm Street due to safety concerns around crosswalks. These factors have crimped foot traffic, asserts Carl, who says there is “a need for short-term parking on Elm Street,” for customers who have only a quick errand to run. The most common complaint Carl hears from his customers is that “’I would come in more often, but I can never find parking.’” Carl goes on to say that “‘Convenient’ is the key word here. Every business in town is battling the internet, and the biggest advantage the internet has is convenience.”
In the Store
Walk in to Franco’s and you’ll soon be embraced by the welcoming, lived-in feel, with beers and chilled beverages in the back, spirits on the right, liqueurs and premium wines on the left, and more everyday wines in the middle. You never feel rushed or have to search for help, and they’ll happily take it to your car – even if it’s a hike to get there. And the store window always has something new. Hey, it’s downtown New Canaan. It’s just how we roll.
John J Kriz is a 30+ year resident of New Canaan. The views expressed are his own.
