Brian Velez
Staff Writer
Third Street Wine Shop is the newest addition to the University of La Verne retail community, offering a respite from the usual bar experience.
Owned and operated by San Dimas residents Mary and Jim Forgey, the wine shop provides a quiet location to enjoy a glass of wine and conversation with friends.
Inside a former home near Third and D streets, the Forgeys have created a welcoming environment that feels like a country home, that is exactly the shop’s intention.
The two front rooms are for wine tasting, and the two rear rooms are used to display the shop’s selection of wines.
The entire shop is for people who do not want to be included in the bar scene.
When asked about the shop’s goal and desired clientele, Mary Forgey said that the university was not necessarily the shop’s target.
“Sometimes college students stop by, but that’s not our main goal,” Mary Forgey said.
The shop is designed for people who already enjoy wine or are curious to think outside of beer and liquor.
“It’s certainly not a bar, it feels like someone’s living room,” David Werner, associate professor of English, said.
He has visited the shop and likes that bottles from small wineries are available.
Third Street’s wine selection includes bottles from Harmony Cellars, a small winery in central California that Werner enjoys.
“I only know two shops that carry the wine, one of them is Third Street,” Werner said.
Werner enjoys the chardonnay and added that it is nice to see little shops move in to the city.
Aside from living in nearby San Dimas, the Forgeys have a deeper connection to ULV.
The Forgey’s son Patrick, along with their daughter-in-law Traci, who is married to their son Joe, graduated from ULV. Traci was also a member of Sigma Kappa sorority.
Mary and Jim Forgey’s son, Matthew, handles the social media that represents the shop. Matthew Forgey has created accounts on Facebook and Twitter to boost the shop’s popularity.
“Its an easy way to share pictures and information,” said Matthew Forgey.
Bottles at Third Street range from $10 to $35. Wines by the glass range from $7.50 to $9.
Salami, olives and other snacks are offered, but the wine shop’s best quality is education about wine.
Explanations from a local bartender about a drink’s texture, region and year are unlikely, but at Third Street Wine these conversations are embraced.
“It’s interesting to wine people to know where wines are from,” Mary Forgey said. “Wines from the north can be softer.”
Visitors to the shop can expect a familiar scene, the kind of home away from home vibe that may not be possible at a local pub.
For more information visit thirdstreetwine.com or facebook.com/thirdstreetwine.
Brian Velez can be reached at brian.velez@laverne.edu.
