Clover Wine Merchant invites you into their family

Almost everyone loves a little wine sometimes. Maybe though, we could love wine a little more often. Michael and Lannette Tomlin’s Clover Wine Merchant may help you do just that.

At 907 Carroll Street, in Perry, you’ll find a cozy little shop with large windows, and a wooden sign above the door, directing you into the store of Clover Wine Merchant. Inside, are a few comfy chairs, a warm fire, and a massive selection of wines, as well as a few locally sourced meats and cheeses. These wines come from all over the world. “You come in, we might have something Italian, we might have something from Greece, we could have something from the Sea of Galilee, you just know never what I’m going to open up,” Tomlin commented. “The wine cellar is constantly evolving.”

Tomlin and his family have been open for business since September 5, and have been busy to provide Perry and the rest of middle Georgia with fine wines. Originally opening with 40 labels, now at 110, the variety has been growing and shifting from the start. “We want to share the love of wine,” Tomlin says. That love of wine begins with understanding it, and according to Tomlin, “What I do have that no else is going to give you, is education, knowledge and a comfortable place to do this.”

Speaking of education and knowledge, we all know, including the Tomlin family, wine, for the uninitiated, can be daunting. Clover Wine Merchant is working to dispel that. Regularly, every other week due to the holiday season, this family hosts wine education courses. “The education for me is important” Tomlin states, “I’m not going to give you too much, I’m not trying to make advanced or master sommeliers out of anybody, but I am trying to give people the basics on wine.” Tomlin and his family are working hard to reduce that intimidation. If you’re interested in taking part in one of these classes, they have them every other Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. According to Tomlin, the upcoming class is their champagne class.

However, The Clover Wine Merchant isn’t just a place for education. Although it’s not a restaurant, it is a place to taste and buy wines. According to their website, “Every wine should send you on a journey,” and Tomlin is staunch in his belief of just that. Every wine has a story. “Before that bottle gets in your hands, it started with a plot of land,” Tomlin states. It goes beyond the name and grape you’re using; it’s the land, the soil, the climate that go just into growing the grape, but “when you pluck these grapes and crush, you’re not even close to being done.” It’s far deeper than that. Is it old world, new world? How was it stored? How long was it stored? “When I say a wine should take you somewhere, it’s not just this fruity liquid I put in my mouth and get satisfaction,” Tomlin adds, “wine should take you to a style or place that you like.”

Currently, the Clover Wine Merchant does not have its own wine; however, Tomlin “would like to reach to some wineries,” and work on putting their name on a label.

As far as our community goes, “Perry is the perfect place,” Tomlin says. Being here on and off since 1993, Tomlin and his family have seen the growth of our community develop, and think it’s a great place. “If you want people to shop for hours at a time, you’ve got to have some food and beverages,” Tomlin states, and he’s excited to work together with places like Bodega Brew, The Swanson and Schultz’s, to provide the downtown area with that. Tomlin and his family have lots of love for the people in downtown Perry, and hope for success for all of them.

To learn more about the Clover Wine Merchant, you can go to their website at www.cloverwinemerchant.com, or find them on Facebook or Instagram. They have wine classes every other Wednesday, and are looking to do them every week after the winter holidays end. “Come check in, come have a glass of wine. Come be in our family,” Tomlin said. “We’re blessed to be in Perry, Georgia.”

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