Hidden gems wait to be discovered in the Boothbay region, like sudden views of a twinkling sea, shingled cottages on little islands, and shops and general stores that stock the usual fare, and then some. The “then some” refers to the unexpected, such as a beautifully lighted alcove featuring serious wines or provisions tucked around rows of fabulous vino, or rooms dedicated to wines from everywhere. These places reveal proprietors who know good wine and love to share their passion with customers.

Bottles of blush rosé catch the eye under the warm lights in an alcove Liz Evans, owner of the East Boothbay General Store, has set up. Evans, who buys what she likes, considers her wines high-value, rather than high-end. She buys specialized wines at a low cost and strives to maintain a balanced assortment. “The hard part for me is trying to keep varieties. Once and a while there might be too many pinot noirs, because they're my favorite,” she said.

When asked what her business would be without the wines, Evans said, “Less social, perhaps. People say, 'We have friends coming to dinner, what do you suggest?' That precipitates more conversation, like, “Oh, what are you making? Who's visiting?” She shows off a nice bottle of Malbec, which happens to be the reporter's favorite.

Oak Street Provisions

A glance to the left as you drive into Boothbay Harbor via Oak Street reveals a tangle of bicycles beside a small, red-shingled building. The bikes belong to Oak Street Outfitters. The building houses Oak Street Provisions, a landmark familiar to locals and summer residents for gourmet foods and craft beers. Doug and Elise Roberts run both businesses. The size of the provision store indicates that that's about all it can hold. But a walk inside elicits a surprised “Wow!” from a new customer, because a hunk of space is dedicated to blocks of rows of wine ranging in price from $5.99 to $450.

“After we bought it, eight years ago, I fell in love with wine,” said Elise Roberts. Like Liz Evans, Roberts purchases what she likes. “I have to taste them. Someone has to do it,” she said. She and Doug count on knowledgeable distributors, as well as wine-savvy customers. “People come in just to talk about wine. And when we have tastings, the distributor speaks to what we're doing,” she said.

They will do all they can to honor requests. “Liquor laws are different in every state, and in the District of Columbia. Maine has about 135,000 wines, and we carry about 560 of them, and distributors work with certain clients to market certain wines. We work with eleven distributors, so chances are, we could get it for you,” Doug Roberts said.

An inventory of about 2,000 wines from everywhere are arranged according to country, then region. A $450 bottle of wine nestles next to a less precious neighbor. “It will sell, probably during the summer,” said Elise.

Eventide Specialties

A small child walked into Kim Martin's wine cellar at Eventide Specialties on Boothbay House Hill in Boothbay Harbor. He stopped short and shouted, “This is the most biggest room with wine I've ever seen!”

“We wanted to do it right. To display it in a way that was beautiful,” said Martin, Eventide's owner. The size of the room is remarkable in view of the fact that the three buildings that make up the specialty shop look like an advertisement for the Tiny House Movement.

“We wanted to carry the 'Oh my goodness you have this here' wine,” said Martin. Martin has taken several classes on wines and works with distributors and vintners. “I try to research everything. I have friends who are sommeliers, and we have great reps,” she said. She feels it's important to understand where a wine came from. “Not only the terroir (its place of origin). You need to know climate, altitude. You need to know all sorts of things.”

Eventide holds tastings, frequently. Said Martin, “We try to bring wines that stretch people beyond their comfort zones.”

Southport General Store

People who know and love wine all nod in a deferential way when the name Oliver Cusano comes up. Cusano, who runs Southport General Store with his wife, Janet, is highly respected around these parts. He sells pizzas, sandwiches, general store fare and some great wine.

His wine room, which has been there for about 10 years, features beautiful cabinetry by a local woodworker. Cusano's aim is to offer fine wine at good prices. “I have a lot of great bottles of wine in the $20 to $30 dollar range. But there are also great wines in the teens. People trust me to show them the right wine. They will pull me from making a pizza to help them out,” he said.

Cusano prefers red wines. “I like a good pinot noir,” he said. When discussing the naming of wine and the artistry of labels, he pointed to a wine label that read, “Taken.” The name conjures up passion and adventure. But the real story isn't so romantic. “They named it ‘Taken’ because all of the other names were taken,” said Cusano. “Doesn't matter. It's a good wine.”