Maison Corbeaux offers a depth of collectible wines — especially older vintages.
By MARK J. MITCHELL
The windows tell the tale at the corner of Sacramento and Divisadero these days: bright and beckoning, calling passersby into Maison Corbeaux, an Aladdin’s cave of wines, spirits and beers.
The hanging sign still says London Market, but partners Kyle Nadeau and Evan Krow — the store’s name is a French twist on Evan’s last name — have stripped the old corner store to its bones and reanimated it as a destination for those interested in small batch whiskies, collectible wines and the latest tastes in hand-crafted beers and ales.
The new logo has been splashed on the street level plate glass. And the once-hidden upper windows bathe an open sales floor in bright San Francisco light that shines down on artfully displayed bottles of wines and spirits from around the world.
Locals will recognize general manager Kyle Nadeau from his years behind the counter at D&M Wines and Spirits at Sacramento and Fillmore.
The new spirit shop is in the renovated corner store at Divisadero and Sacramento Streets.
Both Krow and Nadeau are driven by a passion for the products they sell, and they enjoy the hands-on nature of retail. They had both worked in the field for some time and noticed that people weren’t enjoying their work. Nadeau sums up their goal: “I want to make retail fun.”
Kyle started out as a beer aficionado, but his experience at D&M on Fillmore Street opened up the world of Champagne, fine and collectible wines and the universe of whisky. It also introduced him to people who shared those interests — and, more importantly, had connections with importers and producers. After several years, he knew that he had gone as far as he could at the family-owned D&M, and started to look for new opportunities.
Sitting around one evening, Krow and Nadeau started swapping ideas and both confessed they’d like to have a store to call their own. That began a quest that took them far longer than either had expected.
The trick was finding a location, but location alone was not enough. They had to find a location with a liquor license they could buy. They originally planned to open a flagship store first, then expand to a satellite location.
In the end, they took the opposite approach.
General manager Kyle Nadeau previously worked at D&M Wines and Spirits on Fillmore.
While searching for a homein 2014, Krow and Nadeau were able to take over space on the lower floor of the second Bank of Italy Building at the corner of Clay and Montgomery as part of Wingtip, a men’s provisioner and private club. They found their secondary space first.
It took them more than a year to locate their ideal shop — a space they could construct from the ground up and stamp with their personal style. With a location in the neighborhood where the Sacramento and Divisadero corridors cross, they hope they have found a winner.
The shop is still a work in progress, but is coming together elegantly. It’s loaded with designer spirits, an impressive array of Champagne and sparkling wine, as well as some of the most sought-after viticultural vintages from France, Italy and California. While shoppers may be dazzled by the top-tier bottlings, there is something for all palates and pocketbooks.
A tasting license is in the works, with wine and beer tastings on the premises coming along soon. Still more exciting is their plan to bring in tastings that pair their beverages with food.
“This is a fantastic food town,” Nadeau says. “We want to bring in local chefs for events. There is such an audience for tastes in this city.”
Photographs of Maison Corbeaux by Frank Wing
They are excited about what’s happening in the wine and spirits industry. Krow and Nadeau follow the craft beer scene, as well as the burgeoning crossover alliances between craft beers and hand-crafted whiskies and other spirits. And the wine scene is exploding with inspiration.
They say that what sets their shop apart from D&M and other nearby retailers is their great depth in collectible wines — especially older vintages — and their connections with winemakers and distillers from across the U.S. and around the world.
And of course their passion.
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