Owned and operated by certified sommelier Bryan Thames and his wife, Felicity, Mountain Village Wine Merchant (MVWM) opened on the ground floor of the Westermere building in the summer of 2022. On May 1, the couple purchased and began operating Telluride Liquors, a Main Street mainstay for more than 40 years.

“The Main Street business will be more wine-centric,” said Bryan. “But we’re still keeping a good selection of beer and liquors for a one-stop shopping experience.”

Bryan added that MVWM is already “wine-centric,” given not only his sommelier expertise but also because of the wine connoisseurs who shop there.

“We’re trying to get people more wine savvy and curious to come shop with us,” he explained. “The clientele in Telluride is a mix of locals and a lot of tourists who go for bigger national liquor brands, especially beers, whereas we sell more boutique brands up at MVWM, especially wines.”

With approximately 1,800 usable square feet of retail space, Telluride Liquors has seen at least six owners. In 1991, Steve Gumble bought the business, then located in a tiny space on W. Colorado Ave., before moving to its current space at 123 E. Colorado Ave. in 1994.

“I purchased the business from Al Loft who purchased it from Carol Chowen who had an infamous gray cat in the store called Barney,” recalled Gumble. “Jake the Boozehound — my black lab — took over and announced weekly specials in the paper.”

In 2006, Gumble sold Telluride Liquors to Aaron Tschetter, who eventually sold it to Fred Latimer in 2010. Thames was seeking to expand their liquor business and started conversations with Latimer to buy the store a couple years ago because of its appealing Main Street location.

“The timing just felt right, and with Bryan and Felicity’s energy and expertise, I believe the store is in a great place,” Latimer affirmed. “I’ll miss hanging out on Main Street, which is the best people watching in the world.”

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