Bryter Estates, 524 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476, US

After moving to Sonoma in 2003, Windee Smith longed for the variety of imported wines that she found with ease in San Francisco. She founded the Wine Shack two years ago, to solve this problem, following the motto, "Do what everyone else is not doing." Out of a homey storefront on West Napa Street, Smith sells more than 60 varietals from her 600+ bottle stock of wine and beers from all over the globe. Over half of the Wine Shack's wines are under $25; the most popular racks are the under $10 and under $15 selections. The staff is happy to give recommendations; the racks are peppered with lovingly written descriptions by store manager Susie Richards. The Wine Shack has a private lounge that can be reserved for events, with a bottle purchase. It also hosts educational wine tastings on Wednesdays from 6pm to 8pm: six tastings for $1.

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