A NEW wine shop is coming to Bishopthorpe Road as two friends hope to turn their pop up shop into a high street success.

Experts Cyriaque Lajoinie and Beniamino Berluti will bring their worldwide connections with family-owned, independent vineyards around the world to York.

The business owners - who share over 25 years experience in hospitality and wholesale - had always wanted to start a venture together and created 2 Many Wines towards the end of 2020.

After the success of its online tasting sessions - known as the 'Chez Barbara club' - the shop is preparing for opening in August with ticketed events, gourmet food and - of course - plenty of wine.

It's a dream come true for the pair with Cyriaque almost opening a shop on the same road eight years ago.

Cyriaque said: "What people can expect is an experience. The reason we're called 2 Many Wines is a play on the name. We recognise there can be a lot of options out there - it can be a little bit daunting to choose something. The shop itself will be able to provide people with wines that they have never seen before."

Explaining his passion for wine, Cyriaque said: "For me what's important is the people behind it. It's the wine makers, it's the family, the history of the wine. This for me is what really triggers that passion.

York Press: Beniamino Berluti points to some of the wines on offer.Beniamino Berluti points to some of the wines on offer.

"A lot of the wines we choose have got quite personal relationship with the producers. I've either been visiting them or know them or we went to their house. That's what makes the shop a little different.

"We will have wines from £8 to whatever. The sky is the limit. There will be wines for everybody."

The shop's offering will change from time to time - giving customers the chance to enjoy different delights each month based on over two decades of experience. From Cyriaque, originally from Paris, who has worked as a sommelier, restaurant manager and wine importer around the globe to Benji, who ran wine bars in Vicenza in northern Italy before coming to Yorkshire.

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Cyriaque said: "I was doing hospitality industry in Nimes in the South of France. On this course we learnt about wine and we visited a very good producer of Chateau Neuf Du Pape. I fell in love with it. I could taste an enormous amount of flavours and smell an enormous amount of aromas. This wine has really stayed with me ever since."

Cyriaque and Benji have launched a fundraiser to bring their vision for 2 Many Wines to life.

You can donate by visiting www.crowdfunder.co.uk/2-many-wines