Bed-Vyne Offers a New Take On Purchasing Wine

Now sharing the 370 Tompkins Avenue address with Table Exquise is Bed-Vyne, a new boutique wine shop that specializes in unique, artisanal wines from around the world for oenophiles and beginners alike.

Bed-Vyne is joint collaboration between local wine enthusiasts and entrepreneurs: Michael Brooks, Rotimi Akinnuoye, Ayoola Akinnuoye, and Peter Medford, all of whom have known each other for many years.

Co-owner Michael Brooks says he wants Bed-Vyne to be more than just another business on Tompkins; he wants it to be a community mainstay.

“We are not here just to be a wine store, we want to be part of the community, and you can’t be a part of that [community] behind bullet-proof glass.” said Brooks who co-owns another wine shop, 65 Fen, located at 65 Fenimore St in Lefferts-Gardens.

“It’s a changing neighborhood, a lot of new businesses are opening on Tompkins,” said Akinnuoye, who also is president of Global Soles, a non-profit organization that helps find shoes for underprivileged kids all across the world. “We want to change the way people perceive businesses around here.”

According to Akinnuoye, $600,000,000 dollars of disposable income in Bed-Stuy that is spent outside the neighborhood. “I just want to bring some of it back into the community.”

The goal is to enhance and simplify the wine-purchasing process and bring the experience of shopping at a personalized wine boutique to Bed-Stuy.

One of the unique aspects of Bed-Vyne is that the selection will not be categorized by region or grape varietal, but rather by taste. Examples of categorization include wines that are either: Bold, complex, earthy, fruity, or sweet.

Brooks, who is also the head wine buyer, said that by organizing the store this way, customers will learn more about what kind of palate they have and make purchases based off of that knowledge.

“We want people to learn about wine while they make their purchases,” said Brooks. “We want the wine selection to reflect the taste of people in the neighborhood.”

October 15 is the grand opening of Bed-Vyne where they will hold a portfolio wine tasting event featuring all of the wines they sell, partnering with local businesses Common Grounds, located at 376 Tompkins Ave, and Fashion Rocks, a new boutique clothing store across the street from Bed-Vyne.

The partnership event will feature music performances by local artists, as well as free passes to any YMCA in Brooklyn, donated by the Bed-Stuy YMCA.

Bed-Vyne hopes to grow into a cultural destination for community members were people can not only come and buy wine, but also admire art from local artists who will have their pieces displayed in the shop, and listen to music from local acts that will be played throughout the shop.

“The survival of business around here will ultimately depend on how they can help each other. We all need each other to survive,” said Rotimi.

“We want Tompkins Ave to eventually become a shopping destination. I want people to not just stumble upon Tompkins, but to wake up and say ‘I want to go to Tompkins Ave.”’

CORRECTION 9/30, 12:00PM: In the original publication of this article, we erroneously stated that Bed-Vyne is replacing Table Exquise. We have since learned that the two will be sharing the same address and building, occupying the space as complementary businesses with different entrances.