Gentlemen's hats seem to have gone out of fashion generally speaking, but that will never be the case at Brown Derby, one of the finest wine retailers in the entire USA,
founded in Springfield MO in 1937. This remarkable wine shop was named by its owner, John A. Morris, after a Hollywood restaurant, which in turn was called after the
stylish hat that was so popular in the thirties and which Brown Derby continues to use as its logo.
The original Brown Derby business was simply a traditional liquor store but in 1969 it
was transformed into The Brown Derby Wine Center and then in 1971the visionary Ron Junge, the founder's son-in-law, joined the expanding business. Three decades later,
he and his team, including his son-in-law, Brad Feuerbach, and knowledgeable cellarmaster, Scott Gargus, have transformed Brown Derby into an exciting wine store
with an outstanding reputation extending for hundreds of miles around. Indeed just after I paid a visit I met a fellow journalist in Tulsa who told me that he enjoyed making
regular trips to Springfield to search through Brown Derby's vast stock.
The superb Brown Derby price list offers everything from a selection of everyday wines
from Chile, such as Undurraga, to the finest of Burgundies like Comte de Vogue Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru 1996 at $119.99, or the opportunity to select from over
100 different vintage Ports ranging from $12.99 to $599.99 or even little-seen French regional rarities from Savennières and Bandol. In total Brown Derby offers around 20
,000 different wines, as well as a tempting and extensive range of beers, plus a deli section, which includes a comprehensive selection of international cheeses.
The Brown Derby wine list can be particularly helpful when comparing wine prices across the USA. It is an ideal benchmark by which to judge prices for literally thousands of wines.
Last updated on April 30, 2008