Du Jour with Bill Hounshell, Matherne’s wine expert with a value eye

Along with a neighborhood vibe and personal service, locally-owned Matherne’s Supermarket is known for its wine department, the brainchild of store manager Bill Hounshell. Fourteen years ago when the grocery first opened (then as Kenilworth Supermarket), a wine salesman harassed Hounshell to add wines, an idea that first fell on deaf ears. Later, Hounshell acquiesced, devoting about 40 linear feet to mostly prosaic bottles. Wine took awhile to catch on, but eventually, shoppers responded. “Anyone can buy a $30 bottle of wine, and most of them will be good,” he says. “Finding those $10 to $15 bottles that taste like they’re $30, that’s the quest.” Read the full story here.To read previous Du Jour features on local chefs and other culinary experts, click here.