The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer
jgibson@tribunemedia.net

WINE and art have enjoyed a happy marriage throughout the ages. Vineyards across the world regularly pair their fine wine collections with the finest art. Entrepreneur Mark Roberts, a lover and collector of art, and proprietor of the recently opened liquor store Liquid Courage, is bringing the wine and art tradition to the Bahamas, if only in spirit.

There are no vineyards on Patton Street, Palmdale, where Liquid Courage is located, but Mr Roberts plans to expand the store with a new art gallery, set to open next month.

During a trip to California, Mr Roberts said he was inspired by a commonality among vineyards in Napa, which fused wine with art. “My brother lives in a wine area in Napa and we went to a lot of different galleries and vineyards. We recognised that there was a common theme there; they all had wine and art,” said Mr Roberts. “When you go out, you do not go out at night to just drink, you go out to socialise and enjoy the vineyards you are going to. And a lot of the vineyards have galleries, so we decided that a gallery would be useful here,” he said.

The gallery is situated on the second floor of the Liquid Courage building. Mr Roberts’ personal art collection is currently hanging on the walls. He plans to expand the collection to include featured work from artists in the local community.

“I am bit of an art buying fool. I am addicted to art. I am no D’Aguilar by any sense of the imagination. I consider him to be the ultimate collector of art in the Bahamas without a doubt. Buying art is just something that I really enjoy doing. We need more places to showcase the local talent and we wanted to create another space where that can happen,” Mr Roberts said.
The art gallery is not yet named, but Mr Roberts said he is working on a stimulating name.

Liquid Courage retails brands from all over the world including beers, wines, and speciality beverages from Britain, Italy, America, France and other places. The beverages are arranged in the store by the country and region of origin.

“We are growing our portfolio so we will grow it to represent every beverage category at every price level. So far we have a good cross section and we are growing,” said Chris Frye, managing director.
Because of the wide selection of wines, a wine and champagne machine is also included in the store. The champagne machine is the only one in the Bahamas, said Mr Frye. “The idea is that if you see a $50 bottle of wine that you are not familiar with, you can try it first to see if it is something you would like before spending.”

Mr Frye also said the store is keen on educating consumers about wines. For this reason, they post interesting information about techniques used to make the wine and foods that pair well with the wines on the shelves.
“We have wine readings, we include information about the products so you do not have to know a lot about the wine in order to come here. We make a big effort to educate the consumer, either through tasting from the wine machine or the information on the shelf. You don’t need to be a wine expert, you can come in here and read about it and know if it suits your taste,” he said.