Magnum Wine & Tastings is as much about people as it is about wine. Magnum clients know that when they stop in to see Heath they are in the company of a friend who is cognizant of their needs. And make no mistake, when paired with the right person, a good wine satisfies a need. It can bring joy, comfort, relaxation, seduction, contentment; the list is endless.

Magnum Wine & Tastings Owner, Heath Cordes, became entangled in this fascinating industry by accident; helping out a friend at their family business, the Bottle Shop on St. Armand’s Circle. Cordes’ casual relationship with wine snowballed into a deeply passionate one. “One day I had a bottle of 2001 Seghesio Barbera and it was like a switch was flipped. I guess you’d call it an epiphany.” At that moment Cordes was catapulted from casual drinker to collector. He became ensconced in the industry, often taking wine as payment for his hours at the Bottle Shop.

After the Bottle Shop was sold to another family and turned into Cork, Cordes was hired back on to assist with the restaurant’s wine and spirit buying. Eventually overcome by the entrepreneurial spirit, be broke out on his own. He wanted to buy what he wanted to buy when he wanted to buy it.

“More than just having control over inventory, I wanted to have control over client relations. My goal first and foremost is to deliver the lost art of customer service. The perceived value of the Big Box store has nearly eradicated genuine service relationships. This is, after all, a service industry, my greatest pleasure comes from helping my clients to acquire a wine they’ve been unable to acquire on their own or introducing them to a new wine and watching them fall in love with it.”

Cordes has created something more than just a place to buy wine. Cordes’ clients are his extended family. He gets to know each one personally, beyond their tastes in wine. The shop, and Cordes himself, represent lasting relationships and a dedication to customer service that harkens back to days gone by.

“When new people come into the shop I listen to them talk about wine. Taste is so subjective and not everyone knows how to speak about it. The more they talk the more I can get a read on their flavor profile. For example, people use words like ‘crisp’ to explain what they like, but that word means different things to different people. Wine drinking is a little piece of life. You shouldn’t get complacent about it, just like you shouldn’t get complacent about life. People often don’t know how to try something new; after listening to them I can help them get out of the box and discover new experiences.”

Come experience something new today.