TableWine: Uncorked& Unstuffy

It’s difficult to imagine Madison’s Schenk-Atwood neighborhood, an east-side enclave of hip-cool bars, restaurants and retail stores, without a locally owned wine shop. It would have been even more difficult for Molly Moran to imagine a wine shop in the area that wasn’t her own.

“The advice that I had heard a lot was, ‘What would you do if the business of your dreams opened today and it wasn't owned by you? How would you feel about it?’” says Moran. “I thought about that—what if a wine shop went in on Atwood and it wasn't mine? I'd be so upset that I hadn't done it. So lo and behold, I actually lit the fire under my butt and did it.”

Seven years and a recent relocation later, Moran is so grateful she took that advice—her loyal customers are, too. Table Wine has steadily become an unstuffy, go-to spot for casual wine drinkers and enthusiasts alike. Customers sip leisurely among friends or take part in tastings in the cozy space or, on warm summer afternoons, enjoy the shady outdoor patio that came with the new location.

Just a few blocks from the original store, Table Wine opened its 2301 Atwood Avenue doors last October after Moran and husband Conor purchased the historic, three-story building built in 1900. The top two floors remain as rental units.

The Morans gutted the first floor, previously occupied by Sugar Shack Records, and transformed the quaint-but-cluttered music store into a lovingly restored, wide-open space with floor-to-ceiling windows in front, a large and inviting retail room in back, an impressive selection of curated beer and spirits (including nonalcoholic varieties), locally sourced cheeses, crackers and chocolates, and a bestsellers shelf that rotates weekly.

A self-described “sucker for an old building with charm,” Moran was adamant about preserving the wall that separates the retail room from a multipurpose room she named the txoko—a Basque term for “cozy corner.” When the txoko isn’t being used for classes or private tastings, customers can cozy up by the beautiful bay window overlooking Atwood Avenue and the Capital City Bike Trail across the street.

Wine club members Nikki Javurek and husband Ben Kjorlie were part of a crew of “die-hard fans” who helped move the shop into its new digs last fall. Javurek met Moran at a Wisconsin Book Festival event a few years back (Conor Moran was the festival’s director at the time) and bonded over shared views on books, politics and, of course, wine. When she made her first visit to Table Wine soon after, Javurek noticed an Italian wine, Scaia, on the shelf from a winery she, her mom and her best friend had visited during a trip to Venice.

“Molly said, ‘It’s actually the wine that made me want to start Table Wine,’” recalls Javurek. Moran went on to talk about the meaning of a “table wine”—a great bottle of wine that is also affordable. “Ever since then we’ve been huge fans of Molly and what they’ve built.”

Professionally, Javurek and Moran teamed up for a fundraising event for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, co-hosting young professionals of color and a visit by U.S. Senator Cory Booker. Personally, Javurek and Kjorlie frequently end their bike rides around the lake at Table Wine. The night before the couple’s wedding last spring, they hosted an informal “Friday Night Wine Welcome” for local and outof-town guests. Javurek regularly attends store tastings and enjoys grabbing a glass or two with friends before going out for dinner.

“It’s loyalty,” says Javurek. “If we’re gonna get wine, we’re getting it at Table Wine, and I think it’s because of those intersections with other people and the connections you make while you’re experiencing that.”

From an early age, Moran dreamed of starting her own business. Like most dreams, the path to get there was anything but linear. After graduating from University of Iowa with an English degree, she and Conor moved to Madison, where she cut her teeth at the Madison institution, Steve’s Wine, Beer & Spirits.

“I really liked school,” Moran says. “So wine was a place to be a little nerdy. And there was a purpose for it. It wasn’t just like personal enrichment, which is valid, but there was a reason to do it.”

After Conor graduated from law school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the couple moved to Washington, D.C. He would find a job as a lawyer; she would work in restaurants and perhaps become a chef. Instead, Conor pursued his love of books—he’s now the executive director of the Madison Public Library Foundation—and the Morans moved back to Madison to start a family and, fingers crossed, that business Molly had always wanted.

Table Wine at- a - glance

2301 Atwood Avenue, Madison tablewinemadison.com

Year Established: 2016

No. of Employees: 7

Outdoor Seating Capacity: 30

No. of Wine Club Members: 240

Molly’s Spring Favorite: Avinyo Petillant

Tasting Notes: Lemon, minerals, white peach, lightly effervescent.

“It’s perfect for summertime,” says Moran.

After a three-year stint at Epic Systems, where “I got to use my degree and I got to write every day,” she decided it was time to make that dream a reality.

“The cornerstone of what I thought I was going to do differently from every other wine store in town was community,” says Moran.

She credits wine enthusiasts, in particular local meetup groups, for attending classes and tastings in the early years as she worked to grow her fledgling business.

“Creating a community was really as important to me as selling the right wine,” she says. “It's how we train the staff. It's how we talk about wine. It's about not being a gatekeeper and [instead] trying to take this thing that a lot of people think is not for them or too stuffy or whatever, and trying to make it accessible.”

A perfect example of Moran’s commitment to accessibility is her perspective on buying wines by the label.

“Two-thirds of Americans buy wine based on wine labels,” says Moran. “So I just try to make sure that the wine inside is actually good.”