DRINK
The Wine Merchant
of Centreville
Linda Collier knows wine. Those who visit her 40-year-old wine shop are the beneficiaries.
By Scott Pruden
Linda Collier says nothing comes into her Centreville wine shop that she doesn't taste first. Photo by Butch Comegys
L
inda Collier has a bone to pick with me. Armed with an afternoon flute of German sparkling wine and the ebullient nature of a born hostess, she’s in disbelief that I, as someone who’s written about wine and beer around Delaware for more than 20 years, had never visited her shop, Collier’s of Centreville. On various trips up and down Delaware 52 I’ve probably passed the tidy former home that houses Collier’s shop hundreds of times. But given that the shop celebrates its 40th anniversary in December, I’m apologetic and a little sheepish, as this has indeed been a significant oversight. On the other hand, I must admit I’m glad this is my first visit. In the early darkness of this November afternoon, the shop is aglow not just with brilliantly lit bottles that have been hand curated by Collier and her staff, but with the presence of Collier herself. And it’s her passion for wine and everything that surrounds it that I suspect has resulted in her becoming such a treasure for area oenophiles. Collier is not simply a purveyor, she’s a valued resource to those who value her expertise and ability to uncover otherwise unknown vintages that span the spectrum of both price and customer preferences. Collier’s story as a wine merchant started in 1981 when she returned to the Wilmington area after having lived in Europe for six years. She could find no wine shop in the area that met the lofty standards she’d developed overseas. ► DECEMBER 2021
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